Listing code
103.06
Children (Part B)
Body system
103.00
Respiratory disorders (children)
Subsections
2
Lettered criteria paths
Step in evaluation
3 of 5
Listing match approves the claim
SSA listing text and criteria
Growth failure due to any chronic respiratory disorder (see 103.00K ), documented by:
Subsection A
Hypoxemia with the need for at least 1.0 L per min of oxygen supplementation for at least 4 hours per day and for at least 90 consecutive days. AND
Subsection B
Growth failure as required in 1 or 2: For children from birth to attainment of age 2 , three weight-for-length measurements that are: Within a consecutive 12-month period; and At least 60 days apart; and Less than the third percentile on the appropriate weight-for-length table under 105.08B1 ; or For children age 2 to attainment of age 18 , three BMI-for-age measurements that are: Within a consecutive 12-month period; and At least 60 days apart; and Less than the third percentile on the appropriate BMI-for-age table under 105.08B2 .
Source: SSA Blue Book listing 103.06. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 103.06 usually fail
One pitfall is mixing up the oxygen requirement in Subsection A, which requires at least 1.0 L per min of oxygen for at least 4 hours per day and for at least 90 consecutive days. Another pitfall is using the wrong growth metric or age range: birth to attainment of age 2 uses weight-for-length tables, while age 2 to attainment of age 18 uses BMI-for-age tables. A third pitfall is not meeting the structure of the growth data, which must be three measurements that are within a consecutive 12-month period and at least 60 days apart. A fourth pitfall is using measurements that do not fall below the third percentile on the appropriate table under 105.08B1 (weight-for-length) or 105.08B2 (BMI-for-age).
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
Look for objective records that match the lettered criteria exactly. For Subsection A, the documentation needs hypoxemia plus a record of oxygen supplementation at least 1.0 L per min, for at least 4 hours per day, for at least 90 consecutive days. For Subsection B, the records must include three weight-for-length measurements meeting the timing and percentile thresholds for children from birth to attainment of age 2, or three BMI-for-age measurements meeting the timing and percentile thresholds for children age 2 to attainment of age 18. Growth measurement records must show the measurements are within a consecutive 12-month period and at least 60 days apart, and the percentile result must be less than the third percentile on the appropriate table (under 105.08B1 or 105.08B2).
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
For children who do not meet the exact criteria in step 3, the evaluation proceeds to the next steps of the disability process to determine whether the child still has an impairment that causes limitations that meet the overall standard. The key point is that the growth data and the oxygen-plus-hypoxemia requirements in 103.06A and 103.06B have strict thresholds and timing rules, so missing those criteria often means the case turns to how limited the child is functionally rather than relying on this specific listing. When functional limits are not extreme enough to match a listing-level situation, approval under the listing usually does not happen, even if the child has a chronic respiratory disorder.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
For a child SSI or SSDI claim, the relevant work-activity rules do not apply in the same way they do for adults, so the main gating factor is whether the medical evidence meets the listing criteria. To qualify under 103.06, the record must document a chronic respiratory disorder causing growth failure, with objective hypoxemia and the oxygen requirement in 103.06A (1.0 L per min or more for at least 4 hours per day for at least 90 consecutive days) and growth failure shown by the specific three-measurement pattern and percentile cutoffs in 103.06B. After any approval, continued eligibility depends on ongoing medical condition and functional status, not on work activity.
Listing 103.06 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for growth failure due to any chronic respiratory disorder disability claims.