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Original poster

High percentile child

30 replies

rickandmorts · 03/07/2023 12:02

Hi everyone, just wanting advice off people with high percentile children. My daughter is just under 7 months and weighs 10.1kg and is 99th percentile. I guess I'm a little concerned because I found my red book from when I was a baby and I weighed the same at 14 months and I'm tall (5'10). So does this mean by daughter will be really really tall or does it even out?

I'm on a car seat safety group too and someone posted their child who's 17 months and weighs 10kg! Just worried my baby is huge if a child a whole 10 months older weighs the same. The HV reassured me that if she's still in the percentiles then she is classed as normal and will crawl/ run her weight off when she starts being more mobile. Just want other people's experiences with high % babies and if this was the case with them? Thanks

OP posts:
GettingStuffed · 03/07/2023 12:08

My son has been high percentile and at 34 year he's nearly 6'6. My daughter was high percentile at birth and is 31 and 5'3.

The difference between the two was their eating habits DS1 ate everything he was given, DD was a fussy water with a tiny appetite.

ChocBananaSmoothie · 03/07/2023 12:10

One of mine was 9kg at 4 months. They're now slightly below average.

I don't think that 5'10 is that short these days. I'm 5'8 and young women often tower over me now. I think young women are getting taller.

PuttingDownRoots · 03/07/2023 12:12

Is she on a high percentile for length as well?
Is her dad also tall?

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Original poster
rickandmorts · 03/07/2023 12:12

GettingStuffed · 03/07/2023 12:08

My son has been high percentile and at 34 year he's nearly 6'6. My daughter was high percentile at birth and is 31 and 5'3.

The difference between the two was their eating habits DS1 ate everything he was given, DD was a fussy water with a tiny appetite.

Wow that is huge difference between their heights! We've started weaning and baby is absolutely loving it and eating everything so may end up 6'6 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
rickandmorts · 03/07/2023 12:14

ChocBananaSmoothie · 03/07/2023 12:10

One of mine was 9kg at 4 months. They're now slightly below average.

I don't think that 5'10 is that short these days. I'm 5'8 and young women often tower over me now. I think young women are getting taller.

Ah okay so a large baby doesn't necessarily correlate into a tall adult/ child? Yes I think DD will definitely end up taller than me. I used to be around 5'11 but think I've got more hunched with age!

OP posts:
GeriatricMumma · 03/07/2023 12:15

My DS was always top of the chart and ended up 6ft 2 (he's nearly 21)

DD is 16 and 5ft 10

Original poster
rickandmorts · 03/07/2023 12:16

PuttingDownRoots · 03/07/2023 12:12

Is she on a high percentile for length as well?
Is her dad also tall?

The HV didn't measure or plot her length so I'm not sure. I might get a tape measure out today and have a look. He's about 6'2 so quite tall but his mum was saying he was smaller as a baby than DD. She's very chunky, proper little Michelin man baby. Everyone comments on her chub!

OP posts:
Talipesmum · 03/07/2023 12:22

I had a 99th centile baby, he’s a pretty tall normally proportioned 13 year old right now with giant feet and I’m pretty sure will be the tallest in our family when he’s done. He was 5kg at birth and v chunky!
TBH if you’re 5 10/11 and your DH is over 6 ft there’s a good chance your children will be pretty tall. The percentiles are there to show the typical ranges. It’s important to see length as well. 99th is one of the tallest but perfectly normal.

ChocBananaSmoothie · 03/07/2023 12:24

rickandmorts · 03/07/2023 12:14

Ah okay so a large baby doesn't necessarily correlate into a tall adult/ child? Yes I think DD will definitely end up taller than me. I used to be around 5'11 but think I've got more hunched with age!

Show quote history

Not according to my experience it doesn't. I was always the tallest in the class and I was only 6 pounds born.

RedRobyn2021 · 03/07/2023 12:28

My DD is 28 months and she is around 16kg, I think she is around 96th centile and 92cm

Personally I'm sooo pound of how big she is, she's super strong and healthy.

I think you're worrying about nothing, we are all different shapes and sizes, there will be children on both ends of the scale.

If you're bf you have nothing to worry about at all, if you're bottle feeding just make sure you are responsively pace feeding and you can't go wrong.

RedRobyn2021 · 03/07/2023 12:32

You might have read this already but around age 2 your child will have reached approximately 50% of their adult height.

Original poster
rickandmorts · 03/07/2023 12:34

Okay this all makes me feel better thank you! I guess I'm just worried because I hated being tall as a child, it was constantly commented on and I was picked on a bit at school for it. So I'm worried if DD is going to be a lot taller than me then she will get the same. But I realise we're a long way off that yet!

She is breastfed yes and I've been told you can't overfeed a breastfed baby. Also not weaning on to pouches/ processed food she's just having bits of what we eat as long as there's no salt in it.

OP posts:
Original poster
rickandmorts · 03/07/2023 12:35

RedRobyn2021 · 03/07/2023 12:32

You might have read this already but around age 2 your child will have reached approximately 50% of their adult height.

Wow I didn't think it would be as young as 2! I'll try remember that and double her height when she's 2 to get a rough idea

OP posts:
radiatorpipe · 03/07/2023 12:37

You might have read this already but around age 2 your child will have reached approximately 50% of their adult height.

I was average height for years & then big growth spurt later, same for DH.

Anecdotal but the tallest dc in primary very rarely remain the tallest in secondary.

