Height Prediction — 68" Father, 62" Mother
See the predicted range below, or try different heights.
Predicted Adult Height
5'8" (171 cm)
Typical range: 5'4" (161 cm) – 6'0" (182 cm)
Summary
With a father's height of 5'8" (173 cm) and a mother's height of 5'2" (157 cm), a son's predicted adult height is approximately 5'8" (171 cm) — typically falling somewhere between 5'4" (161 cm) and 6'0" (182 cm).
Family height comparison (inches)
How Is a Child's Adult Height Predicted?
This calculator uses the mid-parental height method, a simple and widely cited formula that averages both parents' heights with a small adjustment for the child's sex. Genetics account for roughly 60% to 80% of adult height, with nutrition, sleep, and overall health during childhood making up most of the remaining variation.
Very tall or very short parents are likely to have a taller or shorter child than average — but the child tends to land closer to the population average than the parents did, a statistical pattern known as regression toward the mean.
The Mid-Parental Height Formula
The formula averages both parents' heights, then adds or subtracts about 5 inches (13 cm) depending on the child's sex — reflecting the average height difference between adult men and women. A roughly ±4 inch range is typically added around that midpoint to reflect how much individual height can vary even among children of the same parents.
Why There's a Prediction Range, Not a Single Number
Height is influenced by dozens of genes plus environmental factors like childhood nutrition, chronic illness, and sleep quality, so no formula based only on parental height can predict an exact result. The ±4 inch range reflects the natural variation seen even between siblings raised by the same two parents.
More Precise Clinical Methods Exist
Pediatricians sometimes use the more detailed Khamis-Roche method, which factors in the child's own current height, weight, and age alongside parental heights, and tends to be more accurate than the simple mid-parental formula used here, especially for children already showing signs of unusually fast or slow growth.
Environmental Factors Still Matter
Even with strongly genetic potential, chronic undernutrition, illness, or poor sleep during childhood and adolescence can prevent a child from reaching their genetically predicted height — which is part of why average adult heights have risen across many countries over the past century as nutrition and healthcare improved.
Example — Your Current Inputs
With a father's height of 5'8" (173 cm) and a mother's height of 5'2" (157 cm), a son's predicted adult height is approximately 5'8" (171 cm) — typically falling somewhere between 5'4" (161 cm) and 6'0" (182 cm).
Additional Example — Average-Height Parents
For a father at 5'9" (69") and a mother at 5'4" (64"), a predicted son's height works out to about 5'9" (69"), while a predicted daughter's height comes out to about 5'4" (64") — each typically varying by about 4 inches in either direction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is this prediction?
It's a reasonable estimate for a healthy child with no unusual growth conditions, but it's not a guarantee — actual adult height commonly falls anywhere within the stated range, and sometimes slightly outside it.
Does this work for adopted children or step-parents?
No — the formula relies on biological parentage, since it's estimating genetic height potential inherited from both biological parents. It won't produce a meaningful estimate using non-biological parents' heights.
Why does the formula add or subtract 5 inches?
That adjustment approximates the average height difference between adult men and women, so the formula shifts the parental average up slightly for sons and down slightly for daughters before landing on a sex-adjusted predicted height.