Norms of weight and height of babies up to one year
A table of height and weight for children under 12 months is used more often, since in infancy it is most important to track growth in indicators. The norm for boys is:
| Month | Height (cm) | Weight, kg) |
| 1 | 52-57 | 3500 – 5000 |
| 2 | 55-60 | 4500 – 6000 |
| 3 | 59-64 | 5500 – 6900 |
| 4 | 61-66 | 6100 – 7700 |
| 5 | 65-69 | 7000 – 8400 |
| 6 | 66-70 | 7900 – 8950 |
| 7 | 67-72 | 8000 – 1050 |
| 8 | 69-73 | 8200 – 10400 |
| 9 | 70-76 | 8700 – 11050 |
| 10 | 71-77 | 9200 – 11500 |
| 11 | 72-77 | 9300 – 11500 |
| 12 | 73-79 | 9400 – 11900 |
For girls, these standards will look like this:
| Month | Height (cm) | Weight, kg) |
| 1 | 51-56 | 3500 – 4600 |
| 2 | 55-59 | 4300 – 5500 |
| 3 | 58-62 | 5300 – 6400 |
| 4 | 60-65 | 5800 – 7100 |
| 5 | 62-67 | 6200 – 8000 |
| 6 | 64-69 | 7000 – 8800 |
| 7 | 65-70 | 7200 – 9100 |
| 8 | 68-72 | 7200 – 9400 |
| 9 | 68-73 | 8100 – 10000 |
| 10 | 69-75 | 8200 – 10800 |
| 11 | 71-76 | 8900 – 11000 |
| 12 | 72-77 | 9000 – 11300 |
Height and weight gain may slow down one month and speed up the next. The indicators depend on the baby’s maturity, type of feeding, and overall health. The influence is exerted by the lifestyle of the parents and the activity of the newborn. It is important to remember that the numbers are averaged and are assessed by the pediatrician only as part of the child’s general medical history.
Development of girls under 14 years of age
The height and weight of girls between one and three years does not change so rapidly. By school age, after 6 years, a significant increase in height is observed. The second jump occurs in the range of 8.5 – 12 years. At first, the main growth occurs due to the elongation of the limbs; from the age of 11, the torso elongates more. The most intensive growth in adolescence is observed from 10 to 13 years, this is associated with puberty. The total increase of this jump is 36 -38 cm.
In preschool and school children's institutions, students are annually checked for compliance with standards; if they deviate from them, the child is sent for a medical examination, and recommendations are given for correcting nutrition. Tables approved by WHO have the following meanings:
| Age | Height (cm) | Weight, kg) |
| 1 | 72-77 | 9 – 11 |
| 2 | 83,2 – 89,6 | 10,2 – 13 |
| 3 | 91,2 – 98,9 | 12,2 – 15,8 |
| 4 | 98,4 – 107 | 14 – 18,5 |
| 5 | 104,7 – 114,2 | 15,8 – 21,2 |
| 6 | 110 – 120,2 | 17,5 – 23,5 |
| 7 | 115,3 – 126,3 | 19,3 – 26,3 |
| 8 | 120,8 – 132,4 | 21,4 – 29,7 |
| 9 | 126,4 – 138,6 | 24 – 33,6 |
| 10 | 132,2 – 145 | 27 – 38,2 |
| 11 | 136,2 – 153,2 | 30,7 – 38,9 |
| 12 | 142,2 – 159,2 | 36 – 45,4 |
| 13 | 148,3 – 163,7 | 43 – 52,5 |
| 14 | 152,6 – 167,2 | 48,2 – 58 |
Development of boys up to 14 years of age
After a year, the child’s weight and height gain becomes uneven and less intense. Between the ages of one and three, a boy gains approximately 10–30 mm every 3 months. The first acceleration in the rate of physical development in male children occurs at the age of 5 years; the norm during this period is considered to be an increase of 1–3 cm every six months.
From 7 to 13 years of age, growth rates stabilize. At the age of 14, hormonal changes occur in the body and puberty begins. At this age, a boy can grow by several cm in 2–3 months. At the end of this period, a person’s growth approaches the final mark.
| Age | Height (cm) | Weight, kg) |
| 1 | 73 – 79 | 9,4 – 11,9 |
| 2 | 81 – 93,5 | 9,7 – 15,3 |
| 3 | 85 – 99 | 11,3 – 18,3 |
| 4 | 88 – 103 | 12,7 – 21,2 |
| 5 | 99 – 111 | 14,1 – 24,2 |
| 6 | 100 – 120 | 15,9 – 27,1 |
| 7 | 106 – 126 | 17,7 – 30,7 |
| 8 | 111 – 127 | 19,5 – 34,7 |
| 9 | 116 – 138,5 | 21,3 – 39,4 |
| 10 | 120,5 – 144,5 | 23,2 – 45 |
| 11 | 125 – 150,5 | 28 – 44,9 |
| 12 | 134,5 – 152,9 | 30,7 -50,6 |
| 13 | 145,7 – 166 | 33,8 – 56,8 |
| 14 | 152,3 – 172 | 38 – 63,4 |
Important!
