Delayed bone age. X-ray of the hand and wrist of a 10-year-old girl who has constitutional growth delay, meaning that she is small for her age. By comparing the X-ray with those of other children, it was seen that the child's bone development is like that of a normal 7-year-old. Children who have delayed bone age show no signs or symptoms of disease that might have affected their growth. They usually reach puberty later than their peers and continue to grow later, but they can catch up with their peers when they reach adulthood. Children with growth delay may face social problems because they are short and do not enter puberty at the same time as their peers.