The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) was commissioned to design new charts to replace the 1990 growth charts, which described average growth and were based on babies who were predominantly fed with formula.
Babies who are breastfed tend to gain weight more slowly and are less likely to become obese. The new charts reflect this by showing a 1kg drop in expected weight gain by the age of one year, which will help to identify children at risk of obesity at an earlier stage.
The charts include for the first time Body Mass Index, which can be used to monitor childhood obesity, and a low birthweight chart for very pre-term babies.
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