WHO standards for children. What is normal weight gain in newborns?

WHO tables are provided for a wide variety of parameters. You can use the WHO tables to understand whether your child’s development is normal or if there are any deviations from the norm.

You can easily find out whether your child’s parameters are correct and whether he is gaining weight and growing normally. If some of the parameters are too small or deviate from the norm recommended by WHO, then this is a serious reason to take the baby up to a year old to a pediatrician or family doctor.

Parents should not be negligent about the child’s development parameters, since, for example, a child who is gaining excess weight must undergo a number of tests, including for diabetes. If your baby is behind the norm, then you should not panic, but on the contrary, consider another parameter - this is the body mass index.

It is this number that you should rely on to understand what mass the child has. Formula: I= m/h2 (body weight divided by height squared), where m is body weight in kilograms, h is height in meters. Body mass index is measured in kg/m².

by month

In 2006, new standards for the development of boys under 1 year of age appeared. WHO conducted research and gave average development parameters for boys who do not have any diseases and who are breastfed. As you know, children on artificial formula gain weight faster.

Year:month	Month	Weight, kg		Height, cm		Body mass index		Head circumference, cm
		min.	Max.	min.	Max.	min.	Max.	min.	Max.
0:00	0	2,9	3,9	48	51,8	12,2	14,8	33,2	35,7
0:01	1	3,9	5,1	52,8	56,7	13,6	16,3	36,1	38,4
0:02	2	4,9	6,3	56,4	60,4	15	17,8	38	40,3
0:03	3	5,7	7,2	59,4	63,5	15,5	18,4	39,3	41,7
0:04	4	6,2	7,8	61,8	66	15,8	18,7	40,4	42,8
0:05	5	6,7	8,4	63,8	68	15,9	18,8	41,4	43,8
0:06	6	7,1	8,8	65,5	69,8	16	18,8	42,1	44,6
0:07	7	7,4	9,2	67	71,3	16	18,8	42,7	45,2
0:08	8	7,7	9,6	68,4	72,8	15,9	18,7	43,3	45,8
0:09	9	8	9,9	69,7	74,2	15,8	18,6	43,7	46,3
0:10	10	8,2	10,2	71	75,6	15,7	18,5	44,1	46,7
0:11	11	8,4	10,5	72,2	76,9	15,6	18,4	44,5	47
1:00	12	8,6	10,8	73,4	78,1	15,5	18,2	44,8	47,4

Parents must remember that each child develops according to his own nature. The standards indicated in the tables are averages that can be used as a starting point and reference material. But if you have even the slightest suspicion that your child under one year of age has a deviation from the norm, you should urgently show him to the doctor.

Norms for girls

The development parameters for girls, approved by WHO, indicate what the average development parameters for girls up to one year should be. This data is a kind of static and reference material, which is the starting point for diagnosing the development of your child. But if you have doubts about whether your girl is developing normally, then you definitely need to consult a pediatrician.

Year: Month	month	Weight, kg		Height, cm		Body mass index		Head circumference, cm
				min.	Max.	min.	Max.	min.	Max.
		min.	Max.
0:01	1	3.6	4.8	51,7	55,6	13,2	16	35,4	37,7
0:02	2	4.5	5.8	55	59,1	14,3	17,3	37	39,5
0:03	3	5.2	6.6	57,7	61,9	14,9	17,9	38,3	40,8
0:04	4	5.7	7.3	59,9	64,3	15,2	18,3	39,3	41,8
0:05	5	6.1	7.8	61,8	66,2	15,4	18,4	40,2	42,7
0:06	6	6.5	8.2	63,5	68	15,5	18,5	40,9	43,5
0:07	7	6.8	8.6	65	69,6	15,5	18,5	41,5	44,1
0:08	8	7.0	9.0	66,4	71,1	15,4	18,4	42	44,7
0:11	11	7.7	9.9	70,3	75,3	15,1	18	43,2	45,9
1:00	12	7.9	10.1	71,4	76,6	15	17,9	43,5	46,3

Month	Weight gain, grams		Height gain, cm
Interval	min	Max	min	Max
0-1	611	1161	6,8	9
1-2	744	1290
2-3	502	944	4,2	6,1
3-4	383	796
4-5	293	695	2,7	4,5

Development table from 0 and by month to 1 year

There are certain average physical and emotional indicators of a child’s activity up to one year old. Based on these parameters, dad and mom can understand whether the baby is not lagging behind or ahead of his peers in development.

