The Standard Weight and Height of a Child in 8 Years Old

When it comes to the height and weight of an 8-year-old, the recommended charts you often see in doctor's offices may be not the best references. These charts will not always indict that the height and weight of your 8-year-old is healthy. It is actually quite difficult to determine what the normal height and weight for an 8 year should be because genes can also play a role in what is normal for each child. If the parents are on the shorter side, then it is normal for the child to also be on the shorter side and many factors can affect the weight of an 8-year-old as well.

Average Height for 8-Year-Old Children

Beside how much should an 8-year-old weigh, another question is about their height. The normal height for an 8-year-old is not a single number, but instead is a range of heights. So it is common for children to be categorized in percentiles, like weight, which we will talk about in detail below. When they are in the 50th percentile, this suggests that half the children of the same age will be above that weight and half the children that age will be below. Most children, both boys, and girls, in the 50th percentile will be around four feet tall or 50 inches at 8 years old. 

Many parents might be concerned that their child is not at the same height as their peers, but it is more important that your child is growing at a normal rate. If there is a problem detected in the rate of our child’s growth, such as it's recently slow all of the sudden, your child’s growth may need to be tracked for several months. Your doctor will be able to determine if the growth pattern of your child could be the result of a hidden health problem like hypothyroidism or growth hormone deficiency.

Average Weight for 8-Year-Old Children

An 8-year-old girl will have an average weight of 58 pounds; and a boy will be about 56 pounds. However, how much your child actually weights is not the only way that determines the healthy weight for them. Most will instead, calculate the body mass index of the child, which is done by dividing the weight of the child (in pounds) by their height (in inches). You then divide the number you got by their height again. Then multiply the number you get from this by 703 to get the BMI. The number you finally arrive at is used to figure out the percentile they fall into on a typical growth chart.

Average Percentiles for 8-Year-Old Children

While percentiles will not give you a direct answer for how much should an 8-year-old weigh, they give you a range of healthy weights children around the age of eight should fall into. When it comes to the BMI, children who are eight that fall between the 5th percentile and the 84th percentile will fall into a healthy weight for their age. If a child's BMI places them under the 5th percentile, it suggests the child is underweight. If their BMI places them anywhere between the 85th and 94th percentile, it suggests the child is possible overweight. If it falls into the 95th percentile or above, that indicates the child is possibly obese.

Screenings for 8-year-old:

If your child falls outside of the “healthy weight” range it does not automatically conclude that your child is underweight, overweight or even obese. It is a good idea to remind yourself that your child's BMI is just used as a tool to help screen for any potential problems they may have with their weight. If there is any concern about your child's weight, then additional test are likely to be performed such assessing their diet, physical activity and skin fold thickness.

If you have any concerns about your child’s height, weight or about how they are developing, you should discuss these concerns with your child’s doctor. The chart below can be a starting point to determine how much should an 8-year-old weigh as well as serve as a guide for their weight and height up to 12 years old.