Baby’s weight and height: the growth curve age by age (0 to 36 months): Femme Actuelle Le MAG

Since April 2018, each health record given to you at the maternity ward includes growth curves by sex over 3 years: height, weight and head circumference curves. These growth curves were established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2014. They are used to detect possible nutrition or health problems and to quickly take action accordingly. Find out what age-by-age growth curves are.

1. Definition of child growth curves

Child growth curves are tools set up by the World Health Organization (WHO) to monitor the growth of children and detect possible nutritional problems as early as possible. or growth. For this purpose, there are curves of weight, height, head circumference, age by age, established on the basis of an average obtained from a large sample of children from 6 different countries, inform WHO : these are the WHO standards, updated in 2014, which serve as a reference.

These averages set prescriptive standards for normal growth, regardless of which country in the world your child comes from. Indeed, if health care (care in the event of illness, up-to-date vaccinations) and the child’s nutritional needs are ensured, then children follow a similar growth curve everywhere on the planet. To monitor the evolution of your baby’s weight and height, the pediatrician will measure him in a lying position or in a standing position and weigh him. With the observed weight, it calculates the Body Mass Index (BMI). Then he reports the measurements taken on an age-by-age height chart, then on an age-by-age BMI chart and analyzes the results.

2. The height and weight of a baby age by age (0 to 36 months)

WHO has provided health professionals with reference charts to monitor each child’s growth. Weight charts, age by age, and height charts, age by age. On these diagrams, we observe a reference curve corresponding to the WHO standard, then two other curves above and two other curves below this reference: depending on the positioning of your child in relation to these curves, we can define whether it grows faster or slower than the norm, whether it is heavier or lighter than the norm, and whether this deviation is moderate or severe. Depending on the importance of the deviation from WHO standards, the doctor can take a position: decide that your child should be subject to simple monitoring or medical treatment. Here are the WHO standards:

  • Birth weight and size: the average weight of a baby at birth, regardless of gender, is 3.3 kg. Its average size is 50 cm.
  • The weight and height of the baby at 1 month: for a girl, the norm is 2.8 to 4.6 kg. For a boy, the norm is 3-5 kg. The reference size for both sexes is 54 cm.
  • The weight and height of the baby at 2 months: for a girl, the norm is 3.7 to 5.5 kg. For a boy, the norm is 3.7-5.9 kg. The average size is 57 cm.
  • The weight and height of the baby at 3 months: for a girl, the norm is 4.3 to 6.3 kg. For a boy, the norm is 4.5-6.9 kg. The average size is 60 cm.
  • The weight and height of the baby at 4 months: for a girl, the norm is 4.7 to 7.3 kg. For a boy, the norm is 5.1-7.7 kg. The average height is 63 cm.
  • The weight and height of the baby at 5 months: for a girl, the norm is 5 to 8 kg. For a boy, the norm is 5.5-8.5 kg. The average height is 65 cm.
  • The weight and height of the baby at 6 months: for a girl, the norm is 5.5 to 8.3 kg. For a boy, the norm is 6-9.1 kg. The average height is 67 cm.
  • The weight and height of the baby at 7 months: for a girl, the norm is 6 to 9 kg. For a boy, the norm is 6.8-9.8 kg. The average height is 68 cm.
  • The weight and height of the baby at 8 months: for a girl, the norm is 6.5 to 10.5 kg. For a boy, the norm is 7-10.5 kg. The average height is 69 cm.
  • The weight and height of the baby at 9 months: for a girl, the norm is 7 to 11 kg. For a boy, the norm is 7.5 to 11.5 kg. The average height is 71 cm.
  • The weight and height of the baby at 10 months: for a girl, the norm is 7 to 11.5 kg. For a boy, the norm is 8 to 11.5 kg. The average height is 72 cm.
  • The weight and height of the baby at 11 months: for a girl, the norm is 7.5 to 12 kg. For a boy, the norm is 8.5-12 kg. The average height is 73 cm.
  • The average weight of the child at 1 year old is 9.6 kg, for an average height of 74 cm.
  • The weight and height of the child at 18 months: the average weight is 11 kg and the average height is 81 cm.
  • Weight and height at 2 years: average weight is 12 kg and average height is 86 cm.
  • Weight and height at 3 years old: the average weight is between 13 and 16 kg, and the average height is between 92 and 96 cm.

Sources

  • Physical Growth of Infants and Children, The MSD Manual – Healthcare Professional Version, March 2023
  • Training course on child growth trends, WHO child growth standards, WHO, December 1, 2008
  • The health professional’s guide to using the new WHO growth charts, The National Library of Medicine, February 2010

Read also :

⋙ Growth: why it is important to measure your children regularly

⋙ Growing pains: what are the symptoms and how to relieve them?

⋙ Growth curve: my child is small, when should I worry?

source site-44