Accelerated growth in children.

Many tall-statured children will display variations of normal growth patterns, such as familial tall stature or familial rapid maturation. However, precocious puberty and a number of rarer diseases that can cause accelerated growth require the earliest possible detection and treatment to ensure that underlying problems are appropriately treated and optimum final adult height is attained. Most of these syndromes are rare. Nevertheless, the pediatric nurse practitioner should be acquainted with them to make timely and appropriate referrals to endocrinologists, geneticists, cardiologists, or orthopedists.