Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Growth delay
Introduction
Synonyms and keywords: Constitutional delay in growth and puberty; CDGP; constitutional short stature; idiopathic growth delay; physiologic delayed puberty; sporadic short stature; constitutional delay in growth and adolescence; delayed growth
Overview
Overview
Constitutional growth delay is a term describing a temporary delay in the skeletal growth and thus height of a child with no other physical abnormalities causing the delay. Short stature may be the result of a growth pattern inherited from a parent (familial) or occur for no apparent reason (idiopathic). Typically at some point during childhood growth slows down, eventually resuming at a normal rate. CGD is the most common cause of short stature and delayed puberty.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]