Age (month)	Skills
1	The baby's eyes can follow the rattle as it moves vertically. The baby has a reaction to loud sounds.
2	There is a grasping reflex, the baby can move his legs and arms both alternately and simultaneously. A child's eyes can follow an object moving vertically.
3	The baby begins to gurgle. Recognizes parents. Raises his head, while lying on his tummy. He examines his face with his hands.
4	In the tummy position, he raises his head and stretches it out on his arms. May sway slightly.
5	Plays with his “favorite” toy, can hold a bottle or breast while feeding. Recognizes mom and dad. At this age, the first teeth appear.
6	The first attempts to crawl on one's bellies. Turns over well. Knows his name. Repeats sounds and vowels after adults. Trying to sit down
7	Sits confidently. Makes the first attempts to get up. Knows close people. Pronounces several syllables.
8	Can transfer a rattle from one pen to another. Picks up a toy that has fallen. Can eat food himself, holding a piece in his hands.
9	Can sit. Pulls and crawls towards objects of interest to him.
10	Recognizes loved ones and may be reluctant to go into the arms of strangers. He can already play peek-a-boo and hide and seek. Interest in small objects appears.
11	He can sit up on his own, crawls well, and can crawl backwards. Expresses his displeasure when something is taken from him
12	The baby can pronounce syllables and imitates the intonation of his parents. He crawls well, walks holding onto something, and tries to walk on his own.

Teeth of children under one year of age table

There are standards according to which a child's teeth grow before he is one year old. There is a table that shows by month when and what teeth a baby should grow.

Teeth arrangement diagram (numbers indicate order of appearance)	Teeth in order of appearance	Average appearance time (months)
	1. Lower central incisors	6–10
	2. Upper central incisors	7–12
	3. Upper lateral incisors	9–12
	4. Lower lateral incisors	7–16
	5. First molars (upper)	13–19
	6. First molars (lower)	12–18
	7. Fangs	16–23
	8. Second molars (lower)	20–31
	9. Second molars (upper)	25–33

Taking into account all these data, a child’s entire baby jaws are formed only by the age of three. But at 12 months, only 6-10 teeth erupt.

Sizes (circumference) of children's heads table

For a baby under one year old, head circumference parameters are a very important indicator. Parents should monitor how much the child’s head has grown every month, since an increase or decrease in growth rates may be a consequence of any problems with the baby’s health. There is a table that, according to WHO, shows the average head size for boys and girls under one year old.

Age in months	Girls	Boys
	Circle heads, cm	Circle heads, cm
0	33,9	34,5
1	36,5	37,3
2	38,3	39,1
3	39,5	40,5
4	40,6	41,6
5	41,5	42,6
6	42,2	43,3
7	42,8	44,0
8	43,4	44,5

Standards for checking vision in children

Babies under one year of age must have their eyesight checked; the first test takes place in the maternity hospital. The next check should be carried out at 3 months, then at 6 and a year. There is a chart that can help you see if your child's vision development is normal.

1 month	0.008–0.03 (up to 3%)
3 months	0,05–0,1 (5–10 %)
6 months	0,1–0,3 (10–30 %)
1 year	0,3–0,6 (30–60 %)

According to the normal development of babies up to one year old, there is a table, by looking at which parents can make sure that their baby is normal and already knows how to do everything that needs to be able to do.

What should a child be able to do?

Child's age (month)	What can a baby do?
1	Can focus its eyes on mom's face. He understands that he is communicating with him and listens.
2	He can smile and coo.
3	He coos and reacts to attention paid to him. On the tummy he slightly raises the head and holds it for several minutes.
4	Lying on his tummy, he confidently raises his head. Laughs loudly. If you hold the baby vertically, it can rest its legs on the surface.
5	Holds his head upright well. It might roll over. Concentrates the gaze on a small object. Can transfer a rattle from one hand to another. Can pronounce vowels and consonants. Looks for toys of interest and reaches for them.
6	He is already sitting without support. First attempts to get up.
7	Enjoys playing peek-a-boo. Standing, but with support or holding onto furniture. He waves his hand when someone leaves. Can say "mom" and "dad". He takes something small with his thumb and forefinger.
8	Easily transfers objects from one handle to another. Looks for objects that have fallen. Walks with support. Can stand without assistance, but not for long. Understands “no”.
9	Tries to reach or crawl to the toy, may roll the ball away from him. Drinks from a cup if supported. Says “mom” and “dad” very clearly. Can respond without words to the request “Give.”
10	Stands confidently. Tries to get up from a sitting position. Shows dissatisfaction when something is taken from him. Babbles and speaks in infant language. Trying to walk.
11	Can sit up from a tummy position. He's already walking well. Says 3-5 words.
12	Walks leaning on furniture. Knows his name and responds to it. Can fulfill a simple request. Speaks 5-8 words. Knows the word “no”.

