DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My daughter’s age is 10 years and 6 months. Her present height is 54 inches, and her weight is 75 pounds. Her periods have started. I am worried about her height because people say that a girl’s height is stopped after menses. I am recording her height every three months. Her progress is very slow. I have read about growth hormones. Would giving them to her be the right thing to do? – M.M.

ANSWER: Your daughter ranks right about smack dab in the middle of girls of her age both for weight and height.

Menstrual periods begin anywhere from age 9 to 16, with most girls having their first period at age 12 or 13.

The peak growth spurt for girls begins around age 12 (for boys, it’s 14). You must realize that these numbers are averages and don’t apply to every girl, nor are they the norms for girls in all parts of the world.

Who are these people who say a girl’s growth stops after she begins to have menstrual periods? They’re quite wrong.

Your daughter is neither too short nor too thin. She’s likely to attain normal height, the height programmed by her genes.

There is no reason to consider growth hormone for her. It is a consideration for children who are in the shortest 2.3 percentile for their age. The 2.3 percentile means that 97.7 percent of children of that age are taller than those in the 2.3 percentile. Put this thought out of your mind. Put the tape measure back in the drawer.

If you want confirmation, have the family doctor examine the girl for premature puberty.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a right bundle branch block. My husband has a left bundle branch block. We see the same doctor, and he hasn’t given us many details about blocks. They sound worrisome to me. What is their significance? – B.T.

ANSWER: The bundles are special heart cells that intertwine to form cables much like standard electric cables. They deliver the electrical signal generated by the heart’s pacemaker, located in the upper right heart chamber, to the lower heart pumping chambers, the ventricles. Upon receiving the signal, the right ventricle contracts and delivers blood to the lungs to replenish its supply of oxygen. The left ventricle’s contraction pumps blood out of the heart into the general circulation.

A block in either cable means that the electric signal must take a detour to reach the ventricles. Both ventricles eventually get their respective signals, but slightly later than normal. The heart functions well in spite of this short delay.

Normal people with normal hearts can have a right bundle branch block without any consequences. In a few people, it’s an indication of heart disease.

A left bundle branch block, on the other hand, is more often a sign of heart disease. Long-standing high blood pressure, heart valve problems or a deficient blood supply to the heart muscle can cause it.

Treatment is not directed at a bundle branch block. It’s directed at its cause – if there is one.

Your husband must pry his doctor’s mouth open to find out if he has significant heart disease and if something can be done about it.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a widower, age 77, who is seeing a woman of 69. We have become close friends and have kissed on occasion but have not had sexual intimacy.

She tells me she has herpes but that it is hardly ever active. Can I catch herpes from kissing? What does she mean when she says it is hardly ever active? – C.H.

ANSWER: People catch genital herpes only from genital contact. They don’t get it from kissing.

By “not active,” I take it to mean she has no visible outbreak of herpes. The number of herpes outbreaks usually diminishes as the years pass. Even when there are no visible signs of herpes, the virus can be transmitted. Condoms offer some protection.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.