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Average
height and weight of boys at different ages
(Source: Nutrient
Requirements and Recommended Dietary Allowances for Indians, I.C.M.R. 1990.)
Average height and weight of girls at different ages
(Source: Nutrient
Requirements and Recommended Dietary Allowances for Indians, I.C.M.R. 1990.)
Height
& Weight Pattern in the Growing Baby
You need to understand the
importance of the role of weight gain, and therefore of your baby's expected or ideal
weight. The baby's birth weight is the starting point for growth. Whatever be the birth
weight, the growth rate in all the babies is approximately the same. The overall growth
pattern depends on the proper food and adequate care of the baby. However illness,
starvation, serious neglect or emotional disturbances would make his weight gain dip
downwards.
Height or
length of the baby matters too
Weight gain is not the only
way to assess a baby's growth. Children are not meant to get fatter and fatter, but bigger
overall. Getting taller is also included in the growth pattern of the baby. The baby's
length will change much more slowly than the weight. Whatever be the baby's length at
birth, approximately 2 cm (3/4") will be gained each month or just over 5 cm
(2") in 3 months.
Just as there is expected weight gain for a baby of any age, related to the birth weight,
so there is a expected length at any age, related to the birth-length. There is a
consistent relationship of weight and height in the normal growth pattern of the child.
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Exception to normal growth patterns |
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Pre-term babies : They are very slow to get started on their feeding,
and therefore their growing. The weight tends to remain in low position for a long
time |
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Small - for date babies : They make startling growth during their
earlier weeks, but on the whole they tend to occupy still a low position on the normal
growth graph |
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Babies who are ill immediately after birth or in the first weeks :
These babies fail to start gaining weight or may actually loose some. Excellent care
may lead to a spurt of "catch-up growth", so that the baby's personal growth
curve shifts upwards towards the normal |
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Babies who are bottle-fed from birth : These babies may loose no
weight in the first days. They may gain very fast in the first days. They may gain very
fast from the beginning, which also depends upon the formula food given. An even greater
rise occurs in the babies weight when solids are added in addition to the
over-concentrated milk. A baby who is gaining weight faster than nature intended, will not
gain length to match it. There is a obvious disparity in the height gain compared to the
weight. This cue should make you realise that the baby is starting to get obese
rather than simply growing larger |
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