MCHB Training Module -- Using the CDC Growth Charts : Identifying Poor Growth in Infants and Toddlers

2. Identifying poor growth - examples

Example 3. In this instance, the child maintained his growth in length, but gained weight slowly. He became thin, with his weight-for-length below the 5th percentile. His gain in weight-for-age faltered somewhat, but did not go below the 5th percentile.

This child's slow growth might be missed if one plotted only weight and length. This example underscores the importance of using weight-for-length.

It is important to use the back of the growth chart, which shows weight-for-length. Here chubby babies are high on the graph and lean ones are low. This graph helps to detect children who are underweight for their height, especially those who are tall but thin.

Figure 4a. Weight-for-age and Length-for-age, birth-36 months chart

Figure 4a. Weight-for-age and Length-for age, birth to 36 months. At age 9 months, this child's length-for-age remains at about the 75th percentile, but weight-for-age has decreased to the 10th percentile.

Figure 4b. Weight-for-length, birth-36 months chart

Figure 4b. Weight-for-length, birth to 36 months. Weight-for-length has decreased to below the 5th percentile.