How much should a newborn baby weigh in kg. What is the average weight gain for infants in the first year. How does baby length change over 12 months. What factors affect newborn birth weight.

Typical Newborn Birth Weight

Understanding the average weight of a newborn baby is crucial for parents and healthcare providers. The World Health Organization has established standards for infant growth that serve as important benchmarks. On average, a newborn baby weighs between 3.2 to 3.4 kg (7 to 7.5 pounds). However, it’s important to note that healthy full-term newborns can weigh anywhere from 2.6 to 3.8 kg (5 pounds 11 ounces to 8 pounds 6 ounces).

What constitutes low or high birth weight? A birth weight below 2.5 kg (5 pounds 8 ounces) at full term is considered low, while a weight exceeding 4.0 kg (8 pounds 13 ounces) is deemed larger than average.

Factors Influencing Newborn Weight

Several factors can impact a newborn’s birth weight:

• Gestational age: Premature babies tend to be smaller, while post-term infants may be larger.
• Maternal smoking: Mothers who smoke often have smaller babies.
• Gestational diabetes: This condition can lead to larger-than-average newborns.
• Maternal nutrition: Poor nutrition during pregnancy may result in smaller babies, while excessive weight gain can lead to larger infants.
• Family history: Some babies are born smaller or larger due to genetic factors.
• Gender: On average, newborn girls weigh slightly less than boys.
• Multiple pregnancies: Babies from multiple births (twins, triplets, etc.) are typically smaller than single-birth babies.

Infant Weight Changes in the First Two Weeks

The first two weeks of a baby’s life are characterized by notable weight fluctuations. Is it normal for newborns to lose weight initially? Yes, it is common for both breastfed and bottle-fed babies to experience some weight loss in the days following birth. Bottle-fed infants may lose up to 5% of their body weight, while exclusively breastfed newborns can lose up to 10%.

This initial weight loss is typically not a cause for concern. Most newborns regain their lost weight and return to their birth weight within two weeks. This period is crucial for establishing feeding patterns and monitoring the baby’s overall health.

Average Weight Gain in the First Year

After the initial weight fluctuations, babies generally follow a predictable growth pattern throughout their first year. Here’s a breakdown of average weight gain milestones:

One Month Mark

By one month of age, most infants gain approximately 0.45 kg (1 pound) over their birth weight. At this stage, babies become more alert, develop more regular feeding patterns, and demonstrate stronger sucking abilities during feedings.

Six Month Milestone

The first six months typically see rapid weight gain, with babies gaining about 0.45 kg (1 pound) each month. At six months, the average weight is around 7.3 kg (16 pounds 2 ounces) for girls and 7.9 kg (17 pounds 8 ounces) for boys.

One Year Achievement

Weight gain usually slows down slightly between six months and one year. By their first birthday, most babies have doubled their birth weight by 5-6 months and tripled it by 12 months. The average one-year-old girl weighs approximately 8.9 kg (19 pounds 10 ounces), while boys average about 9.6 kg (21 pounds 3 ounces).

Comprehensive Weight Chart for the First Year

To provide a clearer picture of infant growth, here’s a detailed weight chart for healthy, full-term infants during their first year:

It’s important to remember that this chart represents averages, and individual babies may deviate from these numbers while still being perfectly healthy. If you have concerns about your child’s growth, consulting with a healthcare provider is always the best course of action.

Breastfed vs. Formula-Fed Infant Growth Patterns

The growth patterns of breastfed and formula-fed infants can differ slightly, particularly in the early months. Do breastfed babies gain weight differently than formula-fed babies? While both groups should show steady growth, there are some notable differences:

Breastfed Infants

Breastfed babies often experience a more gradual weight gain compared to their formula-fed counterparts. This slower, steady growth is considered normal and healthy. In fact, breastfeeding may help prevent excessive weight gain and reduce the risk of childhood obesity.

However, it’s crucial to monitor breastfed babies closely in the early weeks. After the initial weight loss period, continued weight loss or poor weight gain could indicate that the baby is not getting enough breast milk. This situation may require intervention to ensure proper nutrition.

Formula-Fed Infants

Formula-fed babies tend to gain weight more rapidly, especially in the first few months. This faster weight gain is not necessarily a cause for concern, as long as the baby is following a consistent growth curve.

Can breastfed babies gain too much weight? While less common, it is possible. Factors that could contribute to excessive weight gain in breastfed infants include:

• An overabundant maternal milk supply
• Prolonged or too frequent nursing sessions
• Early introduction of solid foods

Baby Length (Height) Development

While weight is often the focus of infant growth discussions, length (or height) is another crucial aspect of a baby’s development. How quickly do babies grow in length during their first year?

On average, babies grow about 2.5 cm (1 inch) per month during the first six months of life. This rapid growth rate slows slightly in the second half of the year. By their first birthday, most babies have grown 25-30 cm (10-12 inches) from their birth length.

Typical Length Milestones

1. Birth: The average newborn is about 49-50 cm (19-20 inches) long.
2. 3 months: Babies typically grow to around 59-61 cm (23-24 inches).
3. 6 months: Most infants reach 66-68 cm (26-27 inches) in length.
4. 12 months: By their first birthday, babies often measure 74-76 cm (29-30 inches) long.

As with weight, these figures represent averages, and individual babies may be shorter or taller while still being healthy. Consistent growth along a percentile curve is more important than achieving specific measurements.

Monitoring Your Baby’s Growth

Regular check-ups with a pediatrician are essential for tracking your baby’s growth and development. During these visits, the doctor will measure your child’s weight, length, and head circumference, plotting these measurements on growth charts to ensure proper development.

How often should a baby be weighed and measured? In general, pediatricians recommend the following schedule for well-baby visits:

• 3-5 days after birth
• 2 weeks
• 1 month
• 2 months
• 4 months
• 6 months
• 9 months
• 12 months

After the first year, visits typically become less frequent, occurring at 15 months, 18 months, 2 years, and then annually thereafter.

Understanding Growth Charts

Growth charts are tools used by healthcare providers to track a child’s physical development over time. These charts show percentiles, which indicate how a child’s measurements compare to other children of the same age and gender.

For example, if your baby’s weight is in the 50th percentile, it means that 50% of babies of the same age and gender weigh less, and 50% weigh more. It’s important to remember that being in a higher or lower percentile doesn’t necessarily indicate better health. What matters most is consistent growth along a particular percentile curve.

When to Consult a Healthcare Provider

While variations in growth are normal, certain signs may warrant a consultation with your pediatrician. When should you be concerned about your baby’s growth?

• Your baby is not back to birth weight by two weeks of age
• There’s a significant drop in your baby’s growth percentile between check-ups
• Your baby’s weight gain slows or stops for an extended period
• Your baby is gaining weight too rapidly, crossing multiple percentile lines upward
• Your baby’s length or head circumference is not increasing proportionally with weight

Remember, your pediatrician is the best resource for addressing concerns about your baby’s growth and development. They can provide personalized advice based on your child’s individual growth pattern and overall health.

Promoting Healthy Growth in Infants

As a parent, you play a crucial role in supporting your baby’s healthy growth and development. What can you do to ensure optimal growth for your infant?

Nutrition

Proper nutrition is the foundation of healthy growth. For the first six months, breast milk or formula should be the primary source of nutrition. After six months, solid foods can be gradually introduced while continuing breast milk or formula.

Feeding on Demand

Responding to your baby’s hunger cues and feeding on demand (rather than on a strict schedule) can help ensure your baby gets the right amount of nutrition.

Physical Activity

Even for infants, physical activity is important. Encourage tummy time, reaching for objects, and crawling to promote physical development and strength.

Sleep

Adequate sleep is crucial for growth and development. Newborns need 14-17 hours of sleep per day, while older infants typically need 12-15 hours, including naps.

Regular Check-ups

Attending all scheduled well-baby visits allows your pediatrician to monitor your baby’s growth and address any concerns early.

By understanding the typical patterns of infant growth and taking steps to support your baby’s development, you can help ensure your child gets off to a healthy start in life. Remember, every baby is unique, and variations in growth are normal. The most important thing is that your baby is growing consistently and reaching developmental milestones.

Average Baby Weight and Length During the First Year

Like many parents, you might be wondering if your baby is growing normally. Healthy babies can be a range of sizes, but the course of development tends to be fairly predictable. At checkups, a doctor will look at your child’s height, weight, and age to see if your child is growing as expected.

Verywell / Emily Roberts

Birth Weight

The World Health Organization has established standards for infant and child growth. The average weight of a newborn is around 7 to 7 1/2 pounds (3.2 to 3.4 kg).

Most full-term healthy newborns weigh anywhere from 5 pounds 11 ounces to 8 pounds 6 ounces (2.6 to 3.8 kg). Low birth weight is less than 5 pounds 8 ounces (2.5 kg) at full term, and larger than average is a birth weight over 8 pounds 13 ounces (4.0 kg).

Many things can affect a newborn’s birth weight. They include:

• How many weeks a pregnancy lasts: Babies born prematurely are typically smaller, and babies born past their due date may be larger.
• Smoking: Mothers who smoke tend to have smaller babies.
• Gestational diabetes: Diabetes during pregnancy can lead to a larger-than-average baby.
• Nutritional status: Poor nutrition during pregnancy can lead to a smaller baby, whereas excessive weight gain can lead to a larger baby.
• Family history: Some babies are born smaller or larger, and it may just run in the family.
• Gender: On average, newborn baby girls weight a little less than boys.
• A multiple pregnancy: A single baby will likely have a greater birth weight than siblings born in a multiples pregnancy (twins, triplets, etc.)

Weight Gain in the First Year

Again, every baby differs, but here’s what you can generally expect in the first 12 months of life.

First Two Weeks

During the first few days of life, it’s normal for both breastfed and bottle-fed newborns to lose weight. A bottle-fed baby may lose up to 5% of his body weight, and an exclusively breastfed newborn can lose up to 10%.

However, within two weeks, most newborns regain all the weight they have lost and return to their birth weight.

By One Month

Most infants will gain about a pound over their birth weight by month one. At this age, infants are not as sleepy, they begin developing a regular feeding pattern, and they have a stronger suck during feedings.

