Have you ever wanted to predict your child's height and wonder how tall your baby boy or baby girl grow to be? What if I told you there was an easy way to find out?
A simple formula first introduced in the 1970s in The New York Times has recently resurfaced and is helping parents to predict just how tall their offspring will grow to be!
Admittedly, the formula has its shortcomings and is fallible at best, but it's accurately predicted the height of our entire content team! Sure, that's a small sample size but it just might work for your kids, and will surely give you a rough estimate.
How does it work? Well, it depends on whether your child is a boy or girl.
If your child is a boy:
Add Mom's height and Dad's height PLUS 5in. (13cm) and divide by two.
If your child is a girl:
Add Mom's height and Dad's height MINUS 5in. (13cm) and divide by two.
It should be noted that whatever number the formula predicts is simply an estimate. These numbers are far from reliable. Too many factors are at play in a child's development to make an accurate prediction. Everything from environmental influences, proper or poor nutrition, and bone growth can affect your child's growth.
Genetics in particular is the most reliable way to estimate how tall your children will grow. In fact, it's suggested that genetics accounts for roughly 80% of a child's potential height. So there is some reliability to the formula. In large sample sizes, the formula has estimated the correct height of adults (with 4-inch leniency in some cases).
Give it a try, parents! It may be spot on, or it may be a few inches off but it does offer a rough estimation in most cases.
It should be noted that how tall your child is tends to decrease in younger siblings. Also, the aforementioned factors can affect your child's potential. In any case, this formula is fun and exciting for parents and can yield accurate results!