explain to me what this whole percentile thing means

HSartteach

I mean, call me stupid, but I really don't know what it means when my pedi tells me LO is in the 50th percentile.   I just smile and nod.

MrsBeckO

Pretty sure 50th percentile means your kiddo is right in the middle of where they like to see kids that same age.. and 90th percentile means bigger than 90% of kids that age, etc. 

HSartteach

so is that good?

does that make him average?  which is what we are going for--right?

MrsBeckO

Our pedi said where he falls on the chart doesn't matter as much at each appt (unless they are very very low), but they watch/track the growth throughout the first couple years to make sure they grow at a good rate.

If you go from 80th per. to 20th, they'd be concerned.

Camy is 90th percentile in weight and we got a "Great Job!" from the pedi.

txbabs111

What %ile they are in doesn't matter as much as them staying in relatively the same one over time. Does your Dr. show you the chart with the percentiles on it? They just want to make sure they're not dropping down drastically, like going from the 90th to the 50th to the 10th over time. A baby that starts in the 10th and stays pretty much on that line is just as healthy as a baby who starts in the 95th and stays around that line (unless, of course, there are other things going on).

AustinBride06

I never really got it either.  From about 4th grade (or maybe earlier) on, I was always in the "99th percentile" for height even though i was way off the charts and then somewhere in the middle for weight.  How is one supposed to know an appropriate weight for a super tall ten-year-old?  Or do they make charts now where it says if your child is X tall, should be Y lbs if a girl and Z lbs if a boy... ?

Also wondering... do doctors still say that if you double your child's height at age 2 (or was it 3?), that's approximately the height they'll end up at as an adult?  I was 3 feet tall at whatever age that was and I ended up at 5'9".