By Six Months

On average, babies gain about one pound each month for the first six months. The average weight at six months is about 16 pounds 2 ounces (7.3 kg) for girls and 17 pounds 8 ounces (7.9 kg) for boys.

By One Year

Between six months and one year, weight gain slows down a little. Most babies double their birth weight by five to six months of age and triple it by the time they are a year old. By one year, the average weight of a baby girl is approximately 19 pounds 10 ounces (8. 9 kg), with boys weighing about 21 pounds 3 ounces (9.6 kg).

Weight Chart

This growth chart is for healthy, full-term infants. A doctor may use specialized growth charts for premature babies or those born with special health needs.

Average Baby Weight During the First Year
	Boys	Girls
Age	50th Percentile	50th Percentile
1 Month	9 lbs 14 oz (4.5 kg)	9 lbs 4 oz (4.2 kg)
2 Months	12 lbs 5 oz (5.6 kg)	11 lbs 4 oz (5.1 kg)
3 Months	14 lbs (6.4 kg)	12 lbs 14 oz (5.8 kg)
4 Months	15 lbs 7 oz (7.0 kg)	14 lbs 2 oz (6.4 kg)
5 Months	16 lbs 9 oz (7.5 kg)	15 lbs 3 oz (6. 9 kg)
6 Months	17 lbs 8 oz (7.9 kg)	16 lbs 2 oz (7.3 kg)
7 Months	18 lbs 5 oz (8.3 kg)	16 lbs 14 oz (7.6 kg)
8 Months	19 lbs (8.6 kg)	17 lbs 7 oz (7.9 kg)
9 Months	19 lbs 10 oz (8.9 kg)	18 lbs 2 oz (8.2 kg)
10 Months	20 lbs 3 oz (9.2 kg)	18 lbs 11 oz (8.5 kg)
11 Months	20 lbs 12 oz (9.4 kg)	19 lbs 4 oz (8.7 kg)
12 Months	21 lbs 3 oz (9.6 kg)	19 lbs 10 oz (8.9 kg)

If you have concerns about your child’s growth, you should contact your healthcare provider. Your child’s doctor is the best source of information when it comes to your child’s growth and development. 

Breastfed Infants

While it is normal for a newborn to lose weight during the first few days of life, after that period, weight loss or poor weight gain in a child is a sign of a problem. For breastfed babies, it could mean that the baby is not getting enough breast milk.

When it comes to weight gain, breastfed babies are less likely than formula-fed infants to gain too much weight too quickly. Breastfeeding may even help to prevent excessive weight gain and obesity.

However, breastfed babies can gain too much if a mother has an overabundant supply of breast milk, the child spends too much time nursing, or solid foods are started early.

Baby Length (Height)

In general, during the first six months, a baby grows about one inch per month. Between six months and one year, that growth slows down a bit to about a 1/2 inch per month.

The average length of a baby boy at six months is approximately 26 1/2 inches (67.6 cm) and a baby girl is about 25 3/4 inches (65.7 cm). At one year, boys are around 29 3/4 inches (75.7 cm) and girls average 29 inches (74 cm).

The factors that determine height are:

• Genetics: The height of a child’s mother, father, and other family members have the most significant impact on how tall the child will be.
• Gender: Boys tend to be taller than girls.
• Nutrition: Good nutrition for both mom during pregnancy and the baby after birth can ensure that the baby’s body is getting the proper vitamins, minerals, and protein for healthy bones and optimal growth.
• Sleep pattern: Studies show that infants grow in length after naps and long periods of sleep.
• Physical activity: Body movement and physical activity help build strong muscles and bones.
• Overall health: Chronic illness and disease during childhood can affect growth and development.

Baby Length by Month

This chart shows the average length or height of healthy, full-term babies from one month to one year.

Average Baby Length Chart
	Boys	Girls
Age	50th Percentile	50th Percentile
1 Month	21 1/2 in (54. 7 cm)	21 in (53. 7 cm)
2 Months	23 in (58.4 cm)	22 1/2 in (57.1 cm)
3 Months	24 1/4 in (61.4 cm)	23 1/2 in (59.8 cm)
4 Months	25 1/4 in (63.9 cm)	24 1/2 in (62.1 cm)
5 Months	26 in (65.9 cm)	25 1/4 in (64.0 cm)
6 Months	26 1/2 in (67.6 cm)	25 3/4 in (65.7 cm)
7 Months	27 1/4 in (69.2 cm)	26 1/2 in (67.3 cm)
8 Months	27 3/4 in (70.6 cm)	27 in (68.7 cm)
9 Months	28 1/4 in (72.0 cm)	27 1/2 in (70.1 cm)
10 Months	28 3/4 in (73.3 cm)	28 in (71.5 cm)
11 Months	29 1/4 in (74.5 cm)	28 1/2 in (72.8 cm)
12 Months	29 3/4 in (75.7 cm)	29 in (74.0 cm)

*Inches are rounded to the nearest 1/4 inch.

Growth Spurts

Infants don’t grow at a consistent rate. They have times when they grow slowly and times when they experience more rapid growth. A big surge of growth that occurs in a short period of time is known as a growth spurt.

Growth spurts can happen at any time, and they do not necessarily follow a pattern. Some of the ages that your child may experience a growth spurt are at ten days, three weeks, six weeks, three months, and six months.

During and after a growth spurt, your baby will need more milk. You may need to feed your baby as much as every hour or two, a phenomenon often referred to as cluster feeding.

This tends to happen more often with breastfed babies. Since breast milk is made based on supply and demand, your baby will breastfeed much more often around the time of a growth spurt, signaling your body to make more milk.

Luckily, these frequent feedings only last about a day or two as your milk supply adjusts to your growing baby’s needs. After that, your child should settle back down into a more regular feeding routine.

Growth Chart Considerations

Growth charts and percentiles are just tools that help track the growth of children over time. The 50th percentile means average, not “normal.”

While some children fall on the average line, many children fall below or above it. So, if your baby is not in the 50th percentile, it certainly doesn’t mean that they are not growing at a healthy rate. Healthy infants can be in the 5th percentile as well as the 95th percentile.

While it may be tempting to compare your child’s growth and development to other children, it is important to remember that babies come in all shapes and sizes.

Growth depends on many factors, including genetics, diet, and activity level. Every child grows at his or her own pace, and doctors look to make sure kids are on track for what is expected for them given their history. It’s difficult to compare one child to another, even if they are brothers and sisters.

Not All Growth Charts Are Equal

Just as all children are different, it is important to realize that not all growth charts are the same. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a set of growth charts that include older data and information from a combination of feeding methods. The CDC growth charts are a reference and show how children grew during a specific period in the United States.

The World Health Organization (WHO) growth charts contain more data from breastfed babies. Mothers are breastfeeding more and more and the WHO charts are considered a standard on how children should grow.

The CDC recommends using the WHO growth charts for all babies (whether they are breastfeeding or taking formula) during the first two years. The American Academy of Pediatrics (APP) agrees with the CDC recommendation.

A Word From Verywell

When you compare your child to other babies, you may worry if you notice that they are smaller or heavier than their peers. Luckily, there is an easy way to ease your fears and find out for sure if your child is growing as expected. You just have to follow the regular schedule for well-child visits that your healthcare provider gives you.

The doctor will weigh and measure your baby each time you see him. And, they will keep track of your child’s growth and overall health over time. This will allow them to notice any diversions from your child’s anticipated growth, based on history, and address any possible concerns quickly, if applicable.

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Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. World Health Organization. The WHO Child Growth Standards. 2016.

2. Carling SJ, Demment MM, Kjolhede CL, Olson CM. Breastfeeding Duration and Weight Gain Trajectory in Infancy. Pediatrics. 2015;135(1):111-119. doi:10.1542/peds.2014-1392

3. Lampl M, Johnson ML. Infant growth in length follows prolonged sleep and increased naps. Sleep. 2011;34(5):641-650. doi:10.1093/sleep/34.5.641

4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Clinical Growth Charts. Updated June 16, 2017.

5. Greer FR, Bhatia JJS. CDC: Use WHO growth charts for children under 2. AAP News. 2010;31(11):1. doi:10.1542/aapnews.20103111-1

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Why Your Breastfed Baby Is Not Gaining Weight

Most breastfed babies will gain weight in a consistent and expected pattern as long as they latch on well and feed often. But if you’re breastfeeding and your newborn is gaining weight slowly or inconsistently, they may not be getting enough breast milk.

Adequate nutrition is, of course, essential to your baby growing and thriving. Here’s what to look for and what to do if you think your baby is not gaining weight as expected.

Typical Weight Gain for Breastfed Babies

All babies grow at their own pace, but baby weight gain does tend to follow a fairly consistent pattern. Breastfed newborns can lose up to 10% of their birth weight during the first five days of life. Then, by the time babies are 10 days to two weeks old, they should regain the weight they lost. After that, for the next three months or so, breastfed babies gain about an ounce a day.

Of course, every newborn is different, and some children normally grow more slowly than others. As long as your baby is breastfeeding well and their health exams are on target, a slower weight gain may not be an issue.

But weight gain is the best sign that a child is getting enough breast milk. When a baby is gaining weight slower than expected, it could mean that they are not getting enough. If your newborn is not back to their birth weight in two weeks, or not gaining weight consistently after that, it may indicate that there’s a breastfeeding issue.

At-Home Scales

Weighing your baby at home is not a substitute for taking your baby to the pediatrician. It can, however, be a great way to work with your child’s doctor to be sure your baby is gaining a healthy amount of weight.

Reasons for Slow Weight Gain

There are a number of reasons why your baby may not be getting enough breast milk to gain weight consistently. Your doctor and/or a certified lactation consultant can help you determine the issue and correct it.

Poor Latch

A good latch allows your child to remove breast milk from your breast without getting tired and frustrated. If your baby is not latching on correctly or is latching on to just your nipple, they won’t be able to remove breast milk very well.

Infrequent Breastfeeding

Breastfeed your newborn at least every two to four hours through the day and night for the first six to eight weeks. If they want to breastfeed more often, put them back to the breast.

