Newborn weight curve

The First 24 Months| Pampers

Children come in all shapes and sizes, and all babies grow at their own pace. At your child’s regular health checkups, your little one’s healthcare provider will plot certain measurements on a baby growth chart to make sure they’re on the right track. The chart might look daunting, but your provider can help you understand this useful tool and what the results mean for your child. To make it easier, we'll show you how to read a baby growth chart and interpret the results.

What Are Baby Growth Charts?

Baby growth charts are important tools healthcare providers use to check your little one’s overall health. The charts assess how your baby is growing compared with other children of the same age and gender, and to see how your child is developing over time. Growth standards used for babies under 24 months old are based on the following:

Head circumference. This is the distance around the largest part of the head and indicates how your baby’s brain is growing.
Weight-for-length. This measures your baby’s weight along with their length (height).
Weight-for-age. This measurement tracks your baby’s weight at a particular age.
Length-for-age. This measures your baby’s length (height) at a particular age.

Your child’s healthcare provider will use different growth charts for baby boys and girls, and different charts for babies younger than 24 months and for those 2 years and older.

It's helpful to know that these charts offer information that your provider can assess in the context of other baby developmental milestones and genetic factors. You can find and download the charts below.

Baby Boys Growth Chart: Birth to 24 Months

Boys weight-for-length and head circumference-for-age
Boys length-for-age and weight-for-age

Baby Girls Growth Chart: Birth to 24 Months

Girls weight-for-length and head circumference-for-age
Girls length-for-age and weight-for-age

When and How Is Your Baby Measured?

You probably chose your child’s healthcare provider while pregnant, and your baby’s initial office visit will be within a few days of their birth or shortly after you leave the hospital. Starting with this first appointment, checking your baby’s growth will become a routine part of each visit, whether your little one is 1 month or 1 year. Initially, your baby's checkups will take place every few weeks, and then every few months until your baby turns 1. Your provider will let you know if you need to visit more often and when to schedule future appointments. Don’t hesitate to ask any questions you might have about your baby’s health and development—your child’s healthcare provider is your partner and can reassure you that you’re doing a great job and help you resolve any issues that pop up! Here’s how babies are usually weighed and measured:

Head circumference: The healthcare provider will wrap a soft tape measure around the widest part of your baby’s head, from above the eyebrows, passing above the ears, to the back of the head.
Length: Measuring the length (a.k.a. height) of a wriggly baby may be tricky, but your provider is an expert at this! As your little one lies on a flat table, the provider will gently stretch out your baby’s legs to get an accurate measurement from the top of their head to the soles of their feet.
Weight: With your baby undressed, your child’s provider will likely use a baby scale to get the most accurate reading.

You might be wondering what else to expect at some of your baby’s regular health checkups. The following links will help you prepare for each individual visit, from month 1 to year 2, and provide information about upcoming immunizations:

You can also use our baby growth chart tool to help you better understand your little one’s development!

How to Read a Baby Growth Chart

Once you have your measurements, you might look at a baby growth chart and wonder how you are supposed to make sense of it. Your baby’s healthcare provider can help you understand your child’s results and plot them on the chart at the health checkup, but in the meantime here’s a quick guide on how to read these charts. Remember, it’s important to use the baby boy growth charts if you have a boy and the baby girl growth charts if you have a girl.

Head Circumference Percentile

Although these charts look like something only Einstein could figure out, they’re actually fairly simple to read once you get the hang of it. To find your baby’s head circumference percentile in the growth chart linked above, following these steps:

Find your baby’s age in months at the top of the chart. Only some months are numbered, but each month is represented by a vertical line.
Find your baby’s head circumference measurement on the left side (measurements are provided in both inches and centimeters).
Follow these horizontal and vertical lines until they intersect. In most cases, they will intersect on a curved line.
Follow the curved line to the right until it ends, and here you’ll see a number on a white background. This number indicates your baby’s head circumference percentile on the growth chart.

