Weight plays an important role in health, regardless of age. In fact, regular baby weight measurements are a routine part of newborn care, and we compare your baby to growth charts that reveal your child’s percentile — but a lot of parents don’t know what those measurements mean.
As a trusted provider of pediatric care in Henderson and Las Vegas, Nevada, Nevada Pediatric Specialists wants every parent to feel informed and educated about their child's health, growth, and development. In this post, we explain why we measure your baby’s weight and what those baby weight charts really mean.
When your child is a baby, we keep track of their weight, length (or height), and head circumference in the early stages of life, comparing them to a series of growth charts. Each chart maps your baby’s measurements against other babies of the same age and gender.
The percentile lines on the chart show where your baby falls among their peers.
For instance, if your child’s weight is at the 50th percentile, that means half of babies of the same gender weigh more and half weigh less at the same age. If your baby is at the 75th percentile, that means 75% of babies weigh less and 25% weigh more.
The purpose of growth charts is simple but critically important: By comparing your baby’s growth to other children the same age and tracking that growth and development over time, we can spot potential issues early on to monitor or treat as needed.
Of course, babies come in all shapes and sizes, just like adults, and the range of healthy percentiles is broad. Your doctor is looking at your child’s growth over time to see how well they adhere to an overall curve, or trajectory, without large deviations.
Overall, your child’s growth rate is considered normal if they generally follow a percentile line on the growth chart. Small fluctuations typically are nothing to worry about, but large dips or spikes could be a sign of a potential problem.
With the weight chart specifically, we can use the trajectory — combined with your child’s length (or height) — to determine their body mass index (BMI). This figure helps us determine if your child is below or above an ideal weight for their stage of development.
Weight charts can help us identify caloric deficiencies that could lead to stunted growth or developmental issues. They also help us identify when a child is at risk of gaining too much weight, which in turn could increase the child’s risk of obesity later on.
A baby’s weight can be influenced by a lot of factors, including issues during pregnancy or delivery, feeding routines, and even genetics. Growth charts that reveal percentile are just one way our team tracks your baby’s growth and development for optimal health and wellness at every stage of life.
To learn more about growth charts or to schedule an exam for your baby, call 702-457-5437 or book an appointment online with Nevada Pediatric Specialists today.
