...or are some people just really daft?

[doughnutty]

Was on another forum recently and someone asked the following question.

My LO is following just above the 75th centile for his weight & just below for his length is this about average?.

What do you think?

I dont get what's wrong?

Do you need a wooden spoon at all?

So child is short and a tubby..yes?

Am bored btw...

no child is taller than average and heavier than average but by the sounds of things perfectly in proportion

Average = 50th percentile.
That's what the chart mean

Another reason these charts are crap
People just dont understand them... including some hv

there are lots of daft people

Just wanted to make sure I wasn't being cruel by ing at this.

Maybe HV/MW's should explain this to new mums as I guess they're not all as brainy as me .

When I read it out to my DH he went

Yes

secondcoming - I would LOVE for one of my children to be distinctly average when it comes to the charts in the red book - they cost me an arm and a leg in food and clothes as they're all "above average" in that department

you are right, some people are daft.

I have a friend who proudly talks about how she has to buy her 8 year old daughter 11-12 clothes.

She seems completely oblivious to the fact that her child is fat.

These charts are one of my pet hates. They cause a lot of worry and distress and yes, that's mostly due to people not understanding them. It should be the hv's job to explain how they work, but as someone has said, they sometimes don't understand them either.

I was SO paranoid and pfb when DS was born and I think this paranoia can sometimes fuel these kinds of questions.

Why are HV's obsessed with all children being on the 50th percentile? Shouldnt actually only 1% of children be on the 50th?

Er, no.

Sorry - should have explained. The distribution chart has been 'averaged' (for want of a more specific word!) to display that on the 1st and 99th percentile, one child out of 100 would be on them, whilst at the 50th, 50 would be on it, etc, etc. The 'average' child is on the 50th......however, half of all children are not on the 'average' and hence it's riddled with worried parents!

My ds2 is on the 99th centile for both height and weight, that means only 1 children out of 100 are this weight.

These charts are my pet hate, hate hate hate them lol, they are I think about 30 years old and way behind in accuracy in THIS time.

my daughter was on the 10th centile until she as at least one as I remember...really tiny, loved breastmilk, more than food...has blossomed into a lovely teen!

PMSL.

My DS is around 50th centile for everything. The HV was looking at me waiting for my reaction (quite why I have to have one I don't know... tis like bloody sonographers) so I just said "He's average. How fantastic"

His name is Joe. So he is Average Joe

I had the perfect answer to your hatred of the little red book and its little daft charts, LittleMrsHappy.

I threw it in the bin.

I figured that my Mum managed without one and my Grandmothers raised five and 13 children respectively without so much as a glance at the bloody little red book, I might just have a chance of doing so too.

Ds1 was always on the 75th centile,(both weigh and height) no amount of BM or even FM satisfied him, he now eats and eats and at nearly 4 is a measly 2.2 stone.