Somatogram
A somatogram (from Greek σῶμα soma , body and γράμμα gramma , written) is a diagram that is used to show the physical development of an infant , toddler or adolescent in terms of body dimensions (length, weight, head circumference).
method
The age is usually plotted on the abscissa and the corresponding measured value on the ordinate . So-called percentile curves with the statistical normal distribution of the respective measured value for the different age groups are drawn in this coordinate system . If you look up the age and measured value of the index child in the coordinate system, you can see the percentile on which the measured value is, in other words: what percentage of the children of the same age are smaller or lighter. For example, if a child's height is in the 25th percentile, 25% of their peers are smaller and 75% are taller.
Since the weight in relation to the age is very much dependent on the length of the child, it is better to use diagrams for its assessment, on which the length is plotted on the abscissa and the weight on the ordinate. The assessment becomes even more precise by calculating the body mass index (BMI = weight / length²). There are also somatograms for this with age on the abscissa and the measured value BMI on the ordinate. There are separate somatograms for premature and newborn babies, on which the body measurements are plotted based on the length of pregnancy.
