Baby head growth chart

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Average newborn head circumference | BabyCenter

The average newborn head circumference is about 13.5 inches. Your baby's doctor will measure and chart your baby's head circumference from birth through 2 years of age. Measurements within normal ranges – and that increase on an expected curve – are an important indication that your baby's brain is growing as it should. If your baby's head is much smaller or larger than average, it could be a sign of a problem, and they'll be referred to a neurologist.

Your baby's head circumference is one of the first measurements healthcare providers will take of your newborn.

Doctors call it a fronto-occipital circumference (or OFC), and it's a good indication of your baby's brain development. Taking the measurement is an important part of well-baby health care, because the growth of your baby's head shows the development of their central nervous system.

Numbers outside normal ranges – or a dramatic shift in your baby's trending numbers over time – can alert your baby's doctor to any possible problems.

What is average newborn head circumference?

The average newborn's head circumference is about 13.47 inches (34.2 cm). At 1 month old, it's about 14.53 inches (36.9 cm). Boys' heads (and bodies) are slightly larger, but the difference is less than half an inch (1 cm).

What's a normal baby head circumference?

There's no one number to define a normal baby head circumference at a given age, but there are charts that provide ranges. These charts give the average head circumference for a boy or girl at a given age, and they allow your baby's doctor to compare your baby's head size with the average – as well as with your baby's growth over time. The normal range is usually defined as approximately between the 5th and 95th percentiles.

So if your baby's head circumference is in the 50th percentile, that means that they have the average head circumference. If their number falls in the 30th percentile on the chart, it means that 30 percent of babies the same age have a smaller head circumference, and 70 percent have a larger head circumference.

Doctors often chart preterm babies using a preterm curve.

Learn more about how growth charts work.

When will my baby's head circumference be measured?

The first time your baby's head will be measured is shortly after birth. The medical staff will take the measurement promptly because the charts used for comparison were developed measuring babies before 24 hours of age.  

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At birth, your baby's head is 25 percent of its future adult size, and by age 3, the brain is 80 percent of its adult size. Because birth to 3 years old is a period of rapid brain growth, your child's healthcare provider will measure their head circumference at every well-baby and well-child visit up to 2 years. (Head circumference is also measured in older children with abnormal growth.)

The doctor will enter this number on your baby's growth chart, along with their length and weight. Each time a measurement is taken, your baby's provider will compare the measurement with your baby's past measurements and with the normal ranges for your child's sex and age.

You can measure your baby's head circumference at home, too, if you want. But it's not necessary (your baby's doctor will routinely measure and chart the numbers for you), and it's hard to do it accurately.

When should I be concerned about my baby's head circumference?

If your baby's head circumference is outside the normal range for their age and sex, their healthcare provider will want to check for problems.

If your baby's head circumference is much smaller than average, it may be a sign that their brain has stopped growing or isn't growing properly. This might be due to an infection or a genetic condition. Your baby's doctor will probably refer you to a pediatric neurologist or neurosurgeon if your baby has microcephaly (the name for a very small head size).

If your baby's head circumference is much larger than average, it may be a sign of hydrocephalus, which is a buildup of fluid in and around the brain. This rare condition can increase the pressure in your baby's head. Other causes of a large head size are brain tumors or genetic conditions. Again, you'll be referred to a pediatric neurologist or neurosurgeon who can diagnose and treat the condition.

Baby head circumference chart

These are the numbers your baby's healthcare provider will use to compare your baby's head circumference to average ranges. Doctors use charts developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) for babies from birth to 24 months. For ages 2 to 3 years, doctors use charts developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Note that the transition from WHO numbers to CDC numbers isn't perfectly seamless at 2 years (because WHO and the CDC use different standards), but they're close enough for doctors to continue to chart them effectively.

