As a parent, there are many things that you need to keep a tab on, to know your child’s development. Using a child growth chart is one of the essential things that parents should be referring to for this. Pediatricians and other health service providers use a child growth chart to observe a child’s growth over time. Child growth chart has been created by observing the growth of huge numbers of normal children over an extended period. The weight, height, and head circumference of a child can be compared to the expected factors and parameters of children of the same sex and age to conclude whether the child is growing normally and appropriately.

Child growth charts can also be used to predict the expected adult weight and height of a child. In general, children maintain a fairly and uniform constant growth curve. When a child diverges from their previously established child growth curve, an investigation into the causal factors is often warranted. For instance, a lower rate in the growth velocity may point out the onset of a chronic illness.

Child growth charts are separate and different for girls and boys, due to pubertal differences and disproportion in final adult height and weight. Also, children with conditions such as Turner syndrome or Down syndrome follow an altogether different growth chart, which deviates distinctively from children without these diseases. As such, child growth charts have originated only to state the normal growth patterns of several genetic diseases.

The growth curves
The formation of the child growth curves follows a gradual, methodical process, which involves a detailed calculation of existing formulations, including types of smoothing and distribution techniques, to recognize the best possible method. It also comprises choosing a software or application package flexible enough to acknowledge comparative testing of substitute methods and the actual origin of the curves. Also, there is a systematic application of the selected method to the data to create the models that top fit the data.

Indicating the problem
The doctor will observe the child’s growth chart carefully and will interpret it well in the context of the child’s overall well-being, health, and genetic background. There are a few factors that the physician will consider. Does the child meet developmental milestones? How heavy or tall are the child’s parents and siblings? Was the child born prematurely?Has the child started puberty earlier or later than average? Also, there are other health-related signs that the physician might check.

Measuring the head
In infants, head circumference, that is, the length around the largest part of the head can provide hints regarding brain development. If a baby’s head is larger or smaller than most other babies or the head circumference measure stops increasing or increases in much faster pace, it may be a sign of a possible problem.

Using percentiles
Percentiles are measurements or calculations that show results when a child is compared to the normal baby standards. On the child growth chart, the percentiles are presented as curve lines.When pediatricians plot a child’s height and weight on the graph, they observe which percentile curves those calculations land on. The more the percentile number, the bigger a child in comparison to other kids of the same gender and age, whether it is for weight or height; the less the percentile number, the smaller the kid is. Also, there is no ideal or perfect number. Healthy kids come in all sizes and shapes, and a kid who is in the 6th percentile can be just as healthy as the kid who is in the 96th percentile.

Dealing with a problem
When a baby or kid’s height or weight percentile deviates from a certain pattern, it might signal a problem. For example, the weight and height were consistently on the 70th percentile curve until a child is six years old. Later, if the weight dropped to 40th percentile at the age of seven, this might imply that there is growing problem for the kid as he or she is not following his or her previous observed growth pattern. Many children may show alteration in growth percentiles at some points in their body development. This is often common during infancy or puberty when children do not get taller at the same pace as they are gaining weight. For example, a girl’s height is in the 50th percentile, and her weight is in the 89th percentile. So, she is taller than nearly 50 percent of kids his age, however, weigh more than 85 percent of children his age. This might be something to worry about. On the other hand, if the girl is in the 89th percentile for weight and height and follows this calculation consistently over time, this usually concludes that she is normal and just larger than the average.

All the children should be taken to doctor and child growth chart should be observed periodically until the age of 20. This will ensure that no potential problem for the child is overlooked or missed and necessary precautions and treatments shall be undertaken.