Weight-for-Length Percentile

Now that you’ve found your baby’s head circumference percentile on the growth chart, it will be easier to do the same for their weight. Follow the steps below:

Find your child’s length in inches or centimeters at the bottom of the grid.
Find your child’s weight (in pounds or kilograms) on the left side of the grid.
Follow the horizontal and vertical lines of these two measurements until they intersect on the growth curve.
Follow the curved line until the end to find your baby’s weight-for-length percentile on the growth chart.

Length-for-Age Percentile

To determine your baby’s length-for-age (height) percentile on the growth chart, follow the steps below:

Find your baby’s length (in inches or centimeters) on the left side of the grid.
Find your child’s age in months at the bottom of the chart.
Track these horizontal and vertical lines until they intersect on the growth curve.
Follow that curve until the end, where the percentiles are written on a white, shaded background.

Weight-for-Age Percentile

Lastly, use the baby growth chart to track your little one’s percentile for weight using the following steps:

Find your baby’s weight (pounds or kilograms) on the right side of the grid.
Find your child’s age in months at the top of the chart.
Follow these horizontal and vertical lines until they intersect on the curved line.
Follow that curved line until the end, where the percentiles are written on a white, shaded background.

How to Interpret Baby Growth Chart Percentiles

Your child’s healthcare provider is the best person to explain these results to you. Remember, the charts show the typical growth patterns for baby boys and girls, and there is a wide range of healthy results. There’s no ideal result when viewed individually, but, ideally, your child would follow along the same growth pattern (the curved line) over time. As a result, their height and weight would grow in proportion to one another.

What Are the Percentiles?

But, this one point doesn't show the complete picture. Your child’s provider will assess several values over time to determine the trend of how your baby is growing compared to the average growth curve on the chart. Try not to become too focused on a single number. There is a wide range of healthy sizes and lengths, and many factors influence your child’s growth, including genetics, environmental factors, nutrition, activity levels, and health conditions. Another thing to consider is when babies have growth spurts, which can vary from child to child. For example, breastfed and formula-fed babies grow in slightly different patterns. Breastfed babies typically put on weight more slowly than formula-fed babies, and formula-fed infants typically go through a growth spurt and gain weight more quickly after 3 months of age.

With all these different factors at play, it’s important to assess these percentiles over time and with your child’s provider.

What Happens if My Baby’s Growth Pattern Changes?

A different growth pattern doesn’t always indicate a problem. Your child may simply be experiencing a growth spurt, which is partly why it’s so important to look at these percentiles over time. However, your child’s healthcare provider will also investigate a growth pattern change to rule out any issues. Typically, a healthy, well-nourished baby grows at a fairly predictable rate. Any change in this rate can help your baby’s provider detect and address any feeding, developmental, or medical issues.

What Happens if My Baby Is Above or Below the Average?

Most children fall between the 3rd and 97th percentiles on baby growth charts for head circumference, weight, and length (height). But if your child does not, know that there are many factors at play, and that your child’s provider will consider other developmental milestones and family genetics. Baby growth chart percentiles aren’t like an algebra exam. Just because your little one is in the 50th percentile doesn’t mean there’s a problem! In fact, that figure means your baby is right in the middle of the average. What’s more important is how your child grows over time. Plus, some families might have fast-growing babies, while others have slow and steady gainers. Regardless of what you see on your baby’s growth chart, try not to worry, and keep these individual differences in mind as you follow your child's development. If the healthcare provider determines that your baby is overweight, underweight, growing too fast, or growing too slowly, trust that your little one is in good care, and follow the provider’s recommendations.

The Bottom Line

Baby growth charts, whether for boys or girls, can be confusing at first glance. In the end, it’s always best to look at your baby’s growth chart percentiles together with their healthcare provider over time, and to avoid comparing your child to others. Instead, focus on all of the growing your little one is doing! And, if your baby’s healthcare provider says they’re on the right track, you can take pride in your little one’s progress regardless of the value on the chart. In fact, you’ll probably be delighted (and maybe even a little surprised) when you see how big your baby is now compared to the day they were born. Your little one is a moving, grooving, and growing machine, and there’s so much to look forward to, such as watching them start to crawl and walk, hearing those first laughs, and helping them develop those fine motor skills. As your baby hits milestone after milestone, reward yourself for all your hard work by earning rewards with our Pampers Club App.

