A growth chart is a plot of the percentiles of growth measurements, such as weig

Question

A growth chart is a plot of the percentiles of growth measurements, such as weight and height, for a population of infants or children. It is used by pediatricians to assess a child's growth over time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a U.S. agency devoted to the protection and promotion of public health. Through one of its units, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the CDC has developed growth charts for clinical use by health professionals. The most recent charts were published in 2000. The 2000 CDC growth charts were developed using a reference population of infants. A pediatrician looks up one of the charts and finds that the 95th percentile for weights of baby boys at 20-1/2 months is 30.4 pounds. This means that of the 20-1/2-month-old baby boys in the reference population weigh__. The 2000 CDC growth charts use a reference population of both breast-fed and formula-fed infants. It has been observed that breast-fed babies tend to gain weight more rapidly than formula-fed babies in the first 2 to 3 months of their lives, but they tend to weigh less than formulated babies from 6 to 12 months. Sarah is a healthy baby who was exclusively breast-fed for her first 12 months. Which of the following is most likely a description of her weights (at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of age) as percentiles of the CDC growth chart reference population? 75th percentile at 3 months; 85th percentile at 6 months; 95th percentile at 9 months; 95th percentile at 12 months 30th percentile at 3 months; 30th percentile at 6 months; 30th percentile at 9 months; 30th percentile at 12 months 10th percentile at 3 months; 40th percentile at 6 months; 75th percentile at 9 months; 95th percentile at 12 months 65th percentile at 3 months; 35th percentile at 6 months; 30th percentile at 9 months; 20th percentile at 12 months

Explanation / Answer

95th percentile = 30.4 pounds means 95% of 20-1/2-month old baby boys in the reference population weighs less than 30.4 pounds.

The first option is the best description for Sarah. She gains weight fast in the beginning years, having high percentile, but then in their 6 to 12 months their growth slows down and so percentiles become nearly constant.

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