baby percentile during pregnancy

During pregnancy, the baby's growth is often assessed using percentiles. These percentiles compare the baby's size or weight to other babies at the same gestational age. For example, being at the 50th percentile means the baby is exactly average size—half of babies are smaller and half are larger. Percentiles between the 10th and 90th are generally considered normal. If a baby's measurements fall below the 10th percentile, they are considered small for gestational age, and if above the 90th percentile, they are considered large for gestational age. Healthcare providers often use ultrasound measurements of parameters like head circumference, femur length, and abdominal circumference to estimate fetal weight and assign growth percentiles. These percentiles help monitor if the baby is growing appropriately or if there are concerns such as fetal growth restriction (FGR), which refers to a baby not growing as expected and falling below the 10th percentile. Monitoring growth percentiles during pregnancy is crucial to identifying potential health issues and managing prenatal care accordingly.