Head circumference for girls at 22 months
At 22 months, the median head circumference for girls on the WHO Child Growth Standards is 46.9 cm (18.5 in): half of girls this age measure less and half more. The middle half of girls, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, falls between 46.0 and 47.8 cm, a spread of 1.9 cm. The outer lines of the chart, the 2nd and 98th percentiles, sit at 44.1 and 49.7 cm.
Since 21 months, the median has risen by 0.2 cm in one month. By 23 months it reaches 47.0 cm. That monthly change is less than half the 2.7 cm of the first month, because growth slows steadily through the first two years.
For boys at 22 months the median is 48.0 cm, 1.1 cm more than for girls, which is why the charts are drawn separately by sex.
On the older CDC 2000 infant charts, which some clinics and websites still use before age 2, the median at 22 months is 47.2 cm. A girl exactly on the WHO median would read as about the 41st percentile there, one reason two charts can give different answers for the same head circumference.
Reading the table: a girl at 22 months who measures 47.5 cm is at about the 67th percentile, meaning that out of 100 girls this age, about 67 measure less.
Percentiles at 22 months
Download CSV (all ages)| Percentile | z-score | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | −2.00 | 44.1 cm | 17.4 in |
| 5th | −1.64 | 44.6 cm | 17.6 in |
| 10th | −1.28 | 45.1 cm | 17.8 in |
| 25th | −0.67 | 46.0 cm | 18.1 in |
| 50th (median) | 0.00 | 46.9 cm | 18.5 in |
| 75th | +0.67 | 47.8 cm | 18.8 in |
| 90th | +1.28 | 48.7 cm | 19.2 in |
| 95th | +1.64 | 49.2 cm | 19.4 in |
| 98th | +2.00 | 49.7 cm | 19.6 in |
WHO charts label z = ±2 as the 2nd and 98th percentiles (exactly 2.3rd and 97.7th), the cutoffs CDC recommends on WHO charts. Values computed with the LMS method from the published tables (retrieved 2026-10-05).