Any heath visitors or similar about?

[Arsewangry]

I have a little boy - he's 4 at the end of next month, and I'm just trying to get a measure of him. He's 117cm tall, and weighs 3st 13lbs - 55.4lbs.

According to the children's NHS BMI calculator that makes him very overweight, it says 98th centile but his height is way over 99.6th centilitre so I'm not sure how accurate that is? He is robust but looks in proportion.

He is very active.

I've attached a pic.

If his height and weight are running along similar centiles I don't think there's any need to worry.

BMI doesn't work for children.

Have you plotted it in his red book?

(not a HV).

He’s completely fine, you can see that. Those charts are only a guide.

I was just looking for his red book and can't remember where I have filed it 🙈

He has always been a robust child, 9lb 11oz when born and has chugged along on the higher centiles, but his height has spiked. I wanted to keep an eye on his weight because I'm just having to buy him some 5-6 clothes and worried a bit.

He doesn't look terribly overweight to me, his ribs are visible when he stretches and he is very active.

And I'm worried because he starts school this year and I know they've started to do the child measuring thing at school and I was worried i would start getting letters home if he's overweight. Hopefully they will take account of his unusual height.

Not a health visitor but I do have my DD'S red book and I just looked up in the height and weight charts, and they're bang on equal for him - he weighs and measures exactly what you'd expect a 4.5yo boy on the 99.6th centile to measure! So he's not disproportionate, just very big for his age!

(Obviously not an expert so who knows if there's something else that I should have taken into account and haven't!)

Oh super thanks that's brilliant!!! Thank you!

Growth charts can be found here

www.rcpch.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Boys_0-4_years_growth_chart.pdf

One if the best measures is if you lift up his t shirt can you see his ribs clearly?

I didn’t mean to add a question mark.

My little boy has started school and is a similar height but opposite end for weight, he’s still under 3 stone. Which makes him underweight / very close to underweight depending on which scales are used.

I was so worried they would send me a letter and if the weighing at school would trigger anything.

It doesn’t / didn’t and you can also opt out and he doesn’t have to be weighed. It’s so they can look at reception age vs year 6 and see if there is any trending. Less about individual kids and more about population trends.

If he's moving about you can see his ribs but if he's just standing there you can see he has a rib cage but not each individual rib.

On a child of a healthy weight you’re supposed to see individual ribs.

You could take him along to a baby clinic and they will weigh and measure him for you. You can take them upto age 5 and it’s handy for checking car seat weights

Not quite the same but my Y6 had her height and weight check. She is WAY above average height and therefore above average weight but the letter we got referenced this and she is actually light for her height (she is very slim). So don't worry, they will take it onto account for sure 😀

Even if you do get a letter, it’s just a guide. I got one for DS who is a rugby player type build. I mentioned it to the nurse when he went for a check up on a separate issue and she took one look at him and said ignore it.
He’s nearly fully grown now, and is slap bang in the middle of a healthy BMI range but wears 34 inch waists because he’s just broad. There isn’t an ounce of fat on him.

He looks gorgeous OP.
I do notice slightly pudgy arms, the wrist roll that you get on toddlers. Very squeezable! But also why BMI is high (which takes into account his height)

@WinterSpringSummerorFall

He looks gorgeous OP. I do notice slightly pudgy arms, the wrist roll that you get on toddlers. Very squeezable! But also why BMI is high (which takes into account his height)

But at nearly 4 is way past being a toddler.

You should see clear rib definition in a child of a healthy weight