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FOCUS ON
GROWTH
April 2015 • #98
A Note from the Medical Editor
As a parent, you probably measure your child’s growth in many ways – a yardstick, marks on a wall, a scale, pictures, and increases in clothing and shoe size increases. These are all great ways to see how your child has grown from one year to the next. 
 
In a similar way, pediatricians use a variety of measurment tools to get a full picture of a child’s growth (physical, social, and cognitive). Percentiles, for example, are one tool used to measure your child's height, weight, and head circumference. These are recorded on a growth chart at each well-child visit to make sure your child is growing at a healthy rate. 
 
In this newsletter, we focus on helping you understand your child’s growth patterns—both on the outside and the inside. 
 
~Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP
Medical Editor, HealthyChildren.org
Featured Articles
How to Read a Growth Chart: Percentiles Explained
Learn how pediatricians determine whether your child falls within the "normal" range. Remember, kids grow at different rates! Go >
When a Child is Unusually Short or Tall
If your child seems unusually short or tall compared to friends the same age, talk with your pediatrician. A true growth disorder can sometimes be treated. Go >
Growing Pains Are Normal Most of the Time
No one knows for sure what’s behind them, but growth is probably not the cause of "growing pains." While you can’t prevent them, here’s how to help your child lessen the aches.  Go >
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Does it seem like your teenager is always hungry? Very normal. Your teen’s appetite may be soaring off the charts as her need for calories escalates to support normal growth spurts.
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