What to know
CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend using the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standard charts to monitor the growth of U.S. infants from birth to 2 years. These standards are based on a high-quality data. Health care providers should use CDC's growth charts for children 2 years and older.
Summary
CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that health care providers use WHO Child Growth Standards to monitor growth of U.S. infants from birth to 2 years. These standards should be used if a child is fed breastmilk or infant formula.
The WHO Child Growth Standards are based on a high-quality study called the WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study. The standards describe how healthy infants and young children should grow under the best environmental and health conditions, including breastfeeding and adequate nutrition.
CDC's adapted versions of the WHO growth charts are available online. For boys and girls aged birth to 2 years, they include:
- Length-for-age and weight-for-age.
- Weight-for-length and head circumference-for-age.
The use of BMI-for-age is not recommended for children younger than 2 years.
At age 2 years, health care providers should switch from using WHO growth standards to CDC's growth charts. Providers should use caution in interpreting any changes in a child's classification. Taking accurate measurements over time will help providers interpret growth patterns properly.