When do kids quit growing? My 16-year-old daughter is worried that she'll always be taller than the boys in her class.

Most girls begin their growth spurt between the ages of 10 and 11 and reach about 95 percent of their adult height between the ages of 15 and 16. Boys experience a similar growth spurt, but it begins about two years later and lasts until age 17 or 18, says Dr. Kenneth Ellis, a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. On average, girls grow between six and seven inches during this five-year period, boys from eight to nine inches.

According to Ellis, who studies children's growth at the USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, these averages are based on measurements taken on thousands of children. So, while we know that most girls gain only an additional one-half inch between the ages of 16 and 18, a few will grow significantly through age 20. And, while tall parents tend to have tall children and vise-versa, taller children do not always become the tallest adults.

Although it's likely that your daughter won't grow much more in height, her bones will keep growing in thickness and strength until her mid-20s. To maximize bone strength during this important period, encourage her to eat plenty of calcium-rich foods and participate in weight-bearing exercises like walking or skating.

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