The most common etiology of short stature is
Short Stature
Defined as height below the third centile or more than 2 standard deviations below the median height for age and gender according to the population standard. Children whose statures more than 3 SD below the population mean for age and gender are more likely to be suffering from pathological short stature as compared to those with stature between -2 and -3SD, who are more likely to be affected by familial or constitutional short stature.
CAUSES:-

The most common cause is constitutional.
Familial
Pathological causes include:
	Undernutrition
	Chronic systemic illness
	Cerebral palsy
	Congenital heart disease
	Cystic fibrosis, asthma
	Malabsorption
	Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
Endocrine causes include:
 Psychosocial dwarfism.
Children born small for gestational age.
Skeletal dysplasia; achondroplasia, rickets.
Genetic syndrome; Turner, Down syndrome.
Thyroxine deficiency
Growth hormone deficiency
Constitutional growth delay
Systemic diseases