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As a parent, you are always concerned whether your child is growing normally and is getting adequate nutrition. Apollo Clinic helps you address this concern by tracking your child’s growth and nutrition on a growth chart. A baby growth chart is a tool used to check is your baby is growing and developing as expected. Your doctor will add your baby’s details to the chart and compare his or her performance with other babies of the same age.

Your paediatrician will measure your baby on three parameters – height/length, weight and head circumference. These measurements are then assessed against standards such as WHO Growth Chart. Children who are growing at an expected rate and whose height and weight match, are generally considered healthy. These details are regularly recorded and on your baby’s growth chart so that you can follow your child’s growth.

A growth chart shows what percentile your baby falls in. For instance, if your baby is in the 70th percentile for weight, it means that 70% of babies of the same gender and age weigh less than your baby while 30% weigh more. Also, the percentile for height and weight may be different. Your baby may   be in the 70th percentile for weight and 50th percentile for height. 

It is important to keep in mind that a height and weight chart is only an indicator. Healthy children may be of various shapes and sizes; the band of normal growth is very wide. Children may have sudden growth spurts or may grow steadily. Also, growth chart for boys and growth chart for girls are different. A growth chart should be used to ensure that whatever percentile your child starts off at, he or she grows along the curve of that percentile; all percentiles are considered normal and acceptable. 

We, at Apollo Clinic, constantly advise parents that there will be individual differences while tracking your baby’s development and growth. Growth and nutrition tracking helps in identifying if any medical concern or condition is hampering your child’s growth. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child's growth, discuss them openly with our experts who will be glad to resolve them.