Norms of weight gain for infants from birth to 2 years

You have a baby. You have been waiting for him for a long time, imagining what he will be like, and how you will raise and educate him. But when this finally happens, you are suddenly faced with many unexpected problems. One of them, which never ceases to worry every young mother and all grandmothers in the world, is the rate of weight gain in newborns.

Normal weight for a newborn baby

“Reference point” for the weight of a newborn

Each newborn baby is examined by a pediatrician, and at the first examination he is immediately weighed and his height is measured (Newborn Height). Then the child and his mother will remain in the hospital for another 4-6 days for medical observation. On the day of discharge he is weighed again. It is on these two numbers – the weight in the first minutes after birth and the weight on the day of discharge from the hospital – that the subsequent weight gain of the newborn begins and largely depends. So:

Baby's weight at birth

All children are born with different heights and weights, and the normal weight of a healthy baby at birth is considered to be between 2,700 kg and 3,700 kg. It should be noted that the initial weight of the child depends on a number of different factors:

• Baby's health.
• Heredity. Tall and heavy mothers are more likely to give birth to large children, and vice versa: thin, short women give birth to small babies.
• Paula. As a rule, boys are always born larger (heavier) than girls.
• Maternal nutrition during pregnancy. When a pregnant woman eats a high-calorie diet, the fetus usually gains a lot of weight.
• The physical and psychological state of a woman. If the mother is unwell or lived in a state of stress for a long time during pregnancy, then this may well affect the health and, accordingly, the weight of her newborn child.
• Presence of bad habits in a pregnant woman. Of course, a woman who smokes, and even more so drinks and uses drugs, can give birth to sick and underweight children.

Weight at discharge

In the first few days of life, children lose some weight. Weight loss is due to several reasons:

• Loss of fluid. Once born, the baby begins to breathe, and a large amount of fluid evaporates through its respiratory system and skin.
• Installing power. In the first days, the baby drinks colostrum, and in small portions, until his nutrition improves and the mother’s milk begins to flow.
• Adaptation to living conditions. We know very well that the young seedlings we transplanted from the greenhouse to the garden do not begin to grow immediately. Likewise, a child, having radically changed his environment at birth, does not immediately get used to living in it.

Thus, discharge weight differs by approximately 6-10% from birth weight. And it is from this second number that it is customary to calculate the norms of weight gain for each newborn.

Table of weight and height indicators for a child (girls and boys) under 10 years of age

Weight gain norms

You and your baby were discharged from the hospital and you found yourself at home. The baby has learned to eat, his digestion and heat-air exchange with the environment are gradually improving, and he begins to grow rapidly.

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Video: baby weight

Reasons for weight gain or lack thereof

Weight gain depends on the following reasons:

• Health. If the baby is sick, he eats worse.
• Appetite.
• Type of feeding: breast or artificial. When bottle-fed, babies usually gain weight faster.
• Quality and quantity of food (mother’s milk).
• Child's mobility. A person who plays sports is usually fit. Similarly, an active child is somewhat thinner than a couch potato.
• Daily routine and meals. When feeding “by the clock”, weight increases more slowly than “on demand”.
• Age. In the first months, children grow faster, but as they age, growth slows down.

Be that as it may, specialist scientists have established some average conventional indicators of norms for weight gain in newborn children.

Gain rates: weight table for a child up to one year old

Average statistical data show that the usual weight gain during the first year of life is as follows:

• During the first month, when your baby is still very small, weight gain of 90-150 grams per week is considered normal.
• From the second, third and until the end of the fourth month, the baby should gain 140-200 grams per week.
• From the fifth month to six months, the weight is added again by 100-160 grams per week, and by six months your baby’s weight should approximately double.
• Then growth begins to slow down a little, and by one year the child weighs about 3 times more than it did at birth.

Table of weight of a child up to one year (clickable)

Features of physical development during puberty

During this period there is a strong leap in the physical development of children. However, remember that everything basically depends on the individual characteristics of the child.

The figure of most children during puberty takes on a slightly disproportionate, awkward appearance. The fact is that at this age tubular bones begin to grow especially quickly, but the development of muscle mass slows down. Thus, you can see that the increase in height in one year was significant, but this was due to the elongation of the limbs, while the chest and pelvis remained the same size or increased slightly. This is why a teenager’s figure can take on such an awkward appearance.