Well Baby Visit: 1-Month Checkup

Your baby's first health checkup will be about one month after you bring him home from the hospital. Your provider will check his weight and height, and offer you advice on how to handle minor illnesses or concerns at home and when to call the doctor.

You're still getting used to life with your baby, so give yourself as much time for this checkup as you can. Bring along whatever you need to keep your baby warm, fed, and contented, and make sure to bring a copy of your newborn's hospital record, if you have it.

At This Visit, Your Provider Will Probably:

Weigh and measure your baby to make sure he's growing at a healthy rate.
Check that his umbilical cord stump has fallen off and the belly button is healing well. If your baby son was circumcised, your provider will check that this is healing as well.
Give your baby a hepatitis shot if he didn't get one at the hospital or at a previous doctor's visit.
Address any health concerns that he or she notices, such as cradle cap or diaper rash.
Ask you about your baby's sleeping, eating, and elimination patterns.

What Your Healthcare Provider Will Want To Know

Has your baby seen another healthcare provider since the last visit? If so, why? What was the outcome of that visit, and were any medications or treatments prescribed?
Does your baby hold her head up when you put her on her tummy?
Does she quiet down, at least briefly, when she hears you or when you pick her up?
Does she sleep a little longer during some part of the day or night?
Does she have longer periods when she's alert?
Does she follow you with her eyes, and study your eyes and face when you're close?
Does she respond to your voice or other sounds?
Is she put to sleep on her back? Are her bedding and room appropriate?
Does she watch a mobile above her?
Is she a little fussier at the end of the day? All of these behaviors are expected at this time.
If you are breastfeeding, are you taking any medication or supplements?
Are there any special stresses or changes at home?

Talk It Over

You no doubt have many other concerns. Now's the time to discuss them with your provider. Here are a few common issues:

How is your baby eating and sleeping? Let your provider know how often your baby eats.
Talk about how siblings and other family members are adjusting.
Ask about crying management and comforting techniques. Your baby should respond to being held. Discuss pacifier use as well.

Speak Up!

New parents always have questions. Your healthcare provider is there to help, so don't be shy. For example, you should speak up if the following situations apply to you:

People are giving you advice that confuses you or is contradictory.
Your baby doesn't respond to sounds, especially your voice.
Your baby isn't moving both hands and feet equally.
Your baby has a puffy or runny eye.
Your baby doesn't focus on your face when she is alert.
You're having a hard time comforting your baby.
You're feeling blue, or having a hard time sleeping or eating.
You're going back to work soon, and you're not sure how you're going to manage it.
Your baby doesn't stay awake for more than 30 minutes at a time.

Although every baby is different and reaches developmental milestones at unique times, it's always reassuring to discuss any issues or concerns about your baby's development with your provider.

Height and weight gain for children of the first year of life. Tables

Dear parents, your baby is growing and you are worried about whether he is gaining enough weight and height. For control, there are centile tables for assessing the physical development of children, weight and height indicators. At the same time, you must remember that each baby is individual, he cannot grow according to the textbook. These weight and height recommendations are based on an average number of children and 10% deviation is normal. In addition, the centile corridor from 25% to 75% is an average physical indicator. That is why they say: Physical development is mesosomatic, macrosomatic, microsomatic. nine0003

It is important that the weight and height indicators are in the same centile corridor, but no more than two adjacent ones. Then we can talk about harmonious development. If the gap is more than two centile corridors, the development is disharmonious. Then we can think either about an unbalanced diet or about a pathology associated with obesity (paratrophy), or protein-energy deficiency (hypotrophy). In addition, one should not forget about the constitutional characteristics of the child, about genetic predisposition. Therefore, in no case should you compare your child with a neighbor's. To talk about the health of a child, we evaluate his condition according to many criteria. This is neuropsychic development, laboratory examination data, anamnesis, heredity. How many times in my practice have I met children who gained 400-450 g in weight every month, by the year they barely gained 7.8-8 kg. But at the same time, children already at 10 months began to walk, pronounce syllables, and follow complex instructions. nine0003

We'll talk about weight and height gain for term babies. In preterm infants, rates of weight gain and height differ according to the degree of prematurity. In addition, children can be born with intrauterine malnutrition.

