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Original poster

So what happens when baby goes off the centile charts?!!!

48 replies

Lisa78 · 05/05/2004 16:21

DS2 after initial concerns over his weight, is zooming along the 75th centile quite happily. As dad is 6ft 5, I thought I'd get his length done today and he is 73.5cm at 6 months, which puts him bang on the 99.6th centile - ie another half cm and there aren't any centiles for him!!!!!???
Whats that all about then!!!???

OP posts:
gloworm · 05/05/2004 16:27

if you're asking what centiles mean...at 99.6 it means there are only 0.4% of 6mth old babies in Uk taller than him!

AlanP · 05/05/2004 16:27

Its all to do with statistical analysis.
95%ile means that 95% of the population would fit under the normal distribution curve for that size i.e be between the top and bottom heights defined. the curve theoretically goes on for ever so you will never be at the 100%ile even if you had a 6ft baby! Ouch!

AlanP · 05/05/2004 16:29

Oops, showing my age I mean a 2.5m baby!

pollingfold · 05/05/2004 16:32

Means that you'll be buying size 2-3yrs when he's 18 months old and still feel that is abit short - but far too wide.

Watch out his feet will be enormous for his age as well - meaning no crawling shoes/ first walking shoes will fit.

DS is off the chart - so have given up taking height, better not to know that think I have a mutant child!!

lou33 · 05/05/2004 16:39

Doesn't mean much tbh Lisa. Dd1 was off the centiles as well when she was a baby. They sent her to a growth clinic to be checked, big waste of time, as they said they wouldn't do anything until she was at least 7 even if they discovered a problem. She is tall for her age now, but not exceptionally so (5ft2 aged 12), and takes a size 6 shoe, but no problems . These charts are there just to scare us I think.

Original poster
Lisa78 · 05/05/2004 17:01

Oh well, his dad is tall to my piddling 5ft 2 - I will expect another son who is taller than me at 13 then!?

OP posts:
misdee · 05/05/2004 17:41

well in our case, u get the HV geoing on about how your child should be on a diet and that they want her to see a doctor about it. which meant me storming out of the clinic and enver going back. dd2 is off the charts for her height, weight and head measurements. so all in proportion.

good point about the shoes, dd2 got her first shoes at 9-10mnths as she was cruising outside and was about to walk. one month later ( and walking)she had outgrown them and couldnt get any soft shoes for her anywhere.

kiwisbird · 05/05/2004 17:47

I have a 10 yr old who is on the 99.6 as well, has been all his life, he's just very tall!
I now have a daughter off the bootom of the centile charts too...
Maybe next time I'll get one that stays on them!
It is often easier just to not get them weighed and measured unless you're really concerned, my health visitor is a distant memory now!!!

Original poster
Lisa78 · 05/05/2004 17:49

I'm not that concerned anymore; I was when he was tiny cos he just kept getting lower and lower, then started losing weight
Now I think hes obviously happy and healthy so thats that! Just intrigued about what would happen if he went over the top line! Thats my boy - confuse the HV's

OP posts:
JenniH · 05/05/2004 18:51

And you say my child is fat

It means he is incredibly healthy Lisa

popsycal · 05/05/2004 19:04

those charts
burn the things
grrr

katzguk · 05/05/2004 19:08

what you can do is to measure your child and then read off of the older children charts and find out the age they are in the 50th percentile for, so then if you want to judge how there doping follow this line not the ones for there age. plus it should help with buying clothes, my friebds DS is 2.5 but is the size of an average 4 year old huge!!!

froot · 05/05/2004 19:14

message withdrawn

Original poster
Lisa78 · 05/05/2004 20:59

This is what I love about mn! I've just got tons of advice for potential problems with this, that I hadn't even thought of yet!
Cheers

OP posts:
tanzie · 05/05/2004 21:41

Froot - my 5 year old is in clothes for age 8-9 and has size 1 feet! Also chunky! Where do you buy her clothes? I agree with Popsy - burn the bloody charts! DD1 left the chart for height at 11 months and is just about inside the top line for weight (think about 27 kg now). Had health visitor who, tho lovely, was concerned that DD was too tall. I am tall and so is DH. And HV is about 6 foot herself, so I asked her if her boys were tiny. She took my point!

We are now on Dutch growth chart (Dutch babies are bigger) so DD1 does not seem so huge!

SofiaAmes · 05/05/2004 23:05

Yes, my dd was off the charts in length, resulting in the hv suggesting that "someone'" had obviously measured her wrong last time (??!). I didn't really pursue the logic and went about my business. As others have said it means that my 18 mo. old is now growing out of 2T clothing lengthwise, but not bellywise.

Janh · 05/05/2004 23:32

Charts are useless.

(Considered Opinions Inc.)

MadameButterfly · 05/05/2004 23:38

Lisa, I had my 21 month old measured at clinic today.
She is 77.5cm.
Her dad and I are both short though, so she was never going to be a giant anyway

smellymelly · 06/05/2004 09:28

For the first 18mths Ds was on the 91st line, then by 2 he slowed down and is now on the 50% line (4.5).

DD is 19mths, and has been on the 91st line since about 1month old.. I'm hoping she will slow down too!! Ex-p was 6'3, but I'm only 5'4...

It's more a way of following your childs growth, so they can see if they are not growing, or losing weight etc.

But you know what us Mum's are like, always comparing our kids just to see if they are normal!

Soulfly · 06/05/2004 09:34

My ds isn't even on the chart he is too small. lol. Hes 4 and looks like a two year old.

froot · 06/05/2004 09:37

message withdrawn

throckenholt · 06/05/2004 09:39

soulfly - thank god - mine tend to fall off the bottom of the charts as well - thought I was the only one in the world for while there

Soulfly · 06/05/2004 09:42

No not at all, my dd1 is fine, average, but we've always had concerns over ds2 because even on the scans his thigh bone measured way too small and his head too big and they told me he might have water on the brain, but thankfully hes fine. Its heriditary(spelt wrong) his grandfather is only 5ft2, so he's not going to be a giant. He has hospital appointments to make sure he's growing because for one year, he didn't grow at all. I do worry, but deep down i think i know he's alright and is just going to be short. Its nice to meet someone else that has the same problem.

Jaybee · 06/05/2004 10:23

Froot - rather than taking measurements, take a few of her clothes that fit her well - I find it is the only way to ensure that the clothes fit without actually having the child with you.

fimbles · 06/05/2004 11:06

I have a tall dd 23 months who looks like a 3 yr old. I'm just curious as to what the mums of tall children say to other mums who throw quite sacarstic comments at your child. ie OMG she is SOOOO BIG, OMG she is a giant, look at her huge feet. I'm sick of repeating myself, maybe I sould put a sign on her, I'm 2, not 3. I'm not ashamed of my tall dd, I am tall and always have been, why are others so rude?, they say it every week at m & t groups!!

Just having a moan.