In addition, such awkwardness leaves its mark on his behavior. So, for example, he becomes more clumsy, it is sometimes difficult for him to coordinate his movements, he can even occasionally walk down the street and wave his arms and not notice that he is disturbing people. This age is also characterized by increased emotionality and, accordingly, increased gesticulation when communicating. In this way, teenagers make up for the lack of expressiveness of speech. Removing this deficiency is quite simple; to do this, you will need to include training and exercises in your life.

As for the norms, on average, the growth rate increases by 4.3-6.7 cm per year, and for girls by 2.9-5.8 cm. The largest jump in this indicator can be noted at 13 years of age in girls and at 15 for boys. It is during this period that the growth rate in children over 2 years can increase by 20 cm.

Of course, as you grow, your weight also increases. This figure can also increase in leaps and bounds. Over the course of a year, it can increase by 2.4-5.3 kg in boys and by 2.5-5.2 in girls. At the age of 12, increased muscle mass begins to gain. It is worth noting that the structure of the muscles changes little, but the width of the fiber itself increases significantly. The muscles of teenagers become much stronger, this trend is especially observed in boys.

At this age, complex movements are easily remembered and learned. Thus, you can easily send your child to a sports or dance section, and rest assured that he will quickly be able to succeed there. Otherwise, a certain clumsiness and angularity of movements, which is inherent in children of this age, may remain for the rest of their lives.

Deviations from the norm: should you worry?

Deviations from the above averages are very common. This is too little or too much weight gain, which is also bad, since guys who are too fat become inactive and develop more slowly. In addition to possible illnesses of the baby, the reasons for such deviations may be as follows:

1. Each person is individual in his physiology, and everyone grows differently: some are a little faster, others a little slower.
2. Weight gain rates for all taller newborns are usually greater. So, if for a baby whose initial height was 52 cm, an increase of 170 grams is considered normal, then for a child with an initial height of 58 cm it is already about 210 grams.
3. It often happens that boys gain weight faster than girls.
4. With artificial nutrition, babies get fat faster.

And many other reasons, which are different in each case, and can only be identified with an individual approach. And only after identifying these reasons is it possible to give an accurate answer as to whether parents should worry about this and whether to take urgent measures. In any case, the norms for weight gain in newborns are averaged and approximate, and should not be taken as an ideal. And if you have doubts about the child’s growth, it is best to get tested and consult with specialists. If you and your baby are healthy, then perhaps for rounded folds to appear on his body, it is enough to start feeding him on demand, putting him to the breast more often, and this will solve the problem.

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Indicators for girls and boys from 11 to 17 years old

Below is a table that contains indicators of the normal weight and height of children. However, it is worth noting that the range for this age is quite wide, since this is the period of puberty. It is during this period that certain changes related to hormonal levels may occur in the child’s body.

For girls, extra pounds are especially painful, but following strict diets at this age is not recommended, since a lack of healthy and nutritious vitamins can lead to the development of serious diseases in the future.

Factors that influence growth rate and weight gain in children

In fact, physical development indicators are influenced by a huge number of factors, let’s look at which ones. So:

• Heredity. As you yourself understand, small and thin parents cannot grow up to be 2 meters strong. Of course, there are cases when the genes of grandparents play a role in the development of a little person, but in most cases, this is an exception to the rule than the rule itself.

• Diet. From the moment the first complementary foods are introduced, your baby’s diet should become varied. The daily menu must include dishes from meat and fish, dairy and fermented milk products, fresh vegetables and fruits. A lack of vitamins can lead to the fact that the baby will not gain weight well, and his height will not increase in any way. In addition to these problems, the development of more serious diseases is possible in the future, for example, anemia in a child or vitamin deficiency. All this, as you understand, plays an important role in the formation of immunity, so a lack of vitamins can lead to more frequent colds and viral diseases. If you see that your baby lacks any vitamins, because he is constantly tired, his visual acuity decreases, or his nails and hair are brittle, include vitamin complexes in his daily diet. Surely your local pediatrician will be able to offer several options.