Girls: Head circumference from birth to 24 months

Girls in weeks

Age (weeks)	Head circumference
0	33.9 cm	13.35 inches
1	34. 6	13.62
2	35.2	13.86
3	35.8	14.10
4	36.4	14.33
5	36.8	14.49
6	37.3	14.69
7	37.7	14.84
8	38.0	14.96
9	38.4	15.12
10	38.7	15.24
11	39.0	15.35
12	39.3	15.47
13	39.5	15.55

Girls in months

Age (months)	Head circumference
0	33.9 cm	13.35 inches
1	36.5	14.37
2	38.3	15.08
3	39.5	15.55
4	40.6	15.98
5	41.5	16.34
6	42. 2	16.61
7	42.8	16.85
8	43.4	17.09
9	43.8	17.24
10	44.2	17.40
11	44.6	17.56
12	44.9	17.68
13	45.2	17.80
14	45.4	17.87
15	45.7	17.99
16	45.9	18.07
17	46.1	18.15
18	46.2	18.19
19	46.4	18.27
20	46.6	18.35
21	46.7	18.39
22	46.9	18.46
23	47.0	18.50
24	47.2	18.58

Boys: Head circumference from birth to 24 months

Boys in weeks

Age (weeks)	Average head circumference
0	34. 5 cm	13.58 inches
1	35.2	13.86
2	35.9	14.13
3	36.5	14.37
4	37.1	14.61
5	37.6	14.80
6	38.1	15.00
7	38.5	15.16
8	38.9	15.32
9	39.2	15.43
10	39.6	15.59
11	39.9	15.71
12	40.2	15.83
13	40.5	15.95

Boys in months

Age (months)	Head circumference
0	34.5 cm	13.58 inches
1	37.3	14.69
2	39.1	15.39
3	40.5	15.95
4	41.6	16.38
5	42. 6	16.77
6	43.3	17.05
7	44.0	17.32
8	44.5	17.52
9	45.0	17.72
10	45.4	17.87
11	45.8	18.03
12	46.1	18.15
13	46.3	18.23
14	46.6	18.35
15	46.8	18.43
16	47.0	18.50
17	47.2	18.58
18	47.4	18.66
19	47.5	18.70
20	47.7	18.78
21	47.8	18.82
22	48.0	18.90
23	48.1	18.94
24	48.3	19.02

Girls: Head circumference from 2 to 3 years

Age (months)	Average head circumference
23. 5	47.41 cm	18.67 inches
24.5	47.54	18.72
25.5	47.66	18.76
26.5	47.78	18.81
27.5	47.89	18.85
28.5	48.00	18.90
29.5	48.10	18.94
30.5	48.19	18.97
31.5	48.28	19.01
32.5	48.37	19.04
33.5	48.45	19.08
34.5	48.52	19.10
35.5	48.60	19.13
36	48.63	19.15

Boys: Head circumference from 2 to 3 years

Age (months)	Average head circumference
23.5	48.60 cm	19.13 inches
24.5	48.72	19.18
25.5	48.83	19. 22
26.5	48.94	19.27
27.5	49.04	19.31
28.5	49.13	19.34
29.5	49.22	19.38
30.5	49.31	19.41
31.5	49.38	19.44
32.5	49.46	19.47
33.5	49.53	19.50
34.5	49.59	19.52
35.5	49.65	19.55
36	49.68	19.56

Your baby's healthcare provider will chart your baby's height and weight too. Use our baby height and weight tracker to keep tabs yourself.

Understanding your baby's growth and development is more than charting numbers, of course. Check out our articles on baby development to learn more about your baby's growth, month by month.

Learn more:

• Your newborn baby's growth and development
• Warning signs of a developmental delay
• Failure to gain weight in babies

Table of child development up to a year

It is amazing how quickly a child changes in the first year of life. Never again will he learn at such a speed. But how do you know if the baby is developing correctly, is everything in order? Of course, each child is unique, but it is important to know the average indicators in order to sound the alarm in time and turn to specialists.

