Skip to main content
Child Growth Lab

Pediatric growth calculators based on CDC and WHO growth standards.

Child Height Percentile Calculator

Use one dated standing-height measurement to calculate a CDC stature-for-age reference position from the second birthday through the day before the 20th birthday.

This focused result does not describe weight or BMI, calculate growth velocity, predict adult height, or diagnose a condition.

Have a child under 2? Use the WHO Baby Growth Calculator.

Before you calculate

  • Confirm the actual birth date and measurement date.
  • Select the CDC boys or girls chart used in the child's record.
  • Measure standing height without shoes on a firm floor and flat wall, using a rigid right-angle headpiece.
  • For a child age 2 to 3 who cannot stand independently, recumbent length is usually measured. The CDC SAS contract subtracts 0.8 cm at age 24 months or older, but this calculator does not apply that adjustment. Do not enter unadjusted recumbent length here; an appropriate healthcare professional should decide the measurement method, chart, and adjustment. Review the age-2 handoff and what to do if the child cannot stand reliably.
  • Repeat the measurement when posture or equipment was uncertain.

This calculation needs one height record. With a second dated height, use the Growth Velocity Calculator. With only parents' heights, use the Mid-Parental Height Calculator. With same-date height and weight, use the Child Growth Chart Calculator.

CDC provides separate height charts for boys and girls. Choose the chart used in your child's medical records.

Changing units clears the height field.

Enter standing height measured without shoes. Do not enter a lying-down length.

What this calculator answers

The input is one standing-height measurement with exact dates and a CDC sex-chart selection. The output is the child's current CDC stature-for-age reference position. It does not answer questions about weight, BMI, change over time, family-height background, puberty stage, or adult height.

Measurement workflow

  1. Remove shoes, heavy clothing, hats, and hair accessories that interfere with positioning or the headpiece.
  2. Use a firm floor and a flat wall.
  3. Keep feet flat and together, legs straight, arms at the sides, and shoulders level.
  4. Place the head, shoulders, buttocks, and heels against the wall when the child's body position allows.
  5. Have the child look straight ahead.
  6. Lower a rigid right-angle headpiece while the measurer's eyes are level with the headpiece.
  7. Read the measurement from the floor and record to the nearest 0.1 cm or 1/8 inch.
  8. Repeat the measurement when posture or equipment was uncertain.

Why exact dates and chart selection matter

The same standing height can correspond to a different percentile at a different age. Birth and measurement dates are therefore more precise than a rounded age. CDC stature-for-age uses separate boys and girls reference charts; select the chart used in the child's record.

Current stature, change over time, and family context are different questions

Current stature
One dated standing height belongs here and produces a height-for-age percentile.
Change over time
Two dated heights belong in the Growth Velocity Calculator, which reports arithmetic change rather than a velocity percentile.
Family-height context
Biological parents' adult heights belong in the Mid-Parental Height Calculator, which gives rough family context rather than an individual prediction.
Combined current review
A same-date height and weight can be reviewed in the Child Growth Chart Calculator for separate height, weight, and BMI results.

The age-2 handoff and children who cannot stand

For children younger than 2, use the WHO Baby Growth Calculator. This page accepts standing stature only and does not convert recumbent length.

If a child cannot stand reliably

For a child age 2 to 3 who cannot stand independently, recumbent length is usually measured. The CDC SAS contract subtracts 0.8 cm when recumbent length is measured at age 24 months or older. This calculator does not apply that adjustment, so do not enter unadjusted recumbent length in the standing-height field. An appropriate healthcare professional should decide the measurement method, reference chart, and whether the adjustment applies.

If the result surprises you

  1. Check the birth date.
  2. Check the measurement date.
  3. Check the CDC chart selection.
  4. Check the units.
  5. Repeat standing height with correct technique.
  6. Compare with prior dated clinical records when available.
  7. Discuss a persistent concern with an appropriate healthcare professional.

Worked example

A boy using the male CDC chart was born October 1, 2007 and measured November 15, 2011. At 4 years, 1 month, and 14 days old, his standing height is 105.4 cm. The result is about the 70.7th percentile.

This is the current stature-for-age reference position, not a target, normal range, adult-height prediction, or growth trend.

How the calculation works

The calculator derives exact elapsed age from the submitted dates, selects the sex-specific CDC stature-for-age LMS reference, and interpolates between adjacent age anchors. Technical z-score, source, interpolation, and measurement-review details stay collapsed below the parent-facing result. See Methodology for the full calculation and data policy.

Limitations

  • The result describes one standing-height measurement only.
  • It does not include weight, BMI, growth velocity, puberty assessment, adult-height prediction, diagnosis, or treatment advice.
  • Measurement and date-entry errors affect the result.
  • The calculator accepts standing height only; it does not accept recumbent length or automatically subtract 0.8 cm.
  • For a child age 2 to 3 who cannot stand independently, an appropriate healthcare professional should decide the measurement method, reference chart, and whether the CDC recumbent-length adjustment applies.

References

Helpful context

Frequently asked questions

What information do I need?

You need the child’s birth date, measurement date, the CDC boys or girls chart used in the child’s record, and one standing-height measurement in cm or ft/in.

Why are exact dates required?

The same standing height can correspond to a different reference position at a different age. Exact dates provide a more precise age coordinate than a rounded age in years or months.

Should I enter standing height or recumbent length?

Enter standing height measured without shoes. Do not enter lying-down recumbent length; this calculator does not convert between the two measurement methods.

What if the child cannot stand reliably?

This page accepts standing height only. For a child age 2 to 3 who cannot stand independently, recumbent length is usually measured. The CDC SAS contract subtracts 0.8 cm when recumbent length is measured at age 24 months or older. This calculator does not apply that adjustment, so do not enter unadjusted recumbent length in the standing-height field. An appropriate healthcare professional should decide the measurement method, chart, and whether the adjustment applies.

Why did the result change after remeasuring?

Posture, shoes, hair items, equipment, rounding, units, and the entered dates can affect the result. Repeat an uncertain measurement using a firm floor, flat wall, and rigid right-angle headpiece.

Can this calculator predict adult height?

No. It describes the current stature-for-age reference position. The Mid-Parental Height Calculator provides separate rough family-height context, not an individualized prediction.

What should I use when I have two height measurements?

Use the Growth Velocity Calculator to calculate arithmetic change between two dated measurements. It does not calculate a CDC growth-velocity percentile or diagnose the reason for change.

What should I use for a child under 2?

Use the WHO Baby Growth Calculator. Children younger than 2 are generally measured lying down as recumbent length rather than standing stature.

Does this site save the height measurement?

No. Calculator inputs are processed in your browser and are not stored as a child health record or sent to an external calculation service.