Growth Charts

Growth Charts - Height and Weight

Pediatricians and family physicians use a growth chart to keep track of your progress. As all of us know, there is a wide variation in the height and weight of "normal" kids. Growth charts were developed from information obtained by measuring and weighing thousands of children in various age ranges. From these numbers the national average for weight and height for each age and sex were established and plotted forming a curved line. This became the 50th percentile curve, meaning in a sample of 1,000 boys or girls, 500 would be above the curve and 500 would be below. Then other curves were established representing the 10th, 25th, 75th and 90th percentiles. By definition, 100 out of 1,000 normal kids will be at the 10th percentile. Another way of looking at it is that a child whose height falls on the 10th percentile would be taller than 100 and shorter than 900 children of the same age and sex.

If your height or weight falls below the 50th percentile does this mean that you won't make the deans list or will be too short to play basketball? Absolutely not! As long as you are consistently in the normal range (between the 10th and 90th percentile) and stay in that range, everything is fine. Physicians may become concerned if you repeatedly fall below the lower limits for weight or height, or above the upper limits for weight.

If after viewing these charts, you're worried or confused about the results, make an appointment with your doctor and talk to him or her about it.