Age and physical characteristics	Skills
At birth Height (length) - 49-50 cm Weight - 3200-3300 g Head circumference - 34-34.5 cm Chest circumference - 32-34 cm	Moves legs and arms while awake. Starts and starts to blink at sharp sounds. Responds to a stimulus by crying.
1 month Height (length) - 54-55 cm Weight - 4200-4500 g Head circumference - 36.5-37 cm Chest circumference - 36-36.5 cm	Tries to raise the head in the prone position and hold it for up to 5 seconds. Follows moving bright objects and an adult's face. Responds to harsh sounds. nine0004 Replies with a smile. Starts babbling.
2 months Height (length) - 57-58 cm Weight - 5100-5600 g Head circumference - 38-39 cm Chest circumference - 38-39 cm	Holds the head for a long time. Turns to the sound of an adult speaking. nine0003 Grabs objects reflexively. Actively interested in the outside world. hoots.
3 months Height (length) - 60-61.5 cm Weight - 5800-6400 g Head circumference - 39.5-40.5 cm Chest circumference - 40-42 cm	Holds head well in upright position. nine0004 Looks at objects for a long time. Makes different sounds. Supported under the armpits by legs. Raises on the forearms in the prone position. Turns on its side from the back. Emotionally responds to the conversation, shows dissatisfaction with loud crying. Sucking fingers or cam
4 months Height (length) - 62-64 cm Weight - 6400-7000 g Head circumference - 40.5-41.5 cm Chest circumference - 41.5-42 cm	Confidently raises his head, lying on his tummy. Handles mother's breast or bottle during feeding. Laughs and smiles when playing. Long hums. Grabs hanging objects with hands. nine0004 Rolls over from back to stomach. In the position on the stomach, he rises with support on the palm of his hand. Lying on the back, raises the head and shoulders.
5 months Height (length) - 64-66 cm Weight - 6900-7500 g Head circumference - 41.5-42.5 cm Chest circumference - 43-44 cm nine0009	Recognizes mother and other close people. Consciously follows the object with his eyes. Rolls over from tummy to supine position. Grabs and holds objects with both hands. Takes an item from an adult's hand. Sitting with support. Long humming in a singsong voice. Responds to heard nursery rhymes and songs. Looking at pictures. nine0004
6 months Height (length) - 66-67.5 cm Weight - 7300-7900 g Head circumference - 42-43 cm Chest circumference - 44-45.5 cm	Sitting without support. Stretches hands towards an object of interest. Picks up a toy that has fallen out of hand. nine0003 Tries objects "by the tooth". Begins to crawl. Learns to eat from a spoon. Begins to say syllables. Tries to stand on his feet, holding on to a support. Responds to a name. Listens carefully to an adult. Looks for an object that an adult is talking about.
7 months nine0003 Height (length) - 67-69 cm Weight - 7600-8300 g Head circumference - 43-44 cm Chest circumference - 45-46.5 cm	Crawls and sits well. Stands with both hands supported. Holds an irregularly shaped object in his hand. Plays with toys for a long time, studying their properties. Drinks from a mug with the help of an adult. nine0004 Tries to sit up. Displays body parts.
8 months Height (length) - 69-70.5 cm Weight - 7900-8600 g Head circumference - 43.5-44.5 cm Chest circumference - 46-47 cm	Looking for a toy that has fallen. Transfers an item from one pen to another. nine0004 Gets up holding onto a support. Crawls fast. Sits down, lies down, steps over objects. Babbles with intonation. Enjoys other children. Shows familiar objects when asked where? Independently holds solid food (rusk, biscuits). Afraid to part with mother.
9 months Height (length) - 70-72 cm Weight - 8200-8900 g Head circumference - 44-45 cm Chest circumference - 47-48 cm	Tries to stand and take the first steps. Imitates other children. Reaches for an object of interest and tries to get it. Consciously manipulates toys. nine0003 Shows human body parts and toys. Tears and crumples paper. Holding onto a support, dancing to the music.
10 months Height (length) - 71.5-73 cm Weight - 8500-9200 g Head circumference - 44-45.5 cm Chest circumference - 47-48 cm	nine0003 Begins to pick up small objects with fingers. Puts fingers in holes, opens drawers. Plays hide and seek. Walks with the support of two hands of an adult. Can go up and down stairs (3-4 steps). Understands adult requests. Repeats gestures and sounds after an adult. Simulates animal voices. Waving at parting and meeting. nine0004 Tries to eat on his own with a spoon.
11 months Height (length) - 73-74.5 cm Weight - 8700-9400 g Head circumference - 44.5-46 cm Chest circumference - 48-49 cm	Stands alone. Walks with one hand supported. Lifts objects without crouching (bending down). nine0004 Able to crouch without support. Assembles a pyramid. Adds cubes. Begins to say "easy" words. Plays patty. Reacts vividly to a stranger or new toys, as well as to praise. Interested in books and musical toys.
12 months nine0003 Height (length) - 74-76 cm Weight - 8900-9600 g Head circumference - 45-46 cm Chest circumference - 48-49 cm	Tries to walk independently. Gets up from a squatting position. Drinks from a cup independently. Can refuse unloved food. Bites off biscuits and other hard foods. nine0003 Understands the words "don't" and "may". Recognizes animals and shows them in pictures and on the street. Knows how to use some items. Pronounces 10-15 words.

