How do little boys grow? Steadily, if he’s healthy — though there may be a huge variation in size and shape from one baby to the next.
Here’s a handy growth chart to help you understand what your healthcare provider is looking at when they tell you where your son or grandson is “on the charts.”
Your healthcare provider will regularly measure the height and weight of your baby, and may plot his growth on a chart like the ones below. You may also be told that your child is in a certain percentile for height and a certain percent for weight.
These numbers in and of themselves don’t mean a lot, as children grow and develop at different rates. These charts are helpful, however, to make sure your child — from birth to his third birthday — is growing consistently. If he slips off the curve (does not seem to be growing well), this may signal a problem.
Boys: Growth chart for birth to 36 months
Length-for-age and weight-for-age percentiles
Baby and toddler growth charts for girls
Here’s a helpful growth chart to help you understand what your healthcare provider is looking at when they tell you where your daughter or granddaughter is “on the charts.”
Your healthcare provider will regularly measure the height and weight of your baby, and may plot her growth on a chart like the ones below. You may also be told that your child is in a certain percentile for height and a certain percent for weight.
These numbers in and of themselves don’t mean a lot, as children grow and develop at different rates. These charts are helpful, however, to make sure your child — from birth to her third birthday — is growing consistently. If she slips off the curve (does not seem to be growing well), this may signal a problem.
Girls: Growth chart for birth to 36 months
Length-for-age and weight-for-age percentiles
