Fenton 2013 vs 2025 growth charts
Compare the second-generation Fenton 2013 workflow with the newer third-generation Fenton 2025 chart so the growth trend, chart source, and handoff note stay clear.
Last reviewed: 2026-04-28
Quick answer
Percentile handoff
Fenton 2013 vs 2025 comparison
| Question | Fenton 2013 | Fenton 2025 | Documentation move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chart generation | Second-generation Fenton preterm growth charts, still common in older reports and many established workflows. | Third-generation Fenton preterm growth charts with a newer official plotter and 2025 source paper. | Document the version used before trending percentiles or z-scores. |
| Common use | Historical comparisons, legacy NICU data, and sites that have not migrated chart software. | Current Fenton workflow when your NICU, EHR, research protocol, or follow-up clinic has adopted the 2025 charts. | Use the version your care setting requires. |
| Exact output | Use PediTools Fenton 2013 or local chart software for exact percentile and z-score output. | Use FentonGrowth.ca, PediTools Fenton 2025, or licensed/local chart software for exact output. | Do not approximate chart output from a different version. |
| Trend comparison | Best compared with prior values calculated on the same 2013 chart family. | Best compared with prior values calculated on the same 2025 chart family. | Add a chart-change note when a trend crosses versions. |
| Transition planning | Often used through the preterm-to-term transition in legacy workflows. | Newer workflows should follow the official tool and local transition policy. | State when the infant transitions to corrected-age WHO or local term charts. |
Which version should I use?
- Check the chart version required by the NICU, EHR, research protocol, or follow-up clinic.
- If reviewing an older growth trend, keep using the same chart version for comparison or clearly mark the chart change.
- Use the official calculator for exact percentile and z-score output.
- Repeat unexpected measurements before interpreting a new percentile band.
- Document chart version, PMA, measurement date, percentile or z-score, and transition plan.
Why chart changes affect trends
A percentile or z-score is tied to the reference chart used to calculate it. When a care setting moves from Fenton 2013 to Fenton 2025, the same infant and measurement can be interpreted against a different reference.
The safest handoff is to mark the chart version at each measurement date. If the version changes, avoid calling the trend better or worse without explaining that the chart family changed.
Open the calculator workflow
References
- Fenton 2025 Third generation Preterm Growth Charts - University of Calgary
- Official Fenton 2025 Growth Plotter
- PediTools Fenton 2025 Growth Calculator
- PediTools Fenton 2013 Growth Calculator
- AAP Preterm Infant Growth Tools
- Fenton TR, Elmrayed S, Alshaikh BN. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2025.
- Fenton TR, Kim JH. BMC Pediatrics. 2013;13:59.
FAQs
Fenton 2025 is the newer third-generation chart family, but migration depends on the NICU, EHR, research protocol, or clinic workflow. Use the version your setting requires and document it clearly.
Avoid treating them as the same trend. If a patient record switches from Fenton 2013 to Fenton 2025, mark the chart change and interpret the trajectory with that context.
Use Fenton 2025 if your local workflow has adopted it. Use Fenton 2013 when historical comparability, local policy, or chart software still requires the older version.
No. They prepare PMA and measurement inputs and link to official Fenton tools for exact percentiles and z-scores.
Document the prior chart version, new chart version, postmenstrual age, measurements, percentile or z-score source, and why the chart family changed.