To make things simple, we are using a BOYS growth chart, but the same information applies to the girls charts. NOTE: These charts are only for children AFTER the age of 2 years. Children younger than 2 must be measured by special devices at the doctors office. The chart looks complicated- but it is simple after you understand the basics- so hang on!
The first thing to understand is that there are 2 areas to list information on a chart- one is an area for weight and the other is for height. Be sure to use the “height” area on top.
Next- on the left side are 2 columns. The left one in orange is inches, the one in blue is for centimeters. Use the appropriate one.
The green areas are for the age of your child…Get as close as you can to the year and months. For example if your child is 4 years 5 months old- you would mark the middle area between 4 and 5 years.
Now that you understand what all the numbers and lines are for- it is time to “plot” your child’s height measurement.
- Locate the age of your child (green area)
- Locate the height of your child and match those two points.
Here we use the example of a child who is 4 and a half years old and stands 39 inches tall. We placed a red dot where those 2 measurements join.
Ok..now you
- have been very careful to get an accurate measurement
- you have taken your time and carefully plotted that measurement on a growth chart
So what does this measurement mean? Below are some possible answers. However, before you continue- we must strongly remind you that we (authors of this website) are parents of children who have been diagnosed with medical problems impacting our children’s growth. We are NOT medical professionals. We are only offering this information in “parent” language because we have been through this with our own children and know that this is tough to understand. We offer this plain explanation for parents who are trying to help children get a diagnosis before it is too late. ALWAYS consult medical professionals about your child’s health!
After you have your child’s measurement “plotted” on the growth chart, you will want to understand what this means…right? Click here to continue and please read carefully as this area can be tricky.