Paeds · clinical-assessment-and-reasoning
Growth measurement, charting and interpretation
Also known as Growth charts · WHO CDC growth · Paediatric anthropometry
Fellowship guide to paediatric growth measurement, chart selection, plotting, interpretation and first actions for faltering or excess growth.
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- General and Community Paediatrics
- Renewed curriculum for first-year trainees from 2027 — Learning goal 5: Clinical assessment – essential general paediatrics
- Renewed curriculum for first-year trainees from 2027 — Learning goal 12: Communication with patients, families, and health professionals
- Clinical Applications
- Long Cases
- Short Cases
- 4. Professional skills and knowledge: Patient management
- Foundation of Practice (FOP)
- Applied Knowledge in Practice (AKP)
- Clinical
- History
- General Pediatrics Content Outline — Domain 1: Preventive Pediatrics/Well-Child Care
- Patient Care 4: Clinical Reasoning
- Interpersonal and Communication Skills 1: Patient- and Family-Centered Communication
- Medical Expert
- Pediatrics: Transition to Discipline EPA #1 — Performing and presenting a basic history and physical examination
Standard versus reference
Growth standard
Growth reference
Name the chart before you argue a cut-off. [11]
Position and equipment correct · Length/height technique by age · On the correct chart · Trend across visits, not one point. [11]
Overview & Definition
Growth charts turn measurements into a visual story. Fellowship candidates must measure accurately, choose WHO versus CDC versus preterm specialty charts correctly, and know when a crossing percentile is physiology, error or disease. [1] [11]
References11ShowHide
- [1]Kuczmarski RJ 2000 CDC Growth Charts for the United States: methods and development. Vital and health statistics. Series 11, Data from the National Health Survey, 2002.PMID 12043359
- [2]Fleming S Normal ranges of heart rate and respiratory rate in children from birth to 18 years of age: a systematic review of observational studies. Lancet (London, England), 2011.PMID 21411136
- [3]Kuo DZ Recognition and Management of Medical Complexity. Pediatrics, 2016.PMID 27940731
- [4]Mills E Association between caregiver concern for clinical deterioration and critical illness in children presenting to hospital: a prospective cohort study. The Lancet. Child & adolescent health, 2025.PMID 40451224
- [5]Boylen S Impact of professional interpreters on outcomes for hospitalized children from migrant and refugee families with limited English proficiency: a systematic review. JBI evidence synthesis, 2020.PMID 32813387
- [6]Starmer AJ Changes in medical errors after implementation of a handoff program. The New England journal of medicine, 2014.PMID 25372088
- [7]Katz AL Informed Consent in Decision-Making in Pediatric Practice. Pediatrics, 2016.PMID 27456510
- [8]Forkey H Trauma-Informed Care. Pediatrics, 2021.PMID 34312292
- [9]Burvenich R Effectiveness of safety-netting approaches for acutely ill children: a network meta-analysis. The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2025.PMID 39117428
- [10]Lipkin PH Promoting Optimal Development: Identifying Infants and Young Children With Developmental Disorders Through Developmental Surveillance and Screening. Pediatrics, 2020.PMID 31843861
- [11]Borghi E Construction of the World Health Organization child growth standards: selection of methods for attained growth curves. Stat Med, 2006.PMID 16143968