Growth Velocity

Growth velocity is the rate at which an individual is growing. Calculating growth velocity is an inexpensive and useful tool for identifying children who warrant further evaluation.

Equipment and Procedure

• Height/ length (if < 2 years) in centimeters from most recent visit and prior visit (ideally at least 6 months prior)
• Time between measurements in months
• Growth velocity (centimeters per year) = (current height – prior height)/number of months between visits * 12 months

Special Considerations

• Avoid placing too much emphasis on a growth velocity that is measured over a period of less than 6 months.
• Children grow in spurts, often overnight, and they may not grow at all for 2 months.
• Don’t forget to consider that there is a normal rapid change in growth velocity over the first 3 years of life. Thus, the WHO data for growth velocity are presented in 2- to 6-month increments over the first years of life.
• As prenatal influences diminish with time, it is normal during the first 3 years of life for an infant to cross growth centiles. After 3 years of life, this may be abnormal and warrants careful observation or evaluation.
• Both WHO data and US CDC data are included for reference, but the WHO data is considered more applicable for following an individual child during the first 2 years as the data are from a multinational cohort, include larger numbers and are longitudinal.