Surprisingly, we forget a lot in life, but we remember the height and weight of a born child all our lives. Probably, it is nature’s nature for a woman-mother to know and remember these numbers, because by them, by their changes, we judge the state of the baby’s health.
The weight of a newborn baby is an important indicator of its development. Therefore, the first measurement and weighing is carried out immediately or a couple of hours after birth. These indicators are carefully recorded in maternity hospital registers and written on a tag on the baby’s arm.
There is a practice of weighing infants daily while they are in the hospital. Medical staff carefully monitors the dynamics of increase or decrease in size and takes measures to regulate the data. Then, after being discharged from the maternity hospital, the parents go to the clinic for control weighings and monitor the increase in grams and centimeters month by month.
Sizes at birth
According to the standards established by the World Health Organization, the average weight of a boy at birth is 3400-3500 g. And girls are born smaller - 3200-3400 g. These are average figures; in fact, the weight of children at birth can be much higher or lower than WHO data.
It is considered normal for a baby to be born between two and a half and four and a half kilograms. Babies born below or above these weights are considered premature or overweight. If the parents of underweight children are not very short, and the parents of overweight children are not giants, then the children are at risk. They may experience psychomotor and other disorders; a neonatologist and pediatrician constantly monitor them.
The normal weight at birth of a child is 2500-4500 g. If the baby weighs less or more than these values, he is at risk for health
In fact, the weight of a newborn depends on many factors.
- If parents are people of average build and height, then their children are born weighing about 3 kg, that is, within the average weight, according to WHO.
- The second and third babies of the same mother have a higher weight than first-born babies. Parents over 35 years old have larger children than younger ones (although there are exceptions).
- A child whose mother did not eat well during pregnancy, did not adhere to the diet, or had bad habits, will be born thin.
- A pregnant woman who eats fatty, sweet, high-calorie foods will give birth to a larger baby.
Weight gain up to one year
In the first days of life, the baby physiologically loses up to 250 grams. This is normal, since the baby is not eating enough yet, and quite a lot of fluids are coming out. After a few days, weight gain begins.
A special weight and height calculator will help you calculate the correct weight of your child by month. You can do this using formulas yourself. Calculation up to six months.
For example, this option. The baby was born with a body weight of 3100 g, the weight at two months should be as follows: 3100 + 800 x 2 (age in months) = 4700 g.
Another variant. It is accepted that at six months a child weighs 8200 g; in 2 months the baby will grow to the following sizes: 8200 - 800 x 4 (not enough to reach six months) = 5000 g.
From six months to one year, a child’s weight is calculated using a different formula.
- First option: 3100 + 800 x 6 + 400 x 7 (number of months) = 10700 g.
- Second option: 8200 + 400 x 7 (number of months) = 11000 g.
From the examples it is clear that the calculations are approximate, each formula gives its own result. At the same time, the formulas show what weight parents should target. Nature develops a child according to its own laws, and its mass may well not correspond to the calculated data.
Medical scientists have developed a special calculator with which you can easily, quickly and accurately calculate the weight and height of your baby for each month and week. For convenience, it is posted on our website. You can use it to calculate your baby's body weight.
Deviations from the norm
Characteristic marks in the development of a baby are based on weight and height. When asked how much a child should weigh at a certain age, your pediatrician or centile tables developed based on research by WHO doctors will answer you. Centile tables present indicators of weight norms and deviations in the direction of increase or decrease.
To estimate your child's weight or height, measure his height and weigh him. Find the baby's age in the tables and compare it with the number you estimated. In the colored “frame” of the table are the normal indicators. Everything to the left and right are deviations.
For example, yours. Height is 68 cm, and body weight is 8 kg. These numbers fall into the purple “frame” of the table, and this is the norm.
Infants up to six months gain 600-800 g each month and grow by 2-3 cm. After six months to a year, the increase decreases slightly and ranges from 600 to 350 g and from 2 to 1.5 cm in height. These are average standards that correspond to the development of a healthy child. Changes in the baby that differ in the direction of increase or decrease indicate errors in nutrition and health problems. To solve problems in a timely manner, consultation with a pediatrician, neurologist or endocrinologist is necessary. Therefore, it is so important to monitor the child’s anthropometry.