Short Nursing Sessions

Newborns should breastfeed for about 8 to 10 minutes on each side. As your child gets older, they won’t need to breastfeed as long to get the breast milk they need. During the first few weeks, however, try to keep your baby awake and actively sucking for as long as you can.

Pain or Discomfort

If your baby is not comfortable because of a birth injury or an infection such as thrush in her mouth, they may not breastfeed well, and therefore may be gaining weight slowly.

Low or Delayed Breast Milk Supply

Some mothers may have a delay in the onset of breast milk production, which means production is either slow or late. Other mothers experience chronic low milk supply, which can have several causes that may work individually or in combination to reduce the amount of milk a child receives when breastfeeding. The good news is that a low milk supply can often be improved fairly easily.

Although it’s not as common, some medical issues can cause a true low breast milk supply. You may still be able to increase a true low milk supply, but it’s more difficult. It needs to be treated and followed by a doctor.

Risk Factors for Poor Weight Gain

While most newborns and infants will breastfeed well and gain weight, some babies are more likely to have difficulty breastfeeding. When a child is at risk for breastfeeding difficulties, the chances of growing and gaining weight at a slower pace are higher.

• Being born premature or near term: Smaller babies or those born before 37 weeks may not have the strength or energy to breastfeed for a long enough time to get all the breast milk they need. They are also more likely to be sleepy and experience medical issues which can make breastfeeding even more difficult.
• Oral challenges: It can be difficult for any baby to latch on if his mother has hard, engorged breasts and/or large nipples. However, infants with small mouths or a physical issue such as a tongue-tie or a cleft lip and palate can have latching troubles regardless.
• Jaundice: Newborns with jaundice may have a yellow tone to their skin. This condition can make babies very sleepy and not interested in breastfeeding.
• Reflux: Infants with reflux spit up or vomit after feedings. Not only do they lose some of the milk from feeding, but the acid from the reflux can irritate their throat and esophagus, making it painful to breastfeed.
• Illness: Infants with an illness or an infection may not breastfeed well. They may not gain weight or they may even lose weight, especially if they have diarrhea or are vomiting.
• Neurological issues: Conditions such as Down syndrome can impede a baby’s ability to latch and nurse properly.

What to Do About Slow Weight Gain

If you are concerned about your child’s weight gain, or lack thereof, it is essential to see your healthcare provider as soon as possible. The doctor will examine, measure, and weigh your baby and give you a sense of what is expected for your child at their age. The pediatrician will suggest strategies that may work best for you and your child, such as:

Check Your Child’s Latch

Make sure your baby is latching on to your breasts correctly. Ask your doctor, a lactation consultant, or a local breastfeeding support group for help.

Breastfeed Often

Nurse your baby every two to three hours and whenever they show signs of hunger. Don’t put your baby on an every three- to four-hour feeding schedule like a formula-fed baby. Since breast milk is more easily digested, breastfed babies need to eat more often.

Avoid Pacifiers

If your baby sucks on a pacifier instead of nursing, they won’t be getting as much breast milk. A pacifier can also tire your baby out, so they may not nurse as well when they do get to the breast. Once your baby is breastfeeding and gaining weight well, offer the pacifier if you want.

Keep Your Baby Awake

Try to keep your baby actively breastfeeding for about 20 minutes at each feeding. Try to keep sleepy newborns awake by tickling their feet, changing your breastfeeding position, changing their diapers, burping them, or using the switch nursing technique.

Address Supply Issues

If the problem is your breast milk supply, take steps to increase your milk production. Besides breastfeeding more often, you can pump between feedings, add some milk-boosting foods to your meals, or try breastfeeding herbs or teas.

Consider Supplementing

If your baby’s doctor thinks it’s necessary, you may have to supplement your baby with additional feedings of either pumped breast milk or infant formula. You can also try to pump and separate your foremilk from your hindmilk. Hindmilk is higher in fat and calories, which can help your baby gain more weight.

Should You Stop Breastfeeding?

As long as it’s safe for your baby, you can continue to breastfeed exclusively while working closely with your healthcare provider to monitor your baby’s weight gain. Depending on your situation, you may decide to partially breastfeed or breastfeed for comfort. If you do wean from the breast, you can choose to exclusively pump, switch over to infant formula, or give your child a combination of both.

Infant formula is a safe alternative. And for many moms, it’s the only way to ensure that they have a healthy child who is growing and gaining weight well. Achieving that goal is what’s most important. If you need to change your breastfeeding plan, feel good that you tried your best and you’re doing what you need to do for yourself and your child.

Average baby weight: Chart and development

Although babies of the same age can vary in size, their weight is one indication of good nutrition and physical development. It can therefore be helpful to know the average baby weight by age in months.

It is important to note that average weight is not the same as “normal” weight. If a baby’s weight is in a lower percentile, it does not necessarily mean that anything is wrong with their growth or physical development.

A baby weight chart is one tool that healthcare providers can use to measure a baby’s growth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend using the World Health Organization (WHO) chart for babies aged 0–2 years.

In this article, learn more about the average baby weight at birth and by month.

Like adults, babies can be different sizes. According to the WHO, the average birth weight for male babies born full-term is 7 pounds (lb) 6 ounces (oz). The average birth weight for female babies is 7 lb 2 oz.

Most babies born at 37–40 weeks weigh between 5 lb 8 oz and 8 lb 13 oz. According to March of Dimes, a baby who weighs under 5 lb 8 oz at birth has a low birth weight.

It is common for babies to lose around 10% of their weight shortly after birth. This weight decrease mostly occurs due to fluid loss and is usually nothing to worry about. Most babies gain back the weight within a couple of weeks.

A baby weight chart plots a baby’s weight on a graph and compares it with the weight of other babies of the same age and sex.

The chart indicates what percentile the baby’s weight falls into. For example, if a baby’s weight is in the 60th percentile, it means that 40% of babies the same age and sex weigh more and 60% weigh less.

The chart below represents baby weights in the 50th percentile. This is the average weight. Male babies tend to weigh a little more than female babies, so the chart is divided by sex.

Share on PinterestA baby’s length and head circumference are other indicators of their physical development.

Try not to focus too much on weight as the only indicator of physical development. Other measurements that indicate physical development include the baby’s length and their head circumference.

Combining these three measurements gives doctors an indication of how the baby is growing compared with other babies of the same age and sex.

Babies grow and gain weight the fastest within the first 6 months of life. Although it can vary, babies tend to gain around 4–7 oz per week in the first 4–6 months.

Weight gain then slows slightly, with an average gain of around 3–5 oz per week when the baby is aged 6–18 months.

On average, babies triple their birth weight by their first birthday.

Infant growth patterns do not follow a textbook schedule, however. Some babies gain weight steadily and will stay in the same percentile or close to it for several months.

In other cases, a baby’s weight can increase rapidly, which may signal a growth spurt. Growth spurts can occur at any time, and sometimes, a growth spurt will move a baby up to a new weight percentile.

Several factors can affect how fast a baby gains weight. These factors include:

Sex

Although it can vary, male babies are often bigger at birth than female babies, and they typically gain weight a little faster during infancy.

Nutrition

Share on PinterestBreastfed babies tend to gain weight and grow faster in the first 6 months.

Weight gain and growth rates can also vary depending on whether the baby consumes breast milk or formula.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, breastfed babies gain weight and grow faster than formula-fed babies during the first 6 months.

However, that rate of weight gain can shift during the second 6 months. Breastfed babies may gain weight and grow less rapidly than formula-fed babies from 6 months to 1 year.

Medical conditions

Underlying medical conditions can cause a baby to gain weight more slowly. For example, babies with congenital heart defects may gain weight at a slower rate than babies without the condition.

Conditions that affect nutrient absorption or digestion, such as celiac disease, may also lead to slow weight gain.

Prematurity

Babies born prematurely may grow and gain weight more slowly during the first year than babies born at full-term.

However, many babies who are born prematurely gain weight rapidly in the first months and can “catch up” in weight by the first year or so.

The average birth weight for full-term male babies is 7 lb 6 oz. The average birth weight for female babies born full-term is 7 lb 2 oz.

Baby weight charts can help healthcare providers track a baby’s physical development. These charts compare a baby’s weight with that of other babies who are the same age and sex.

Usually, a doctor looks for steady growth rather than a certain percentile to assess a baby’s physical development.

It is important to remember that even if a baby’s weight is in the lower percentiles, they will not necessarily be short adults. The opposite is also true; larger babies do not necessarily become tall adults.

Knowing average baby weights by month can help a person gauge whether a child is growing well, but these measurements are not the only indication of good health. Doctors will also measure their length and the circumference of their head to look at their overall rate of growth.

What Is Considered To Be A Big Baby?

At some stage during pregnancy, it’s pretty safe to say that all women will wonder how big their baby will be at birth.

The average birth weight of a newborn is 3.4kg (7lb 8oz), although there is a wide range of what is considered a normal weight.

Remember, it takes smaller babies and bigger babies to calculate the size of an ‘average’ baby, and nearly all healthy, full term babies are within the range of normal.

However, a significant amount of women are being told their baby is too big to be born naturally, only to find after the birth that their baby was not in the range of what is considered to be a big baby.

They were more likely to have interventions, including c-section, which increases complication risks unnecessarily.

What Is The Definition Of A Big Baby?

The technical term for a big baby is macrosomia. There seems to be different opinions on what actually defines fetal macrosomia. Some experts believe it is a birthweight of more than 4 kilograms (8lb 13oz) and other experts define macrosomia as being greater than 4.5 kilograms (9lb 15oz).

Fewer than 2% of babies in the US and Australia are born over 4.5 kilograms, with less than 9% in the US born over 4kg.

Suspected big babies are one the major reasons why women are scheduled inductions or elective c-sections. Growth and development checks during pregnancy can guess the general size of your baby, but there is no accurate way to measure your baby until it is born.

Are We Getting It Wrong?

Recent research suggests women are being told their babies are too big incorrectly. The Listening to Mothers III survey reported over 31% of mothers were told by their care provider their baby was large, yet less than 10% of those women had babies weighing more than 4kg. The remaining women had babies weighing less than 3.9kg (8lb 13oz).

