How important are percentiles to you?

So many of us report stats and thats fine. I understand the rationale of having them (percentiles) in the first place - as a comparative clinical indicator as well as a tool to monitor your own child's growth patterns over time. I also know that a percentile doesn't actually tell you how well they your child is growing. I'm curious to know how important percentiles are to you (high or low) assuming your pediatrician is pleased with the overall health of your child.

For example, Abby is small in the 50th percentile for weight and 75th for length. She is in good health and her pediatrician is fine with how she presents. As long as she continues to grow at a regular rate, I really don't care what percentile she is in.

I know many parents who are either concerned or pleased with percentiles - that their child is either too big or too small. Some parents freak out if their child is in the 95th percentile for weight while others are rather happy about the same numbers. I guess my feeling is that SOMEONE'S kid has to be small and SOMEONE'S kid has to be big or we wouldn't have percentiles and every kid would be the same size. Share your thoughts.

Message edited 3/18/2009 9:01:35 PM.

Re: How important are percentiles to you?

I just use them as a guideline.

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I don't look at them for DD to compare her to other kids.

I don't even know what her stats are right now. We go for her 18 month well visit next week. I want to know her height and weight, but I don't care where she falls percentile-wise. Also, with DD being a preemie, she will never have the same stats as a full term 18 month old.

IMO, so long as her ped is happy with her height/weight, I am too.

Re: How important are percentiles to you?

I use them as a guideline and for his growth rate. I look if it's consitent.

DS was alway 90% in heigth and 70-75% in weight.

That's just a measure for me. And since he is consistent with his percentile in heigth and weight, I know that he is growing in a healthy way.

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I think they are only important in terms of your child. For example my friend's son dropped from 25th percentile to the 10th. The drs were never alarmed by the 25th percentile but by the drop to the 10th.

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Message edited 3/18/2009 9:24:04 PM.

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My dr. writes down the percentile, but never tells me what it is because he doesn't think it's important. All he tells us is that she's doing well.

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I do use them as a guideline, but DS has had some issues with feeding, so I do like to know what they are. Last weeks appointment he was in the 13th for weight and 33rd for height. I would like to see those #'s higher as I know he is small for his age, but at least he is growing.

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We just deal with his percentiles. He was off the charts from week 33 in my belly until about his 3rd month. Doctors have been fine all along.

But if you ask my MIL, when he was at 200th percentile at birth he wasn't eating enough. Now he is average in weight and she still says he isn't eating enough. Percentiles aren't for in-laws!

Re: How important are percentiles to you?

they are only important when you compare them from one month to another NOT child to child. A child in the 10th percentil vs one in the 100th doesn't say anything about how healthy, developed etc that the child is. However, if your child is in the 10th percentile one month but the 100th the next or vice versa that is informative as it is not expected a child would grow that much (or that little) in that period of time. My DD is in 90th for both. My Ped is happy because that has been her growth curve all along and she is proportional NOT because she is bigger than 90 percent of babies her age...that means nothing!

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My DS's doctors, being the pediatricians and the GI, are concerned with the consistency because he was always so small. As long as he stays in the same percentile or above, everyone is happy. We get into lengthy discussions, though, about whether to rank his percentile based on his adjusted age or not. We just have to make sure to be consistent with that, too.

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I am really not concerned with the percentiles, just how they relate to my child and his consistent growth. The only one i pay much attention too is the head circumfrance %...his has always been on the small side, whereas his weight is average, and height is above average, but again, its a matter of consistency in regards to his growth, not how he compares to others...He is perfect to me...

Re: How important are percentiles to you?

I don't look at it too much . As long as the dr says (and I know ) DD is fine and as long as she is happy and healthy , eating and drinking well and growing that's what matters to me.
Not all kids grow the same and every child is different.

Re: How important are percentiles to you?

my pediatrician doesn't usually give out percentiles unless you ask. She says too many parents focus on numbers and she is more concerned with growth from visit to visit and the childs overall appearance. I don't know where Alexa lies in the "charts"

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I use them as a guidline and for fun really. It's fun in the beginning for me to see how big my boys have been. My three year old is healthy and he's in the 10th percentile for weight. If I really let it get to me, I would be really worried but he's perfect.

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They don't really phase me. If they did I'd probably be a crazy lady by now. My DD is in the 3rd percentile for weight and has always been small. It is what it is. Clearly she's healthy.

I think a doctor and a parent know if their child is healthy and thriving and we really don't need charts to tell us so. Just like you know if you child is overweight and eating too much.

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percentiles don't really matter.....as long as she is growing consistently. I get a kick out of how I am 5 feet tall, my DH is 5'6 1/2" and Kaydyn has been in the 80-95th percentile for height since she was born. Don't know where that came from.

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I just look to make sure she is consistant. for example..she has always been small in weight...25%, so if she dropped down to 5 or 10% I would be concerned...I just look to make sure she stays in the same % area if that makes sense.

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Percentiles have been completely irrelevant in my son's development since he's been off the charts with his weight and his height since he is 5 weeks old On a serious note, things like head growth have been important to me bc he's got quite a melon on his head...I hope its a big sponge that will soak up all the knowledge out there

Message edited 3/19/2009 7:13:53 AM.

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