What Growth Charts Are Recommended?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that health care providers in primary care settings use the:

2000 CDC Growth Charts

The 2000 CDC Growth Charts include weight-for-age, stature-for-age, and BMI-for-age charts for boys and girls aged 2 to 20 years. CDC recommends that the BMI-for-age charts be used to screen for underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obesity in all children and teens. The weight-for-age and stature-for-age charts can help determine the pattern of weight and stature separately, and aid in understanding the growth pattern observed on the BMI-for-age chart.

2022 CDC Extended BMI-for-Age Growth Charts

The 2022 CDC Extended BMI-for-Age Growth Charts include BMI-for-age charts for boys and girls aged 2 to 20 years, with four additional percentile curves above the 95th percentile (98th, 99th, 99.9th, and 99.99th percentiles). These charts are based on an updated reference population that includes children with obesity and severe obesity, and the charts can plot BMI up to 60 kg/m2. CDC recommends that clinicians use these charts to plot BMI for children aged 2 to 20 years with very high BMIs (above the 97th percentile).

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