Women with suspected large babies were almost twice as likely to have medical interventions, such as having labour medically induced or attempting to bring on labour themselves. They were also were more likely to ask for induction and have c-sections than other women.

Another study found women with suspected big babies had higher rates of complications when compared to women who had unexpected big babies.

• Induction rates for unexpected big babies was 14% compared to 42% for suspected big babies.
• C-section rate for unexpected big babies was 17% compared to 52% for suspected big babies
• Complication rate for women with unexpected big baby was 4% compared to 17% with suspected big baby.

This research suggests the way we manage labour for large babies is not improving outcomes for either women or their babies.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) states in their 2014 guidelines that c-section should be used rarely, and only when babies are estimated to weigh at least 5 kilograms in non diabetic women and over 4.5 kilograms in diabetic women.

The guidelines also note ultrasound scans in late pregnancy are associated with a higher likelihood of a c-section with no evidence of improved outcome for babies.

Does Size Really Matter?

What size your baby will be at birth is influenced by many factors.

Big babies can run in families, and be due to social factors as well as genetics. If your parents are overweight, you are more likely to be overweight, and will be more likely to have a bigger baby. Likewise, if you have a family history of diabetes, you may increase the chance of having a larger baby. Diet and lifestyle issues are a huge contributor to gestational diabetes, with research finding a healthy lifestyle (no smoking, exercise, nutritious diet) reduced gestational diabetes by up to 83%. Find out more here.

However, it’s important to understand that a vast majority of women who have a ‘large’ baby will have a normal vaginal birth with no complications. Having a large baby doesn’t mean labour will necessarily be more difficult, despite the common perception that it is harder work. On the other hand, unnecessary interventions can make labour more difficult for both mother and baby.

No matter what size your baby is, factors that determine how difficult your birth is can usually be resolved. This includes choosing care providers who support natural birth and being undisturbed during labour, to be upright and active as you wish. The position of your baby also influences labour progression, regardless of size.

We’re often told to imagine something the size of a watermelon trying to exit through an opening the size of a lemon. Babies’ heads are the largest part of their body, and are designed to mould to fit through the cervical opening. Women’s bodies are designed to loosen during pregnancy and open during labour – hormones flooding their bodies ensure that happens (the pregnancy waddle is a sure sign of that!). Evolution has perfected the birth process so in the rare situations when a baby is large, we have ways of managing the process to allow normal birth to occur.

…

Having a suspected big baby may depend on your personal risk factors, such as genetics, general health and activity levels. Keep in mind big babies can’t be accurately diagnosed before birth, and choose a care provider who doesn’t routinely use growth scans, as these can cause unnecessary concern and medical procedures you may want to avoid.

What Are Normal Baby Weight Gains and Losses?

If there’s one way in which parents want their babies to be average, it might be when it comes to weight. Too low and parents fret that their little ones are, well, too little or perhaps ill; too high and they start to worry about obesity.

But here’s some news that might help you relax: There’s a wide range of healthy weights when it comes to newborns, and as long as your baby is eating, peeing and pooping, there’s probably no cause for concern.

Average baby weight — what does the average newborn weigh at birth?

The average newborn weight of babies of European descent is about 7.5 pounds at birth (what’s considered normal or average may vary slightly depending on baby’s race/ethnicity), and 8 out of 10 babies born full-term weigh between 5 lb., 11.5 oz and 8 lb., 5.75 oz.

If your baby falls within that range at birth, there’s probably no reason to be concerned about her size. If she’s bigger or smaller than that, your practitioner might recommend some extra tests or monitoring to make sure she stays healthy.

How Big Should Baby Be?

What factors contribute to your newborn baby’s weight?

What makes your baby weigh more or less than the newborn in the next bassinet? Several factors come into play:

• Your own diet and weight, both before and during pregnancy (if you’re overweight, you may have a heavier baby; if you don’t get enough nutrients while you’re pregnant, your baby may be smaller)
• Your prenatal health, including whether you drink, smoke or have diabetes
• Your own birth weight, plus genetics (your size at birth, plus your and your hubby’s size now, can both play a role)
• Your age (teen moms tend to have smaller babies)
• Whether your baby is a boy or a girl (boys tend to be heavier)
• Whether this is your firstborn (they tend to be smaller than subsequent children)
• Whether your baby is a twin or triplet (multiples tend to be smaller than singletons)
• Your baby’s race (white babies are sometimes larger than Black, Asian or Native American infants)

Newborn weight loss

Don’t be alarmed to learn that, upon discharge from the hospital or birthing center, your baby will weigh on average 5 to 10 percent less than she did at birth. What’s up with the downturn? She’s just losing fluid, which is normal right after delivery.

And because she doesn’t need a lot of food right now (a good thing since breast milk won’t arrive for a couple of days postpartum), she won’t gain those ounces back right away. Not to worry — within five days, she should start gaining weight again, and within 10 to 14 days, she’ll be back up to her birth weight, if not beyond.

Newborn growth spurts

Your pediatrician will monitor your baby’s weight at well-baby checkups, most likely at 1, 2 and 4 weeks of age. (If your practitioner schedules fewer appointments, feel free to bring your baby in for a weight check anytime.) Plus, many nursing and new mom support groups have baby scales so you can get a quick read.

Don’t go by your scale at home — it’s not sensitive enough to pick up on those fractions of an ounce that matter when it comes to newborn weight!

Typically, once they’re back to their birth weight, new babies gain 4 to 7 ounces a week for the first 4-6 months — that’s 1 to 2 pounds a month. After about 4 months, formula-fed babies will gain at a slightly faster rate because formula has more calories than breast milk, and parents tend to push baby to finish bottles (as opposed to letting them stop at the breast whenever they want).

If you’re not sure whether your little one is getting enough milk, here’s a good gauge: If your baby is eating enough, she’ll produce eight to 10 wet diapers a day, and at least five poopy ones if she’s breastfed (fewer for formula-fed newborns).

Many babies go through a growth spurt at 7 to 10 days old, and then again at 3 weeks and 6 weeks of age.

Don’t be surprised if your little glutton demands extra feedings around those times, or nurses for longer sessions. (It’s a good thing that breastfeeding is all about supply and demand; the more baby nurses, the more milk Mommy makes!). Baby’s weight might shoot up during these periods, and increase more slowly in between growth spurts.

How to manage too much weight loss or weight gain in your baby

If your baby is consistently gaining much less than the recommended 4 ounces a week, you’ll need to do some troubleshooting to find out what’s holding back her weight gain and how to fix the problem. Some common issues include:

• You’re not feeding her often enough. To optimize weight gain, try increasing feedings to eight to 10 times per 24 hours and never go more than three hours during the day or four hours at night between feedings.
• Your baby’s not draining at least one breast in each feeding, getting the highest-fat hindmilk that comes at the end. Make sure she finished one breast, feeding for 10 to 15 minutes, before offering the second.
• She’s not eating effectively because of a tongue or lip tie, hasn’t learned how to coordinate her jaw muscles, or gets tired or frustrated trying to eat. In this case, supplementing with bottles of pumped breast milk or formula might help her gain weight. Working with a lactation consultant could help resolve some of these problems too.
• Your baby is sucking a pacifier or drinking supplementary water. Getting her sucking satisfaction from something other than drinking milk could mean she might not be eating as much as she should. Put aside the pacifier or water for now if that’s the case. And remember, don’t give your baby water unless you have checked with your baby’s doctor. 
• You’re not producing as much milk as you could be because you’re sleeping on your stomach (which puts pressure on your breasts), you’ve returned to work, you’re expending a lot of energy, or your baby is sleeping through the night. Milk is produced on a supply-and-demand basis, and it takes a lot of energy! Increase your feeding or pumping sessions during the day and night if you’re able to, make sure you’re eating enough calories and drinking plenty of water, and try to take it easy.

What if your baby is packing on the pounds faster than 7 ounces a week? If that just happens over the course of one week, you might be in the middle of a growth spurt. And some newborns simply grow faster than others.

If your baby is exclusively breastfed, it’s unlikely that you’re overfeeding her, and the extra weight gain is probably just a sign of her growing appetite. If you’re supplementing with bottles, or feeding exclusively formula, make sure you know the signs that your baby is full so you’re not forcing her to eat when she’s already satisfied.

A full baby will usually:

• Close her lips
• Stop sucking
• Spit the nipple out
• Turn her head away

When to call the doctor

If your baby has the recommended number of wet and poopy diapers a day, seems alert after she wakes up from sleeping, and is latching onto a breast or bottle correctly, there’s no need to obsess about the scale. Babies all grow at different rates, and the newborn who’s slow to grow will likely catch up to her peers later, just like the one who’s packing on the pounds at an impressive clip will probably level off in time.

But a call the doctor is warranted if you notice any of the following:

• Your baby hasn’t regained her birth weight by the time she’s 2 weeks old
• She has a dramatic drop in weight after she’s already back to her birth weight
• She seems listless or unresponsive even when she wakes up after a nap
• She’s not latching onto a breast or bottle at all
• She’s gaining too much weight for her length or shows other signs of overeating

As always, if you have any concerns at all about your newborn’s weight, check in with your pediatrician. Chances are all those ups and downs are part of your baby’s normal growing patterns and will stabilize in time.

What Should Be Newborn’s Average Weight At Birth? 10 Important Baby Weight Hacks

Before I begin, I wish to reiterate that every baby is unique and so is his or her growth chart. That being said, doctors across the world measure the newborn baby weight as per designated parameters to keep a track of how well they are growing. Being a general indicator of wellness and good health, growth is essentially linked to being healthy. And one such indicator of a baby growing well and being healthy is baby weight. After birth, there are numerous ways to keep your baby’s weight in check and many things that can be done to make sure your baby is growing into a healthy individual.

How Is A Baby’s Weight Measured?

Baby weight is a significant way to measure how she is growing and progressing during the course of pregnancy and even after birth. It also holds significance since parents and doctors can take immediate action if something is amiss. Most pediatricians measure the growth of a baby between the regular appointments for the first year, with a lot of focus in the first 6 months. Weights are recorded and become a guide to how a baby is growing individually. It must, however, be noted that these measurements are relevant only to individual babies, and should not be used for comparisons. A steady weight gain between appointments is just what the doctor is looking for.

