How Much Should a 4-Year-Old Boy Weigh?

Growth charts show varying weights for children. boy image by Byron Moore from Fotolia.com

Everybody's Different

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, low normal weight for a boy at his fourth birthday is about 28 pounds. High normal weight is 53 pounds as the boy approaches his fifth birthday. Anything in between that doesn't exhibit a great deviation from the normal percentile curve should be considered normal, depending on how far into his fourth year the boy is.

Consistency is Good

If a boy's weight fluctuates far from his own percentile rate, there may be some cause for concern. For example, if a boy who has consistently been in the 85th percentile weight curve suddenly falls to the 25th percentile, doctors may want to find out why.

Bottom Line

Normal weight for 4-year-old boys can vary as much as 25 pounds. By the time a boy reaches his fourth birthday, his percentile of growth curve should be established. If extreme variations from the curve are present, there may be cause for concern.

References

• National Center for Health Statistics: 2 to 20 years: Boys Stature-for-age and Weight-for-age percentiles
• KidsGrowth: Growth Charts
• Kid's Health: Your Child's Weight