Table of monthly changes in child weight and height
The weight and height calculator, based on anthropometric data, will calculate the appropriate dimensions at a given age, calculate the body mass index, assess deviations and display indicators of the correspondence of the height and weight of the newborn. Based on these data, the pediatrician will identify possible inconsistencies and give recommendations on the nutrition, development or treatment of the baby.
Infant body mass index is an important indicator of development. With the help of ITM, it is possible to accurately assess whether the baby’s height, weight and age correspond to the monthly norms. The formula for calculating BMI is simple, every parent can do it:
I (index) = M (weight in kg) : H2 (height in m2)
The generated conclusions show how the baby grows and gains weight, and also gives an estimate of weight by month. If your score is average, it means your baby is developing normally and has enough nutrition. If your weight is less or more than average, but corresponds to your family constitution, this is also normal. And underweight or even severe underweight, as well as very high weight, indicates pathology; consultation with a specialist is necessary.
Centile table of changes in weight and height of girls
It should be noted once again that all indicators are averaged and calculated for the average child. If you get deviations from the norm, do not rush to panic; first show the baby and the calculations to your pediatrician. The doctor will evaluate the dynamics of indicators, study the condition of the baby, draw the right conclusions and make the necessary prescriptions.
Causes of underweight
Using tables, formulas or using a calculator, you discovered that your baby is under or overweight. This is a signal to parents about nutritional problems. Until the doctor diagnoses malnutrition, watch your baby. If the baby is inactive, sleepy, lethargic, then it is quite possible that he does not have enough mother’s milk, and therefore, activity, strength for growth, harmonious development.
Pediatricians distinguish between two causes of weight loss: internal and external. In a normally born child, without anomalies or injuries, internal causes are not considered. And external causes are associated with lack of nutrition. Weight loss with a lack of nutrients will be reflected in the newborn's body by the development of anemia, immune problems and other disorders.
The main cause of underweight is most often nutritional problems. This is what you should focus on
Analyze the reasons why your baby may be underweight for his age, as well as weight loss. Or, conversely, too much weight. Perhaps you have insufficient lactation, the baby does not have enough milk, and he is hungry. Perhaps the baby only sucks out thin, front milk. Or maybe you live in constant stress. This feeling is passed on to the child, and he fights stress with you, wasting all his energy on the fight.
Is there enough food for the child?
To understand why a small child is not gaining as much as he needs and whether he is getting enough food, check his diapers. A well-fed infant soils diapers at least three times a day and urinates at least 8-12 times.
You can monitor your baby’s nutrition for a maximum of a month. Compare the graph of the dynamics of weight and height, which normally change proportionally. Check to see if your baby has learned age-appropriate activities and skills.
If, apart from weight indicators, nothing in the baby worries you, if the baby is cheerful and active, sleeps peacefully, sucks well and poops on time, then underweight may not play a decisive role - you have an absolutely normal child.
If you notice a developmental delay, this is important. For example, at 3 months a baby cannot hold his head for more than 4 minutes or open his mouth when approaching the nipple. Draw conclusions, consult a doctor to take action.
Remember, boys usually gain weight faster than girls, so you shouldn’t compare your first-born son with your second child, a daughter, and run to the pediatrician in a panic that the baby at the same age weighs a couple of kilos less.
Deviation from the norm (mainly in the direction of preponderance) may occur in artificially-trained children. Depending on what mixture they eat. As a rule, premium formulas are more balanced than budget lines; they do not make babies fat.
Your baby has seen the light! This is a wonderful event. But the doctors made a strange diagnosis: “low weight” and this worries you. This happens in 5-8% of newborns when the baby is born less than 2.5 kg. But don't panic. Many babies with this weight are absolutely healthy. Let's learn about underweight in more detail.
