What is a Height Chart?
Although most kids grow at their own pace, the Centers for Disease Control has set out guidelines in the form of height and weight charts for healthy sizes and body weights for children of all ages. Keep in mind that general lifestyle factors such as physical activity and nutrition can play a role in a child’s height and body weight at any given age. Changes in growth patterns may be indicative of poor nutrition or a change of environment. You should take your child to see a physician if your child experiences any rapid changes in his or her height or weight. Do All Children Use the Same Chart? A different height chart may be used for different ages, as well as different genders. Boys and girls grow at different rates, as do infants under 36 months. Special growth charts may be used for children who have conditions such as Down syndrome. Babies are generally measured by length and head circumference, while children between 2 years and 20 years old are measured for height and weight as
