Baby growth chart — WHO percentile checker

What growth percentiles actually mean

A percentile tells you how your baby's measurement compares with other healthy children of the same age and sex in the WHO reference population. A baby on the 50th percentile for weight is right in the middle; a baby on the 90th is heavier than most; a baby on the 10th is lighter than most. All of these can be perfectly healthy. Percentiles are a range, not a grade — a small baby steadily tracking the 10th percentile is usually far less noteworthy than a baby whose curve suddenly changes direction.

What matters more than any single number

• The trend over time. Doctors look at the shape of the curve across visits, not one dot.
• Big jumps or drops. Crossing two or more percentile bands in either direction is worth mentioning at your next checkup.
• The whole child. Feeding, sleep, alertness and milestones tell the story alongside the numbers.

Measuring at home, without the wriggle-fight

Weigh yourself on a bathroom scale, then weigh yourself holding baby, and subtract — it's accurate enough for tracking between visits. For length, lie baby on a play mat, mark heel and crown with two toys, and measure between them. Measure at roughly the same time of day (nappy contents genuinely move the needle at this size!), and don't stress about day-to-day wobbles.

Track it properly, automatically

With a free account you can log measurements for each child and watch their curve build over time against the WHO reference lines — much more useful than one-off checks.