Which statement best describes constitutional growth delay in children?

• A. Delayed puberty or delayed bone age with normal final adult height
• B. Short stature with delayed puberty and delayed bone age
• C. Normal growth velocity with delayed puberty
• D. Growth velocity consistently high with tall stature

Answer: (A)

Constitutional growth delay is a pattern where skeletal maturation is delayed, so bone age lags behind chronological age, and puberty often starts later, but the child grows at a normal rate and eventually reaches a normal final adult height. That’s why the best description is delayed puberty or delayed bone age with normal final adult height—the end result is a normal height despite a temporary slowdown in maturation.

The other descriptions don’t fit as well: CGD isn’t defined by consistently high growth velocity or tall stature, and while puberty can be delayed, the defining point is that final height ends up normal rather than short.