Since the early 20th century, public health workers have tracked the weight ranges of children to identify malnutrition. Growth charts for children from the CDC include subsets for boys and girls at every month of age and are based on statistics from internationally adopted standards set in 1977, with modifications made since 2000.
Recommendations
Height and weight percentiles for boys are tracked on charts for different stages of life -- from birth to 36 months, and 2 to 20 years old. A 12-month-old boy who is 75cm long and weighs 24 lbs. falls in the 50 percent range of overall statistics, while a 12-year-old boy who is 58 inches and 95 lbs. falls within the 50 percent range.
Significance
Twenty-five percent of children in the United States are overweight and 11 percent are obese, according to research from "Nutrition Journal." Obesity increases the risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, while being significantly underweight can also be a major health concern. Height-to-weight percentiles for children are one way to diagnose and prevent obesity and other forms of malnutrition.
Considerations
Standard weight charts do not account for children and infants with special health conditions. The CDC has alternative charts that account for low birth weight infants, or infants who weigh less than 1,500g. These alternative charts are based on data from small samples and inconsistent methods of measurement, and the CDC says that plotting growth patterns of a child with special health conditions on alternative charts, as well as the general weight charts, will give a better estimation of that child's growth in relation to his peers.
Tools and Tracking
Along with the standard weight charts, the CDC offers a calculator that tracks BMI-for-age range for children. Input your child's birth date, sex and height and the calculator can determine if a boy falls within a healthy, underweight, overweight or obese range when compared to children with similar criteria.
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