This version was machine-translated from German and has not been medically reviewed. The authoritative version is the German version.
Reference datasets of the growth engine
Each dataset defines reference, axis, sex, measure, unit and LMS parameters; from these the same engine calculates z-score and percentiles. The numbers are available as JSON at data/growth/, its origin is stated here and in every file.
General growth curves
| Data set | Measured parameters | Range | Status | Source / license |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDC 2000 Infant CDC 2000 – infants and toddlers (0–36 months) cdc2000_infant |
Weight, length, head circumference | 0–36 months | available | Kuczmarski RJ, Ogden CL, Guo SS, et al. 2000 CDC growth charts for the United States: methods and development. Vital Health Stat 11. 2002;(246):1–190. License: public domain (US federal agency) · Source |
| CDC 2000 Pediatric CDC 2000 – children and adolescents (2–20 years) cdc2000_pediatric |
Weight, height | 2–20 years | available | Kuczmarski RJ, Ogden CL, Guo SS, et al. 2000 CDC growth charts for the United States: methods and development. Vital Health Stat 11. 2002;(246):1–190. License: public domain (US federal agency) · Source |
| CDC 2000 BMI CDC 2000 – BMI for age (2–20 years) cdc2000_bmi |
BMI | 2–20 years | available | Kuczmarski RJ, Ogden CL, Guo SS, et al. 2000 CDC growth charts for the United States: methods and development. Vital Health Stat 11. 2002;(246):1–190. License: public domain (US federal agency) · Source |
| CDC Extended BMI CDC Extended BMI (2022) – BMI for age including values above P95 cdc_extended_bmi |
BMI | 2–20 years | available | Wei R, Ogden CL, Parsons VL, Freedman DS, Hales CM. A method for calculating BMI z-scores and percentiles above the 95th percentile of the CDC growth charts. Ann Hum Biol. 2020;47(6):514–521. Hales CM et al. Use of extended BMI-for-age growth charts. Pediatrics 2022. License: public domain (US federal agency) · Source Below P95 identical to CDC 2000; above it, half-normal distribution according to Wei 2020. In addition, the BMI is given as a percentage of P95. |
| CDC Weight-for-Length CDC 2000 – weight for length (45–103.5 cm) cdc2000_wfl |
Weight for length | 45–103.5 cm length | available | Kuczmarski RJ, Ogden CL, Guo SS, et al. 2000 CDC growth charts for the United States: methods and development. Vital Health Stat 11. 2002;(246):1–190. License: public domain (US federal agency) · Source |
| CDC Weight-for-Height CDC 2000 – weight for height (77–121.5 cm) cdc2000_wfh |
Weight for height | 77–121.5 cm height | available | Kuczmarski RJ, Ogden CL, Guo SS, et al. 2000 CDC growth charts for the United States: methods and development. Vital Health Stat 11. 2002;(246):1–190. License: public domain (US federal agency) · Source |
| WHO 2006 Expanded WHO Child Growth Standards 2006 – 0–5 years (daily resolution) who2006 |
Weight, length/height, head circumference, BMI | 0–5 years | available | WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group. WHO Child Growth Standards: Methods and development. Geneva: WHO; 2006 (length/height, weight, BMI) and 2007 (head circumference, arm circumference, skinfolds). License: WHO; tables taken from the R package childsds (GPL) · Source Length supine up to 24 months, then standing height – the WHO curve already incorporates the jump of 0.7 cm. |
| WHO Weight-for-Length WHO 2006 – weight for length (45–110 cm) who2006_wfl |
Weight for length | 45–110 cm length | available | WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group. WHO Child Growth Standards: Methods and development. Geneva: WHO; 2006 (length/height, weight, BMI) and 2007 (head circumference, arm circumference, skinfolds). License: WHO; tables taken from the R package childsds (GPL) · Source |
| WHO Weight-for-Height WHO 2006 – weight for height (65–120 cm) who2006_wfh |
Weight for height | 65–120 cm height | available | WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group. WHO Child Growth Standards: Methods and development. Geneva: WHO; 2006 (length/height, weight, BMI) and 2007 (head circumference, arm circumference, skinfolds). License: WHO; tables taken from the R package childsds (GPL) · Source |
| WHO 2007 Reference WHO Growth Reference 2007 – 5–19 years who2007 |
Height, BMI, weight (5–10 years) | 5–19 years (weight up to 10 years) | available | de Onis M, Onyango AW, Borghi E, Siyam A, Nishida C, Siekmann J. Development of a WHO growth reference for school-aged children and adolescents. Bull World Health Organ. 2007;85(9):660–667. License: WHO; tables taken from the R package childsds (GPL) · Source |
Preterm infants
