We need a new growth chart

[brooklynsmommy]

For torsos. Seriously. It would be so nice to see when a child might outgrow a certain seat. By looking at their curve. How would we gather info for something like this though?

 

[Syllieann]

everybody could add their stats to the thread and it could be compiled in google excel sheet w/ a graph I guess. I also found this study, which is a little old and has a fairly small sample number, but it's the best I know of right now.

 

[KaiLing]

That would be totally useful. But I must not be the only person with a child who won't sit for torso measurement. Kid just hates it.

 

[Kac]

I feel like torsos just differ so much that it would be difficult to get accurate data.

 

[java]

I think it would be great to get an 'average' I agree it differs a ton, just like weight and height. But there has to be some common ground out there. I have no idea if DD is about normal for her age or is she is considered all torso, all legs, ect. I would love to know.

 

[ketchupqueen]

I think it would be great to get an 'average' I agree it differs a ton, just like weight and height. But there has to be some common ground out there. I have no idea if DD is about normal for her age or is she is considered all torso, all legs, ect. I would love to know.

Clothing sizes help a lot with that (and are something I ask about when giving advice on shopping over the phone, etc.) If she tends to outgrow tops and bottoms in the same size and brand at just about the same time (i.e., moves from size 18 months shirts and 18 month pants to 24 month shirts and 24 month pants, at the same time without one being too big or too small longer), she probably has about average proportions for her size. If she tends to need a size up in pants because they are too short well before shirts in the same brand (especially short sleeved shirts ) she probably has longer legs proportionally than torso. If she tends to have lots of tummy gapping and need a size up in shirts well before pants are outgrown by length, she probably has a longer torso proportionally. (Of course, a very chubby or very skinny kid can confound those rules sometimes, but in many cases, it helps in figuring out how they are built in comparison to the average!)