Training Module: Using BMI-for-Age Growth Charts

What to know

This module explains how to use CDC's BMI-for-Age Growth Charts to assess and monitor growth among children and adolescents 2 to 20 years. The module includes information on CDC's Extended BMI-for-Age Growth Charts, recommended for children and adolescents with very high BMIs (above the 97th percentile). This material is intended for health care providers using pediatric growth charts in clinical and public health settings.

A young boy sitting on the examination table talking to a female doctor.

Introduction

To monitor growth of children and adolescents 2 years and older, CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that U.S. health care providers in primary care settings use:

For children from birth to 2 years, use World Health Organization (WHO) Growth Standards.

Additional training is available for using the WHO Growth Standards.

Objectives

After the training, you will be able to:

  • Describe why BMI is recommended as a screening measure for all children and adolescents.
  • Understand how to calculate BMI and BMI percentile.
  • Plot and interpret BMI on the 2000 CDC BMI-for-Age Growth Charts and the 2022 CDC Extended BMI-for-Age Growth Charts.

Estimated time to complete this module: 10-12 minutes