During a growth spurt, it is necessary to closely monitor the health of a teenager, since the body often does not have time to gain muscle mass in accordance with the growth rate.
Rules for assessing anthropometric indicators
Only a pediatrician should assess the height and weight of boys and girls. According to the norms, he conducts an examination every month during the first year of life, every 4 months from the age of one to three, and then annually. The assessment is carried out taking into account the following rules:
- Weighing is carried out in the morning, the interval after feeding should be at least 2 hours. Children under one year old are weighed lying down, in a clean diaper or naked. Children aged two years and older are measured in a standing position.
- Height up to 1.5 years is measured while lying on a special table, then in a standing position. Your heels should touch the measurement scale and your legs should be straight.
- For up to a year, head volume and chest girth indicators must be monitored.
The pediatrician checks the data obtained with centile tables. They are the result of many years of measurements, showing optimal values, upper and lower limits, and possible deviations from the norm.
Important!
Child development standards may differ in different countries, so it is useful to check not only the WHO tables, but also the indicators for your region of residence.
Historical background (WHO tables and graphs)
Since the late 1970s, reference development indicators adopted by the National Center for Health Statistics/World Health Organization (NCHS/WHO) have been used.
In 1993-1994, WHO concluded that the reference indicators used do not adequately reflect early child development and have many shortcomings. The shortcomings were very serious and this interfered with the optimal management of feeding of young children. It was necessary to explore new norms of development.
From 1997 to 2003, WHO conducted large developmental studies to create new curves for assessing infant and young child development. The study was called the Multicenter Growth Reference Study (MGRS). The total number of children studied was 8440. Some of them were excluded from the study due to illness or other complications. Studies were conducted on children in Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman, and the USA. In this way, it was possible to collect statistical data from countries with different climates, cultures and other characteristics.
During the study, the Standard Child Development Indicators were adopted:
- body length (height) - age
- body mass (weight) - age
- body weight - body length
- body weight - height
- body mass index (BMI) - age
Here it is worth paying attention to the differences in the concepts of body length and height. Body length was measured in children aged from birth to 2 years in a supine position
Height was measured in children aged 2 to 5 years in a standing position. The final statistics for children aged 18 to 30 months take both values into account. In our tables and graphs, we use the word “growth” for simplicity.
Your Child Is Not Meeting the Standards: When to Worry
If a child does not meet optimal developmental milestones, parents become concerned. However, deviations are not always symptoms of pathology. The weight and height of children are affected by:
- Genetic factors. If one or both parents are miniature, you should not expect above average performance from the baby.
- Quality of food, standard of living. Deviation from the norm may be associated with poor nutrition, its deficiency or excess, low standard of living (poor living conditions, rare walks, sedentary lifestyle, lack of vitamins and minerals).
- Week of birth. It is important when assessing the height and weight of infants, since premature infants are weaker than their peers and require several months to “level out.”
- Age. During adolescence, the increase occurs in spurts, so within six months a child can be below the normal limit, and then reach optimal levels in 1-2 months.
For children over two years of age, body mass index (BMI) is also taken into account. Its definition provides an assessment of the harmonious development, the relationship between bone growth and body weight.
What affects height and weight?
The main growth factor is genetic predisposition. As a rule, the genetic background makes itself felt from about 3 years of age. So, tall parents are likely to have a tall baby, while short people are likely to have a child the same height as mom and dad. Therefore, in the development of children, they often rely on the indicators of parents at the age at which the child is at a given time.
An important factor in the development of a healthy child is the mother’s lifestyle, especially during pregnancy. Medical studies have proven that women who use nicotine or alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding have children born not only with severe pathologies, but also lag behind their peers in development. The key to health is the mother taking vitamins during pregnancy. The average height of a 1 year old child is 80 cm.
Proper nutrition of children at 12 months is important. They should receive healthy vitamins and microelements. The diet should include dairy and fermented milk products, fish and meat, various cereals, eggs, fruits and vegetables, as well as a sufficient amount of drinking water. Nutrition should be balanced, and parents should approach this issue extremely responsibly.
If a mother wants to introduce a new product into her one-year-old child’s diet, then she should do it gradually. There is no need to give children several new foods in one day, because if an allergic reaction occurs, you need to know which one caused the allergy. Baby nutrition experts recommend introducing a new product with 1 tsp. per day and increase to normal serving size over the course of a week.