Must-Know Important Facts About Baby Weight

When it comes to a growing baby, the way the needle on the weighing machine moves, can change the way we perceive our children. But is that all that there is about children’s weight? Here we collect 10 important points that

1. Start Early: Your baby’s birth weight is largely dependent on you. The weight of a woman throughout her life is more important than just the pregnancy per se. So a well-balanced diet, even before conception, helps in having a healthy weight baby. This is why pre-conception planning has assumed a lot of importance lately
2. Weight Gain is Maximum in the Last Stretch: Many women worry when they do not gain a lot of weight during their first and second trimesters of pregnancy. However, unless your doctors tell you to fret, keep those anxieties away. The maximum weight gain of a fetus is in the last trimester, most likely in the 8th and 9th month. If the fetus is found to be lesser than average weight during an ultrasound scan, mothers are advised to add certain foods to their pregnancy diet to increase baby weight. A pregnant mother should focus on having a well-balanced diet in these months to have a healthy baby
3. The Average Weight of Indian Babies: The average weight of an Indian infant, which is considered healthy, is between 2.7 to 2.9 kgs. The average weight gain is highest during the first three months, after birth. It is approximately 200 grams per week. The world health organization terms any baby weighing less than 2.5 kgs as underweight babies, no matter when they are born
4. The Formula Makes Babies Chubbier: Formula-fed infants tend to have a higher weight gain as compared to breastmilk fed infants. Experts believe that this is because of the lack of self-regulation, according to the hunger (that is there in breastfeeding). Where breastfeeding is based on demand-supply, in a formula the child will drink as much as served to him possibly. But this is not always a healthy situation. Chubby infants are necessarily not healthy
5. Every Child is Unique: Every child starts with different weight and has her own growth rate. It is not absolute body weight, at different ages, but her growth pattern which is more important. The child should be gaining weight over a period of time
6. Weight Gain Timelines: An infant, getting optimum nutrition would double her birth weight by the age of 5 months and triple her birth weight by the age of one year. From birth till about 6 months, babies gain about 140 to 200 gms every week. After 6 months to their first birthday, babies gain 85 to 140 gms every week
7. Second-year Weight Gain: During the second year, weight gain is slower. The total weight gain for the entire year is 2 kgs to 2.5 kgs. In the third year, the weight gain further drops to 1.5 kgs to 2 kgs for the entire year
8. Different for different babies: There is no fixed weight which can be said as an ideal weight or a healthy weight. A healthy weight for each child is individual, within the standard ranges (+/- 10%). For e.g., if for a 2-year-old boy’s standard weight is 12.5 kgs, we accept the range of 11.25 kgs to 13.75 kgs, which is +/-10% of 12.5 as the healthy weight
9. Weight is not the only growth indicator: That weight gain is not the only indicator of the growth of the child. Height gain is an equally important growth indicator of the child. So, at times if your child is not gaining much weight but gaining good height, it means they are doing well. There is always a correlation in growth and babies do have times when they do not gain much weight and may even lose on a few grams
10. Do not make your child obese: Do It is very important that a child should not be obese. If a child becomes obese or overweight in childhood itself, the chances of becoming obese or overweight as an adult are high. This happens because the number of fat cells becomes higher in the child’s body. If the number of fat cells increases during childhood itself, then it becomes difficult to reduce the number of these fat cells later in adult life. This predisposes the child to obesity. [Read – Food to Increase Baby Weight in Pregnancy]

What Should be The Average Baby Weight At Birth?

A full-term baby born between 37 weeks and 40 weeks can weigh anywhere between 2.7–4.1 kg and the worldwide average is 3.5 kg. Babies who weigh less than 2.5 kg, irrespective of when they are born are termed as low birth-weight babies. Twins and triplets are often born prematurely and weigh under 2.5 kgs. Babies who weigh 4 kg or above at birth are referred to as macrosomia and are considered heavier than normal. Large babies are born to mothers who have gestational diabetes, are obese or gained more than the recommended weight during pregnancy. Babies who are born two weeks after their due date may also be heavier than normal.

What Is Normal Newborn Baby Weight In India?

A baby’s birth weight can vary greatly, and is dependent on the mother’s weight – pre-pregnancy and gain through the gestation period as well as the nutrition that she takes in. That is why the pregnancy diet assumes a lot of importance. Babies come in all sizes, with varied growth matrices. In India, a baby weighing 2.5 kg to 3.1 kg is considered close to ideal, considering the baby is full term. Babies who weigh less than 2.5 kg are termed as low birth weight babies as per the World Health Organization (WHO).

Why Newborn Baby Weight Loss?

As a parent, you might be taken by surprise when your baby is weighed on his first appointment after getting discharged from the hospital. The baby weight would have dropped by about 5% to 10% from her birth weight. Now this happens with most of the babies at large and is due to the loss of fluids from the body. As the baby feeds less initially, she does not gain those lost grams immediately, but within about 2 weeks time, when she should be back to her birth weight, if not above it. So, essentially, there should not be a cause to worry when your newborn baby drops a bit of her weight after going home.

Conclusion

The best way to monitor weight is growth monitoring chart. Here, weight against age is plotted on a graph. This chart has preset graphs indicating normal, under or overweight against age. When periodically weight is plotted against the age of the child, we get to know about the correct growth pattern of the child. If the child is steadily gaining weight, though slowly, the curve is normal. You can get this chart from your pediatrician.

(PDF) Newborn Baby Having Birth Weight of 6 Kg. Is It Heaviest Birth Weight Ever Recorded in Bangladesh?

Discussion

Variation in the percentage of macrosomia in different

ethnic group has been observed independent of

diabetes. Factors associated with fetal macrosomia

include genetics, duration of gestation, presence of

gestational diabetes and diabetes mellitus of mother.

Genetic, racial and ethnic factors influence birth weight.

Male newborns typically weigh more than female

newborns and thus comprise a greater proportion of

infant with weights exceeding 4500 gm at any

gestational age. Hispanic woman have a higher risk

of fetal macrosomia compared to African, American

or Asian woman5.

Genetic factors, such as parental height and weight,

may also play a role in determining newborn birth

weight. A BMI of greater than 30 kg/m2 is associated

with larger infants at delivery. Maternal diabetes,

impaired glucose tolerance test, multiparity, previous

macrosomic infant, prolong gestation, maternal

obesity, male fetus, parental stature all are risk factor

associated with macrosomia6-10. Despite the

identification and characterization of risk factors, no

combination of these risk factors can predict

macrosomia accurately. Even when two or more risk

factors are present the risk of macrosomia only 32

percent. Further more, 34 percent of macrosomic

infants are born to mothers without any risk factors

and 38 percent of pregnant woman have at least one

risk factor6.

So, much of the birth weight variation remains

unexplained and most macrosomic infants do not have

identifiable risk factors.

Over all risk associated with macrosomic baby during

delivery include birth trauma (3-7%), including shoulder

dystocia(24%) brachial plexus injuries (1-4%) and

death (0.4%). Risk associated with macrosomic

neonate includes hypoglycemia (50%), hematological

disturbances (polycythemia) and electrolyte

disturbances (up to 50%).

The most feared result of macrosomia is shoulder

dystocia, and up to one fourth of infants with shoulder

dystocia experience brachial plexus or facial nerve

injuries, or fractures of the humerus or clavicle11. The

most feared complication secondary to shoulder

dystocia is asphyxia, which is rare12,13.

Three major strategies used to detect macrosomia,

clinical risk factor, clinician estimation and

ultrasonography but all have substantial limitation in

accuracy.

Conclusion

Although macrosomic newborn is not a major problem

in our country but sometimes it create a great concern

to obstetrician as well as a paediatrician.

References

1. Gregory KD, Henry OA, Ramicone E, Chan LS,

Platt LD. Maternal and infant complications in

high and normal weight infants by method of

delivery. Obstet Gynecol 1998; 92: 507-13.

2. Beard J, Dufour P, Vinatier D, Subtil D,

Vanderstichele S, Monnier JC, et al. Fetal

macrosomia: risk fractors and outcome. A study

of the outcome concerning 100 cases >4500 g.

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 1998; 77:1-

59.

3. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Sutton PD, Ventura SJ,

Menacker F, Kirmeyers. Births: final data for

2004. Natle Rep 2006; 55: 1-101.

4. WWW.baby2sec.com\baby-birth-weighthtml-

32k.

5. Spellacy WN, Miller S, Wineger A. Peterson PQ.

Macrosomia – maternal characteristics and infant

complications. Obstet Gynecol 1985; 66: 158-

61.

Fig.-2 : Macrosomic baby with a normal birth weight

baby

90,000 Baby weight – how much should a baby weigh at 2, 3 or 4 months?

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Replenishment in a family is always troublesome. Nice and not very good. The birth of a baby is accompanied by many different moments that should be foreseen in advance. If everything is clear with cots, strollers and baths, then few parents think about buying scales. BUT, weighing is a very important process for a child under one year old.

The weight of the newborn, or rather its gain, speaks of the balanced nutrition of the baby and its harmonious development.If deviations appear in one direction or another, parents and pediatricians should think about the reasons, the selection of the correct diet for the baby. In this article, you can read more about why baby scales are needed (read the article), and today we will talk about the norms of a child’s mass.

What determines the weight?

The birth weight of a child is normal if it is not less than 2.5 kg and not more than 5 kg.

Strong people weighing more than 4 kg are considered large children. They are more difficult to give birth, so the consequences of childbirth can be severe: injuries, oxygen starvation, difficulties in adaptation in the first two weeks of life.If, according to the ultrasound parameters, the child’s weight exceeds 4 kg, the woman is offered a cesarean section. But otherwise, these kids are absolutely normal. High birth weight is often hereditary. The figures of about 5 kg should be alarming – they can talk about diabetes in the mother, which she does not yet know about.

Important! The weight of the child by ultrasound cannot be accurately determined. It is calculated from other parameters – head circumference, chest. Very often the diagnosis of “large fetus” is made by mistake if the baby has a large head.

