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Would you be a few inches taller if you could? The answer may depend on your gender and how much you’ve dreamed of being a professional athlete. But few people would say they want to be shorter — and Mara Altman wants to know why.

Growing up, Altman always heard from her parents that she was a “dime among pennies” and that “good things come in small packages.” At least until her parents saw she wasn’t growing as fast as her classmates and put her on growth hormone injections. Now, as a parent herself, she’s thinking a lot about the messages she got as a child, and wrestling with the implications of intervening — or not — for her own short children.

(A full transcript of the episode will be available midday on the Times website.)

Thoughts? Email us at firstperson@nytimes.com. Follow Lulu Garcia-Navarro on Twitter: @lourdesgnavarro

“First Person” was produced this week by Derek Arthur and Sophia Alvarez Boyd. It was edited by Stephanie Joyce and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Pat McCusker. Original music by Pat McCusker, Isaac Jones and Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. The rest of the “First Person” team includes Anabel Bacon, Olivia Natt, Rhiannon Corby, Wyatt Orme and Jillian Weinberger. Special thanks to Kristina Samulewski, Shannon Busta, Vanessa Mobley, Allison Benedikt, Annie-Rose Strasser and Kathleen Kingsbury.