Growth Percentiles for a 5-Year-Old Female
This 5-year-old girl with a weight of 37.8 pounds (17.1 kg) and height of 43 inches (109.2 cm) falls approximately at the 50th percentile for both weight and height according to CDC growth charts, indicating normal, proportional growth. 1
Calculation and Interpretation
BMI Assessment:
- Weight: 37.8 pounds = 17.1 kg
- Height: 43 inches = 109.2 cm = 1.092 meters
- BMI = 17.1 / (1.092)² = 14.3 kg/m²
- This BMI places her between the 50th-75th percentile for age and sex, well within the normal range 1
Growth Chart Framework:
- For children aged 24 months and older in the United States, CDC 2000 growth charts are the preferred reference standard 1
- At age 5 years, a weight of approximately 38 pounds and height of 43 inches both track near the 50th percentile, indicating she is growing at the median for her age group 1
Clinical Significance
Normal Growth Pattern:
- This child demonstrates proportional growth with both weight and height tracking along similar percentiles, which is the ideal pattern 1
- Children whose height and weight percentiles align (both around 50th percentile in this case) are at appropriate weight for their height 1
No Intervention Required:
- BMI below the 85th percentile indicates normal weight status; the 85th percentile is used to identify mild to moderate overweight, and the 95th percentile identifies significant overweight requiring intervention 1
- This child falls well below these thresholds and requires no weight management intervention 1
Monitoring Recommendations
Routine Surveillance:
- Continue plotting growth measurements on CDC growth charts at routine health supervision visits 1
- Serial measurements over time are more informative than single data points for assessing appropriate growth trajectory 2
- Growth velocity (the pattern of growth over time) should be monitored to ensure she continues tracking along her current percentile curve 2
Key Monitoring Points:
- Children should ideally maintain a consistent percentile trajectory; crossing percentile lines (either upward or downward by more than 40 percentile points) warrants further evaluation 2
- For children in the normal range, routine monitoring every 6-12 months during health supervision visits is appropriate 3