Low birth weight babies are usually born prematurely. This does not mean that their mass is wrong. Suppose, for some reason, a cesarean section was performed at 32 weeks of gestation. For this period, the child’s weight is normal, but he just had to see the world earlier, and his weight is less than 2.5 kg. Therefore, a gradual weight gain occurs in the postpartum period. If a baby is born at 40 weeks with a weight below 2.5 kg, this is already a problem.

The physique of the parents is another important point.The trend is this: Large parents usually have large children. It’s mostly just a genetic factor. How much a child should weigh at 2 months and in subsequent months can be seen in the table.

How much should a child weigh

It is considered normal if by the first year of life the child weighs from 8 to 12 kg, but other indicators do not always indicate deviations.How much should a child weigh at 2 years old? There are other wide frames for this parameter: 8.6 – 18 kg. A good weight is 10-14 kg.

Shortage and overkill

Newborn babies weigh differently. Genetics, pregnancy complications, baby nutrition play a role. If a child does not gain weight well in the first months of life, or vice versa, gains too much, this entails a number of negative consequences:

• problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
• dysbiosis;
• developmental delay;
• vitamin deficiency.

In order to notice the problem in time and correct the power supply, regular weighing and a home appliance are needed for this purpose. To do this, it is important to understand how to choose the right baby scales (read the article), what to focus on, which manufacturer to choose.

If you notice that the child often spits up and gains above the norm, this indicates overeating. When breastfeeding, adjust feedings in time – a regular regimen is better than on-demand feeds.If feeding with formula, adhere to the exact dilution proportions indicated by the manufacturer. Complementary feeding should be started with low-calorie foods: vegetable purees, fruits.

In case of underweight, recommendations are exactly the opposite: frequent attachments to the breast, complementary foods begin with cereals. But about the mixture, you need to consult with a pediatrician: perhaps the type with which you feed the baby does not suit him.

Remember! If something bothers you, if it seems that the child’s weight norm does not correspond to his age, show the baby to the doctor and do not wait for a planned trip to the clinic.

(See all Baby scales in our store)

90,000 Newborn weight by month – Articles about baby food from pediatricians and experts MAMAKO

Weight gain is one of the indicators of the health of an infant, whether it be a boy or a girl. Therefore, it is so important to know how much a child should gain. The pictures below show the average birth weight by month. This data will help you monitor your baby’s weight and understand if he is gaining normally, too much or too little.Pediatrician Polina Aleksandrovna Kizino tells about the peculiarities of gaining and losing body weight in young children.

Weight in the first days of life

– Polina Aleksandrovna, what weight can be considered normal for a newborn during childbirth?

– The average weight of a newborn is about 3 kg, but it can be more or less. All babies have a different constitution, children are born at different times. Even in the last two weeks of pregnancy, babies can actively gain weight, and depending on this, their weight parameters at birth will differ.The weight of a newborn is a floating indicator that cannot be influenced, therefore, it should not be given special importance.

– Why are newly born babies losing weight?

– Every newborn loses grams in the first three to four days. In the womb, the fetus is in an aquatic environment, there is no evaporation from the surface of the body, it extracts oxygen from the mother’s blood. After birth, thermoregulation is activated, evaporation from the skin surface occurs and the baby begins to breathe.Inhaled air is warmed up and fluid is lost with breathing. In addition, on the first day of adaptation, the newborn receives little nutrition. These factors affect its weight.

Weight loss in infants in the first day after childbirth is called physiological weight loss.

Newborn weight gain table by month

– Are there times when healthy children stop gaining grams? What are the causes of weight fluctuations?

– Weighing is carried out monthly.In the first three months, the changes on the scales are more noticeable, in subsequent increases they become less and less. This is a normal tendency, so there is no need to expect that within six months the child will add as well as at four to eight weeks.

In addition, on different days, under the influence of many factors, the child can add more or less actively. For example, in the first months, most babies are breastfed, but mothers are still setting up lactation. During periods of increased activity and crawling, energy consumption increases sharply, so the weight gain also slows down.

If there is no uniform stable weight gain, do not worry. The most important thing is for the child to feel good. Excessive weight loss is a reason for an immediate visit to the pediatrician.

– Healthy weight varies. But, nevertheless, the weight gain of newborns follows a similar pattern. How is the weight gain of a newborn by months?

– After giving birth, the child does not immediately gain weight – he first loses weight, then catches up with it to the indicators at birth and only then begins to gain weight.Further, the weight grows most intensively. From the fourth month, as the baby grows and becomes more active, he will gain less than one to three months.

Newborn weight by month

– Does the type of feeding affect body weight?

– On artificial feeding, the mother knows how much formula the baby is getting.And if he gains weight within the normal range, then the current amount of food is maintained.

Breastfeeding is a little more difficult. Mom may not always know how much milk the baby will suck.

• Malnutrition. Sometimes it seems that the child is eating a lot, but when weighing, the increase is low. This may be due to a lactation crisis, when there is less milk in the breast than the baby needs. Therefore, weight gain is slowed down. But this does not mean the need to switch to breast milk substitutes.Rather, it is a signal for the mother to pay attention to the situation and take measures to improve lactation.
• Overfeeding. Breastfeeding is rare. There are children who add a lot on their mother’s milk, but the likelihood of overeating is small, since the volume of the stomach does not increase several times during one feeding. The baby will spit up the eaten excess milk more likely.

– How does the genetic factor affect the weight of the newborn?

– Heredity affects the rate of weight gain.For example, if in a family mom and dad are lightweight and gained little in the first year, then their child may also show such a tendency. A miniature mother may have a small baby at birth. And even if he gains weight according to the schedule, his indicators will be closer to the lower limit of the age norm.

– What should parents pay attention to first of all?

– Normally, the child should not lose weight, but, nevertheless, the weight indicator is not constant.The baby can gain well within three weeks, and on the fourth get sick – his appetite will decrease, the weight will rise. As a result, the monthly increments will be less than the norm.

By the way, weighing is not enough to assess the physical development: they are still measuring their height. If there are changes in height, then the lack of weight is not critical, since the child would not grow up with insufficient nutrition.

Mental health is also important. If a child is malnourished, hungry and exhausted, then his development is slower than with adequate nutrition.

Growth, weight and mental development should be assessed collectively to get a clearer picture of whether a child is eating enough.

Overweight or deficiency: what to do for parents

– Polina Aleksandrovna, what to do if the child is not gaining weight correctly?

– You should consult a pediatrician and evaluate the indicators of the baby’s development. Slow weight gain on the scales can be an individual feature.On the breast, most often the child is underweight due to a lack of milk. If weight gain occurs slowly and at the same time growth is also slowly added, there is a delay in psychomotor development, the baby is lethargic and exhausted, then the doctor will prescribe supplementary feeding with a nutritional formula or give recommendations for improving lactation.

The problem of underweight infants on artificial feeding is solved by increasing the amount of the formula in order to increase the amount of nutrients in the diet.

– And if the weight of the child goes away?

– If a child is losing weight, you should immediately consult a doctor.For a baby under one year old, weight loss is not a good sign. A child can gain weight a little faster or a little slower, but he must always add. At different rates of increase, it is important to assess what happened to the child, what circumstances led to weight instability (colds, fever, poor appetite) or why he lacks nutrition.

With the restoration of adequate weight gain in the child, you can abandon formula milk and return to full breastfeeding.

– That is, it is easier and faster to increase the weight gain of the baby with the help of the formula?

– The only way to correct weight gain (in the case when the child is healthy and does not have diseases leading to impaired absorption of food) is to adjust the diet. It turns out to be done only at the expense of breast milk – good. It does not work – supplementary feeding is introduced with a milk formula. Goat milk formulas such as MAMAKO ^® Premium can be purchased as additional meals.Goat’s milk is comfortable for digestion, such nutrition is adapted for proteins and contains complexes that make the mixture as similar as possible in composition to breast milk, thereby allowing the child to receive all the necessary nutrients.

– How to understand that a child is gaining weight too quickly and there is a risk of obesity?

– Obesity is not talked about in the first year of life. On natural feeding, it is not customary to restrict an infant in latching to the breast – he sucks as much as he needs, so the daily volume of breast milk eaten is difficult to track.The volume of the formula for an artificial baby can be controlled and slightly varied downward with active weight gain. But, as a rule, even if the child is gaining very actively in the first six months, then when he starts to crawl and move, the weight stabilizes.

In addition, weight can be gained by gaining height. Therefore, you need to focus not only on weight data, but also on weight indicators in relation to height and age, initial weight at birth. A baby in one month can gain a little, and then add more, compensating for the insufficient weight gain in the previous period.

Food culture is instilled from the first year. In order not to provoke obesity, it is not recommended to give your baby extra carbohydrates in the form of sugar. You should try to build your diet competently and include in it not only carbohydrate foods (cereals, mixture, breast milk), but also vegetable and fruit purees, which contain fiber and help fruit sugar to be absorbed more evenly.

– How should a child’s diet be changed if he is gaining weight too quickly?

– It is impossible to reduce the amount of food, as the child will be hungry and restless.On bottle-feeding it is sometimes possible to adjust the volume of the formula, but only if this does not cause concern.

From four months, nutrition can be adjusted by complementary feeding. For a child with active, close to increased rates of weight gain, complementary foods can start with vegetables. The porridge will be introduced less intensively. The child also needs to be introduced to them, but the emphasis should be on vegetable and meat products, which contain more fiber and protein.

– Weight problems in young children may not be obvious, because often chubby or sleeping a lot babies only delight their parents.How not to miss a child’s health problem?

– Up to one year old, babies undergo a pediatric examination every month. The pediatrician himself will pay attention to the adverse signs.

• Rapid weight gain often does not require urgent medical attention.
• Slow weight gain is especially characteristic of infants of the first or second months on HB during the period of lactation.
• With a shortage of breast milk, the baby is very lethargic, tends to sleep almost all the time and does not show interest in what is happening around.

Weight norms are individual. Weight indicators are influenced by body composition, initial birth weight, and type of feeding. At the same time, in order to assess how adequately the weight gain is going on, one must also take into account the growth gains, psychomotor development and the general well-being of the crumbs. Violation of the state will be a reason to come to the control weighing not in a month, but earlier.

