CDC growth chart
Calculate a percentile on the official CDC 2000 growth charts from birth to 20 years, and see which chart your paediatrician uses at each age and why the numbers can differ.
CDC growth chart percentile calculator
CDC 2000 charts: what US paediatricians use from age 2. Under 2 years they use recumbent length; from 2, standing height. For premature babies, percentiles use corrected age until 2 years.
Enter a weight, length or head measurement to see the percentile and where it sits on the CDC curves.
| WHO Child Growth Standards | CDC Growth Charts (2000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Used in the US for | Birth to 2 years | 2 to 20 years |
| Data | ~8,500 children, 6 countries, 1997–2003 | US national surveys, 1963–1994 |
| Feeding | Breastfed, healthy conditions | Mixed; many formula-fed |
| Type | Standard: how children should grow | Reference: how US children did grow |
| Screening cut-offs | 2.3rd and 97.7th percentile | 5th and 95th percentile |
| Measures | Weight, length/height, head, BMI, weight-for-length | Weight, stature, BMI, head (to 36 mo) |
Why the CDC recommends the WHO chart for babies
In 2010 the CDC, with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the NIH, reviewed both sets of charts and concluded that the WHO standards better describe healthy growth in infancy, because breastfeeding is the recommended norm. The older CDC curves, drawn from a mostly formula-fed population, show babies gaining weight faster after about 3 months. Using them for infants made more breastfed babies look like they were "falling off" their curve.
From age 2, the CDC charts are used because the WHO standards only go to 5 years and the CDC charts continue through adolescence, including BMI-for-age.
What changes on the switch at age 2
Many parents notice their toddler's percentile jumps or drops at the 2-year visit. Often nothing about the child changed: the reference did. Compare against the chart your clinic uses, and focus on the trend on one chart rather than comparing numbers across the two.
Check your baby now with the baby percentile calculator, see the baby weight chart by month, or browse the WHO growth chart tables.
Frequently asked questions
Does my pediatrician use the CDC or WHO growth chart?
In the US, almost certainly the WHO charts for children under 2 and the CDC 2000 charts from 2 to 20 years. That's been the CDC and AAP recommendation since 2010. In the UK the RCPCH UK-WHO charts are used, which are also based on WHO data after birth.
Why do percentiles change when my child turns 2?
Because the reference changes. The CDC charts are based on US children measured between 1963 and 1994, many of whom were formula-fed, while the WHO standards are based on breastfed children in optimal conditions. The same child can land on a slightly different percentile on each chart.
What are the cut-offs on each chart?
With the WHO charts under 2, the CDC recommends the 2.3rd and 97.7th percentiles (±2 standard deviations). With the CDC charts from 2 years, the 5th and 95th percentiles are used, plus BMI-for-age categories.
Can I calculate a CDC percentile here?
Yes. The calculator on this page uses the official CDC 2000 LMS tables: weight and length/height from birth to 20 years, head circumference to 36 months. Switch to WHO for the chart US paediatricians use under 2.
What is a normal growth chart for a baby?
There is no single normal line. On the CDC charts anything between the 5th and 95th percentile is in the usual range (WHO: 3rd to 97th under age 2). A child who follows a steady curve is growing normally, wherever that curve sits.
Sources: Grummer-Strawn LM et al., "Use of World Health Organization and CDC growth charts for children aged 0–59 months in the United States", MMWR 2010;59(RR-9); CDC growth charts, National Center for Health Statistics.