Tiny baby
The child may be born with light weight due to premature birth. But it often happens the other way around - the birth is on time, but the baby is still light weight. Many children who were born with such a defect are otherwise absolutely healthy. Babies who are light in weight but born on time are not always considered premature.
Babies born too early are small and light, and are especially prone to various complications. So, they are very weak even during childbirth. Often during the birth process, vacuum extraction is used on such babies, delivery is carried out using forceps, or a birth is performed. Sometimes even resuscitation is necessary. In small newborns, even if they have not been diagnosed premature", there is a risk of digestive and respiratory disorders. Such babies cannot regulate their body temperature on their own, because the fat layer under their skin is not very well formed. In this case, the babies are placed in an incubator. Children with low weight can also get jaundice. After all, their liver is not working at full capacity yet. Low Weight and Complications Some low birth weight babies also have low blood sugar levels. This phenomenon can even lead to brain damage. These babies develop anemia more often than usual and a blood clotting disorder occurs.
Causes of low weight in babies
A baby may be underweight for many reasons. The baby's low weight is affected by the mother's poor nutrition, as well as bad habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Because of this, placental dysfunction occurs, so-called placental insufficiency. For the same reason, many infections and chronic maternal diseases occur.
The normal weight of a baby is Normal, or the average weight of a baby at birth is 2700–4500 g. By the way, it has been noticed that in the first days of life the baby’s weight decreases. This process is considered normal if such a decrease in body weight does not exceed 7-8% of the baby’s body weight at birth. This weight loss occurs for several reasons. This includes: dehydration, since in the first days of life the baby receives a small amount of milk, but consumes a large amount of energy, the child loses fluid, moisture evaporates through the skin and urine. If your baby was born with low weight, do not panic. Modern medicine is ready to combat most of the complications that arise for this reason. Therefore, the baby has every chance of survival and a further happy life!
Height
The height (body length) of a newborn depends not only on heredity, but also on the quality of the mother’s nutrition, the state of the uteroplacental blood flow, the sex of the child, etc. The body length of newborns normally ranges from 45 to 55 cm.
The growth of the baby after birth occurs according to certain patterns:
Over the course of a year, a baby grows by an average of 25 cm, and at one year old his height is already about 75 cm.
The average weight (or mass) of a full-term newborn is 2600–4500 g. In recent decades, there has been an acceleration of biological development, and therefore babies are “heavier”: the birth of 5-kilogram heroes is now not uncommon.
Breasts grow and gain weight by leaps and bounds. True, this does not happen right away.
To estimate a baby’s weight, doctors use special formulas to calculate the so-called proper body weight. For example, a child’s body weight in the first six months of life is determined by the formula: Body weight = birth weight (g) + 800xN, where N is the number of months
From the beginning of the second half of life, the rate of weight gain decreases, and the formula becomes more complicated: Body weight = birth weight + 800x6 (weight gain in the first 6 months) + 400x(N–6), where N is the number of months (from 6 to 12).
Simplified, this formula can be reduced to the following scheme: · at 6 months, the average weight of the baby is 8200 g; · for each subsequent month add 400 g; · and for each “extra” - 800 grams are subtracted.
Weight is a more dynamic indicator, in contrast to “stable” growth, and therefore weight is “tied” to growth in order to determine the harmonious development of the child. Thus, a body length of 65 cm corresponds to a body weight of 8000 g. The ratio of height and weight is determined by
Large babies at birth are usually heavier than their peers throughout the first year of life. The same babies, whose weight at birth was less than 3300 g, from the second month of life should catch up with their peers, and, therefore, grow faster than them in the first month, i.e. add 100–300 g more than normal.
Other options
When examining a baby during the first year of life, the pediatrician must measure not only height and weight, but also head and chest circumference.
The newborn looks touching: a big head and a fragile little body. But this is the norm. The head circumference of a newborn is 2–5 cm larger than the chest circumference and is 34 cm.
At the age of 3–5 months, the circumferences of the head and chest become comparable, and then the breasts begin to grow faster and outpace the growth of the baby’s head. If this does not happen, the doctor may suspect the presence of a pathology. At six months, the average baby's head circumference is 43 cm.
