Early childhood is an important phase as far as the physical, physiological, and psychological development of an individual is concerned. Monitoring the height and weight is one of the ways to assess physical changes taking place during this phase.
Given below are a few simple, age-specific checkpoints for normal growth, as well as height and weight charts for children. These have been derived from the guidelines and growth charts provided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO). They provide the age-specific average height as well as the corresponding average weight for children. Weight charts indicating the normal range of height and weight have also been provided.
0 to 1 Year
What to look out for?
» There is a rapid increase in weight, and a steady increase in height during the first six months.
» By the age of 4 - 6 months, weight is at least double the birth weight.
» There is a steady increase in weight and height during the age of 6 - 12 months. (The increase in weight and length is not as rapid as that observed during the first six months.)
GIRLS
| Average Values |
| Age
(Months) |
Weight
(Pounds) |
Length
(Inches) |
| 0 |
7.3 |
19.4 |
| 1 |
9.6 |
21.2 |
| 2 |
11.7 |
22.1 |
| 3 |
13.3 |
23.6 |
| 4 |
14.6 |
24.5 |
| 5 |
15.8 |
25.3 |
| 6 |
16.6 |
25.9 |
| 7 |
17.4 |
26.5 |
| 8 |
18.1 |
27.1 |
| 9 |
18.8 |
27.6 |
| 10 |
19.4 |
28.2 |
| 11 |
19.9 |
28.7 |
| Normal Range |
| Age
(Months) |
Weight
(Pounds) |
Length
(Inches) |
| 0 |
5.3-9.3 |
17.9-20.8 |
| 1 |
7.0-12.1 |
19.6-22.7 |
| 2 |
8.7-14.6 |
20.1-24.1 |
| 3 |
10.0-16.6 |
21.9-25.2 |
| 4 |
11.0-18.2 |
22.7-26.2 |
| 5 |
12.0-19.5 |
23.5-27.0 |
| 6 |
12.6-20.6 |
24.1-27.7 |
| 7 |
13.2-21.6 |
24.7-28.3 |
| 8 |
13.8-22.4 |
25.2-28.9 |
| 9 |
14.3-23.2 |
25.7-29.5 |
| 10 |
14.7-24.0 |
26.2-30.1 |
| 11 |
15.1-24.7 |
26.7-30.6 |
BOYS
| Average Values |
| Age
(Months) |
Weight
(Pounds) |
Length
(Inches) |
| 0 |
7.4 |
19.6 |
| 1 |
9.8 |
21.6 |
| 2 |
12.3 |
23.0 |
| 3 |
14.1 |
24.2 |
| 4 |
15.4 |
25.2 |
| 5 |
16.6 |
26.0 |
| 6 |
17.5 |
26.6 |
| 7 |
18.3 |
27.2 |
| 8 |
19.0 |
27.8 |
| 9 |
19.6 |
28.3 |
| 10 |
20.1 |
28.8 |
| 11 |
20.8 |
29.3 |
| Normal Range |
| Age
(Months) |
Weight
(Pounds) |
Length
(Inches) |
| 0 |
5.4-9.7 |
18.1-21.1 |
| 1 |
7.5-12.8 |
20.0-23.1 |
| 2 |
9.5-15.6 |
21.4-24.6 |
| 3 |
11.1-17.7 |
22.6-25.8 |
| 4 |
12.3-19.3 |
23.5-26.8 |
| 5 |
13.2-20.1 |
24.2-27.6 |
| 6 |
14.0-21.7 |
24.9-28.3 |
| 7 |
14.7-22.7 |
25.5-28.9 |
| 8 |
15.2-23.6 |
26.1-29.5 |
| 9 |
15.8-24.3 |
26.6-30.1 |
| 10 |
16.2-25.1 |
27.1-30.7 |
| 11 |
16.7-25.8 |
27.5-31.2 |
1 to 2 Years
What to look out for?» The total
weight gain during the year is
3-6 pounds.
» The total
increase in length, by the end of second year, is
3-5 inches.
