Growth charts compare your child's height and weight with that of their peers of the same gender. Most children fall within a normal growth pattern, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Plotting children's height and weight on growth charts helps doctors and dietitians assess their patients' health and nutritional status, and helps reassure parents that a child is developing normally.
History
The recommended "normal" height and weight for children was established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1977. The CDC developed pediatric growth charts establishing recommended heights and weights for children as they grow. These charts were updated in 2000, with data more reflective of a diverse population and to account for differences in growth rates of breastfed versus formula-fed infants.
Identification
Rather than numerical averages for height and weight, growth charts illustrate percentiles of growth. For instance, if a girl's height for age in years and months is at the 50th percentile marker that means she is taller than half of the girls her age and shorter than the other half.
Among children the same height and age, weight varies between girls and boys because of different growth rates and body types. A child should be at his best weight for optimal health. Maintaining a healthy weight helps when he engages in physical activity and reduces his risk of developing chronic disease.
Features
Growth charts indicate various growth patterns, with bands indicating 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 95th percentiles that represent the distribution of body measurements in U.S. children. Height and weight lower than the 5th percentile or greater than the 95th percentile may indicate a need to closely monitor growth over time.
A child's appropriate weight range is influenced by many factors, as she undergoes the constant changes of steady childhood growth and growth spurts, according to KidsHealth.org.
The recommended measurement of infants from birth to 36 months include weight-for-age, length-for-age, weight-for-length and head circumference. Measures of children and adolescents aged two to 20 include stature-for-age, weight-for-age and BMI, or body mass index-for-age. Doctors and dietitians track these measurements to assess health and nutritional needs.
Benefits
A child's height and weight falling within accepted norms is a good indicator that her development is progressing at a healthy and expected rate. A height below the 5th percentile may indicate stunting of her growth. Weight below the 5th percentile may indicate malnutrition or possible disease. Weight above the 95th percentile may indicate obesity and its related health concerns.
Significance
None of these measures should be interpreted alone, but must be viewed as a trend over time, in concert with other information related to the child's health. Doctors and dietitians use this trend information to help form a clinical impression of a child's health and nutritional status.
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