Pediatrician
Polina Aleksandrovna Kizino

* Mother’s milk is the ideal food for an infant.WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months. MAMAKO ^® supports this recommendation. Before introducing new products into the baby’s diet, consult with a specialist.

90,000 Normal Weight Newborn Baby, Reasons for Abnormalities: ❀SALUMA.RU

Children are born with different body weights, and this is a natural phenomenon. But there are limits of permissible deviation up or down. We will find out what the normal weight of the child is at birth and what can affect him.

What determines the weight of the child at birth

It is difficult to guess in advance with what weight the baby will be born. There are many factors that can influence whether it is large or small. Among them:

• Genetics. If dad and mom were born large, then there is a high probability that their baby will be the same. The rule also applies to parents with low weight. It is believed that the genetics of the mother is more important than that of the father.
• Women with a low body mass index give birth to small children, while women with a high body mass index give birth to large ones.
• Mother’s age. Pregnancy before the age of 20 can result in a low weight baby. Women after 35 years, according to statistics, give birth to larger children.
• Lifestyle. The increase in fetal weight depends on the mother’s nutrition and her bad habits. An insufficient amount of vitamins and nutrients, smoking, alcohol consumption can lead to the birth of a small child.
• Health problems. Deviation downward is possible with anemia, uterine fibroids, placenta previa, heart disease, lungs, kidneys in the mother.
• Gestational diabetes mellitus. The addiction to glucose during pregnancy leads to an increase in the “fuel” for the body of the newborn and its increased growth.
• Pregnancy period. Premature babies are born with low birth weight.
• Multiple pregnancy. When twins or triplets are carried, the size of each fetus decreases.
• Floor. Boys often weigh more than girls.
• Pregnancy number. The average birth weight of a child may depend on how the mother has it.There is an increase in fetal body weight during the second and each subsequent pregnancy. But there are exceptions to this rule.

Expert opinion

Petrov Stepan

Pediatrician, private practice for over 8 years. Healthy children – healthy generation!

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The psychoemotional state of the mother also affects the size of the fetus.

In the presence of anxiety disorders or clinical depression, there is a risk of weight loss, even for a baby born at term.

Norms of height and weight of newborns (according to WHO)

How much a newborn baby should weigh depends on its gender. The WHO tables indicate that the norm for boys is 3.3 kg with a height of 49.9 cm.For girls, the indicators are slightly less – 3.2 kg and 49.2 cm.

Normal weight of a newborn baby

The normal weight of a newborn baby may deviate upward or downward. Permissible limits are considered to be a body weight of 2.5 to 4.5 kg.

How weighing works

The first thing doctors pay attention to is how much a newborn baby weighs.To do this, simple actions are performed:

1. Place the baby scale on a flat, hard surface.
2. The diaper is placed on the bowl.
3. The scale is switched on. Readings “0.00” appear on them. The device should not touch nearby objects, and the diaper should hang around the edges.
4. The newborn is placed neatly on the bowl.

Doctors know how much a baby’s normal birth weight should be. Other factors are also taken into account, including whether the baby was brought before the end of the pregnancy.There is a difference between those born at the 30th and at the 40th week with a body weight of 2 kg. In the first case, this is the result of prematurity, and in the second, it may indicate the presence of health problems.

Why birth weight differs from ultrasound weight

You can find out if the baby’s normal weight at birth can be done on an ultrasound scan. Experts warn that this is not an accurate result and there may be errors up or down:

• up to 3500 g – 150 g;
• 3500-4000 g – 200 g;
• more than 4500 g – over 200 g

Errors in determining the weight on an ultrasound scan are due to the fact that the calculations are carried out using special formulas. An incorrect measurement of a few millimeters can lead to an error of up to 250 g.

Causes of overweight newborns

The upward deviation from the normal weight of the child at birth may be associated with:

• by heredity;
• postmaturity of the fetus;
• too high-calorie diet of a pregnant woman;
• disorders of the endocrine system of the mother.

The newborn’s weight is monitored during the first year of life.

During the monthly check-up, the pediatrician can even visually notice signs of overweight:

• large amount of adipose tissue;
• pale skin;
• low muscle tone;
• short neck;
• diaper rash between the folds.

Expert opinion

Petrov Stepan

Pediatrician, private practice for over 8 years. Healthy children – healthy generation!

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There are several reasons for being overweight. Often it is observed in babies who are bottle-fed, which indicates an incorrectly selected mixture or non-compliance with its portions. In this case, the increase per month will constantly exceed the established rate.

On natural breastfeeding, weight gain is rarely excessive, since it is impossible to overfeed a newborn.If this happens, mom should review her diet and remove excessive amounts of flour, sweet and fatty foods from it.

Overweight of a seven-month-old baby can be associated with low mobility, erratic and frequent feeding of “adult” food. Also, pathological reasons can lead to problems with the weight of a child under one year and older: congenital diseases, metabolic disorders, hormonal disruptions.

Causes of weight deficiency

The norm of the newborn’s weight should not deviate critically to the lower side.Low body weight can tell about the insufficient amount of nutrients and vitamins received from the mother. This can lead to dystrophic changes in the fetus.

The optimal weight is calculated based on its ratio with the height of the newborn. It is also important to control the further weight gain of the baby and evaluate the indicator over time. In some cases, the mother is advised to weigh the newborn once a day and record all changes.

Insignificant deficiency in infants is associated with genetics.If the mother is tiny, she can give birth to the same children.

Physiological weight loss

In the postpartum department, attention is paid not only to how much the child should weigh at birth, but also what was the physiological loss of body weight. This is a natural process, the causes of which are:

• regurgitation of amniotic fluid;
• separation of meconium;
• loss of excess moisture in dry conditions;
• drying of the umbilical cord;
• adaptation to new environment;
• switching to another type of power supply.

By the day of discharge from the hospital, the baby’s lost weight is restored. During the next week, the weight increases by 250-300 g. After discharge, the child should not lose weight. If this happens, there is a reason to contact a pediatrician to identify possible causes.

How does a newborn gain weight normally

The minimum monthly set depends on age. On average, the standard indicators are as follows:

• 0-3 months – 750 g each;
• 3-6 months – 600 g each;
• 6-9 months – 450 g each;
• 9-12 months – 300 g each

Perfect adherence to the WHO tables is observed in a small number of children. Often there are deviations up or down, lack of recruitment during the past month.

In such cases, the pediatrician calculates how much the mass has increased over the entire period and determines whether there is cause for concern (lack of appetite, decreased activity, frequent regurgitation, etc.).

Often a minimal increase or its absence is associated with an increase in the activity of the baby.In some cases, it may be necessary to switch from breastfeeding to artificial feeding and undergo additional examinations (blood tests, ultrasound).

Interesting fact: minimum and maximum newborn weight

The weight of some children deviates markedly from generally accepted norms. In 1955, a baby with a weight of 10,200 was born in Italy. Information about the boy is still recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.

The smallest newborn was the girl Emilia, who was born in 2016 with a weight of 244 g.At that time, the gestation period was 26 weeks.

Expert opinion

Petrov Stepan

Pediatrician, private practice for over 8 years. Healthy children – healthy generation!

Ask a question

Whatever weight a child is born with, the main indicator of health is still not her. It is important to listen to the recommendations of the pediatrician, and the extra or missing 500 g will not be perceived as a serious problem.

90,000 If you are waiting for a hero

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“Stories about the birth of little heroes with a weight of five, six and even seven kilograms often appear in the media.It used to be thought that this is a sign of health, but is it really good? Svetlana Leonidovna “.

The weight of a newborn from four kilograms is considered to be large, explains Victoria Panfilova, pediatric endocrinologist, doctor of medical sciences, doctor of the Krasnoyarsk regional clinical center for the protection of mothers and children. The birth of a baby weighing more than four and a half kilograms always arouses special concern among doctors.

As a rule, it becomes known that the baby will be big by the third semester.This is found out during regular scheduled examinations by an obstetrician-gynecologist leading a pregnancy and during an ultrasound examination. The reason for the appearance of a baby hero can be hereditary factors. For example, the large physique of the child’s parents. However, often the large weight of the crumbs can indicate the presence of endocrine problems in the mother or a predisposition to them.

– There is a form of diabetes that develops precisely during pregnancy – gestational diabetes mellitus, says Victoria Panfilova.- Before pregnancy, a woman may not even suspect that she has this disease. With gestational diabetes, the likelihood of a large fetus is high. In addition, the baby’s pancreas begins to help the mother’s body. Excessive insulin production during this period can cause subsequent hypoglycemia in the newborn.

There is no need to panic, the specialist warns, but you need to be attentive to your health. Do not neglect routine medical examinations, blood tests.So, the value of fasting venous blood sugar up to 5.1 mm / l is considered the norm. If this value is higher, then an endocrinologist’s consultation is necessary. Also at the 24-28th week of pregnancy, all pregnant women without a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus undergo an additional study – a glucose tolerance test. A pregnant woman with any form of diabetes must be under medical supervision. Warnings of obstetricians-gynecologists to their patients about moderation in food are not unfounded. The habit of eating for two, and even harmful sweets, can negatively affect both the well-being of the woman and the health of the child.

Victoria Panfilova warns that a woman does not need excess weight, it can cause complications during pregnancy, childbirth, and the risk of metabolic disorders increases.

– Late detection of gestational diabetes is a serious problem. About a quarter of women who come to us have this disease, ”says Pavel Baurov, head of the consultative polyclinic of the regional clinical center for the protection of mothers and children. – Since 2013, there has been a clinical protocol on the passage of a glucose tolerance test by pregnant women.if the tests show that the blood sugar level is exceeded. But this rule is not always observed.

If no serious diseases have been identified in the expectant mother, the large weight of the baby is still a reason for the close attention of doctors.

– A child’s weight over 4500 kg at the first birth is an indication for a caesarean section, explains Pavel Baurov. – If a little more than four, then the decision is made depending on the situation: the presence of any obstetric problems, chronic diseases.The largest newborn in my practice is a child weighing 5200. He was born by caesarean section. But there were cases when children weighing 4600, as well as 4800 were born naturally. But, it should be noted that the mothers there were of the corresponding height and physique.

