Measuring the growth of infants toddlers and children is an important part of child health surveillance. It can help to detect overweight and underweight short stature and faltering growth potentially due to underlying medical problems.
The Trouble With Growth Charts The New York Times
Three common children s growth body measurements. For a chart showing the amount of fitting ease to add to these measurements click here. This is a very useful measure of body size especially in older children. It can also provide reassurance about normality. Children and adolescent growth charts document height weight and bmi body mass index. Pediatric growth charts have been used by pediatricians nurses and parents to track the growth of infants children and adolescents in the united states since 1977. Measuring body size 3 2 how is body size determined in children.
Infant growth charts document length weight and head circumference. Girls at 7 pounds 1 ounce32 kg are a bit smaller than boys at 7 pounds 4 ounces33 kg on arrival. Growth charts provide a unique long term assessment of the overall health of the patient. Growth charts provide a visual display of the rate of growth of an infant child or adolescent. In the united states the average baby weighs about 7 pounds 3 ounces 33 kg at birth. The growth charts consist of a series of percentile curves that illustrate the distribution of selected body measurements in us.
The average newborn is 19 12 inches 495 cm long with girls measuring 19 inches 49 cm and boys measuring 19 34 inches 50 cm. The following 5 measurements of body size are commonly used in children. This is the most commonly used measure of body size as it is easy and accurate to weigh a child.