Baby height and weight chart

Below is a table that shows the average baby development parameters established by WHO. If your baby is breastfed, then you can track its development using these WHO parameters.

Age, months	Boys		Girls
	Height, cm	Weight, kg	Height, cm
0 (newborn)	49,9	3,3	0 (newborn)	49,9
1	54,7	4,5	1	54,7
2	58,4	5,6	2	58,4
3	61,4	6,4	3	61,4
4	63,9	7,0	4	63,9
5	65,9	7,5	5	65,9
6	67,6	7,9	6	67,6
7	69,2	8,3	7	69,2
8	70,6	8,6	8	70,6
9	72,0	8,9	9	72,0
10	73,3	9,2	10	73,3
11	74,5	9,4	11	74,5

Each child lives according to his own individual growth and weight program. However, there are statistics that give an idea of ​​what the average weight of children is. Also, there are recommendations from doctors offering optimal values ​​for height, weight, and their ratio.

We compared the data obtained statistically and the recommendations of doctors, it turned out that they practically coincide with a difference not exceeding 3%.

So, the data given in the table are the optimal values ​​for the height and weight of the child. Please note that the values ​​are slightly different for boys and girls.

Table of weight and height of infants by age

Year + Month	Boy		Girl		Month
	Weight (kg)	Height (cm)	Weight (kg)	Height (cm)
Birth	3,60	50,0	3,40	49,5	0
1 month	4,45	54,5	4,15	53,5	1
2 months	5,25	58,0	4,90	56,8	2
3 months	6,05	61,0	5,50	59,3	3
4 months	6,70	63,0	6,15	61,5	4
	7,30	65,0	6,65	63,4	5
6 months	7,90	67,0	7,20	65,3	6
7 months	8,40	68,7	7,70	66,9	7
8 months	8,85	70,3	8,10	68,4	8
9 months	9,25	71,7	8,50	70,0	9
10 months	9,65	73,0	8,85	71,3	10
11 months	10,0	74,3	9,20	72,6	11
year + month	weight	height	weight	height	months
1 year exactly	10,3	75,5	9,5	73,8	12
1 year, 1 month	10,6	76,8	9,8	75,0	13
1 year, 2 months	10,9	78,0	10,1	76,1	14
1 year, 3 months	11,1	79,0	10,3	77,2	15
1 year, 4 months	11,3	80,0	10,6	78,3	16
1 year, 5 months	11,5	81,0	10,8	79,3	17
1 year, 6 months	11,7	82,0	11,0	80,3	18
1 year, 7 months	11,9	83,0	11,2	81,3	19
1 year, 8 months	12,1	83,9	11,4	82,2	20
1 year, 9 months	12,2	84,7	11,6	83,1	21
1 year, 10 months	12,4	85,6	11,7	84,0	22
1 year, 11 months	12,3	86,4	11,9	84,9	23
year + month	weight	height	weight	height	months
2 years exactly	12,7	87,3	12,1	85,8	24
2 years, 1 month	12,8	88,1	12,2	86,7	25
2 years, 2 months	13,0	88,9	12,4	87,5	26
2 years, 3 months	13,1	89,7	12,5	88,4	27
2 years, 4 months	13,2	90,3	12,7	89,2	28
2 years, 5 months	13,4	91,1	12,9	90,0	29
2 years, 6 months	13,5	91,8	13,0	90,7	30
2 years, 7 months	13,6	92,6	13,1	91,4	31
2 years, 8 months	13,8	93,2	13,3	92,1	32
2 years, 9 months	13,9	93,8	13,4	92,9	33
year + month	weight	height	weight	height	months
2 years, 10 months	14,0	94,4	13,6	93,6	34
2 years, 11 months	14,2	95,0	13,7	94,2	35
3 years exactly	14,3	95,7	13,9	94,8	36

How to use the table

How much should a child weigh? In the left column we look for a line with the text 1 year. On the right will be the weight in kilograms (boy 10,300 / girl 9,500) and height (75.5 / 73.8) in centimeters.