| Data set | Measured parameters | Range | Status | Source / license |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fenton 2013 Fenton 2013 – Preterm infants, 22–50 weeks postmenstrual fenton2013 |
Weight, length, head circumference | Weight 22.5–50 weeks; length and head circumference 23.5–50 weeks | available | Fenton TR, Kim JH. A systematic review and meta-analysis to revise the Fenton growth chart for preterm infants. BMC Pediatr. 2013;13:59. License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (Dr. Tanis Fenton, University of Calgary) – non-commercial use only; commercial license via Innovate Calgary · Source LMS parameters from the official Excel calculator “clinical exact age calculator v7”. For classification at birth (SGA/AGA/LGA), completed weeks are decisive; for follow-up, the exact postmenstrual age. |
| Fenton 2003 (Legacy) Fenton 2003 – Preterm infants (older curves) fenton2003 |
Weight, length, head circumference | 22–50 weeks | available | Fenton TR. A new growth chart for preterm babies: Babson and Benda's chart updated with recent data and a new format. BMC Pediatr. 2003;3:13. LMS: Fenton TR, Sauve RS. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007;61:1380–1385. License: publication; LMS tables from Fenton & Sauve, Eur J Clin Nutr 2007 (author self-archive) · Source The Fenton curve of 2003 is unisex – both sexes use the same parameters. Legacy dataset for comparison with Fenton 2013. |
| Fenton 2025 Fenton 2025 – Preterm infants, 22–50 weeks postmenstrual (third generation) fenton2025 |
Weight, length, head circumference | Weight and head circumference 22.5–50 weeks; length 23.5–50 weeks | available | Fenton TR et al. Fenton third-generation growth charts of preterm infants without abnormal fetal growth: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2025;39:543–555. License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (Dr. Tanis Fenton, University of Calgary) – non-commercial use only; commercial license via Innovate Calgary. LMS parameters of the Excel calculator v1.1 via a third-party mirror (github.com/zdenecek/perterm-percentiles-fenton); Calgary releases the original Excel only on request. · Source Third generation of the Fenton curves (meta-analysis excluding children with abnormal fetal growth). The LMS values meet the official birth weight cutoffs from 2025 to 37 weeks to ≤ 1 %; from 38 weeks, the growth curve deliberately differs from the size-at-birth table (Calgary: “size-at-birth values differ from the growth charts > 36 weeks”). For classification at birth, completed weeks and the cutoff table are decisive; for follow-up monitoring, the exact postmenstrual age. |
| Olsen 2010 Olsen 2010 – intrauterine growth curves (USA), 23–41 weeks olsen2010 |
Weight, length, head circumference | 23–41 completed weeks | available | Olsen IE, Groveman SA, Lawson ML, Clark RH, Zemel BS. New intrauterine growth curves based on United States data. Pediatrics. 2010;125(2):e214–e224. License: publication (AAP); LMS tables from the R package childsds (GPL) · Source Support points for each completed week of gestation; values between weeks are linearly interpolated. |
| Olsen 2015 BMI Olsen 2015 – BMI for preterm infants, 24–41 weeks olsen2015_bmi |
BMI | 24–41 completed weeks | available | Olsen IE, Lawson ML, Ferguson AN, et al. BMI curves for preterm infants. Pediatrics. 2015;135(3):e572–e581. License: publication (AAP); LMS tables from the R package childsds (GPL) · Source |
Upper arm and skinfolds
| Data set | Measured parameters | Range | Status | Source / license |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHO Expanded Arm/Skinfold WHO 2006 – arm circumference, triceps and subscapular skinfold (3 months–5 years) who2006_arm |
Upper arm circumference, triceps skinfold, subscapular skinfold | 91 days–5 years | available | WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group. WHO Child Growth Standards: Methods and development. Geneva: WHO; 2006 (length/height, weight, BMI) and 2007 (head circumference, arm circumference, skinfolds). License: WHO; tables taken from the R package childsds (GPL) · Source |
| Abdel-Rahman 2017 Abdel-Rahman 2017 – mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), 2 months–18 years (CDC reference) abdelrahman2017 |
Upper arm circumference | 2 months–18 years | available | Abdel-Rahman SM, Bi C, Thaete K. Construction of lambda, mu, sigma values for determining mid-upper arm circumference z-scores in U.S. children aged 2 months through 18 years. Nutr Clin Pract. 2017;32(1):68–76. License: LMS parameters from the R package peditools (jhchou/peditools, MIT license; Chou JH et al. JMIR 2020;22:e16204) · Source Primary article not freely accessible; values from the peditools collection. |
