When obstetricians are born, they immediately measure the weight, circumference of the head and growth of the newborn baby. Of course, talking about the growth of the baby can be a stretch, the wording “body length” will be more accurate.
Children are born with different weight and length parameters. In this article, we will examine why this happens, what factors affect the fetal development of the fetus, how babies develop after birth.
The normal length of the body of the newborn is in the range of 46-56 cm. Many infants do not fit into these parameters and their growth exceeds the average, which is not a pathology. It is generally accepted that if the length of the baby at birth is less than 45 cm, then it is classified as premature.
How to measure the length of a child
The first measurement is carried out in the delivery room. The newborn is applied to the measuring line so that the head is in contact with the stop and the legs are pulled out as much as possible, noting the corresponding division on the scale. Two circumstances affect the accuracy of such measurements.
After birth, on the head of the newborn there is a birth tumor, which appeared after passing through the birth canal of the woman in labor. It is not dangerous and resolves after a couple of days, but with the very first measurement it affects the total length. More accurate data can be obtained after 2-3 days, when the tumor disappears.
The correctness of the testimony when measuring the length of the newborn is affected by the fact that his muscles are usually in good shape and it is often very difficult to straighten the leg without harming it. Many parents after the hospital measure not only weight, but also the height of their baby. For children older than a year, there are special stadiometers.
The baby’s length is harder to measure. An emphasis should be created for the head, which can be used as a wall or a side of the changing table. Putting the baby’s head close to this emphasis, you need to straighten the legs and push them to the table. The feet of the child should be perpendicular to the table. They should be arranged as if the baby was standing.
Having fixed the place where the feet of the newborn reached, mark him. Toddler raise and take measurements. To overcome muscle tone and unbend legs, measurements are made after a warm bath and a relaxing massage.
What factors affect birth growth
Of course, the growth of a newborn is influenced by genetics. Heredity is not always manifested immediately at birth. Many expect that high parents will have a long baby, and the height of the baby will be small for dad and mom. Often such expectations are not met, and vice versa. A more accurate comparison will be the length of the newborn with the growth of his parents at birth.
Intrauterine nutrition of the fetus has a significant effect on the length and weight of the baby. The expectant mother should eat right, stop smoking, drink alcohol, and lead a healthy lifestyle. Babies born small are often growing quite quickly and already in the first year they catch up with their peers born larger.
WHO tables
There are special tables compiled by WHO (World Health Organization) that provide guidelines for the development of babies. These tables, which existed for 20 years, were updated in 2006. Previous data was based on measurements of babies who are breast-fed. Scientists have taken into account that when breastfeeding, children grow and gain weight more slowly.
The tables are charted, separately for boys and for girls. For them, you can track the monthly growth rate of growth and weight of a child from birth. According to WHO, the average height of newborn boys is from 46.1 to 53.7 cm, girls – from 45.4 to 52, 0 cm.
Child growth rate
In the first year, the baby grows very intensively, the increase in growth is 25 cm. In the second year, the growth is 12-13 cm, by the end of the third year another 7-8 cm is added. By four years, the baby’s body length doubles, and triple by 12 years. These indicators are not the ultimate truth, they should be taken as reference material. All children are different and can develop according to their own individual norms.
Nevertheless, there are approximate standards for the growth rate of a newborn by month. These tables are slightly different, but basically they note an increase in the growth of the baby by 25-26 cm in the first year of life.
| Age (month) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | eleven | 12 |
| Growth gain (cm) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2,5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1,5 | 1,5 | 1,5 | 1,5 |
Measurement is carried out monthly or quarterly. In the first three months, the baby grows on average by 9 cm, then for each three months it adds 6.5, then 5.5 and 4.5 cm.
As you can see, the child grows most intensively in the first months after he is born. In the future, the pace slows down. Mostly the increase in growth occurs at night and in the summer. Young parents want to know what their baby will be like in the future. To calculate the approximate growth of a grown child, there is a special formula.
The basis is the growth of dad and mom, which is folded and divided into two. In order to find out the boy’s height, you need to add 5 cm to the result, girls – take away 5 cm. Of course, this formula cannot be taken as a basis, modern babies can outgrow their father and mother over time. In addition, tall children can grow up with low parents.