Weight estimate

A child’s weight deviation within 6-7% of those indicated in the table is the absolute norm.

A greater weight deviation of up to 12-14% indicates a tendency to be overweight or underweight.

A weight deviation of more than 12-14% indicates slight overweight or underweight.

A weight deviation of more than 20-25% indicates overweight or underweight; perhaps in this case, a small nutritional correction, carried out exclusively on the recommendation of a doctor, will be useful.

For a more accurate weight assessment, use our or professional centile tables, or.

Growth Estimate

A deviation in a child’s height within 3% of those indicated in the table is the absolute norm.

If the growth deviation is more than 10%, it makes sense to consult a doctor.

For a more accurate assessment of growth, use ours.

Adequate assessment of the child's height and weight

In general, the normal indicators are different for each child. In approximately 10% of children, weight and height indicators will be outside the proposed assessment limits and for them this will be the norm.

You should monitor your child's weight first of all in order to detect any nutritional problems in time. For example, if a child suddenly stops gaining weight or loses it for no apparent reason, this is an indication that some problems have arisen. Thus, for a complete analysis, it is necessary to know the background weight and height of a particular child.

Monitoring weight and weight gain also helps to assess the optimal nutrition for the child: switch to a certain diet, switch to a new formula, normalize the consumption of porridge.

When assessing the weight of newborns, it must be remembered that during the first week of a child’s life, natural weight loss of 5-8% is normal.

You might be interested in:

• Ideal weight calculator for adults.
• How much should you weigh on average for a person aged 2 to 20 years?
• Calculator of physical development norms for children.

Very short: Z significant growth retardation, may be accompanied by excess weight. A specialist examination is necessary to determine the cause and eliminate growth retardation. Shorty: Oh Stunted growth also sometimes leads to excess weight. Consultation with a physician is recommended. Below average: N He's a short child, but his height is within normal limits. Medium : U The child is of average height, like most healthy children. Above average : A tall child, his height is within the normal range. High : T This growth is rare, is mainly hereditary and cannot indicate the presence of any abnormalities. Very high : T This height can be either normal if you have tall parents, or a sign of an endocrine disease. We recommend consulting with specialists. Height does not correspond to age : Height does not correspond to age - perhaps an error when entering indicators. Please check the data and use the calculator again. If the data is correct, this is a clear deviation from the norm. A detailed examination by a specialist is necessary.

Child's weight

Weight itself, without taking into account height and other data, does not provide a deep assessment of the child’s development. However, the “Low weight” and “Extremely high weight” ratings are sufficient for consultation with a doctor (see weight centile tables for more details).

Possible weight estimates:

Severely underweight, extremely low weight : There is a high probability that the child is suffering from malnutrition. Immediate examination by a doctor is necessary. Underweight, low weight: The child’s body is probably exhausted; a specialist examination is necessary. Less than average: Weight is within the lower limits of normal weight for the specified age. Average : The child is of average weight, the same as most healthy children. Larger than average: Extra large: When obtaining this estimate, weight should be estimated based on BMI (body mass index). Weight is not appropriate for age : There may have been an error when entering data. If all the data is true, most likely the child has problems with the development of height or weight (see height and BMI estimates). We definitely recommend consulting with an experienced doctor.

Body mass index

To assess the harmonious development of a child, it is customary to look at the ratio of height and weight - Body Mass Index (BMI). This indicator allows you to most accurately determine deviations in the child’s weight, or, conversely, shows that the child’s weight in relation to height for his age is normal.

It should be understood that this BMI indicator is different for each child’s age and even more so differs from the indicators of an adult, therefore this calculator necessarily takes into account both the height and age of the child for the correct calculation (see)

Body mass index estimates:

Severe underweight : Severe exhaustion of the body. Nutritional correction is necessary as prescribed by a doctor. Underweight : Exhaustion. Nutritional correction is necessary as prescribed by a doctor. Reduced weight: Lower limit of normal. The child weighs less than most of his peers. Norm: Optimal height to weight ratio. Increased weight: Upper limit of normal. The child weighs slightly more than most of his age. In the future, there is a risk of gaining excess weight. Overweight : The child is overweight. It is recommended to adjust your diet as prescribed by your doctor. Obesity: It is necessary to adjust the diet as prescribed by the doctor and increase the child’s physical activity. Not assessable : Your BMI readings are much higher than normal; you may have made a mistake when indicating your height and weight. If the data is correct, then the child is likely to be severely obese and the help of an experienced doctor is needed.

