Some time ago, my niece, who had just turned 1 year old, went to the hospital for a physical examination. The report showed that she was of standard height but underweight. If you eat well and sleep well, why are you underweight? Could it be that the supplementary food is not added to the standard, or is there a problem with the digestive system? The anxious sister-in-law was running around, insisting on a comprehensive examination of the child.
Normally, the main indicators for evaluating a child’s physical development include height, weight, head circumference, chest circumference, upper arm circumference, crown-hip length, etc. Among them, height and weight are the most commonly used, and what parents are most concerned about is Also height and weight.
Height growth reflects the child's long-term nutritional status, and is affected by genetics, endocrinology, sleep and exercise; weight change reflects the child's recent nutritional status, and is also related to the child's birth weight, feeding and disease Relatedly, the fluctuations are larger, and parents are more worried.
However, a temporary low or high weight does not mean there is a problem with the baby's development.
The ideal development of a baby is to grow in a balanced manner according to its own "growth trajectory"
The ideal weight of a baby is neither an average nor a comparison based on children of the same age. , but find your own "growth trajectory" for balanced growth.
Some time ago, I saw a popular science video by teacher Cui Yutao. In the video, netizens raised the issue of the baby's weight, saying that their child was a little thin and not as strong as other children of the same age, and they were worried about the child's development problems.
Teacher Cui Yutao said that the most taboo thing about babies' development is blind comparison with their peers. Who is taller and who is fatter? Their health status cannot be judged based on temporary fatness or thinness. The most accurate way is to judge based on the child’s growth curve!
So, what is a growth curve and why should it be judged according to a growth curve?
The growth curve is to express the baby's growth phenomenon as a curve on the graph. To put it simply, it means to regularly record the weight, length and head circumference of the baby at a certain age, and connect each measurement data into a curve, and then judge the baby's development based on this curve.
As for the reason, it is because there are many factors that affect the development of the baby, including but not limited to: birth weight, feeding methods, nutritional intake, diseases and seasons.
Take full-term infants and premature infants as an example. Premature infants develop significantly slower than full-term infants, and their weight and height are naturally worse. In the eyes of parents, they may feel that their children are too thin and inferior to others, but what about children who only compare themselves with themselves? Is there progress at every stage? Is the progress at each stage within the standard range? If so, then there is no problem with your baby’s development!
Moreover, the baby’s growth does not proceed at a uniform speed! The first year after birth is the first peak of growth in life. In the first 3 months, the weight increases fastest, with an average growth of about 2 pounds per month. Then it slows down. By 12 months, the weight growth is basically the same as in the first 3 months. Quite, that is to say, the weight at the age of one year should be 3 times the birth weight.
Another example is the season. The weather is hot in summer and children have no appetite. It is good not to lose weight, but it is impossible to gain weight as before; but autumn is the season when children accumulate fat. Their appetite increases and they eat less. If you eat more and have high nutrition, you will naturally gain a lot of weight.
However, whether the weight remains the same, the weight decreases, or the weight is increasing, as long as the baby follows his own growth trajectory and does not exceed the normal range, and the baby is in good spirits, has no problem with eating and sleeping, and there is no obstruction to growth. Disease is normal, parents don’t need to worry too much!
"Growth curve" is an important basis for evaluating whether a child's development is ideal.
Many parents do not understand the use of "growth curve". In fact, the method is very simple. First choose a child growth chart. It is recommended to use the World Health Organization or my country's child growth chart. After selecting, regularly record the baby's weight, length and head circumference at a certain month of age, and compare each time. The data is connected into a curve, which is the baby's "growth trajectory"; then the baby's development can be accurately recorded and evaluated.
Growth curve for boys aged 0-3:
Growth curve for girls aged 0-3:
There are 5 main lines in the growth curve: The percentile lines are P97, P85, P50, P15, and P3 percentile lines. Among them, P50 belongs to the average level, and P97-P3 belongs to the normal range.
Most babies will grow relatively steadily along their own growth trajectory between two main percentile lines. For example, the two red connecting lines shown in the figure below are the growth trajectories of two 2-year-old boys from 1 to 2 years old. Although one is fatter and the other is thinner, their growth trajectories are balanced (Boy A’s weight has been at P85 -P97 fluctuates, and gradually increases; B boys' weight fluctuates between P15-P50, and gradually increases), then their development is normal.
However, if the child's development exceeds a major percentile line, which is a "growth fluctuation", parents can adjust the child's diet or consult a doctor, but generally there is no major problem, and parents do not need to worry too much; If the child's development deviates from the two main percentile lines; or exceeds P97/P3, it is an "abnormal growth deviation". You need to find the cause quickly and solve it accordingly!
Parents do not need to measure growth curves too frequently. Generally speaking, babies under 6 months old should be measured once every 1-2 months; babies between 6 months and 1 year old should be measured once every 2-3 months; babies between 1-3 years old should be measured once every 3-6 months; 3 Children over 10 years old should be measured at least once a year.
PS: my country's children's growth curve chart also has a growth curve for children aged 2-18. Parents can check and download it, and then compare the baby's development to create an exclusive "growth trajectory".
Common misunderstandings about "growth curves", parents should not fall for them
When using growth curves, many parents often fall into a misunderstanding: taking the "average" as the basis for their children's development.
These days, almost every parent is anxious about the development of their children, wishing that their children would be so outstanding that no one can rival them!
However, every child is an independent individual, and there are individual differences in height and weight, as well as in the development of gross and fine movements. As long as it is within the range, there is no big problem. Parents do not need to be too serious and insist that their children develop according to the average.
Since the growth curve is divided into 5 main percentile lines, it naturally makes sense. The bottom line is P3, which is 3%, which means that 3% of infants and young children are below this level and may have developmental delays; the top line is P97, which is 97%, which means that 3% of infants and young children are below this level and may have developmental delays. Young children above this level may have excessive growth.
There is no doubt that these two situations are abnormal. If it is lower than P3 or higher than P97, parents must pay attention! The middle line is P50, which is 50%, which represents the average value. It means that nearly 50% of children’s growth and development indicators are higher than the normal value, and nearly 50% of the children are below the normal value. Children who are just at the average level are very Less; the other P15 and P85 indicate different levels in the normal range.
This normal range is the range covered by P3-P97.
Therefore, parents must not use the "average" as the basis for their children's development and health!
Dingma’s message:
Children’s development is subject to individual differences, including weight at birth, feeding methods, nutritional intake, environment, genetics, sleep movements, and mood. etc., will affect their growth and development. At this time, parents must not use simple standards or others as the basis for their children's health. Instead, they should learn to use the "growth curve" correctly to help their children find their own "growth trajectory" and grow in a balanced manner according to the trajectory.
The pictures in this article are all from the Internet and will be deleted immediately