Weight charts for children, available from the Centers for Disease Control, include a total of 10 charts for boys. Charts are broken down for children from birth to 36 months and for children and adolescents age 2 to 20 years. These charts are more specific than those for adults because they take into account the child's sex, height and specific age by year and month.
History
Public health workers have been tracking children's weights since the early 20th century in attempts to identify malnutrition. A decade later, physicians began using other diagnostic tools, such as physical examinations, to establish potential nutrition deficiencies in children. Today's growth charts from the CDC are based on statistics from internationally adopted standards set in 1977, and modifications made since 2000.
Significance
Information from children's weight charts are specific to multiple variables such as height, sex and age by month. Weight ranges from these charts are based on data collected by health care providers on a large population of children to determine what constitutes "normal" ranges. Thus, weight charts for children can be used as one diagnostic tool for malnutrition.
Distinctions
Weight charts for infants from birth to 36 months include measurements for: length-for-age, weight-for-age, head circumference-for-age and weight-for-length. Charts for children and adolescents age 2 to 20 years include: stature-for-age, weight-for-age amd BMI-for-age. Weight charts have different values for boys and girls, and all charts can be accessed through the CDC website.
Calculation
Healthy weight to height ranges for children and adolescents age 2 to 20 years are tracked on a BMI-for-age range, which is more specific than adult BMI charts. The CDC calculator allows you to input your child's specific birth date, sex and height. Results of this calculation can determine if a boy falls within a healthy, underweight, overweight or obese range as compared to children with similar criteria. For example, a boy who is exactly 10 years and 0 months old and is 5 feet, 4 inches tall has a healthy weight range from 84 to 112 pounds. This range changes if the boy is older, younger, taller or shorter.
Considerations
Weight recommendations differ for children and infants with special health conditions. The CDC offers alternative charts that account for these conditions, such as very low birth rate infants, or infants who weigh less than 1,500 g. The CDC notes that these alternative charts are based on data from small samples and inconsistent methods of measurement. Plotting growth patterns of a child with special health conditions on alternative charts that identify such conditions, as well as the general weight charts, will give a better estimation of that child's growth in relation to his peers.
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