When you bring your child to the pediatricians for a regular check-up chances are you have seen a growth chart, they are established to determine where your child falls -- they measure body weight, height and now head circumference.
"Growth charts are based on data that is called from literally thousands and thousands of children and normalized over a bell curve and you can get a sense of where a child might fall on the curve," said Dr. Manny Cirenza, a pediatrician.
Keeping up with technology, growth charts have moved from paper to the computer, height and weight have always been tracked from the day a baby is born. The percentages can be confusing. If you child falls at the 50 percentile for height.
"They are right at the average. That means if 50 percent of the children in this case if you're measuring height would be taller and 50 percent of the children would be shorter," said Dr. Manny Cirenza, a pediatrician.
Or if your child is 95 percent for height:
"Ninety five percent of the children are shorter than that child and only 5 percent are taller," said Cirenza.
Head circumference is measured for toddlers.
"It can be a sign of hydrocephalus or brain abnormalities," said Cirenza.
Concerns are raised the percentile for weight exceeds the percentile of growth for height which can be a sign of obesity. Boys grow at a faster rate than girls.
"Once they reach the school-age year's kids are gaining 10 pounds per year and gaining two to three inches per year," said Cirenza.
In some rare situations the child's growth may stall, according to the experts it may have something to do with their endocrine system.
"If it does turn out they have a growth hormone deficiency we are able to treat those kids with growth hormone with injections subcutaneously, it can really have a tremendous impact," said Cirenza.
Hormone treatment for kids is used on a limited basis only.