This means you can make calculations: for each subsequent month after the sixth, 0.5 cm is added, and for each missing month, 1.5 cm is subtracted.
Similar calculations for chest circumference are made as follows: at 6 months, the chest circumference is 45 cm; after the sixth month, the chest circumference increases by an average of 0.5 cm per month.
If the child is not yet six months old, we subtract 2 cm for each missing month. By one year, the chest circumference is 47–48 cm.
When assessing the proportionality of the child’s physical development, the doctor also focuses on the data of special tables, which determine the correspondence of body weight and chest circumference to the child’s height. If the weight and chest circumference correspond to the body length, then they speak of the harmonious development of the child. If they deviate in one direction or another, then there is a lag or advance in the dynamics of physical development indicators, which is the reason for careful medical monitoring of the child’s health and nutrition.
Young mothers are usually very sensitive to the anthropometric indicators of their child. And this is absolutely correct, because these indicators to a certain extent reflect the state of the child’s health, his appetite and other features of the body’s functioning. The only thing I would like to warn parents against is drawing independent conclusions. If in any doubt, it is better to consult a doctor.
- was the baby originally full-term or premature;
- constitutional, hereditary characteristics of the parents;
- gender of the child;
- type of feeding (breastfeeding, artificial);
- presence of concomitant diseases.
There are weight and height tables (centile tables), which show the average weight and height norms. You can find them on the Internet. But, as a rule, they are intended more for doctors to objectively assess the child’s development. It will be quite difficult to understand them yourself, and even impractical.
The weight with which the baby was born does not always affect its development during the year, if we are talking about a healthy child born between 38 and 40 weeks of pregnancy. Weight at birth depends on how the expectant mother ate during pregnancy and what kind of lifestyle she led (active or sedentary).
A child’s weight of 4,000 grams, for example, at birth does not always mean that he will gain more than a baby weighing 2,700-2,900 grams. It all depends on the factors described below.
On average, the weight of a full-term baby is within the following limits: for boys at birth 3,500 grams, for girls – 3,350 grams. Deviations from the norm are allowed from 2,700 grams to 4,000 grams. Body length ranges from 46 to 56 cm, with an average of 50 cm.
Let's analyze the norms of weight gain by month for newborns.
Norm of weight gain in newborns by month
In the first 6 months of a newborn’s life, the rate of weight gain per month averages 800 grams. In the second half of the year, the normal weight gain for infants is 400 grams.
In total, the child’s weight increases week by week, respectively, by 200 grams before six months and by 100 grams per week after 6 months.
Child's growth by months
The growth of a healthy child during the first 12 months of life increases by a total of 25 cm. More accurate indicators are given in the height and weight tables.
Norms for monthly increase in body length:
- 1st quarter – 3 cm monthly;
- 2nd quarter – 2.5 cm monthly;
- 3rd quarter – 2 cm monthly;
- 4th quarter – 1-1.5 cm monthly.
More accurate indicators of the normal height and weight of children under one year are given in centile tables of height and weight.
Features of height and weight gain in premature infants
If the baby is premature, then the increase in body weight and length depends on gestational age (meaning the week in which the baby was born). As a rule, the schedule for gaining weight and body length in such children is individual for each specific case. And indicators of weight and height vary in relation to full-term children.
Let's break down the baby's weight by month in case of prematurity:
- during the first 6 months, the average monthly weight gain for children born with a body weight of up to 1,000 grams is about 600 g, with a weight of 1,000 - 1,500 - about 740 g, and with a weight of 1,500-2,500 grams - about 870 g ;
- in the second half of the year, children born with a body weight of up to 1000 g gain about 800 grams of weight monthly, and for larger babies the gain per month is 600 g.
The growth of premature babies during the first year of life increases by 26.6 - 36 cm. Usually by 2 - 3 years they catch up with their peers.
How do the constitutional characteristics of the body and hereditary factors affect the height and weight of a child under one year old?
