Growth Charts

Doctors use percentile growth charts to assess the growth pattern of children from birth and beyond. At each appointment, your child will be measured and weighed to determine their growth. By using the child's age, height, weight and head circumference the doctor is able to tell where the child ranks in size. If your child falls into the 25% for weight, that means that your child weighs the same or more than 25% of children their same age. That also means that your child weighs less than 75% of children their same age.

There is no right or wrong place to be on the growth chart. Of course, the closer to the 50% your child is, the closer their body shape will match that of children their same age. However, it is important to look at your child's growth over a period of time. You can see how well they are growing by charting points on the chart.

As you chart your child's growth on the chart, you can assess their growth rate. If your child is not growing at the expected rate or is significantly smaller than other children their age, there could be an underlying cause for the poor physical growth. On the other hand, if your child is growing too quickly or is significantly larger than other children their age, there could also be an underlying condition that is leading to their excessive growth.