Definition: Short stature refers to a child who is two standard deviations or more below the average height of other children his or her age and sex, or less than 3rd or 5th percentile on growth charts. Although there are many possible causes of short stature, usually a medical cause can not be found. Some children are short because their parents are also short. Others may be "late bloomers" and will keep growing after people his or her age and sex have stopped growing. The remaining group of children may have short stature because of poor nutrition, bone or skeletal disorder, genetic disorder, or a long-term condition like asthma or diabetes.