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Home › Articles › Toddler Health › Baby Weight Percentages

Baby Weight Percentages

What Percentile Is Your Child In, and Does It Matter?

By Lisa A. Goldstein

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

"As the mother of four children, I think parents need to realize that children grow at their own rate, and being 'too small' or 'too big' is often a temporary state for most kids," says Craven, whose pediatrician has much the same attitude as she does.

Not every doctor thinks parents should keep track of what percentile their children are in. Dr. Bud Zukow, a pediatrician with 43 years of private practice and author of Baby: An Owner's Manual (Beaufort Books, Inc., 2007), responds to the question, "Should I keep track of what percentile my child is in?" with this: "The fact that the question is being asked illustrates why percentiles aren't a good idea."

"They do very little other than cause anxiety among parents who inevitably compare their child's percentiles with those of their friends' children," Dr. Zukow writes. "As the child grows, that anxiety can be transferred to the child, especially if she becomes aware of constantly being compared to others. If your baby is healthy and showing appropriate weight gain, leave the percentiles alone. You don't need them."

Dr. Lonzer recommends that parents talk to their pediatrician about their child's growth at each checkup visit, so that they may be aware of any risk factors for metabolic or other health problems. Parents can have lots of fun guessing how their kids will end up, but "don't wager lots of cash because lots can change over time!" Dr. Lonzer says.


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Baby Weight Percentages by Anonymous on 03/12/2010 05:00PM

When babies start walking the tend to not gain as much weight or they lose. I would not be worried about that. Don't forget they are moving around a lot and so the weight will either drop or stay around the same.

Baby Weight Percentages by Anonymous k on 03/12/2010 05:03AM

my baby is 8 mo old and her weight is 14.1 pounds. she vomits everytime she eats and can not be comforted no matter what i do, Any ideas what i can do?

Baby Weight Percentages by Anonymous4 on 03/09/2010 10:54PM

Hi everyone, I am concerned about my baby, and he's been staying the same weight for his 11-12th month about 27.5 pounds. He's always been a "fat" baby, but recently he's gotten pretty skinny. Help, please? I'm trying to get him to eat as much as he can (he still drinks formula).

Baby Weight Percentages by Anonymous4 on 03/09/2010 10:54PM

Hi everyone, I am concerned about my baby, and he's been staying the same weight for his 11-12th month about 27.5 pounds. He's always been a "fat" baby, but recently he's gotten pretty skinny. Help, please? I'm trying to get him to eat as much as he can (he still drinks formula).

Baby Weight Percentages by fryislove on 02/11/2010 03:48PM

MY FIVE MONTH OLD BABY GIRL WEIGHS 21LBS. I'M NOT CONCERNED BECAUSE MY 6 YEAR OLD SON WEIGHED 20 LBS AT THAT AGE, NOW HE'S THE SMALLEST OF HIS CLASS. HE NOW WEIGHS 42LBS AND HE'S A SHORTY.lol I ONCE READ THAT IF A CHILD WAS TO BE BORN BIG HE WILL DEVELOPE TO BE SMALL AND VERSUS, BUT DESPITE THE SIZE I THINK WE WILL ALL LOVE THEM REGARDLESS.

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