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About

Growth monitoring is a standard pediatric practice to identify potential health issues such as failure to thrive or rapid weight gain. This calculator uses the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards, which are the international gold standard for breastfed and formula-fed infants.

The output provides both a standard percentile (indicating what percentage of babies weigh less than yours) and a Z-Score. The Z-Score is preferred clinically as it quantifies exactly how many standard deviations a measurement is from the median (0). A Z-Score between -2 and +2 is generally considered normal.

pediatrics baby weight percentile WHO growth chart z-score

Formulas

The calculation utilizes the LMS method, where L is the Box-Cox power, M is the median, and S is the coefficient of variation for a given age.

Z = (Weight / M)L 1L × S

The Percentile (P) is derived from the standard normal cumulative distribution function (Φ):

P = Φ(Z) × 100

Reference Data

PercentileZ-ScoreInterpretation
97th+1.88High Weight (Monitor)
85th+1.04Above Average
50th0Median (Average)
15th-1.04Below Average
3rd-1.88Low Weight (Monitor)

Frequently Asked Questions

The CDC recommends using WHO standards for children aged 0-2 years because WHO charts reflect growth under optimal conditions (predominantly breastfeeding), whereas older CDC charts included formula-fed babies who tend to grow heavier.
Not necessarily. Consistency is key. If a baby consistently tracks along the 10th percentile, they are likely growing normally for their genetic potential. A sudden drop across percentile lines (e.g., 50th to 10th) is more concerning.
For infants, weeks are critical. This tool calculates based on completed weeks for higher precision than simple monthly inputs.