CalcVerse

Height Calculator

Children tend to grow towards the average of their parents’ heights, adjusted for sex. This gives a target height and a range that covers most children, not a precise forecast.

Also called: Child height predictor · Mid-parental height calculator

  • Last updated
  • Formula tested against reference values

Your numbers

Child
Heights in

Result

Target adult height
—cm

Calculating…

In feet and inches
—
In inches
—
Likely range from
—
Likely range to
—

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter or choose child.
  2. Enter or choose heights in.
  3. Enter or choose father’s height.
  4. Enter or choose mother’s height.
  5. The target adult height updates as you type. Use Copy result or Share to keep it.

Method

Boy: (Father + Mother + 13 cm) ÷ 2; Girl: (Father + Mother − 13 cm) ÷ 2; Range: target ± 8.5 cm

13 cm (5.12 in)
average difference between adult male and female height
8.5 cm
about two standard deviations either side of the target

Worked example

  1. Add the parents’ heights: 180 + 165 = 345 cm.
  2. For a boy add 13 cm and halve: (345 + 13) ÷ 2 = 179 cm.
  3. Range: 179 − 8.5 = 170.5 cm to 179 + 8.5 = 187.5 cm.

A boy whose parents are 180 cm and 165 cm has a target adult height of about 179 cm (5 ft 10.5 in), most likely between 170.5 and 187.5 cm.

What the result means

The target is where a child’s growth would be expected to head given the parents’ heights. Many children end up a few centimetres from it, and some outside the range. A child whose growth is moving well away from their target range is worth discussing with a doctor, who will use growth charts and other measurements.

Assumptions and limits

  • Mid-parental (target) height method of Tanner, Goldstein and Whitehouse (1970), as presented by the MSD Manual.
  • Both parents’ adult heights are measured, not estimated.
  • The child’s growth is not affected by illness, nutrition problems or medication.
  • It does not use the child’s own height, age or bone age, so it cannot detect early or late growth.
  • It works less well when parents’ heights are very different or unusually tall or short.

Questions

How accurate is it?

The ±8.5 cm range covers roughly 95% of children whose growth is typical. Methods that also use the child’s current height and bone age, done in a clinic, are more precise.

Can I use inches?

Yes. Choose inches; the method is the same with 5.12 in in place of 13 cm.

Sources

Please note: This is a general screening estimate for adults, not medical advice or a diagnosis. Talk to a qualified health professional about your health.