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A groundbreaking study from the University of Gothenburg has unveiled unexpected variations in height growth among girls following their first menstruation. Published in the journal Frontiers in Pediatrics, the research indicates that every second girl experiences either significantly more or less height growth than the standard 6–8 centimeters typically expected after menarche.
The study, which tracked 793 healthy women from the Gothenburg region and Halland in southwest Sweden from birth through adolescence and into adulthood, aimed to explore the relationship between the timing of the first menstruation and subsequent height growth. Researchers utilized a combination of participant surveys, interview questionnaires, and registry data, including parental height.
The average age at which participants experienced their first period was 13.0 years, with a broad age range from 8.2 to 17.2 years. While the average height increase after menarche was recorded at 8.0 centimeters, with a median of 7.0 centimeters—aligning with expected growth rates—the findings revealed a staggering range of height growth from as little as 0.2 centimeters to as much as 31.1 centimeters.
Notably, the research suggests that early onset of menstruation correlates with greater height growth. Girls who started menstruating before age 12 showed a median growth of nearly 13 centimeters, whereas those who began menstruating after 14 years of age grew only about 3 centimeters.
“This variation in growth after menstruation and to final height is much greater than previous studies have shown,” stated Dr. Jenni Gårdstedt Berghog, a lead author and physician at Halland Hospital. “The differences are pronounced between those who experience early menstruation and those who do so later.”
The study also identified childhood Body Mass Index (BMI) as a significant factor influencing menstrual onset and height growth. Both low childhood BMI and tall parental height were associated with later onset of menstruation, while a higher childhood BMI, which promotes height growth, corresponded with earlier menstruation and potentially shorter adult height.
Principal investigator Anton Holmgren, a pediatric researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy and pediatrician at Halland Hospital, emphasized the importance of these findings. “There is a widespread belief that girls grow 6–8 centimeters after their first period, a notion even taught to medical students. Our study demonstrates substantial variation, showing that early puberty leads to greater height increases than previously understood.”
Holmgren further noted that expanding knowledge in this area is valuable, despite its lack of direct links to disease. “Understanding growth patterns and puberty is a fundamental aspect of human development that resonates with everyone,” he concluded.
For further details, refer to the original study by Jenni Gårdstedt-Berghog et al., titled “Timing of menarche and pubertal growth patterns using the QEPS growth model,” published in Frontiers in Pediatrics (2024). DOI: 10.3389/fped.2024.1438042.
