What does my baby's growth percentile mean?

A percentile compares your baby's weight or length with other babies of the same age and sex. The CDC recommends the WHO growth charts for children under 2. Pediatricians look at how a baby's measurements follow their own curve over several visits, so one number is not a verdict. Ask your pediatrician what your baby's chart shows.

Checked October 29, 2026.

Asked by families like yours and answered by Peabody editors. How we write and check. For your own child, your pediatrician knows best.

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Sources

CDC: Growth Charts, Recommendations and Rationale (WHO standards to age 2, CDC charts from 2) (checked October 29, 2026)
AAP, HealthyChildren.org: Understanding Growth Charts, a Parent's Guide to Percentiles (checked October 29, 2026)