Pediatric growth charts record a child’s height, weight, and head circumference to monitor growth and development. Doctors use the CDC and AAP’s chart to compare a child’s measurements to sample statistics and determine percentile groups. Consistent growth is more important than percentile ranking, and doctors may use the chart to identify potential problems. Parents should not worry about their child’s future appearance or health based on the chart.
Beginning with a baby’s first medical examination after birth, a baby’s doctor records specific information about the baby’s physical growth and development. The doctor records this information on a pediatric growth chart, which at first glance looks like a series of numbers, dots, lines, and percentages, but is actually a tool a doctor uses to track a child’s early development. Nearly all pediatricians use the same pediatric growth chart provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Three essential pieces of information are recorded on a pediatric growth chart. Height, weight and head circumference are all measured at each healthy child’s scheduled visit and recorded on the chart. After your child grows beyond 18 months of age, many doctors are only concerned with height and weight.
A pediatric growth chart is a basic grid on which growth information is plotted and then compared to sample statistics. These samples determine which percentile group a child falls into and whether their height, weight, and head circumference maintain a consistent growth pattern. If a child’s measurements are in a high percentile group, say 90% or higher, he or she is older than most children of the same age, and vice versa, if he or she is in a low percentile group, the child is smaller than the average .
In terms of growth and development, the Pediatric Growth Chart is a tool used to monitor growth. Rather than worrying about which percentile a child falls into, it’s more important to see that their percentiles are fairly even across the board. A doctor may be concerned if a child’s weight suddenly falls into a lower percentile than previously tracked. Similarly, long-term weight changes that are plotted on a growth chart can alert a doctor to a potential problem before symptoms are present.
Many parents worry about the dots and curved lines they see on their child’s pediatric growth chart. They worry that if their child is tracking in the top 10 percent, they might become overweight, or that if their child is tracking in the bottom 10 percent, they might not be healthy. Since people come in all shapes and sizes, it is more important to focus on consistent growth and development. A pediatric growth chart is simply a tool to monitor growth, and while it may alert a doctor to a potential problem, it is not a measure of a child’s future appearance, intelligence, or general health.
Your child’s doctor will likely discuss your child’s pediatric growth chart at each visit, but expect the discussion to be brief. The pediatrician should be more interested in eating habits, sleep patterns, brain development, and body functions. Rest assured that if the numbers on your child’s pediatric growth chart go wrong, indicating potential problems, your child’s doctor will take care of it.
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