Do you stress over your childs growth chart? Many parents do & I did!! The truth is I’ve had a child on 0.4th centile, 50th centile & 75th centile & they are all very healthy, despite being on different centiles. So what are centile charts & why do they matter? . The lines on a growth chart are called centiles. They show the range of normal weights & heights & how one child compares with other children of the same age & sex. Weighing & measuring helps us to check your child is growing & developing as expected. It also helps us to tell their is a problem that is affecting their development. They are particularly important during infancy & early childhood. The purpose of the chart is to TRACK your child’s individual growth pattern over time . Centiles are NOT targets or goals i.e. the goal is not to be on the 99th centile! Children come in all shapes & sizes which is influenced by their genetics, environment, nutrition & health problems. I know parents can be smug about babies being on the 99th centile etc & I certainly felt a LOT Of judgement & pressure when I had an iddy biddy baby on the 0.4th. if your baby is on the 25th centile, it means that on average when compared to babies the same age & gender, 25% will weight less & be short & 75% will weigh more & be taller. This is not a problem . Babies follow their unique pattern, its not a competition! Roughly centiles for height & weight should match. If babys height is in a much lower centile than their weight eg height is 10th & weight is 99th, it can suggest a problem but if height & weight are roughly around the 10th centile then that’s more reassuring . We also measure the head circumference as it indicates brain development. If baby's head is bigger/smaller than most other kids' or the head stops growing or grows too quickly, it may mean there is a problem . It is normal to ‘wiggle’ up & down a bit (illness, weaning) by 1 line. It is less common for a child’s weight to cross two lines & your HV will keep an eye on your baby & refer you if needed . Growth charts are not the only way we assess health & other factors such as developmental milestones, family history & medical history are important Any❓️ pop⬇️