Is your child growing well?
Check height, weight, and BMI percentiles by age
A child at the 25th percentile for height is perfectly healthy. What matters is that they stay on their curve over time, not the number itself.
Medical Disclaimer: This tool provides general educational estimates. Always consult your prescribing physician or healthcare provider before making medication changes or interpreting results from population-based models.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most children between the 5th and 95th percentile are growing normally. What matters most is consistency over time. A child who is always at the 20th percentile is growing perfectly well. Concern arises when a child crosses two or more major percentile lines.
There is no target percentile. The 50th is average, not a goal. Genetics play the biggest role. If both parents are shorter, their child will likely be in lower percentiles and that is completely normal. Track the trend, not the number.
Not necessarily. Many healthy children are naturally smaller. Talk to your pediatrician if: your child drops across two major percentile lines, falls below the 3rd percentile, or shows other signs like fatigue or delayed development. A single low reading is rarely cause for alarm.
The AAP recommends WHO standards for children under 2 and CDC charts for ages 2-20. WHO charts represent optimal growth, while CDC charts reflect actual U.S. population data. This calculator applies the appropriate standard based on your child's age.
Pediatricians check at every well-child visit. For home monitoring, every 3-6 months is reasonable. Tracking multiple measurements over time is far more valuable than fixating on any single check.
Methodology
This calculator estimates percentiles using simplified growth pattern calculations based on WHO (0-5y) and CDC (2-20y) reference data. Height and weight percentiles are approximated from age-sex population medians. BMI is calculated as weight(kg) / height(m)^2. These are estimates for general guidance; clinical growth monitoring uses full LMS tables for precise z-scores.
Child growth percentiles compare a child's height, weight, and BMI to other children of the same age and sex. The 50th percentile means average, not ideal. Most healthy children fall between the 5th and 95th percentiles. What matters most is consistency over time, not a single measurement. The AAP recommends WHO growth standards for children under 2 and CDC charts for ages 2-20. Parents should track trends and discuss concerns with their pediatrician rather than focusing on individual percentile numbers.
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