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Baby Weight Percentages

What Percentile Is Your Child In, and Does It Matter?

By Lisa A. Goldstein

What does a low, average or high rating mean for the child?

It's a snapshot, Dr. Lonzer says. "Growth percentiles tell us how children are growing compared to other kids their age, but only at that moment in time," she says. "It is most important, when evaluating growth, to look over time. Children who start small and cross percentiles, becoming larger, may be developing obesity, but their height may be increasing at the same rate, meaning that they are growing proportionately and well, causing no worries for parents or physicians. Children who start at higher percentiles and drop lower may be developing a metabolic illness, getting inadequate nutrition, exercising heavily or they may just be settling into a lower percentile."

If your child is an extreme low or high percentile, you may be wondering if anything needs to be done. The answer is, not necessarily.

"The two keys to knowing what growth charts mean are to watch over time and compare height and weight," Dr. Lonzer says. "Remember that there are also familial and ethnic patterns of growth that may make your child follow a curve slightly different than the standard curve. We sometimes do x-rays and lab work for uexpected growth rates, but each child is an individual."

Want to see more?

• Checkups: What to Expect at the Doctor's Office
• Low Birth Weight Babies: Causes, Concerns and Outcomes
• The Body Mass Index (BMI): A Useful Tool in Determining a Healthy Weight
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