In congenital disorders such as fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT), injuries suffered in utero and shortly after birth may result in lower-than-expected percentile growth relative to other children.
Growth charts are a staple of pediatric care. Essentially, these are charts that doctors use to compare the growth of the child relative to their peers. If a child falls far behind their peers in key categories, this alerts doctors that something is wrong and needs to be remedied.
Through rigorous clinical studies, researchers have developed growth charts that have gained widespread use. Some examples of these are growth charts for weight, height, head circumference and weight-for-length.
Here’s what you need to know about percentile growth charts and why they are important.
Assessment of growth
If a child is in a very low percentile of growth compared with their peers, doctors should conduct a thorough assessment as to why this is the case. Should the culprit be discovered, doctors can organize their treatment plan to ensure that patients rise up in the percentile charts if it is healthy and feasible to do so.
However, results should always be interpreted in context. Just because a child occupies a low percentile, this does not necessarily translate into a problem, unless, of course, corroborating evidence indicates otherwise. This is because it is entirely possible that healthy infants are simply small for their age.
Relationship with developmental milestones
Along with studying percentile growth charts, doctors should also focus on developmental milestones; combined, they give doctors more information about the infant’s health. If doctors have any doubts about the growth percentile of a child, they should aim to communicate with their team of pediatricians and specialists.
Read more about FNAIT testing and diagnosis
No one understands the importance of maintaining a healthy percentile chart in terms of growth and development better than pediatricians, so the best thing you can do as a parent is to listen to their advice and allow interventions that are recommended.
Sometimes, children will experience a growth spurt that may drastically change the overall picture. The key is consistency—consistency in terms of follow-up, nutrition, as well as age-appropriate physical and social activity. If the child’s percentile charts are below normal, doctors may initiate more rigorous interventions to ensure that your child is on the right track in life.
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