GIRLS
| Average Values |
| Age
(Months) |
Weight
(Pounds) |
Length
(Inches) |
| 12 |
20.4 |
29.2 |
| 13 |
21.0 |
29.6 |
| 14 |
21.5 |
30.1 |
| 15 |
22.0 |
30.6 |
| 16 |
22.5 |
30.9 |
| 17 |
23.0 |
31.4 |
| 18 |
23.4 |
31.8 |
| 19 |
23.9 |
32.2 |
| 20 |
24.4 |
32.6 |
| 21 |
24.9 |
32.9 |
| 22 |
25.4 |
33.4 |
| 23 |
25.9 |
33.7 |
| Normal Range |
| Age
(Months) |
Weight
(Pounds) |
Length
(Inches) |
| 12 |
15.5-25.3 |
27.1-31.0 |
| 13 |
15.9-26.0 |
27.5-31.7 |
| 14 |
16.3-26.7 |
28.0-32.2 |
| 15 |
16.7-27.2 |
28.4-32.7 |
| 16 |
17.0-27.9 |
28.7-33.1 |
| 17 |
17.4-28.5 |
29.1-33.6 |
| 18 |
17.7-29.1 |
29.5-34.1 |
| 19 |
18.1-29.7 |
29.8-34.5 |
| 20 |
18.5-30.3 |
30.2-34.9 |
| 21 |
18.9-30.9 |
30.5-35.3 |
| 22 |
19.2-31.5 |
30.9-35.8 |
| 23 |
19.6-32.1 |
31.2-36.2 |
BOYS
| Average Values |
| Age
(Months) |
Weight
(Pounds) |
Length
(Inches) |
| 12 |
21.3 |
29.8 |
| 13 |
21.8 |
30.3 |
| 14 |
22.3 |
30.7 |
| 15 |
22.7 |
31.2 |
| 16 |
23.2 |
31.6 |
| 17 |
23.7 |
32.0 |
| 18 |
24.1 |
32.4 |
| 19 |
24.6 |
32.8 |
| 20 |
25.0 |
33.1 |
| 21 |
25.5 |
33.5 |
| 22 |
25.9 |
33.9 |
| 23 |
26.3 |
34.2 |
| Normal Range |
| Age
(Months) |
Weight
(Pounds) |
Length
(Inches) |
| 12 |
17.1-26.4 |
28.0-31.7 |
| 13 |
17.5-27.1 |
28.4-32.2 |
| 14 |
17.8-27.7 |
28.8-32.7 |
| 15 |
18.2-28.3 |
29.2-33.2 |
| 16 |
18.6-29.0 |
29.5-33.6 |
| 17 |
18.9-29.5 |
29.9-34.1 |
| 18 |
19.3-30.1 |
30.3-34.5 |
| 19 |
19.6-30.7 |
30.6-34.9 |
| 20 |
20.0-31.2 |
30.9-35.4 |
| 21 |
20.3-31.9 |
31.3-35.8 |
| 22 |
20.7-32.5 |
31.6-36.2 |
| 23 |
21.0-33.1 |
31.8-36.6 |
2 to 20 Years
What to look out for?
» There is a steady weight gain of
5 pounds per year till the age of 5 years.
» There is a
sudden spurt of growth between
9 and 15 years of age, involving a weight gain of
8-10 pounds per year.
