Larger than average

The other day, Jack had his 15-month checkup and Allie her 3 year check-up with the pediatrician. As with most visits, the children are weighed and measured and rated according to some ranking chart that somehow includes ranges of US children’s measurements. The rankings are given as a percentile. For example, “Your child is in the 60ith percentile, for weight” means that the child supposedly weights less than 40% and more than 60% of other children of the same age. You can check out a sample chart that pediatrician's offices often use at Keep Kids Healthy.

Jack has always been a larger child than his playmates of the same age, so we were expecting the results to be approaching the 100% marker. Over the past year, Allie, on the other hand, while at one time was larger in all measures compared to her counterparts, has slipped back to just “average,” or around the 50% range for all measure.

Well, here is the latest report, with percentiles in parentheses:

Jack (age 15 months)

• Weight: 25.8 lbs (70%)
• Height: 32.5 inches (85%)
• Head Circumference: 50 cm (greater than 97%)

Allie (age 3 years)

• Weight: 34 lbs (80%)
• Height: 40 inches (97%)
• (no head circumference at this age, although her blood pressure is normal)

So the verdict is that our children really are supposedly larger in some respects than other children their age. What does that mean? In my opinion, not much. I would, however, like to find a way to shrink Jack’s head. It’s huge! We have trouble fitting some of his t-shirts over his head.