Pubertal growth is analysed in 41 normal short boys and 31 normal short girls, whose height SDS at 7 years was below-1.5 SD, among 450 normal healthy boys and 483 normal healthy girls. Fourteen of 41 (34%) normal short boys and 15 of 31 (48%) normal short girls had a height SDS at 17 years above -1.5 SD (Group A), while the height SDS at 17 years of the rest of the normal short boys (27 boys) and girls (17 girls) remained below -1.5 SD (Group B).The mechanism of height gain during puberty differs between normal short boys and girls. In normal short boys, height and percent overweight at 7 years, and pubertal height gain correlated closely with height at 17 years. In normal short girls, the age and height at onset of PGS are the important factors influencing height at 17 years.