Normal Weight Ranges for Children

It's hard to determine a "normal" weight for a child without looking at multiple factors. Some children are more muscular than others. Some will hit puberty earlier or later than others. Then there are children who are genetically predisposed toward being smaller or larger than what's considered average. There are ways to tell if your child is in good physical shape and growing in a healthy way.

Growth Charts

• Most doctors use growth charts to determine if a child's growth is healthy. These charts take age, height and weight into account, and enable physicians to determine if the results meet the average.

Percentile

• Percentile is the measurement used in growth charts for children. It indicates how your child compares to other children of the same age. If your child's growth maintains a steady percentile, he or she is developing well. The 50th percentile is the median height and weight, but that means that there is a wide range on both sides.

Puberty

• Puberty is a time of great growth--children can gain up to 10 inches in height during this stage. These growth spurts can change what's considered to be a healthy weight. Children of the same age could be much shorter or much taller than the average due to puberty-related fluctuations.

BMI

• A good measurement of healthy weight is body mass index (BMI). BMI is calculated using gender, age and weight, and can indicate whether body fat is in a healthy range.

Overweight

• Depending on age and height, boys are considered overweight if their BMI is more than 30. For girls, a BMI of more than 32 is considered overweight.

Underweight

• Depending on age and height, boys are considered underweight if their BMI is less than 14. For girls, a BMI of less than 13 is considered underweight.