• Frequent walks and sports clubs. Scientists have proven that frequent walks in the fresh air have a positive effect on the physical development of the baby. However, if your baby is hyperactive and you see that he would still run and run, then select a section with him that is interesting for him. Under the age of 5, you can choose anything: wrestling, tennis, basketball, swimming, football, but if you want to correct certain indicators of the baby’s development, then approach this issue more carefully. So, in order for the baby to stretch upward, choose sports such as volleyball, basketball, tennis, badminton.
• Family climate. Scientists have long proven that unloved children grow many times slower. No one talks about gifts and the number of toys; there can be a huge number of them, but the baby will not feel loved.

• Rest or sleep. Previously, our mothers and grandmothers frightened us with all sorts of horror stories, for example: “If you don’t eat porridge and don’t sleep, you’ll never grow up.” Jokes aside, but it's really true. The main hormone that is responsible for growth is produced in greater quantities at night. It is very important that the child has a routine; he knows when it is time for sleep and when it is time for rest. The best time to fall asleep is considered to be from 20:00 to 21:00. In addition, keep an eye on your baby’s daily routine; sleep at night should take about 10-11 hours, and he will sleep the remaining 2-3 hours during the daytime. Otherwise, it will be difficult for you to establish a routine for him.
• Other factors include: the presence of pathologies during pregnancy and delivery, the presence of genetic pathologies, infectious diseases in the child.

How to properly conduct anthropometry of a child?

The main conditions for technically correct anthropometry are the following:

• application of a unified methodology in working with all children,
• use of the same technical means when examining each child,
• Perform the examination procedure at the same time (preferably in the morning on an empty stomach).

When performing anthropometry, it is important to remember that the norm criteria given in the manuals are by no means strict. The values ​​of body parameters are individual, and only sharp discrepancies have diagnostic significance - taking into account the region, environment, climate, as well as the genetic factors of development of a particular child known to the preschool employee. Therefore, if minor deviations are detected, you should not rush to conclusions and take action - it is better to observe. But the presence of significant discrepancies is a reason for an in-depth examination of the baby.

Author of the article: Lidiya Sitnikova

Should you always worry if your weight is higher or lower?

In Western pediatrics, very little attention is paid to the issue of weight standards. They believe that the main indicator is the well-being and normal development of the child, corresponding to his age. Underweight is attributed to individual characteristics, and additional examinations are carried out more likely in connection with the problem of obesity, rather than underweight.

When breastfeeding, weight gain in a baby is an individual phenomenon. Therefore, small deviations from the average norm should not frighten parents if the child feels well and develops normally. The weight of a baby is often determined not only and not so much by the quantity and quality of feeding, but also by genetic predisposition. In families prone to excess weight, children grow up plump, and in thin parents, the child may gain weight at the lower limit of the norm; weight gain in children under one year of age is only an approximate guideline for the doctor.

Dr. Komarovsky is confident that the child should be relatively thin (if thinness is not associated with diseases) and active, and warns parents against overfeeding. Therefore, the mother does not need to try to adjust the baby to general standards and force him to eat more. But it is imperative to take measures to ensure that the baby receives enough nutrition - for this you need to properly organize breastfeeding or mixed feeding if for some reason there is not enough milk and its quantity cannot be increased.

Big increase

Excessive weight gain in infants is fraught with the problem of obesity. Excess weight harms overall well-being and the functioning of internal organs. If a child gains excessive weight while breastfeeding, this is a reason to consult an endocrinologist in order to promptly detect the cause of excess weight. In most cases, an increase above the norm (remember, more than 2 kilograms per month in the first 3 months of the baby’s life) is not associated with overfeeding and has other reasons.

There is no need to limit the child’s breastfeeding, because for a breastfeeding baby they also have a psychological aspect - this is contact with the mother, practically his “safe haven”, where it is warm, cozy and safe. Studies conducted by WHO show that overfeeding a baby with breast milk is unlikely to work.

In formula-fed children, excessive weight gain is associated with a large volume of formula or improper preparation, which makes it too nutritious. Since the child does not need to make much effort to “get” it, he easily eats more than he needs, starting to gain weight. In this case, you need to focus on an exact calculation: how much formula per day does a baby of this weight need at this age. It is not advisable to feed formula on demand - unlike breast milk, overfeeding with formula is quite possible.

