All parents need to keep track of their baby's height and weight. The information lets parents know if the amount and nutrition of their baby's food is adequate. Parents and doctors use growth charts to compare the child's progress to the growth of healthy babies around the world. However, babies who do not fall within normal height and weight ratios are not necessarily unhealthy.
The Charts
The main way parents and doctors measure the health of a baby's growth is by using growth charts. The charts are published by the World Health Organization. The Centers for Disease Control also publishes growth charts. However, the CDC recommends using the WHO charts, since WHO charts identify how healthy babies should be growing, while the CDC charts measure the trends of how US children have been growing. The WHO charts are available on both the CDC and WHO websites, and also in a wide variety of parenting books and websites.
Using the Charts
The charts show babies at various stages of life, from birth to 24 months. Parents can look up their baby's length and weight measurements and see how he compares to other babies at that age. Parents can also look up their baby's head circumference on a chart and compare it to other babies his age. The baby's growth falls within a percentile. For example, a six-month-old baby boy who weighs 13 pounds and measures 27 inches long is considered to be in the 50th percentile for weight and length.
Healthy Ratios
Babies grow in spurts. That means a baby's length will not increase at the same pace as his weight, and that there are no perfect ratios for a given age. For example, a baby's length may fall into the 98th percentile while his weight is in the 30th percentile. It doesn't mean the child is unhealthy. Doctors look for the child's steady rate of growth over time rather than one single length or weight measurement. Doctors also take family history into account. If a baby's parents are tall and thin, it's likely the baby will be as well.
Unhealthy Growth
Babies who hit developmental milestones are usually considered healthy. However, doctors may be concerned when the baby's weight gain is too slow or too fast, or when the baby's length is not increasing over time. If that happens, the culprit may be an underlying cause. When that is suspected, pediatricians will look at the baby's nutrition and food intake. The doctor may also order blood and urine tests.
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