Most parents like to compare their child with others. For example: “Here, a friend (neighbor, relative) has a child the same age as mine and weighs much more than mine. Why are we not improving? This means something is wrong."
And it seems that there is something to think about, but there is no need to panic. We are all different in genetic structure, some are thin and tall, others are stocky and short. So, these are the types of constitution described:
- normosthenic;
- asthenic;
- hypersthenic.
The development of a child also depends on factors such as heredity. If mom and dad are short, and there is no one tall in the immediate family tree, then you shouldn’t expect your child to gain 5 cm every month. This principle partly applies to the child’s weight. We cannot change what is inherent in nature.
Gender of the child and rate of weight gain in infants by month
Boys in most cases initially weigh more at birth than girls. Accordingly, the increase in both weight and height will differ. These differences are also included in special centile tables.
The influence of the type of feeding on the weight gain of the newborn
At this point I would like to note such a nuance as overfeeding the child. Previously, it was believed that overfeeding could only be done on artificial nutrition. However, there are cases, quite often, when a mother overfeeds her child.
In both cases, there is an intensive increase not so much in body length as in body weight. That is, if a child gains monthly growth around the average and 1,500 - 2,000 grams in weight, then it’s worth thinking about whether we are feeding the baby too much and too often.
After all, uncontrolled feeding leads to consequences such as delayed motor development and skills. The child later turns over, sits down, stands up, it is difficult for him, the excess weight interferes. The development of the musculoskeletal system is disrupted, obesity and many unpleasant consequences are possible.
Concomitant diseases and physical development
Babies with certain diseases gain less in both height and weight. Or, on the contrary, a situation arises when the presence of a certain disease causes a greater increase in comparison with healthy children. There are many diseases, let’s try to figure it out by highlighting the most common groups of diseases:
- Diseases of the cardiovascular system. Congenital heart defects, especially complex ones, with circulatory disorders, heart failure. The reason for the weight deficit in this case is the following point. Due to the presence of the defect, the heart does not function fully, blood circulation is insufficient, the exchange of oxygen and nutrients between the organ tissue is reduced, muscles and blood vessels also suffer. This is expressed in delayed development of the child’s body.
- Diseases of the bronchopulmonary system. BPD (bronchopulmonary dysplasia), malformations of the trachea, bronchi, lungs, severe intrauterine pneumonia. All these diseases affect circulatory disorders. There is a decrease in the supply of oxygen to tissues and organs, which entails poor growth and weight gain of the child.
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Malformations of the intestines, esophagus, liver, bile ducts (intestinal atresia). Such problems are solved surgically in the early stages after birth. Gastro-esophageal reflux (pathological reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus), viral hepatitis, inflammatory bowel diseases, in which the absorption of nutrients through the intestinal wall is impaired; suffered acute intestinal infections.
- Diseases of the endocrine system. causes excessive weight gain due to the accumulation of excess fluid in the newborn’s body and the formation of edema of the subcutaneous fat. This disease can be excluded by neonatal screening, which is performed on all newborns up to 1 month.
Usually blood is taken from the heel of a newborn in the maternity hospital. Genetic syndromes such as Praderra-Willi, Shereshevsky-Turner, and Itsenko-Cushing can influence large weight gain. These diagnoses can only be made by your attending physician or a specialist (geneticist, endocrinologist).
And in conclusion, I would like to give advice to parents. In order not to wonder whether my child is developing normally, I just need to visit my pediatrician every month, who will examine the child and monitor weight gain and growth. Then he will tell you how the baby is developing. If necessary, prescribe timely examination and treatment, if required.
How is my baby developing? Does everything comply with the standards, are there any deviations? I think that I will not be mistaken if I say that these questions are now worrying you too.
You go through this with every child: where can you find out the norms of baby development? Growth of newborns by month? Child weight gain? Number of first teeth? In order to have as few reasons for worry as possible, today let’s look at the growth of a newborn month by month.