Growth and weight standards for children and adolescents

The physical development of a child as a combination of various indicators (length, weight, shape, strength, etc.) characterizing his growth and development is due to a complex of hereditary and social factors. To study the physical development of children and adolescents, a unified method for measuring the human body and its parts has been developed. All anthropometric indicators can be divided into two groups: basic (body length, body weight, chest and head circumference) and additional (other anthropometric indicators, for example, leg length, head height, etc.). Analysis of the main anthropometric indicators at the time of the examination makes it possible to assess the physical condition of the child, in dynamics - the pace of physical development. At the same time, the features of the physique, the state of the musculoskeletal system, the degree of puberty, etc. are taken into account. Physical development is analyzed by comparing individual or group indicators with average data (standards) characteristic of the corresponding age and gender of the child. nine0004

The value of indicators of a child's physical development can be explained by a number of arguments. For many chronic diseases of childhood, there are no specific symptoms related to the early stage of the development of the disease, therefore, a violation of physical development is one of the first signs of trouble and serves as an indication for an in-depth examination of the child. Violations of the physical development of children and adolescents may be the result of malnutrition, lack of necessary care, improper or harsh treatment of the child, etc. Violations of physical development can cause constitutional features, congenital or hereditary pathology of the developmental apparatus. Such children have imperfect mechanisms of adaptation and anti-infective protection, for example, a lack of body weight in a child may be accompanied by a higher frequency of minor developmental anomalies. Any deviations of anthropometric parameters from the norm at the birth of a child can become one of the reasons for the decrease in immunological resistance, increasing the likelihood of a disease in the first year of life by half, and the probability of death by 4 times. All factors characterizing the growth and development of the child's body can be divided into genetic and environmental factors. The influence of heredity affects the growth of the child after 2 years of life. nine0004

Hereditary factors mainly determine the rate and possible limit of a child's growth under optimal environmental conditions.

The influence of environmental factors on the growth rate of the child's body can be traced very clearly. Among these factors, nutrition and vitamin sufficiency, motor mode and emotional stress, acute and chronic diseases, the influence of climatic and geographical conditions, etc. are distinguished. At the same time, environmental factors can slow down or accelerate growth processes, but in general the growth trend is quite stable, it obeys the conservation law growth. A variety of adverse influences that disrupt the individual growth rate of a child can subsequently be neutralized by the phenomenon of "catch-up or compensatory growth." What happens to the physical development of your baby from the moment of birth to its full maturity? We observe the growth and development of a child in the first year of life: How can we understand if he is healthy, is everything okay with him? Remember: the health of a child is judged primarily by its weight, height and head circumference. On average, a newborn's body weight is 3. 0-3.5 kg, body length 50 cm, head circumference 35 cm. But do not expect your baby to necessarily meet this standard. Children are considered normal if their indicators are within the following limits: body weight 2.5-4.5 kg, length 45-55 cm, head circumference 33-37 cm. Immediately after birth, babies lose some weight, and then regain it and start adding. Further weight gain as well as height and head circumference are important indicators of your child's condition. By the end of the 1st year of life, body length increases by 47% in relation to body length at birth. nine0004

Weight gain of a child in the first year of life: by 4-5 months, body weight doubles, by the 1st year it increases 3 times. The head circumference of a child in the first 6 months of life increases by approximately 1 cm per month, but if the father of the child is large and the mother is small, the growth rate of the head circumference may be above the norm, and in the opposite ratio - below the norm. The circumference of the chest of newborns is less than the circumference of the head, these dimensions are equalized only by the age of one. In the first month of life, the child must be weighed daily. Thus, you monitor the development of lactation and fix the daily weight gain. Body weight is the most sensitive indicator of a child's health: whether he fell ill, whether his appetite worsened, whether his sleep was disturbed, whether you made any errors in care - all this will immediately be reflected in grams. A sign of nutritional adequacy is normotrophy - the correspondence of body weight due to a given body length of a child. If the weight of the baby has decreased by more than 10%, this is already a sign of malnutrition (malnutrition). Equally alarming is excess weight - parotrophy (excess nutrition). But the increase in the growth of the child is a more stable indicator, and its violations often indicate the presence of the disease. nine0004

Assess the rate of development of your child in the first year of life, prescribe additional examinations in case of violations of the rate of weight gain, body length, head and chest circumference, correct nutrition, if necessary, a pediatrician will be able to, therefore the cooperation of parents is so important with a doctor from the very first year of a baby's life.