| Mramba 2017 Mramba 2017 – mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), 5–19 years mramba2017 |
Upper arm circumference | 5–19 years | available | Mramba L, Ngari M, Mwangome M, et al. A growth reference for mid upper arm circumference for age among school age children and adolescents, and validation for mortality. BMJ. 2017;358:j3423. License: CC BY 4.0 (BMJ Open Access) – LMS from the web appendix of the publication · Source |
| Addo 2010 Skinfold Addo 2010 – triceps and subscapular skinfold, 1.5–20 years (CDC reference) addo2010 |
Triceps skinfold, subscapular skinfold | 1.5–20 years | available | Addo OY, Himes JH. Reference curves for triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses in US children and adolescents. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;91(3):635–642. License: publication (AJCN); LMS tables from the article (author self-archive) · Source |
| Addo 2017 Arm Composition Addo 2017 – mid-upper arm circumference, arm muscle area, and arm fat area, 1–20 years addo2017 |
Upper arm circumference, upper arm muscle area, upper arm fat area | 1–20 years | available | Addo OY, Himes JH, Zemel BS. Reference ranges for midarm circumference, upper arm muscle area, and upper arm fat area in US children and adolescents aged 1–20 y. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;105(1):111–120. License: LMS parameters from the R package peditools (jhchou/peditools, MIT license; Chou JH et al. JMIR 2020;22:e16204) · Source Primary article not freely accessible; values from the peditools collection. Arm muscle and fat area according to Frisancho from mid-upper arm circumference and triceps skinfold. |
Cerebral palsy (Brooks 2011)
| Data set | Measured parameters | Range | Status | Source / license |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooks 2011 I Cerebral palsy GMFCS Level I – Brooks 2011 brooks2011_gmfcs1 |
Weight, height, BMI | 2–20 years | available | Brooks J, Day S, Shavelle R, Strauss D. Low weight, morbidity, and mortality in children with cerebral palsy: new clinical growth charts. Pediatrics. 2011;128(2):e299–e307. License: publication (AAP); curves at lifeexpectancy.org; LMS parameters from the R package peditools (jhchou/peditools, MIT license; Chou JH et al. JMIR 2020;22:e16204) · Source The authors publish the curves as graphics; the LMS parameters come from the peditools collection. |
| Brooks 2011 II Cerebral palsy GMFCS Level II – Brooks 2011 brooks2011_gmfcs2 |
Weight, height, BMI | 2–20 years | available | Brooks J, Day S, Shavelle R, Strauss D. Low weight, morbidity, and mortality in children with cerebral palsy: new clinical growth charts. Pediatrics. 2011;128(2):e299–e307. License: publication (AAP); curves at lifeexpectancy.org; LMS parameters from the R package peditools (jhchou/peditools, MIT license; Chou JH et al. JMIR 2020;22:e16204) · Source The authors publish the curves as graphics; the LMS parameters come from the peditools collection. |
| Brooks 2011 III Cerebral palsy GMFCS Level III – Brooks 2011 brooks2011_gmfcs3 |
Weight, height, BMI | 2–20 years | available | Brooks J, Day S, Shavelle R, Strauss D. Low weight, morbidity, and mortality in children with cerebral palsy: new clinical growth charts. Pediatrics. 2011;128(2):e299–e307. License: publication (AAP); curves at lifeexpectancy.org; LMS parameters from the R package peditools (jhchou/peditools, MIT license; Chou JH et al. JMIR 2020;22:e16204) · Source The authors publish the curves as graphics; the LMS parameters come from the peditools collection. |
| Brooks 2011 IV Cerebral palsy GMFCS Level IV – Brooks 2011 brooks2011_gmfcs4 |
Weight, height, BMI | 2–20 years | available | Brooks J, Day S, Shavelle R, Strauss D. Low weight, morbidity, and mortality in children with cerebral palsy: new clinical growth charts. Pediatrics. 2011;128(2):e299–e307. License: publication (AAP); curves at lifeexpectancy.org; LMS parameters from the R package peditools (jhchou/peditools, MIT license; Chou JH et al. JMIR 2020;22:e16204) · Source The authors publish the curves as graphics; the LMS parameters come from the peditools collection. |
| Brooks 2011 V (without tube) Cerebral palsy GMFCS Level V – without tube feeding – Brooks 2011 brooks2011_gmfcs5nt |
Weight, height, BMI | 2–20 years | available | Brooks J, Day S, Shavelle R, Strauss D. Low weight, morbidity, and mortality in children with cerebral palsy: new clinical growth charts. Pediatrics. 2011;128(2):e299–e307. License: publication (AAP); curves at lifeexpectancy.org; LMS parameters from the R package peditools (jhchou/peditools, MIT license; Chou JH et al. JMIR 2020;22:e16204) · Source The authors publish the curves as graphics; the LMS parameters come from the peditools collection. |
