Growth Charts for Children with Down Syndrome

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Growth charts for children with Down syndrome can be found in the journal Pediatrics (81) 1988.  The charts on this website were adopted from these charts using the method shown below.  If you would like to read more about growth charts as they relate to Down syndrome, you may want to check out Medical & Surgical Care for Children with Down Syndrome, A Guide for Parents, Woodbine House, 1995.

Each chart shows five percentile curves.  An example of how percentiles work is as follows:
Suppose we sample 100 children with DS (all the same age) and arrange them according to ascending height.  We can find the 10th percentile by plotting child number 10, and the 90th percentile would be the height of child number 90.  If you plot your child's data, and he or she is shown as being in the 50th percentile, you could assume if we lined up 100 children your child's age, that 49 would be shorter and 50 taller than he or she.

For interpretation, Dr. Len Leshin suggests:
"As long as your child is between the 5th and 95th percentiles and is generally following the growth curves, then he/she is doing well.  If you have questions about where your child falls on this chart, or his/her growth pattern, please consult your pediatrician."

The standards for the birth to 3 years charts are were derived from a chart which was based on a longitudinal study of 90 children with Down Syndrome conducted at the Developmental Evaluation Clinic at Boston Children's Hospital.  They included the following note:

Children with Down Syndrome are less likely than typical children to remain at a given percentile level.  Deviations occur most commonly between 9 and 24 months.

I used a ruler to measure points on the charts and then entered the measurement in a spreadsheet.  I then used a formula to convert the measurement into a weight or length figure in metric.  If you have English measurements, either use the English charts or convert as follows:

If you have comments or suggestions about improving these charts, please email me.

Thanks,
Greg Richards

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Revised: January 19, 2000