What is an 'average' length for a newborn?

[Boo44]

I have been wondering this as LO is putting on weight just great and was 7lb7 at birth and last week was almost 9lb, however he just looks so small and skinny still! I have seen 9lb newborns and they look lovely and chunky but LO doesn't look chunky at all!

I looked in his red book and noticed he was 57cm long at birth. He does seem to have long fingers and huge feet and long skinny little legs! Is he above average 'height'?

 

[ceejie]

I am not sure about for boys, but the chart I have for DD shows 49cm as 50th percentile for length at birth.

 

[Jaylynne]

He's a long baby . Still normal though.

 

[ellie27]

57cm at birth would put your LO at 99% - so probably the tallest out of 100 random newborns!! No wonder he looks skinny!!

 

[Boo44]

He's a long baby . Still normal though.

Wow yeah that's nearly 8cm above average! Hmm it might be more difficult than I thought to fill him out!

 

[Boo44]

57cm at birth would put your LO at 99% - so probably the tallest out of 100 random newborns!! No wonder he looks skinny!!

Eek. They didn't even mention this when he was born! I just happened to wonder today as I was dressing him and his 0-3 month clothes are so baggy on him but almost too short in the leg

 

[Dizzy321]

Hehe....that is long.....my 1st son was 57cms born but my LO Charlie was 61cms born!! midwife could not belive how long he is! hes on the 100th centile, he weighs 19lbs but not really chunky hes sooo long looks much older than what he is lol x

 

[Boo44]

Hehe....that is long.....my 1st son was 57cms born but my LO Charlie was 61cms born!! midwife could not belive how long he is! hes on the 100th centile, he weighs 19lbs but not really chunky hes sooo long looks much older than what he is lol x

Wow!!! 61cm is impressive then! Is your elder son tall now?

 

[beth_terri]

Logan was 53cm at birth, Rory was 51cm on day 12. They both look long as they're skinny so yours must look very long!!

Logan now is the tallest but one of the youngest of his year group at nursery. Xx

 

[KittyVentura]

Not quite as long but Mops was 54cm at birth and we have teh same issue re babygrows etc as she fills teh length well before the width. Footless grows are the way forward, H&M do lots xx

 

[060509.x]

I'm not sure what the average is. My LO wasn't measured at birth for length, but at 6 weeks she was 52cm. She hasn't been measured since but I will be going to the drop in clinic sometimes soon to find out!

 

[midori1999]

I don't know the average, but my first son was 56cm and 9lb exactly and my second son was 58cm and 10lb exactly.

 

[summer rain]

Boys tend to be bigger than girls. I believe, and I may be wrong that 51cm is on the 50th centile for boys at birth? This may have changed slightly on the new charts. My eldest was 51cm, my middle two were 57cm also (second eldest was measured at 60cm when born but can't have been right as at a couple of weeks old he measured 58cm!). Youngest was 54cm which is slightly above average but jumped several centiles in length and at one point was on the 98th, he is still quite long now but gains in length in fits and starts xx

 

[jenniferttc1]

I think 20in (50.8cm) is the most normal number. Seems like all my friends babies are that tall at birth! Haiden is now 28inches (71.12cm)

 

[Indigo77]

19" (48.3 cm) is the average in the US.

Your son is tall!

 

[summer rain]

We operate in cm in the UK xx

 

[letia659]

All 3 of my babies were 22in or a little under 56cm but I think that's long for a newborn Sophie has outgrown newborn clothes already because of her length!

 

[yazzy]

My LO was only 47cm ~ 18.5 inches when born...and 6lb 1oz so looked really dinky. I was 56/57cm when born which she reached at about 8 weeks.

 

[Dizzy321]

Hehe....that is long.....my 1st son was 57cms born but my LO Charlie was 61cms born!! midwife could not belive how long he is! hes on the 100th centile, he weighs 19lbs but not really chunky hes sooo long looks much older than what he is lol x

Wow!!! 61cm is impressive then! Is your elder son tall now?

Isn't it just! the midwife had to double check his length and said he is one of the longest babies she has ever measured in being a midwife for 30 years lol. My daughter is very tall too, we just make big kids lol!
my eldest son is tall yes, but I would not say massive.....well he's 1.2m and 6 on Sunday