It must be remembered that during the first month the pediatrician examines the child weekly, then, if the development of the baby corresponds to normal indicators, monthly. Assessment of the physical development of a child from one to 10 years. After your baby is one year old, he begins to grow by leaps and bounds. In the second year of life, he adds about 2.5-4.0 kg, and growth increases by 10-15 cm. At the age of 3 to 5 years, the baby adds 2 kg and 3 kg per year. nine0004

The head circumference of a child from 51 cm at the age of 5 increases to 53-54 cm at the age of 12. At 5-8 years old, the first traction occurs. But not all children grow in the same way - depending on a variety of factors, such as genetic ones. Children of undersized parents are usually smaller than their peers, but their puberty processes still occur on time. Faster growth than that of peers, with normal body proportions, is characteristic of children of tall parents. In some babies, the growth rate slows down from the second year of life, but after 2-3 years it accelerates again to normal. They have both growth and the onset of puberty delayed by a period during which growth was retarded, but final growth is in line with genetic potential. You must understand: the growth rate of the child should not correspond to any exact parameters, the criteria for “normality” are not at all rigid, but nevertheless, deviations in the growth rate of the child can also be pathological: for example, grossly out of proportion to age or accompanied by a violation of proportions body. Such cases require expert advice. It is also necessary to control body weight. As mentioned above, the lack and excess of body weight requires close monitoring of pediatricians, endocrinologists. In children with reduced body weight, there is a decrease in the immunological reactivity of the body, which leads to frequent colds. And excess everything is a risk factor for acquiring obesity in the future and all the serious diseases associated with it: atherosclerosis, heart disease, colon cancer, etc. nine0004

• Increase in the recommended amount of food;
• Satisfying a child's thirst with milk, sugary drinks or formula;
• Excessive (more than 50-100 ml per day) consumption of sweet fruit juices and nectars;
• Use of excess high-calorie foods - fat, sweets, baked cottage cheese;
• Calming the child with food;
• Familial overeating, which distorts the child's development of a real sense of the need for food; nine0474
• Force-feeding, inculcating the habit of eating everything on the plate.

Your pediatrician and endocrinologist will be able to establish the correct diet, give recommendations on the daily diet. Please remember that in the second year of life, the pediatrician examines the child once a quarter, from the third year of life once every six months, in the fourth year and then once a year. Your child is between 10 and 15 years old. A uniform increase in the growth of preschoolers is replaced by its sharp acceleration in adolescence. At 10-13 years old (for girls) and at 12-15 years old (for boys) there is a second traction and at the same time an increase in body weight. The maximum growth rate in girls usually occurs at 12 years of age. The increase in height at this age is approximately 8 cm per year. The maximum increase in body weight in girls usually occurs later at 13 years of age. In boys, the maximum growth rate usually occurs at 14-15 years of age and is approximately 10 cm per year. The maximum increase in the body of a boy usually occurs with a maximum increase in height. The probable final height depends on the height of the parents. It can be calculated using the following formula: Boy's height = 1/2 x (father's height + mother's height) + 6.5 cm Girl's height = 1/2 x (father's height + mother's height) - 6.5 cm. Possible error must be taken into account - the final height can be 8.5 cm more or less. nine0004

Boys themselves and their parents are often worried about the delay in growth acceleration, while girls, on the contrary, are worried about excessive growth. However, you need to worry only if the child's growth parameters differ significantly from the parameters indicated in special tables and graphs. In such a situation, it is necessary to contact an endocrinologist.

Remember - there are methods that can influence these processes. One of the most important features of the physical development of children and adolescents is the uneven change in growth rate. In children, the distal segments of the body grow at a faster rate and in a shorter time than the upper and proximal segments.

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