Health · Free tool
Child Growth (IAP)
Quick check whether a child's weight is in the normal band for their age. For actual percentile and growth velocity, use the IAP charts your pediatrician provides.
Your child is 100% of median.
For accurate percentile, refer your pediatrician's IAP chart.
How it works
Enter age, sex and weight. We place the child on the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) 2015 weight-for-age centile band — below 3rd centile (underweight), 3rd–97th (normal range), or above 97th (overweight risk). The IAP charts are recalibrated for Indian children and run alongside WHO standards for under-5s. We use a simplified table; the actual IAP charts plot weight, height, BMI and head circumference across 7 centile lines.
Worked example
A 5-year-old Indian boy weighing 17 kg falls near the 50th centile (median is ~17.5 kg per IAP 2015). At 13 kg the same child is below the 3rd centile and flagged for evaluation; at 24 kg he is above the 97th centile, classified overweight. Tracking the trajectory across visits matters more than a single reading — a child who drops two centile bands in 6 months needs review even if still inside the normal band.
When to use this
- A quick check at home between routine pediatric visits
- Reviewing the school health card before annual checkups
- Comparing growth across siblings or against the “average Indian child”
For adults switch to the BMI calculator, or read our IAP vs UIP vaccination guide for the rest of the IAP wellness checklist.
FAQ
When should I worry about my child's weight?
Below 70% of median weight-for-age, or above 130% — both warrant pediatrician consult. Crossing percentile lines downward (e.g. P50 → P25) over 6 months is a flag, even within "normal" band.
Are IAP charts different from WHO?
For 0-5 years, IAP recommends WHO standards (multi-ethnic). For 5-18, IAP has India-specific charts due to faster pubertal growth in Indian children. Both used together.
My child is short — should I be worried?
Mid-parental height predicts adult height ±5 cm. If child's height is consistent with parental height range, normal. If well below despite tall parents, get IGF-1 / bone age tested by a pediatrician.