How it works
Enter your little one’s sex, age, and most recent measurements: weight, height, and head circumference. Then, we’ll generate a baby growth chart that maps your baby’s measurements compared to the U.S. average growth rates in children of the same age. You can track your baby’s growth from newborn up to 2 years old.
Our Growth Chart Calculator tool is based on the World Health Organization (WHO) Growth Charts for boys and girls – an international standard measure for average growth rate and percentiles in babies and infants.
What is a Growth Chart Calculator?
Your baby is growing before your eyes and every day brings a new developmental milestone, big or small. One way to track healthy development is by monitoring your little one’s growth throughout infancy asa useful gauge of their progress.
A growth chart calculator (also known as a percentile calculator) is a tool for keeping tabs on how much a baby has grown over time. By inputting your baby’s recent measurements into a calculation tool, your baby’s stats are mapped onto a graph (or growth chart) to show you the trends and patterns of their progress.
A growth chart will also help to demonstrate where your baby’s growth compares to an average child of the same sex, age, and demographic – known as a growth percentile.
With our Baby Growth Calculator tool, we use the WHO International Growth Standards - a leading resource to support growth chart calculators and baby growth trackers for a young baby’s development.
How is my baby’s growth chart calculated?
First, you need to provide some up-to-date measurements (with our Baby Growth Chart Calculator tool, we ask for their age, sex, weight, height, and head-circumference).
Then, your baby’s growth is automatically calculated and plotted onto the growth chart for you.
Although it can seem relatively complicated whenever numbers and figures are involved – using a baby growth chart calculator like ours means you get your results in a matter of moments! No maths involved.
We take the data provided (your baby’s weight, height, and head circumference) and plot these figures onto an easy-to-read graph for you – taking any maths out of the equation!
Check out our dedicated article about the different types of growth charts and growth percentiles, for a better insight into how different growth percentiles are calculated.
How do I read my baby’s growth chart?
First, enter your baby’s information into our Baby Growth Calculator tool. Hit “Track your baby’s growth!” and your baby’s results are calculated automatically. The data is displayed on the growth chart, which looks like a graph.
Here’s an example of what a baby growth chart could look like:
The example above shows just one measure of baby growth, weight-by-age in boys. In our Baby Growth Chart Calculator, you can filter your baby’s results by weight, by height, or by head circumference, and the graph will change accordingly.
To read the graph, the vertical (upward) axis showseither weight, height, or head circumference, while the horizontal
(flat) axis depicts their age
in months. Where the vertical axis and horizontal
lines intersect, you will see your baby’s measurement, represented by
a dot on the graph.
The baby growth chart also displays the average growth percentiles for each category.They are displayed as curved lines. Next to the corresponding curved line, you’ll see a number that represents the growth percentile. You can follow along the curve to see how your baby’s growth compares with other infants’.
To read the baby growth chart, look for the dot that represents your baby’s growth. The graph tells you which growth percentile your baby’s measurements fall into.
Don’t worry if this all sounds a bit complicated, we recap the results for you at the bottom of the growth chart!
Why is the Growth Chart Calculator tool useful?
Using our tool, you can track your baby’s growth from 0 – 24 months.
Your healthcare provider will use growth charts and baby percentile calculators to follow your baby’s patterns of growth over time and keep an eye on your little one’s development.
A growth chart provides lots of valuable information, including growth percentiles—an important measure of how your baby’s growth compares to that of other babies. Healthcare providers look at growth patterns across infancy to get an idea of your baby’s developmental progress, or sometimes to indicate potential health issues if there is a sudden, unexpected change.
Using our Baby Growth Chart Calculator tool, it’s easy for you to track your baby’s progress at home, but you should always follow up with your healthcare provider for regular monitoring. A change in your baby’s growth pattern can be a useful indicator of your baby’s health and development, but every baby is different! Factoring in growth spurts, physical activity, and genetics – your baby will grow at their own pace! Work closely and regularly with your healthcare provider as you follow your baby’s progress.
What are growth percentiles and why do I need to know about them?
Babies and children are always unique – they grow at their own pace. However, monitoring your baby’s growth can help indicate a healthy development. Healthcare providers can use growth percentiles to judge if your baby’s development is on track. Growth percentiles are used to compare your baby’s growth to the average growth of babies of the same age and sex.
The best way to understand how it works is to imagine 100 babies of the same age and sex. If your baby’s length or height is found to be in the 25th growth percentile, that means that out of the 100 babies, your baby is longer or taller than 25 of the babies but shorter than 75 of the babies.
In a second example, imagine that a baby boy weighs 20 lbs. at 10 months. According to the growth chart calculator, that puts him in the 50th percentile—meaning that 50 percent of 10-month-old babies weigh less and 50 percent weigh more. You can learn more about the WHO international growth standards on their website.
If you have any questions about your baby’s growth rate or growth percentiles, contact your healthcare provider.
What should I do if my baby’s values fall outside of an average percentile range?
First, don’t panic! Every baby follow’s their own timeline when it comes to growth and development. There are many factors involved when it comes to monitoring your baby’s progress: genetics, environment, nutrition, and physical activity. That’s why routinely checking in with your healthcare provider is a must. Your physician will regularly refer to a baby growth chart to get an idea of your baby’s development, but growth percentiles are just one of the measurement tools used to track their progress and healthy growth.
If in any doubt, always seek professional medical advice for your dedicated healthcare provider.
How we wrote this page:
The information in this page is based on the expert advice found in medical and government sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a full list of sources for this tool below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment
*Input details of your baby’s last measurements. **Source: World Health Organization