If the baby's weight gain is higher than normal, the mother should adjust her feeding regimen or consult a pediatrician about the amount of formula. Consultation with an endocrinologist will also be useful.

Weight deficiency

There are many reasons why a baby may not gain weight well while breastfed. It is important to identify it correctly, because this is the only way to effectively solve the problem.

If your baby is not gaining weight or gaining little weight, pay attention to the following.

1. Technique for applying to the breast.

It is important to resolve this issue literally from the very first days, because incorrect attachment is fraught with trouble for both mother and child. If your baby doesn't latch on properly, it will be difficult for him to suck milk out effectively. The breast is designed in such a way that milk can only be extracted from it using a certain sucking technique. Correct latching ensures this technique, and the milk literally pours into the baby’s mouth on its own, the breasts are well emptied, and the baby receives a lot of milk in one latching.

If the attachment is incorrect, this does not happen, even if the baby is at the breast for a long time. In addition, when the attachment is incorrect, it hurts the mother during feeding, and cracks, abrasions, and abrasions may appear on the skin of the nipple. Pain during feeding is a sign that you need to pay special attention to breastfeeding.

In addition, if the attachment is incorrect, the baby will swallow air during feeding. Air takes up space in the stomach and prevents the baby from eating the right amount of milk. The air provokes excessive regurgitation, thereby reducing the amount eaten.

In most cases, latching is easy to correct, but there are situations when this is not enough: when some of the baby’s characteristics prevent him from sucking properly at the breast. Such features may be a short frenulum of the tongue - fortunately, it can be trimmed. Osteopathic problems can prevent the baby from extracting milk from the breast - the consequences of too fast or too slow labor, or an unsuccessful intrauterine position. In this case, a visit to an osteopath will make life much easier for both the baby and the mother. And then you need to work on improving your application.

If the baby sucks ineffectively, and this cannot be quickly corrected, it is necessary to supplement the baby with expressed milk or formula. A lactation consultant or a pediatrician competent in feeding management can help organize supplementary feeding and calculate its amount.

2. Diseases.

Illness in an infant can often be accompanied by some weight loss, especially if during illness he refuses to breastfeed and eats less. If, due to illness, it becomes difficult for the baby to suck, it is worth feeding him with expressed milk along with breastfeeding.

To determine the cause of the shortage, you need to notice the accompanying symptoms. For example, due to frequent regurgitation, colic and loose stools that accompany weight loss, problems with the gastrointestinal tract may be suspected. In this case, medical advice and assistance will be required. As a rule, in most situations, breastfeeding can be maintained.

3. Feeding mode.

The first recommendation for underweight is usually to increase the number of applications. You especially need to make sure that the baby actually eats and doesn’t get lazy and fall asleep on the chest without eating. In such a situation, feeding around dreams will help: it is advisable to feed the baby every time he wakes up, and at the end of each wakefulness. Also, with weak weight gain, it is imperative to maintain night feedings. The baby's dreams should not be too long. Remember that the baby can easily sleep hungry, so in a situation with low weight gain, the newborn needs to be woken up and fed as required. It is advisable that no more than 2-2.5 hours pass during the day from the end of one feeding to the beginning of another. But you can and should feed more often.

Frequent regurgitation without additional symptoms will tell the mother that some of the milk simply does not get into the baby’s stomach, so he is not gaining much weight. In this case, you should try to feed him more often, but in small portions, and be sure to wear him in a column after eating so that excess air can escape. And the problem of swallowing air is directly related to proper attachment to the breast. Spitting up a small amount after each breastfeeding is normal for babies, but if you are experiencing a lot of regurgitation along with low weight gain, this is a reason to consult a doctor.

4. Hereditary factor.

A thin child in a family of slender and thin people should not cause concern - most likely, this is a hereditary trait and there is no need to try to “fatten” him if he gains weight within the WHO norm.

However, if, according to the norm tables, the baby has very low weight, despite the fact that feeding is organized correctly and the baby receives enough nutrition, you need to consult a doctor to find out the reason why the baby cannot gain weight in accordance with the norm.