Growth charts
Growth charts
Growth charts
Babies grow quickly, especially over the first 12 months.
Once your baby is a toddler (1 – 3 years) their growth will
slow down.
turns 2, your health professional may also plot their Body
Mass Index (BMI), which gives an indication of healthy
weight or if your child is at risk of being overweight.
It’s a good idea to record your child’s growth over time.
You can plot their weight and height at different ages and
see if they follow a growth curve. This is more important
than where they are on the chart at any one time.
Talk with your health professional
Measuring growth
You can weigh your baby yourself, at your Child and
Family Health Service centre or a chemist. Once a month
is usually enough as it is normal for weight to go up and
down from day to day. If you need help with this, make a
time with your Child and Family Health Service nurse. Until
your baby turns 1, weigh them without clothes to give an
accurate weight.
Plotting growth
Your doctor or Child and Family Health Service nurse can
explain how to plot the graphs and can pick up on any
growth problems (such as underweight or overweight)
by looking at your child’s growth chart. After your toddler
If you are worried about your child’s weight or height,
or if your child seems to be dropping or increasing
percentiles, see your health professional to discuss this
with them. If your child is
sick or has a health problem,
this can affect their growth
‘Percentiles’ are
and development. If your
measurements that show
baby was born prematurely,
where your child’s growth
their age needs to be
is compared with others.
corrected when plotting on
If your child is in the 50th
the chart until they turn 2.
percentile, it means that
50% of babies of the same
age are heavier and the
other 50% are lighter.
page 24
cm
50
49
48
47
46
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
33
32
31
30
cm
3
4
5
6
7
8
Age (months)
98th
90th
75th
50th
25th
10th
5th
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Percentiles
Girls head circumference-for-age percentiles
2
Birth to 24 months
Birth 1
SOURCE: World Health Organisation Child Growth Standards http://www.who.int/childgrowth/en
page 25
18
cm
51
50
49
48
47
46
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
33
32
31
30
cm
3
4
5
6
7
8
Age (months)
98th
90th
75th
50th
25th
10th
5th
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Percentiles
Boys head circumference-for-age percentiles
2
Birth to 24 months
Birth 1
SOURCE: World Health Organisation Child Growth Standards http://www.who.int/childgrowth/en
page 26
cm
100
98
96
94
92
90
88
86
84
82
80
78
76
74
72
70
68
66
64
62
60
58
56
54
52
50
48
46
44
42
40
cm
4
5
6
5th
7
8
10th
25th
50th
75th
90th
98th
Birth to 24 months
3
Percentiles
2
Age (months)
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Girls length-for-age percentiles
Birth 1
SOURCE: World Health Organisation Child Growth Standards http://www.who.int/childgrowth/en
page 27
cm
100
98
96
94
92
90
88
86
84
82
80
78
76
74
72
70
68
66
64
62
60
58
56
54
52
50
48
46
44
42
40
cm
3
4
5
6
98th
90th
75th
50th
25th
10th
8
5th
7
Age (months)
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Boys length-for-age percentiles
2
Percentiles
Birth to 24 months
Birth 1
SOURCE: World Health Organisation Child Growth Standards http://www.who.int/childgrowth/en
page 28
kg
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
3
4
5
6
98th
90th
75th
50th
25th
10th
8
5th
7
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Girls weight-for-age percentiles
2
Percentiles
Birth to 24 months
Birth 1
0
kg
Age (months)
SOURCE: World Health Organisation Child Growth Standards http://www.who.int/childgrowth/en
10
11 12
page 29
1
kg
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
kg
4 5
6
98th
90th
75th
50th
25th
8
10th
5th
7
Age (months)
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Boys weight-for-age percentiles
2 3
Percentiles
Birth to 24 months
Birth 1
SOURCE: World Health Organisation Child Growth Standards http://www.who.int/childgrowth/en
page 30
cm
180
175
170
165
160
155
150
145
140
135
130
125
120
115
110
105
100
95
90
85
80
75
70
cm 2
5
6
98th
90th
75th
50th
25th
10th
5th
7
8 2 9 3 10 4 115 126 13 7 14 8 15 9 1610 17 11 1812
Girls height-for-age percentiles
4
Percentiles
2 to 18 years
3
Age (years)
SOURCE: Developed by the National Center for Health Statistics in collaboration with the National
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2000) http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts
13
14
page 31
1
18
cm
190
185
180
175
170
165
160
155
150
145
140
135
130
125
120
115
110
105
100
95
90
85
80
cm 2
5
6
98th
90th
75th
50th
25th
10th
5th
7
8 2 9 310 4 11 5 12 6 13 7 14 815 916 1017 1118 12
Boys height-for-age percentiles
4
Percentiles
2 to 18 years
3
Age (years)
SOURCE: Developed by the National Center for Health Statistics in collaboration with the National
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2000) http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts
13
14
page 32
1
18
kg
100
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
kg 2
5
6
7
98th
90th
75th
50th
25th
10th
5th
8
9
10
11
122 133 144 155 166
Girls weight-for-age percentiles
4
Percentiles
2 to 18 years
3
Age (years)
177
SOURCE: Developed by the National Center for Health Statistics in collaboration with the National
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2000) http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts
188
9
10
page 33
11
18
kg
105
100
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
kg 2
5
6
98th
90th
75th
50th
25th
10th
5th
7
8
9
10
11
12
Boys weight-for-age percentiles
4
Percentiles
2 to 18 years
3
Age (years)
13
14
15
16
17
SOURCE: Developed by the National Center for Health Statistics in collaboration with the National
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2000) http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts
18
page 34