Child's weight: the norm, and why there are delays in recruitment

If you are a young mother, then you are not used to visiting the clinic every month. There, your baby is not only examined, but also his height and weight are measured. You probably know that this is done in order to control the weight and height of the child. What indicators are considered the norm and what to do if the baby is growing poorly?

Growth and weight norms of children

For many years, scientists from different countries have been studying the process of human growth. Scientists have come to the conclusion that many factors influence weight gain and height - the quality of food and water, the climate, even what the baby ate in the first years of life.

It can be noted that over the years, the norms of the ratio of height and weight of babies change. So, in comparison with the data of twenty years ago, these indicators have become lower by 15-20%. This is due to the fact that in those years, most mothers preferred to feed their children with baby food. Now more and more babies are feeding on breast milk. In this regard, it is customary to correct the WHO data all the time. Now the normal parameters of the height and weight of children look like this:

How much should a child gain weight

It is considered normal when a baby is born weighing between 3 kg and 4 kg. Going beyond this is undesirable. However, in recent years, it has become a tendency to have children weighing close to 4 kg. This is due to the more responsible approach of modern mothers to planning pregnancy.

In the first few days of his birth, the baby loses a little of its weight. This happens due to bowel movement and emptying of the bladder. But don't worry - this is a completely natural process. After a few days, the child's weight will return to normal. To control your baby's weight on your own, you will need a special scale. Choose evening time for weighing, before swimming. Undress the baby and put it on the scales, after covering the bowl with a diaper. Try to fix it so that the weight reading is accurate.

To estimate weight gain, you can divide the baby's weight in grams by height in centimeters. If you get a number in the range of 60-70, then the child's weight corresponds to his height and the child gains weight within the normal range. A number less than 60 indicates that the baby weighs too much for its height. If the value is more than 70, the weight gain is insufficient.

The child is not gaining weight well

If the next measurements of the child's height and weight have shown that the increase is insufficient, then before correcting the situation, you need to find out the reason for the underweight.

There may be several of them:

• The kid is hungry. Watch the baby breastfeed. If he cannot get enough for a long time, falls asleep during feeding, then his mother's milk is not enough. Weigh your baby before and after feeding and record the score. Ask your pediatrician for advice, showing him the result of your observations. Perhaps you need increase lactation.
• The child does not like new food. It often happens that with the introduction complementary foods children stop gaining weight. This is due to the fact that they do not want to change their mother's usual milk for a new meal. Do not despair, offer your baby complementary foods every day. Gradually, he will get used to the new food and will eat with pleasure.
• Unbalanced baby diet. It may be that there is not enough fat or excess sugar in the diet. Add a little vegetable oil to your child's soup or vegetable puree, and reduce the amount of sugar.
• The child is very active. If the baby is in motion all the time - crawling, turning over, trying to walk, then he needs a lot of energy. It burns out quickly and the baby does not have time to gain weight. In this situation, you also do not need to panic.

Diet for children to normalize weight

Having found out the reason for the lack of weight, you need to normalize the baby's nutrition. So babies up to six months who are breastfeeding, with insufficient weight, need to introduce an additive in the form of artificial nutrition. The pediatrician's advice will help you choose the right infant formula. If the child is receiving only formula, then consult a doctor. You may need to choose a different mixture.

After six months to normalize weight, try to feed the baby by the hour. This will help normalize the child's metabolism. Feed him often, the intervals between feedings should not exceed 4 hours. Increase the amount of protein in your baby's diet. This can be done with cottage cheese, meat and kefir.

Do not give your baby pasta, fatty and sugary foods. Fast carbohydrates can provoke metabolic disorders. After a year food the child should be varied, include vegetables, juices, sweet and sour fruits. Try not to give him baked goods and sugary foods.