Measuring Your Adolescent Patient's Growth
Tools for physicians to use in their offices
The 2000 CDC Growth Charts consist of a series of percentile curves that illustrate the distribution of selected body measurements in US children. Comparing body measurements with the appropriate age- and gender-specific growth chart enables health care providers to monitor growth and identify potential health- or nutrition-related problems.
Growth charts are not intended to be used as a sole diagnostic instrument. Instead, they provide physicians with a tool for evaluating growth and forming an overall clinical impression for the child being measured.
The 2000 CDC growth charts and BMI-for-age charts
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Quick tips for using growth charts |
- Obtain accurate weights and measures.
- Select the appropriate growth chart.
- Record data.
- Calculate BMI.
- Plot measurements.
- Interpret the plotted measurements.
Source: Use and Interpretation of the CDC Growth Charts |
The growth charts consist of 16 charts (eight for boys and eight for girls) plus two BMI-for-age charts for boys and for girls in the following age groups:
Infants, birth to 36 months
- Length-for-age and weight-for-age
- Head circumference-for-age and weight-for-length
Preschoolers, 2 to 5 years
Children and adolescents, 2 to 20 years
Infants (birth to 24 months) must be measured for length, and the sex appropriate length-for-age or weight-for-length charts for infants, birth to 36 months must be used to plot the measurements. At age 24 months and older, if children can stand unassisted and follow directions, stature should be measured and plotted on the stature-for-age chart for children (2 to 20 years). Otherwise, between 24 and 36 months, length can be used in place of stature.
BMI-for-age
BMI-for-age charts are recommended to assess weight in relation to stature for children ages 2 to 20 years. The weight-for-stature charts are available as an alternative to accommodate children ages 2-5 years who are not evaluated beyond the preschool years. However, all health care providers should consider using the BMI-for-age charts to be consistent with current recommendations.
Resources
The 2000 CDC Clinical Growth Charts may be downloaded, printed, and copied for use in physicians' offices.
Last Updated: 10/30/2007