| Brooks 2011 V (with tube) Cerebral palsy GMFCS Level V – with tube feeding – Brooks 2011 brooks2011_gmfcs5t |
Weight, height, BMI | 2–20 years | available | Brooks J, Day S, Shavelle R, Strauss D. Low weight, morbidity, and mortality in children with cerebral palsy: new clinical growth charts. Pediatrics. 2011;128(2):e299–e307. License: publication (AAP); curves at lifeexpectancy.org; LMS parameters from the R package peditools (jhchou/peditools, MIT license; Chou JH et al. JMIR 2020;22:e16204) · Source The authors publish the curves as graphics; the LMS parameters come from the peditools collection. |
Syndromes
| Data set | Measured parameters | Range | Status | Source / license |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Down syndrome infant (Zemel 2015) Down syndrome 0–36 months – Zemel 2015 zemel2015_infant |
Weight, length, head circumference | 0–36 months | available | Zemel BS, Pipan M, Stallings VA, et al. Growth charts for children with Down syndrome in the United States. Pediatrics. 2015;136(5):e1204–e1211. License: publication (AAP); LMS from the supplement (PMC5451269) · Source Length and head circumference from 1 month, weight from birth. |
| Down syndrome weight-for-length (Zemel 2015) Down syndrome – weight for length, 0–36 months – Zemel 2015 zemel2015_wfl |
Weight for length | 0–36 months | available | Zemel BS, et al. Pediatrics. 2015;136(5):e1204–e1211. License: publication (AAP); LMS from the supplement (PMC5451269) · Source Boys 49–93 cm, girls 52–90 cm. |
| Down syndrome pediatric (Zemel 2015) Down syndrome 2–20 years – Zemel 2015 zemel2015_pediatric |
Weight, height, head circumference, BMI | 2–20 years | available | Zemel BS, et al. Pediatrics. 2015;136(5):e1204–e1211. License: publication (AAP); LMS from the supplement (PMC5451269); head circumference boys according to erratum Pediatrics 2022;150:e2022059568 · Source Head circumference of boys: corrected Supplemental Table 18 (erratum 2022). |
| Noonan syndrome (Cappa 2024) Noonan syndrome – height, weight and growth velocity (Cappa 2024) cappa2024 |
Height, weight, BMI, growth velocity | 0–20 years | available | Cappa M, d'Aniello F, Digilio MC, et al. Noonan syndrome growth charts and genotypes: 15-year longitudinal single-centre study. Horm Res Paediatr 2024 (doi:10.1159/000540092). LMS-Parameter: Chou JH. Correction of LMS parameter errors in published Noonan syndrome growth charts. medRxiv 2025.07.29.25332354. License: publication CC BY-NC (Karger); corrected LMS parameters CC BY 4.0 (Chou 2025, preprint) · Source The published LMS parameters are erroneous (Expression of Concern, Karger); the parameters re-estimated from the published percentiles by Chou 2025 are used – a preprint, not an official author correction. |
| Turner syndrome (Lyon 1985) Turner syndrome – height 1–20 years (Lyon 1985) lyon1985 |
Height | 1–20 years (girls only) | available | Lyon AJ, Preece MA, Grant DB. Growth curve for girls with Turner syndrome. Arch Dis Child. 1985;60(10):932–935. LMS processing: RCPCH growth-references (L = 1, S = 0.047, M spline-smoothed). License: publication (BMJ); LMS processing CC BY-SA 4.0 (RCPCH) · Source Pooled data of untreated European girls (n = 366); standard deviation constant at 4.7 % of the mean. |
German references
| Data set | Measured parameters | Range | Status | Source / license |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kromeyer-Hauschild 2001 Kromeyer-Hauschild 2001 – German reference, 0–18 years kromeyer_hauschild |
Weight, height, BMI | 0–18 years | available | Kromeyer-Hauschild K, Wabitsch M, Kunze D, et al. Perzentile für den Body-mass-Index für das Kindes- und Jugendalter unter Heranziehung verschiedener deutscher Stichproben. Monatsschr Kinderheilkd. 2001;149:807–818. License: publication; LMS tables from the R package childsds (GPL) · Source The reference in common use in Germany and Austria (AGA guideline on obesity). |
| KiGGS (RKI 2013) KiGGS 2003–2006 – German reference incl. head circumference and skinfolds, 0–18 years kiggs |
Weight, height, BMI, head circumference, triceps skinfold, subscapular skinfold, sum of skinfolds, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio, body fat percentage | 4 months–18 years (waist, hip, ratios 11–18 years; body fat 8–18 years) | available | Robert Koch-Institut (ed.). Reference percentiles for anthropometric measures and blood pressure from the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS). ed. 2. Berlin: RKI; 2013. License: RKI; LMS tables from the R package childsds (GPL) · Source |