Measuring your Infant's Progress: Baby Growth Charts

From the moment your baby is born, you will be familiarized with baby growth charts. A baby growth chart is used to measure and track the growth of infants based upon what is known as the "percentile chart". The Percentile Chart is applicable for both boys and girls, yet there are subtle differences between the average growth of males and females. For instance, your daughter will be measured on a girl's growth chart, and you son would be measured according to a boy's growth chart.

The Infant and the Percentile Chart

Your infant's head circumference, weight, and height will be measured and tracked on the baby growth chart. The Percentile Chart will give you an estimation about where your baby's growth and progress lay. For example, if your son was measured on a boy's growth chart, and his height was at 92%, that would indicate that out of 100 boys his age, your son would measure taller than 92% of them. If your daughter was underweight, and was measured according to a girl's growth chart, and her weight was at 49%, that would mean that out of 100 girls her age, she weighed more than 49, and 51 of the girls weighed more than she did.

Pediatricians rely heavily upon baby growth charts and the Percentile Chart for early recognition of possible irregularities in growth patterns. The Percentile Chart will also help identify if there are any problems with the balance between height and weight.

If a child has a high percentage in the height category, yet a significantly low percentage in weight, this could signify various issues that the pediatrician will need to take a look at.

Also measured on the baby growth chart is head circumference. By measuring head circumference certain disorders may be diagnosed early and therefore treatable.

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