BMI calculation
Calculating body mass index allows you to determine whether a child is underweight or obese. To calculate the indicator, body weight is divided by the square of height in meters. For example, height 95 cm, weight 16 kg, the formula is:
16:0.95²= 17,78
This indicator is checked against BMI percentage curves; they are separate for boys and girls. The blue area of the table is exhaustion, green is normal, yellow is overweight, red is obesity. If you fall into the green and red zones, you should consult your doctor about correcting your diet. The red zone requires diet and additional treatment.
Useful tips for parents
A child’s normal weight is the key to his future health, so it is important to maintain it. You can prevent obesity by adhering to a healthy lifestyle and nutritional culture. Some useful tips will help with this:
- The whole family should have a healthy diet; parents are an example for the child, the norm by which he or she is guided in life. Give preference to low-fat foods; vegetables and fruits should be included in the diet in sufficient quantities. Try to minimize the consumption of fast carbohydrates and “harmful foods” (chips, soda, fast food).
- Physical activity should be an integral part of life. Even under heavy loads, find time to exercise or jog.
- Let children be involved in planning and preparing meals to keep them interested.
- Do not reward good behavior or merit with sweets, they should not be an incentive.
- Remember that your child may be full; do not force him to finish eating if he says he is full.
- Do not try to put a complete ban on everything sweet and harmful, this will lead to child rebellion. Set the measure.
Proper nutrition for children
A preschooler's diet should include healthy foods containing calcium, phosphorus and vitamins. Milk, cottage cheese, fish, meat, fruits, herbs and vegetables are considered mandatory, but you should stay away from sweets - candies and chocolate. Excessive goodies and large amounts of sugar cause a feeling of laziness and relaxation, and this is not conducive to the child’s physical activity. Parents of those girls who are overweight are advised to consult an endocrinologist.
This doctor is an expert on hormones, which in most cases are responsible for the weight of the human body. It is a failure in their matrix that often leads to an excessive increase in volume. If this is the problem, then it will be resolved when the hormonal levels return to normal. If the reasons for a girl’s excess weight are rooted deep in the family tree, then the main recommendation remains exercise and proper nutrition. Without sweets, fatty, fried and junk foods: chips, soda, fast food.
An example of healthy foods for a child, presented in the form of a pyramid, will help you create a tasty and varied menu for a six-year-old.
Recommendations by age
If you see that the child does not correspond to normal weight, your pediatrician confirmed your fears, then you should not hesitate, but begin to correct the indicator. Otherwise, the situation may worsen, and in addition to excessive stress on the body, the child will develop psychological problems: complexes, self-rejection, isolation, and a depressed state.
When correcting weight, it is important to approach the issue taking into account the age characteristics of the child, namely:
- Before 12 months, people rarely talk about obesity, but bottle-fed babies have less control over their hunger and may gain more than they need. Control the amount of formula you eat, do not overfeed your baby, and do not give enriched formulas unless necessary.
- Before the age of five, eating habits are formed; they depend on the approach of the parents. Offer a variety of healthy foods, light snacks in the form of fruits, bread, and dairy products. Encourage your children to be active, try to find a sporting hobby for them that they like.
- At school age up to 12 years, the main tools for weight loss are sports sections and proper nutrition. Try to keep track of what your child eats outside the home, engage in physical training, exercise should be daily.
- After 13 years, children are dependent on social opinion; they are drawn to walks with fast food and soda. Try offering healthier alternatives such as homemade sandwiches or wraps, baked potatoes, etc.
- At any age, remember that you are an example. If you play sports, eat healthy and varied foods, and spend little time on the computer or TV, your child will adopt your habits. And the likelihood of being underweight or overweight if you live a healthy lifestyle is minimal.
When assessing weight, remember that all children are individual. Do not blindly follow the tables, because exceeding the norm may be explained by the presence of high-quality muscle mass, not fat. Do not put pressure on your child, adjust your diet and habits carefully, without offending your child or instilling in him weight-related complexes. The right example and healthy habits will quickly yield results.
Recommendations for parents whose children are stunted
It often happens that some children are different from their peers. The child worries that he is inferior to everyone in kindergarten or on the playground, and turns to his parents for advice. This may not happen directly, but in countless children's questions regarding this aspect. An attentive family will be able to recognize anxiety and help a worried child. Here are some tips to help your child stretch out:
- Correct daily routine. A growing body simply needs mental and physical activity to be replaced by rest, so it’s worth thinking about the competent organization of a child’s free time. You need to teach your baby to go to bed every day no later than 22:00. This healthy habit will not only promote growth, but also teach discipline.
- Since Soviet times, it was believed that those who exercise on the horizontal bar can boast of being tall. Most likely, this is just an invention of grandmothers, but there is some truth in it. Sport is an integral part of proper physical development; without it it is impossible to imagine strong and healthy children.
- Pure mineral water and proper nutrition, rich in vitamins, calcium and fiber. It is worth explaining to your child that monitoring nutrition is very important. Junk food will expand, and healthy food will help you grow.