Parents care about everything that concerns their baby. Every day they witness the slightest changes happening to their dear, still very tiny little person. Before their eyes, he learns new skills, understands more and more about the world around him, acquires individual personal characteristics and, of course, develops. This process largely characterizes the relationship between height and weight in children. The World Health Organization has developed special tables for the correspondence of these indicators for different age categories for the timely detection of various types of deviations.

Causes of short stature and the dangers hidden behind it

The growth of the child is given high attention by both parents and doctors. This is not done without reason. If a child is below 97% of his peers, some pathology may be present. The following are factors that influence development in the first years of life.

• Heredity. It is quite possible that short stature is inherited from your parents. If no one in the family can screw a light bulb into a chandelier without using a stool, most likely the new member will not be able to do this in the future.
• Chronic diseases. Children suffering from congenital heart disease, liver failure, and gastrointestinal problems are often severely delayed in development. All the body’s strength goes into fighting the disease and maintaining vitality. However, drug treatment and surgery (if necessary) can improve the situation.
• Genetic diseases. This category implies accompanying deviations, such as: curvature of the limbs, incorrect or disproportionate development of the musculoskeletal system, discrepancy in the sizes of different parts of the body.
• Disruption of the endocrine system. Insufficient amounts of growth hormone, decreased thyroid function and similar troubles are all work for an endocrinologist.

Nowadays, completely different types of treatment are practiced, including the introduction of synthetic hormones into the body. The main condition has always been timeliness. Detection of the problem in time and contacting a doctor will solve most of the problems. After the necessary treatment, the child's full growth potential can be realized.

Growth retardation and its causes

In most cases, being tall is not a disorder and does not have any detrimental effects on health. As for boys, tall height can be called an advantage rather than a disadvantage. However, it is still worth clarifying the cause and eliminating the possibility of pathologies.

Factors influencing the manifestation of tall stature:

Excessive growth, even if it is not caused by abnormal changes in the body, brings some problems. Tall children are often susceptible to psychological problems caused by misunderstanding from society. They are characterized by hidden grievances and complexes. In terms of physical development, this is an underdeveloped muscle and circulatory system. During physical exercise, the heart experiences much greater stress than in people of average height. The height and weight of a teenager often do not keep up with each other; lethargy, fatigue, and blues become frequent companions of active growing up.

How much should a child grow before one year?

Proportionality of development is most often determined by the ratio of data on height, head circumference and weight. In order to determine whether the resulting indicator is within the normal range or not, WHO has developed a special guide for parents - this is a table of the height and weight of children under one year old. The numbers in the tables differ depending on the age and gender of the child.

This table of height and weight of children under one year old contains average indicators. Based on these data, for a girl aged 5-7 months, the normal weight with a height of 61.8 centimeters is 6100 grams.

How to measure a child's height at home

In order to use the table, you must measure your baby correctly. Place it directly against a vertical surface (such as a wall or door frame). Three points of the child’s body should come into contact with this surface: shoulder blades, buttocks and heels. The back should be straight, knees not bent, feet placed together. Of course, he must stand barefoot.

Draw a straight line on the wall with a pencil perpendicular to the highest point of the head, and then measure the resulting segment. Next, see the result below. To assess the ratios in girls, see Appendix One, "Weight - height - age. Table." In the first part, compare parameters by weight and height. In the second part of the application, see head circumference. The same system of measurements for boys with the second appendix "Weight - height - age. Table".

The height of a newborn baby is a little more difficult to measure. He is not yet able to stand in the right position on his own. In this case, we place the baby on a hard horizontal surface, try to position him as evenly as possible, bend his knees and measure. Pediatricians use a stadiometer; you can use a metal or wooden ruler-meter.

WHO standards for girls' development

The harmonious relationship between height and weight in children must be checked in conjunction with measuring head circumference. Three indicators give a clearer picture of the correct development and the absence of any genetic and physiological disorders. Below are two tables containing the necessary data to check the height and weight of girls aged 0 to 10 years.

Annex 1.

Head circumference.

Features of child's head growth

It should be noted that in the first three months of a child’s life, head circumference grows much faster than in subsequent years. So, in a month the head can increase by 1.5 centimeters. Then the growth will decrease. By one year, the girth will be approximately 45 centimeters.