The heroic weight at birth and the fears of doctors do not mean that health problems will inevitably arise in the future. And, by the way, it is not a fact that the baby will turn into a giant over the years.

“According to the doctors’ forecasts, my daughter’s birth weight should have been about 4,700,” says Julia from Krasnoyarsk, mother of nine-year-old Masha.- The daughter was born with a weight of 4330 and a height of 54 centimeters. The birth was natural, and the baby’s blood test showed that everything was in order. Until one year, Masha was larger than her peers, then she became equal. And a month she weighed more than five kilograms, and it was very difficult to rock her. Now the daughter is of medium height, slender and, despite her large birth weight, shows great promise in ballet.

90,000 Giant children born in Russia in 2007-2011. Help

2011

January. A boy weighing 5.3 kilograms and a height of 57 centimeters was born in early January in the Priargunsky district of the Trans-Baikal Territory. Both the child and the mother are feeling well and have already been discharged home, a doctor at the maternity ward of the district hospital told RIA Novosti.

2010

On November 1, 2010, a hero child weighing more than 5.4 kilograms and a height of 58 centimeters was born in Vladivostok. The boy was born on Saturday in the city maternity hospital number 5. Mom had a caesarean section.Now both mom and baby are doing well.

On January 14, a bogatyr boy weighing 5 kg 820 g and a height of 62 cm was born in the city of Nakhodka, Primorsky Krai. The newborn became the first child of 30-year-old Irina Kostrygina.

2009

On December 24, 32-year-old Elena Khon gave birth to a boy weighing 5 kg 800 g in Nakhodka.

On November 17, a giant child was born at maternity hospital No. 3 in Vladivostok. The boy’s height was 58 cm, and his weight was 5.3 kg. For my mother, a 28-year-old resident of Vladivostok, Guraikhan Makhovatova is already the third child.

On September 16, at the Semashko hospital in Samara, a baby weighing 6 kg 750 g and a height of 62 cm was born. Svetlana Tagantseva has her third child. The first child was born weighing 4 kg 200 g, the second – 5 kg 250 g.

On May 22, a boy weighing 6 kg 170 g and a height of 65 cm was born in the maternity hospital of the Promyshlennovsky district (north-west of Kuzbass) in the Kemerovo region. This is the first child in the Linov family. The child’s mother, Marina, is a 25-year-old housewife, and his father, Sergei, is a 27-year-old private entrepreneur.

2008

On February 1, in the maternity ward of the Khabarovsk city hospital number 11, a boy weighing 6.1 kg and a height of 63 cm was born. The baby’s mother underwent a cesarean section, she is her sixth child.

In June 2008, a giant child was born in Vladivostok. Irina Senkevich gave birth to a boy weighing 5.3 kg.

In January, in the town of Frolovo, Volgograd Region, a 42-year-old woman gave birth to a boy weighing 5 kg 80 g. This is the sixth child in the family.The eldest son is 22 years old.

2007

On September 17, 2007, in the Altai Territory, 42-year-old Tatyana Khalina gave birth to a giant girl weighing 7.75 kg and a height of 56 cm. The baby, who was named Nadia, became the 11 m child in the family.

On July 2, a child weighing 5.5 kg was born in the town of Berezovsky, Sverdlovsk Region. The giant child, who was named Anton, was born into the Krivosheev family.

On February 14, in the village of Kaminsky, Rodnikovsky District, Ivanovo Region, a boy was born weighing 5 kg 15 g and a height of 60 cm.The boy was named Nikita in honor of the epic hero Nikita Kozhemyaka. This is the first child in the Nastychuk family. Before this incident, newborns heavier than 5 kg had not appeared in the Ivanovo region for 60 years.

In March, in Aleksandrov (Vladimir region), a child weighing 6.45 kg was born to the Ivanov family. The kid was named Vladislav. The first child in the family, 5-year-old daughter Angelina, was also born “not small” 5.5 kg.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Monitoring the weight of the child.Obesity and risk factors.

Height, body weight, head and chest circumference are the main anthropometric measurements used by the pediatrician to assess the physical development of the child. The norms for weight gain and height are established by the WHO. However, they are different for breastfed babies and formula-fed babies: babies who receive formula gain weight faster than their peers who are breastfed. Breast milk has an optimal composition, is better absorbed and contains substances that protect the baby from infections.

In this article, we will touch upon only one parameter – weight, as the most important indicator of a child’s development.

The average weight of a full-term newborn is 2600-4500 g. In recent decades, there has been an acceleration of biological development, and therefore babies are “getting heavier”: now it is not uncommon to give birth to 5-kilogram children.
Babies grow and gain weight very quickly. True, this does not happen immediately. In the first week, body weight may even decrease slightly (by 5-10%): the baby loses fluid.Then, during the first month, the child gains an average of 20 grams per day. Every day of the second month, this increase will be 30 grams. By the fourth month, the baby’s weight doubles.

At the age of seven months, the child adds 110-120 grams per week. Its weight, depending on individual characteristics, is from 8 to 8.5 kg, and sometimes even more. At the end of the eighth month, your baby weighs about 9 kilograms. Until about the ninth month of life, the daily increase is 16-18 grams (in two weeks – about 250 grams).Over time, this figure will decrease. By one year, the baby’s weight triples relative to birth weight. From 2 years of age to puberty, the child’s weight increases by an average of 2 kg per year.

Overweight and obese children are increasingly encountered in modern society. This is especially important when you consider that being overweight leads to such serious diseases as type 2 diabetes mellitus, diseases of the cardiovascular system, dysfunction of the gallbladder, pancreas.

Risk factors for the development of such a condition are:

• overeating
• inactive lifestyle (physical inactivity).

How to avoid overeating?

• Don’t force your child to eat – toddlers develop food cravings very early. In the second year of life, the child begins to show independence in relation to food. He already wants to eat what he wants and as much as he wants. Never force a child to eat more than he wants.Kids need far fewer calories than you think!
• Do not offer your child food as a consolation when he is sad or bored – this is how heightened attention to food and food addiction develops, the habit of “seizing” strays.
• You should also not make rewards or punishments out of food (“Well done, here’s a candy for you!”, “If you don’t take away your toys, you won’t get ice cream!”). Mindless chewing is a direct path to obesity.

In most cases, your child is a reflection of your own habits, albeit perhaps exaggerated.In his lifestyle, healthy or not so – the baby obeys the example, both good and bad, of his parents.

How to deal with hypodynamia?

• Discuss the benefits of an active lifestyle with your child – the child needs to exercise for at least 1 hour a day. The task of the parents is to help the child choose the type of physical activity that he will enjoy the most. Better to diversify these exercises. It is good if the child is engaged in dancing for one day, swimming for the second, and on the third day you can just play.
• Limit Screen Time! During the time that the child spends in front of a TV or computer screen, he will spend the minimum amount of calories. If we take into account that the child sits both at school and at home, doing his homework, then it often turns out that the child sits all day. Help your child find the right balance between sitting and being active.
• Set an example for your child! Nothing is more natural for a child than to follow the lifestyle of the parents. If on weekends you prefer going out to nature, skating or cycling, lying on the couch in front of the TV, your child will grow up in an “active” environment, where you have never heard of physical inactivity!

We hope that these tips will help you and your baby will be healthy and cheerful!

90,000 Table: weight / height of the child

How much should an infant weigh?

Each newborn baby grows and develops according to its own individual program, but there are certain norms, a serious deviation from which can mean equally serious problems of the child’s health.In order not to miss important “bells” and to be sure that the child is developing normally, read the table, which shows the “normal” values ​​for weight and height for a child at a certain age.

If you compare the statistics, which can be easily found on the Internet, and the recommendations of practicing pediatricians, you can see that they are almost identical to each other – the difference can be about 3% (maximum). Thus, we can say that the data given in this table will not be strict norms, but are only indicative, that is, the recommended values ​​of the normal height and weight of the child.At the same time, do not forget when familiarizing yourself with these numbers that the values ​​of weight and height for boys and girls will be different. And don’t worry too much if your baby’s weight or height deviates greatly from the norm indicated here. Undoubtedly, a doctor’s consultation is needed, but if your child eats well, enjoys exploring the world around him, lively and cheerful, then, most likely, “non-compliance” is only his own developmental norm.

How to use table

It is very easy to use our table.For example, you need to know how much a baby should weigh at 1 year old. To do this, in the left column of the table we find the line “1 year exactly”, select the value for a boy or girl and look at the intersection of the columns “age”, “weight” and “height” values ​​corresponding to the age of your child. Thus, you can see that a boy at 12 months should normally weigh 10.3 kg, and his height will be 75.5 cm.For a girl, these values ​​are different – 9.5 kg and 73.8 cm, respectively.

Weight estimate

The deviation of the child’s weight from the norm indicated in the table by 6-7% is quite normal.That is, if your baby, instead of 10.3 kg, weighs 800-900 grams more or less, this should not cause you any concerns about his health and development (a doctor’s consultation will convince you of this). If the difference is greater (up to 12-14%), this is considered a tendency to underweight or overweight. Departure from the norms from 12-14% to 20-25% is a slight underweight / overweight, which is quite simply corrected by a change in nutrition. If the difference with the table is more than 20-25%, then a doctor’s consultation is mandatory, since here it is necessary to carry out a more serious correction in nutrition.

Growth estimate

A 3-5% deviation in the height of a child is considered quite normal. That is, if your daughter’s height is not 73.8 cm, but 71.5 cm per year, then you should not be concerned about this. If the difference is more than 10%, this is a reason to contact your pediatrician for advice.

Adequate assessment of the child’s height and weight

So, let’s repeat once again – the indicators of the norm of body development for each child are their own. For about 10% of babies, the weight and height indicators will differ from those prescribed in this table, and for them these will be quite normal indicators that do not threaten their health and development, because children are not born “carbon copy” with the same weight and height.

However, it is necessary to monitor the baby’s weight, as this way you can detect the presence of problems with his nutrition in time. If you find a sharp decrease or, on the contrary, weight gain, then this means that the child’s nutrition needs to be corrected.

But it should be remembered that in the first months of life after birth, weight loss of 5-8% is a normal phenomenon that should not cause you concern.