LysHastighed · 03/07/2023 12:46

My son was 96th centile for weight and was a classic chubby baby (ebf). Once he started walking he turned into a runner bean. Based on his height at 2 he will be well over 6ft. He’s 50th centile for weight and 70th for height since the age of two and looks skinny, with all ribs showing etc.

wildfirewonder · 03/07/2023 12:52

rickandmorts · 03/07/2023 12:34

Okay this all makes me feel better thank you! I guess I'm just worried because I hated being tall as a child, it was constantly commented on and I was picked on a bit at school for it. So I'm worried if DD is going to be a lot taller than me then she will get the same. But I realise we're a long way off that yet!

She is breastfed yes and I've been told you can't overfeed a breastfed baby. Also not weaning on to pouches/ processed food she's just having bits of what we eat as long as there's no salt in it.

Don't put your history and insecurities onto your DD. This is clearly projection.

She will be as tall as she will be. Being tall is not an issue.

If she is going to be bullied, it could be anything. Glasses, hair, clothes, voice, interests... Bullies just bully. What you can do is try to instill deep confidence.

LadyLettuceTheThird · 03/07/2023 12:53

I have a tall one too. He’s only 2.5 but been off all the height charts since forever. His weight however is just slightly below what “should” be for his height. He is just tall and slim baby. All the nurses and HVs have always commented on his height and that his generally a big kid. Not in a bad way it that is wrong somehow.
Once I started chatting with some mum on a playground and she was asking if my child shouldn’t be at school today.

5childrenand · 03/07/2023 12:55

My dd was a huge baby. Not at birth, but gained weight rapidly (despite being ebf) and was very chubby indeed. With hindsight I think she had reflux and was feeding lots to manage feeling so uncomfortable, poor love.

She stayed a chubby toddler & once she was 2 we started taking steps to stop her weight gain (basically cutting out snacks).

She is now an average height, 40th centile for weight 12 yo.

One thing I was very aware of is that a lot of overweight children are also taller than their peers. However, this is because they are being given more calories so do their growing early, but don’t actually end up any taller in the long term - but the obesity stays. This isn’t an issue for your dd yet - she’s still a baby. But something to be aware of if she remains larger into pre-school age.

pjani · 03/07/2023 12:59

The HV should be able to help you get your baby a measurement of their length and that will help understand proportions. 99th percentile height for 99th percentile (or 80th, or similar) is no issue. 99th percentile height for 1% length (for instance) might be a worry. I requested a measure of length for the opposite reason - concern about a skinny baby.

So I would just make sure that you try and get both height/length and weight, and track both. They don't make sense on their own.

But you are completely right that you can't give a baby too much milk, and I'm very doubtful they would be overeating at this age.

GeriatricMumma · 03/07/2023 14:40

rickandmorts · 03/07/2023 12:34

Okay this all makes me feel better thank you! I guess I'm just worried because I hated being tall as a child, it was constantly commented on and I was picked on a bit at school for it. So I'm worried if DD is going to be a lot taller than me then she will get the same. But I realise we're a long way off that yet!

She is breastfed yes and I've been told you can't overfeed a breastfed baby. Also not weaning on to pouches/ processed food she's just having bits of what we eat as long as there's no salt in it.

My daughter LOVES her height - she's like a goddess.

I on the other hand, hated being short!

Original poster
rickandmorts · 03/07/2023 15:00

Thank you for all your additional replies! It has reassured me. And I'm not projecting anything on her, she's 7 months old so not aware. I think it's natural to be worried that your children will struggle with things you struggled with as a child..

OP posts:
ChocBananaSmoothie · 03/07/2023 23:20

She may feel quite differently though. I was always proud of being the tallest and it was almost like there was a bit of competition at the top end for being the tallest.

wildfirewonder · 04/07/2023 07:14

rickandmorts · 03/07/2023 15:00

Thank you for all your additional replies! It has reassured me. And I'm not projecting anything on her, she's 7 months old so not aware. I think it's natural to be worried that your children will struggle with things you struggled with as a child..

It is not healthy/helpful to worry your child will struggle with the same things as you, it is healthier to try to be aware of that and approach your child with an open mind. The fact she's not aware yet is by-the-by.

I guess I'm just worried because I hated being tall as a child, it was constantly commented on and I was picked on a bit at school for it. So I'm worried if DD is going to be a lot taller than me then she will get the same. This is not about your DD, it is about you. That was my point. If you can lay aside this stuff from your childhood, it is better.

There is no reason being tall will automatically result in your child being picked on.

AlyssumandHelianthus · 04/07/2023 07:28

My son was 99.6+ percentile as a baby. I remember he was 22lbs at 5 months as he was ebf until then. He's remained the biggest in height, weight and foot size in every class he's been in. He's now 6 foot 5, size 13 shoes, XXL/XXXL in men's clothes, and just turned 15 years old. He's the most lovely kid. He's overweight, but beginning now to build muscle and fitness.
Some of the kids at school call him hagrid, but he tends to ignore/laugh it off.
I've got two tips:

  1. Celebrate anything that is unusual about your kid - it's a feature not a bug. Being tall is pretty cool, you can see over people at concerts and you'll be physically better at some things (basket ball maybe?)
  2. M&S do school uniform like office wear if she grows out of the regular uniform (we had to move to this in Y8)
RedRobyn2021 · 04/07/2023 12:57

@rickandmorts

I was the tallest in my primary school and only by around year 8 (so age 12) did some of the boys start getting taller. I was always tall and it was commented on too, also a few times if other children were being unkind a teacher or dinner lady might become involved but they would always presume I was some horrible brute, which as a particularly sensitive child made me feel bad, to say the least.

I am going to do my best not to pass on these anxieties to my daughter, really hoping things will be different to her.

Similarly my mother was very tall at school as well and she had a hard time with it.

We should be proud though, I love being tall now.