The tables for girls and boys are different in terms of numerical indicators, but at 1 year of age, these differences are quite minimal.

Centile tables for assessing the physical development of girls from 0 to 12 months. nine0003

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Body length (height), cm. Centiles in %							Age in months	Body weight, kg. Centiles in %
3	nine0002 10	25	50	75	90	97		3 nine0003	10	25	50	75	90	97
nine0002 45.8	47.5	49.8	50.7	52.0	53.1	53.9 nine0022	0	2.6	2.8	3.0	3.3	3.7	3.9	4. 1
48.5	50.3	52.1	53.5	55.0	57.3	1	3.3	3.6	3.8	4.2 nine0003	4.5	4.7	5.1
51.2	53.3	55.2	58.0	59.3	60.6	2	3.8	4.2 nine0003	4.5	4.8	5.2	5.5	5.9
54.0	nine0002 56.2	57. 6	59.3	67.7	61.8	63.6	3 nine0022	4.4	4.8	5.2	5.5	5.9	6.3	6.7 nine0003
56.7	58.4	60.0	61.2	62.8	64.0	four	5.0	5.4	5.8	6.2	6.6 nine0003	7.0	7.5
59.1	60.8	62.0	63.8	66. 0	68.0	five	5.5	5.9	6.3 nine0003	6.7	7.2	7.7	8.1
60.8	62.5	65.5	67.1	68.8	70.0	6	5.9 nine0003	6.3	6.8	7.3	7.8	8.3	8.7
nine0002 62.7	64.1	65.9	67.5	69.2	70.4	71.9 nine0022	7	6. 4	6.8	7.3	7.7	8.4	8.9	9.3
64.5	66.0	67.5	69.0	70.5	73.7	8	6.7	7.2	7.6	8.2 nine0003	8.8	9.3	9.7
66.0	67.5	69.1	72.0	74.1	75.5	nine	7.1	7.5 nine0003	8.0	8. 6	9.2	9.7	10.1
67.5	70.3	71.9	73.2	75.3	76.8	10 nine0003	7.4	7.9	8.4	9.0	9.6	10.1	nine0002 10.5
68.9	70.1	71.5	73.0	74.7	76.5 nine0003	78.1	eleven	7.7	8.3	8.7	9.3	nine0002 9.9	10.5	10. 9
70.1	71.4	72.8	74.1 nine0003	75.8	78.0	79.6	12	8.0	8.5	nine0002 9.0	9.6	10.2	10.8	11.3

At the same time, until the age of three months, the child adds 20-30 grams per day daily, respectively, from 140 to 200 per week. If we talk about the average weight gain by months, then it is only 600 g per month, since the child after birth has physiological weight loss (with urine, feces, transition from intrauterine feeding to breastfeeding during the adaptation period), approximately 10% of the weight, which is 200-300 grams. nine0003

More often, by 3-4 days, the child restores its original weight, and then there is an increase. But I had a case in practice when the child began to gain weight from the 20th day of life, while the girl was active, reflexes were alive, her appetite was good, she could withstand the night interval, stool 4-5 times a day, urination was sufficient, developed according to age. Therefore, do not worry. Our indicator is the well-being of the child. If the baby is active, eats with appetite, sleep is calm, the skin is clean, physiological functions are not disturbed, be calm, your baby is healthy and not hungry. You see from the table the range of weight per year is from 8 to 13 kg. This is the norm. There is no reason to run to the endocrinologist, genetics, to examine the child. nine0003

