Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Use Home Measuring Instruments
• Method 2 of 3: Assess your child's overall well-being
• Method 3 of 3: Don't make too many comparisons
• Tips
• Warnings

Even if your child eats well and you regularly visit your doctor to measure your child's height and weight, you may still be wondering if your child's development is correct and healthy. Follow the steps below to determine if your child is at a healthy weight.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Use Home Measuring Instruments

If you do not visit healthcare professionals often, if you are concerned about your child's weight, or if you simply want to be able to monitor your child's weight gain between doctor visits, consider purchasing tools and equipment that will allow you to accurately determine your child's condition at home. This will remove some of the guesswork as to whether your child is gaining a healthy weight.

1. 1 Buy a baby scale. Regular bathroom scales will not show sufficiently detailed changes in your child's weight, as grams are much more indicative of healthy weight gain for an infant rather than an adult.
   • Buy a special scale designed for weighing babies in grams (or kilograms and grams).
   • Weigh your child regularly, such as every Tuesday and Friday, to get an overall picture of weight gain and fluctuations. It is not necessary to weigh daily or several times a day, unless prescribed by a physician for medical purposes, as weight naturally fluctuates, and small changes may seem more alarming when changes are noted after a short period of time.
2. 2 Print out the baby's weight chart. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization offer standardized development charts for infant boys and girls based on the height and age of the child (with a 2 week increase).
   • By placing such a chart next to the scale, you can quickly find your child's weight on the chart and determine what percentile your child's weight is in. This will give you an idea of ​​how your child's weight compares to the weight of other children of the same gender, height, and age.
3. 3 Track your baby's weight gain. If you are concerned that weight loss or poor weight gain may be a problem for your child, attach a piece of paper next to a chart or scale to track your child's weight by date. This will allow you to determine the trend in weight gain or loss.
   • Please note that there is usually some slight weight loss during the first week after birth. After that, most babies begin to gain weight quite quickly, doubling it by 5 months of age, and when they are about 1 year old, the weight triples.

Method 2 of 3: Assess your child's overall well-being

While baby development charts are useful for determining healthy weight ranges for babies, every baby is unique. In most cases, your child's simple well-being checks will indicate if he or she is gaining enough weight to be healthy, grow and develop properly.

1. 1 Determine if your child is eating enough. Keep a food diary throughout the week, recording how much, how often, and what types of foods your child eats.
   • After observing a baby's feeding process for a week or two, look for signs that he may not be eating enough, for example, several times in a row did not finish a portion, eats only in small portions, always leaves something in the bottle, or empties the breast completely. but goes without food or drink for several hours.
   • If the baby is breastfeeding, monitor how long the feeding lasts, whether the baby is emptying, eating from both breasts, giving up breastfeeding, or falling asleep while breastfeeding.
   • If the baby is bottle-fed, record if he eats the bottle completely or stops without finishing. Also see if you give the bottle back to the child, prompting to finish the portion if he has already released the bottle.
   • If your child is already eating solid foods, write down what foods he or she eats, the approximate weight in grams or the amount of food they eat, and what they don't like to eat. Pay attention to whether your child is eating voluntarily or if he or she needs to be encouraged to return to eating, and be sure to keep track of juice, formula, or any other drinks your child is also getting.
2. 2 Check your baby's skin and vital signs. Malnutrition and underweight usually cause marked physical changes in the infant's complexion and vitality. By assessing your child's health indicators, you can tell if their nutrition and weight are satisfactory and healthy.
   • Low birth weight babies may have an earthy complexion or tight skin.
   • Watch your baby swallow. If it is difficult for him to do this, or if your child seems weak and lethargic, he may be dehydrated and should be seen immediately by a healthcare professional.
   • Check your baby's pulse, the clarity and focus of the eyes, skin or fat that can be pinched lightly on your baby's arms and legs without affecting the bones, and the amount of muscle your baby has developed in the legs, arms, buttocks, and neck. If you are concerned about anything, talk to a friend or relative, or talk to a healthcare professional over the phone.
   • If your child frequently vomits up most or all of the food they eat or has persistent diarrhea, see your doctor. There may be some medical reason for poor feeding or illness that directly affects your baby's not gaining the necessary weight.

Method 3 of 3: Don't make too many comparisons

Each child is individual and will experience a developmental trajectory peculiar only to him. He may slowly gain weight but quickly learn to sit and crawl, or gain weight quickly but lose weight after eating solid foods. Knowing what is normal for your child will help you avoid overreacting to small changes in height or weight. If you are familiar with your child's growth history, you will be able to pay attention to the change in order to tell if any change is significant or alarming and respond accordingly.

1. 1 Look at your child's growth history. If your baby is premature, has been diagnosed with feeding or growth problems, or has always been a picky eater, be sure to factor all this into consideration when comparing your baby's development with the recommended metrics.
   • If your child has gradually gained weight but has recently stopped or started losing weight, consider all possible causes. Stressful changes in the environment, the introduction of new formula or new foods into the diet, the child began to crawl or walk - all this can lead to a temporary cessation of growth or a decrease in the child's weight. If your weight loss is significant, or trying to gain weight is unsuccessful, talk to your doctor about your concerns.
2. 2 Determine if your child has gone through the appropriate developmental stages. A healthy weight can significantly affect your child's ability to complete all milestones of physical and mental development, such as holding his head, sitting, standing, crawling, forming words, and imitating actions and sounds.
   • Core "ability" charts can help you figure out if your child has completed normal developmental milestones within the expected time frame. If you think your child is lagging significantly behind, talk to a child development specialist or tell the therapist if you are concerned that eating habits may be the cause of the delay.

Tips

• If you are unsure of how to handle certain situations, it is always appropriate to call your healthcare professional and ask about changes in your child's weight gain, diet, activity level, or vital signs. Your parental supervision will best ensure your child can increase and maintain a healthy weight.

Warnings

• Signs of weakness, disorientation, bony, difficulty swallowing or moving, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, or refusing to eat can indicate a serious health problem. If this is the case, seek professional advice on feeding and weight gain tactics and check your baby for feeding problems, infections, inherited diseases with similar side effects, or structural abnormalities in the mouth, throat, or gastrointestinal tract.