GIRLS
| Average Values |
| Age
(Years) |
Weight
(Pounds) |
Height
(Inches) |
| 2 |
26.5 |
33.5 |
| 3 |
31.5 |
37.0 |
| 4 |
34.0 |
39.5 |
| 5 |
39.5 |
42.5 |
| 6 |
44.0 |
45.5 |
| 7 |
49.5 |
47.7 |
| 8 |
57.0 |
50.5 |
| 9 |
62.0 |
52.5 |
| 10 |
70.5 |
54.5 |
| 11 |
81.5 |
56.7 |
| 12 |
91.5 |
59.0 |
| 13 |
101.0 |
61.7 |
| 14 |
105.0 |
62.5 |
| 15 |
115.0 |
62.9 |
| 16 |
118.0 |
64.0 |
| 17 |
120.0 |
64.0 |
| 18 |
125.0 |
64.2 |
| 19 |
126.0 |
64.3 |
| 20 |
128.0 |
64.2 |
| Normal Range |
| Age(Years) |
Weight
(Pounds) |
Height
(Inches) |
| 2 |
22.5-32.1 |
31.5-36.0 |
| 3 |
25.5-37.5 |
34.5-39.5 |
| 4 |
28.5-44.1 |
37.0-42.5 |
| 5 |
32.5-52.0 |
39.5-45.5 |
| 6 |
36.0-59.0 |
42.0-48.5 |
| 7 |
39.5-68.0 |
44.3-51.5 |
| 8 |
44.0-79.0 |
46.5-54.2 |
| 9 |
48.0-90.0 |
48.5-56.5 |
| 10 |
55.0-104.5 |
50.0-58.7 |
| 11 |
61.0-117.0 |
52.0-61.0 |
| 12 |
68.0-135.0 |
54.5-64.0 |
| 13 |
75.0-147.0 |
57.2-66.4 |
| 14 |
83.5-158.0 |
58.7-67.5 |
| 15 |
89.0-167.0 |
59.5-68.0 |
| 16 |
94.5-172.0 |
59.8-68.2 |
| 17 |
97.0-174.0 |
60.0-68.2 |
| 18 |
99.0-177.0 |
60.2-68.5 |
| 19 |
101.0-180.0 |
60.3-68.5 |
| 20 |
102.0-182.0 |
60.3-68.5 |
BOYS
| Average Values |
| Age(Years) |
Weight
(Pounds) |
Length
(Inches) |
| 2 |
27.5 |
34.2 |
| 3 |
31.0 |
37.5 |
| 4 |
36.0 |
40.3 |
| 5 |
40.5 |
43.0 |
| 6 |
45.5 |
45.5 |
| 7 |
50.5 |
48.0 |
| 8 |
56.5 |
50.4 |
| 9 |
63.0 |
52.5 |
| 10 |
70.5 |
54.5 |
| 11 |
78.5 |
56.5 |
| 12 |
88.0 |
58.7 |
| 13 |
100.0 |
61.5 |
| 14 |
112.0 |
64.5 |
| 15 |
123.5 |
67.0 |
| 16 |
134.0 |
68.3 |
| 17 |
142.0 |
69.0 |
| 18 |
147.5 |
69.2 |
| 19 |
152.0 |
69.5 |
| 20 |
155.0 |
69.7 |
| Normal Range |
| Age(Years) |
Weight
(Pounds) |
Length
(Inches) |
| 2 |
22.8-33.0 |
31.7-36.3 |
| 3 |
26.1-38.5 |
35.2-39.8 |
| 4 |
29.0-44.0 |
37.5-43.2 |
| 5 |
33.0-52.5 |
39.8-45.7 |
| 6 |
36.5-59.0 |
42.2-48.6 |
| 7 |
40.5-68.0 |
44.5-51.3 |
| 8 |
45.0-77.0 |
46.7-54.3 |
| 9 |
49.5-88.0 |
48.7-56.5 |
| 10 |
56.0-100.5 |
50.5-58.8 |
| 11 |
60.5-114.0 |
52.0-61.0 |
| 12 |
66.5-130.0 |
54.0-63.5 |
| 13 |
74.5-144.0 |
56.3-66.6 |
| 14 |
84.0-159.5 |
59.1-69.7 |
| 15 |
92.5-172.5 |
61.6-71.7 |
| 16 |
103.5-182.5 |
63.3-73.0 |
| 17 |
111.0-194.5 |
64.0-73.6 |
| 18 |
114.5-202.0 |
64.5-73.8 |
| 19 |
120.0-206.0 |
64.8-74.1 |
| 20 |
122.5-210.5 |
65.0-74.3 |
The height-weight charts given above are merely reference tools or guidelines for understanding the average measurements at a certain age. The exact height and weight varies with the environment, ethnicity, diet, and genetic makeup. The ideal way to assess growth is to identify the growth trend of your child, and keep an eye for deviations from this trend.
Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only and does not attempt to replace the advice offered by an expert on the subject.