Another remarkable feature is that premature babies' heads grow at a faster rate than full-term babies' heads. Thanks to this, by the age of one year, normal sizes are usually achieved. The exception to this rule is children born very early.

The circumference and shape of the head can be greatly influenced by hereditary factors, the individual characteristics of the baby’s constitution, and even environmental conditions. A neurologist should assess the developmental status.

WHO standards for boys' development

The ratio of height and weight in children of different sexes varies. Naturally, being in the same age category of one-year-old children, the average boy will be larger than the same girl. In adolescence, the picture usually changes for a short time: girls are ahead of boys in development. But after a hormonal surge, they again become small and fragile compared to mature guys. But we will talk about hormonal changes later, and now a table will be presented showing the height and weight of boys in the age period from 0 to 10 years.

Based on this table, the normal weight for a height of 87.8 cm will be 12.2 kg for a boy at the age of two. In this case, the head circumference will be 48.3 centimeters. And at 10 years old, the ideal weight with a height of 137.8 cm will be 31.2 kg.

Appendix 2.

Head circumference.

Features of growth during adolescence

It was said above that girls often surpass boys in height at a certain point in development. This happens because the period of adolescence in girls begins several years earlier. The release of hormones causes a growth spurt. This process occurs in females at approximately 11-13 years of age, and in males at 12-15. From these time intervals it is clear that girls enter the process of maturation earlier, but also finish it earlier. The boys subsequently manage to catch up and overtake their peers. During a period of particularly active growth, young men can grow even 20 cm in a year.

During adolescence, the tubular bones of the skeleton actively grow. The limbs are stretched, and the body lags behind in this race. This often creates the impression that the teenager is awkward and disproportionate. The chest is narrow, the muscles are still too weak for such growth - hence the stoop, the inability to hold the back straight for a long time.

At this age, muscle mass is gained more slowly than bone mass; it will begin to strengthen thoroughly only around the age of 17. Weight gain, of course, is happening, but at a slower pace. In different years, weight gain may proceed unevenly. The norm for boys varies from 2.4 to 5.3 kg per year, and for girls - from 2.5 to 5.2 kg.

What is acceleration

Over the past century and a half, a phenomenon called “acceleration” has been identified. Its essence is to increase the growth of each subsequent generation. Recently, the concept has expanded greatly; it now includes faster puberty, change of baby teeth, and acceleration of the process of skeletal ossification. Today's children are becoming "adults" much faster than their grandparents.

The scientific community is not yet able to indicate a specific reason. None of the hypotheses can fully explain the emergence of acceleration. It is assumed the influence of solar radiation, natural selection (as a result of which only the strongest hereditary characteristics continue to exist in descendants), the composition of atmospheric air (it is no secret that previously the oxygen content was much higher, and carbon dioxide, accordingly, lower than the current level). However, most scientists believe that it is associated with an improvement in the quality of life of the population. People in economically developed countries receive much better nutrition, they are provided with vitamins contained in fresh vegetables and fruits almost all year round. Pregnant moms and their unborn babies are provided with essential nutrients in optimal quantities, plus a limited amount of hard work. Even when they were pregnant, our great-grandmothers were inseparable from working in the fields, and few people thought about sanitary standards. Just a few years ago, not even half of what doctors and scientists know now was known. What can we say about tens of years, if it is known that science is developing in geometric progression. So far, the most reasonable explanation is the combination of all existing hypotheses.

If you have access to the Internet to read this article, then you live in a country with a developed economic structure. Most likely, all of the above progress bonuses have not bypassed your family, which means that the acceleration trend is not alien. So don't be surprised that your child will be slightly taller than you.

It is important for any parent to know that their child is developing well, that he has enough everything, that he is healthy and happy. Of course, growth and development must be kept under control, but care should not be turned into an obsession. All children develop according to their own pattern, which means the ratio of height and weight in children is also individual. Remember this when you feel like something is wrong.

Very often, it is the parents’ behavior in different situations that instills thoughts of inferiority into a child. If you spend days on end under the doors of the offices of a medical institution in order to identify at least some minor malfunction in your baby’s body, most likely he will consider himself a sick and defective child. No one has canceled scheduled examinations, but the hype is unnecessary.

• 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 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 baby with breast milk.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Malformations of the intestines, esophagus, liver, bile ducts (pyloric stenosis, 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.
4. Diseases of the endocrine system. Congenital hypothyroidism 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.