Parameters of the child at birth
After the baby is born, the first thing that awaits him is getting to know you, being put to the breast for the first time, and measuring his weight and height. The optimal weight is 2500-3800 g, and height should “fit” into the parameters of 48-55 cm.
Once the baby is measured, the result is compared with a newborn growth chart , and also calculate the so-called Quetelet I index.
Despite the complex name, it is calculated quite simply:
- take the weight of the newborn (for example, 3600 g);
- divide it by height (say, 52 cm), we get 69.23;
- we compare it with the average value of the Quetelet I index (60-70) and understand that the newborn “fits” into the WHO standards that are established for healthy children.
Important! The Quetelet I index is calculated only for children who were born at term. If your baby was born a little earlier than expected, then the indicators will differ from the norm.
The average height for girls is 49 cm, for boys – 50 cm.
Baby's growth: what affects it
Growth is one of the indicators of a child’s good health and proper development. But why is it higher for some children than for others, even if they were born at the same time? There are different reasons for this:
- hereditary factor: a child of tall parents is more likely to be taller than his peers;
- proper nutrition, balanced in vitamins and microelements, is the key to ensuring that the baby’s body receives everything that is most important for growth;
- absence of congenital diseases of the newborn that may interfere with normal development.
According to WHO experts, in the first year of life a baby should “grow” by about 25 cm, while he develops well physically and mentally. You can read about other parameters of the development of a child up to one year in the article: Child development by month up to one year >>>
What is his ideal height?
Of course, you want your baby to grow “correctly”: all the parameters are “by the book”, but there are exceptions to the rules. So , The WHO table on the growth of a newborn child indicates that if the height of a girl at birth is less than 43.6 cm, and a boy is 44.2 cm, then these are very low figures. Too “tall” girls are born at least 54.7 cm, and boys - 55.6 cm. There is no need to panic. There are objective reasons for such exceptions.
Know! As a rule, situations that require increased attention are taken under the control of medical specialists who independently monitor the dynamics of the “non-standard” child’s centimeters.
Yes, and you yourself can observe your child at monthly appointments with the pediatrician, when the children are weighed and measured. To do this, you can simply take a ready-made table that shows the baby’s growth by month and compare it with the indicators of your child.
How to measure a child's height yourself?
In order to find out the growth dynamics of a newborn in the first year of life, it is not necessary to wait for the next trip to the clinic. At home, you can also measure the child (which is not at all difficult), and then look at the growth chart of the newborn by month to find out if everything is in order. So, the algorithm of actions is as follows:
- We place the child on any hard, flat surface, for example, a table;
- Make sure that the newborn's head rests against the wall;
- Straighten one leg, foot at an angle of 90° to the surface;
- We put a mark with chalk or a pencil, and then measure the length from it to the wall.
Let's look at the table and compare the results:
Height and weight chart*
| Months | Weight, kg | Height, cm | Head circumference, cm |
|---|---|---|---|
| At birth | 3,1-3,4 | 50-51 | 33,0-37,5 |
| 1 month | 3,7-4,1 | 54-55 | 35,0-39,5 |
| 2 months | 4,5-4,9 | 57-59 | 37,5-41,5 |
| 3 months | 5,2-5,6 | 60-62 | 39,0-43,0 |
| 4 months | 5,9-6,3 | 62-65 | 40,0-44,0 |
| 5 months | 6,5-6,8 | 64-68 | 41,0-45,0 |
| 6 months | 7,1-7,4 | 66-70 | 42,0-46,0 |
| 7 months | 7,6-8,1 | 68-72 | 43,0-46,5 |
| 8 months | 8,1-8,5 | 69-74 | 43,5-47,0 |
| 9 months | 8,6-9,0 | 70-75 | 44,0-47,5 |
| 10 months | 9,1-9,5 | 71-76 | 44,5-48,0 |
| 11 months | 9,5-10,0 | 72-78 | 44,5-48,5 |
| 12 months | 10,0-10,8 | 74-80 | 45,0-49,0 |
* - Data are presented according to the charts of the World Health Organization (WHO).