Or the opposite situation: in the first months of life, a child gains 1-1.5 kg while breastfeeding. If the baby does not have colic, he does not spit up, there are no gastrointestinal manifestations, he is active, the skin is clean, physiological functions are not disturbed - this is also the norm. Remember, as often happens, premature babies quickly gain weight and catch up with their peers by the year. And large babies gain weight more slowly. In my entire thirty-year practice, only two children weighed 14-15 kg by the year, although their parents were large and tall. By the age of three, they weighed almost the same, added only in height, the rest of their peers caught up with them. nine0003

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Month	Weight gain in grams
1	600.0
2	800.0 nine0003
3	800.0
four	750.0
five	700.0 nine0022
6	650.0
7	600.0
8	550. 0
nine	500.0
10	450.0
eleven	400.0
12	350.0

It is believed that by 4-4.5 months the child should double the weight, and triple by the end of the year.

It happens that the increase in height and weight goes in leaps, seasonality, unevenness, and sometimes asymmetry of growth are noted. Pediatricians are concerned about the circumference of the head and chest, by 2-3 months they should be equal. Further, the breast grows faster. This is important so as not to miss the pathology. nine0003

The younger the child, the faster his growth. In the first 3 months of life, body length increases by 3 cm monthly, in the second quarter by 2.5-2 cm monthly. In the third - 1.5-2 cm, in the fourth - 1 cm monthly. The total increase in height in the first year of life is about 25 cm.

Centile tables for assessing the physical development of boys from 0 to 12 months.

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Body length (height), cm. nine0003 Centiles in %							Age in months	Body weight, kg Centiles in %
3	10	25 nine0003	50	75	90	97		3	10 nine0022	25	50	75	90	97
46.5	48.0 nine0003	49.8	51.3	52.3	53. 5	55.0	0	nine0002 2.7	2.9	3.1	3.4	3.7	3.9	4.4 nine0022
49.5	51.2	52.7	54.5	55.6	56.5	nine0002 57.3	1	3.3	3.6	4.0	4.3	4.7	5.4
53.6	53.8	55.3	57.3	58.2 nine0003	59.4	60.9	2	3. 9	4.2	4.6	nine0002 5.1	5.6	6.0	6.4
55.3	56.5	58.1 nine0003	60.0	60.9	62.0	63.8	3	4.5	nine0002 4.9	5.3	5.8	6.4	7.0	7.3
57.5 nine0022	58.7	60.6	62.0	63.1	64.5	66.3	four nine0003	5.1	5.5	6.0	6. 5	7.2	7.6	nine0002 8.1
59.9	61.1	62.3	64.3	65.6	67.0 nine0003	68.9	five	5.6	6.1	6.5	7.1	nine0002 7.8	8.3	8.8
61.7	63.0	64.8	66.1 nine0003	67.7	69.0	71.2	6	6.1	6.6	nine0002 7.1	7.6	8.4	9.0	9. 4
63.8	65.1 nine0003	66.3	68.0	69.8	71.1	73.5	7	nine0002 6.6	7.1	7.6	8.2	8.9	9.5	9.9 nine0022
65.5	66.8	68.1	70.0	71.3	73.1	nine0002 75.3	8	7.1	7.5	8.0	8.6	9.4	10.5
67.3	68.2	69. 8	71.3	73.2 nine0003	75.1	75.5	nine	7.5	7.9	8.4	nine0002 9.1	9.8	10.5	11.0
68.8	69.1	71.2 nine0003	73.0	75.1	76.9	78.8	10	7.9	nine0002 8.3	8.8	9.5	10.3	10.9	11.4
70.1 nine0003	71.3	72.6	74.3	76.2	78. 0	80.3	nine0002 eleven	8.2	8.6	9.1	9.8	10.6	11.2 nine0022	11.8
71.2	72.3	74.0	75.5	77.3	nine0002 79.7	81.7	12	8.5	8.9	9.4	10.0 nine0022	10.9	11.6	12.1

In the second year of life, the child should gain 2-2.5 kg in weight, grow by 8-10 cm.

Thank you for your attention.