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UK Growth chart 2-18 years - are they updated?

10 replies

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 12/03/2020 11:08

Not sure I'm going to be able to explain this very well but...

We got DD's 'Red Book' out as she needed to take it into school to prove she's had her MMR jabs. We were looking at her height/weight trajectories (91st/25th as a baby although more like 75th/25th by the time she started at school) and where she is now. According to the charts if she carried on growing (she's not yet started her periods and is 14 so assume she has more to do) her end height will be only a cm or two above where she is now (which isn't as tall as me and I'm certainly not on the 91st for height for my generation). Young people these days are clearly averagely taller than they were in my generation so how can her end height be projected to be lower than mine even though she started on and remained on a higher centile all the way through childhood (I on the other hand was always diddy in my class until late(ish) onset of puberty)?

Am I missing something? Is the chart regularly updated or is it the same as would have been used 50 or 60 years ago?

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DownWhichOfLate · 12/03/2020 11:12

www.rcpch.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Girls_2-18_years_growth_chart.pdf

Is it the same as this chart?

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 12/03/2020 11:13

Yes, that's the one I was looking at.

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NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 12/03/2020 11:16

Unless I'm being obtuse interpreting the graph?

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DisasterousManagementPlan · 12/03/2020 11:20

The charts are UK-WHO combined charts. The use data from a multi-country WHO growth standard study for 0-4 (from 2006) and data from the UK90 birth cohort study to provide a growth reference for the remainder.

So definitely not the charts in use 50-60 years ago.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 12/03/2020 11:25

Thanks for enlightening me.

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Hovverry · 12/03/2020 19:08

I have a theory that children who will end up tall (like big breeds of dog) take longer to grow up. Mine were short before puberty then went on growing for years after their friends had attained their adult height.
Presumably the “official” figures are averages.

homemadecommunistrussia · 12/03/2020 19:16

Don't most girls stop growing by they are about 12? I certainly did.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 12/03/2020 19:34

I would go with that @Hovverry. I was like that - smallest in the class until 15 and then carried on growing (I reckon until early 20s).

Her DB isn't very tall for a young man of their generation. I fully anticipate that DD will be taller than him.

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LuckyLickitung · 12/03/2020 20:13

Some of my tallest male family members had a late spurt in early adulthood. They were all slim built.

There is a correlation between weight and the activation of growth spurts. Heavier children are often prematurely tall, but stop growing sooner. Lighter children with good genetic potential to be tall tend to take longer to reach their adult height.

(Unfortunately I was thoroughly genetically programmed to be short. The jury is out with my DCs as I kindly mixed my genes with an averagely tall DH. They started 75th centile, and have slipped to roughly 25th/ 50th so I'm hoping they'll do the late spurt towards DH at the tail end of puberty)

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 13/03/2020 06:53

Biology and genetics are fascinating, aren't they?

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