Short stature is a general term used to describe a condition in which a child or a teen’s height is well below the average height of his or her peers. Short stature typically means that a person’s height is below that of the shortest 3 percent to 5 percent of children of the same age and sex. Short stature could be idiopathic (with no known cause), an inherited trait or a symptom of one of a number of underlying disorders. Many disorders can cause short stature, including achondroplasia, hormone deficiency, delayed puberty, Cushing’s disease, malnutrition, malabsorption disorders, such as celiac disease, and others. A child must be examined by a health care provider if short stature is suspected or present.