There are constituent factors that determine the dynamics of the weight and height of the child. These factors, first of all, include - heredity, the environment and nutrition.
Hereditary predisposition mainly affects the growth of the child (heredity is especially evident during puberty), and in the development of weight, the main role is played by the quality and composition of nutrition. From this we can conclude: only normal feeding to some extent guarantees the normal development of the growth and weight of the child. And no matter how much the parents want, the change in growth and weight does not depend on the principle "if I feed more - it will be better", everything is in certain parameters, which vary very widely.
WHO (World Health Organization) recommends keeping the baby exclusively breastfed until the child is six months old, only after that, gradually add the supplement, but continue to breastfeed for at least a year.
As the recent data showed, the weight-for-height ratio of children who were fed, following WHO recommendations (breastfeeding without breastfeeding for up to 6 months), slightly differed from previous growth and weight. This is due to the fact that the previous schedules and tables of weight gain and growth rates of children are outdated. Tables and graphics were compiled more than twenty years ago and based on data on the growth and weight of children who were exclusively on artificial feeding.
Experts believe that many parents, trying to meet the old standards, begin to overfeed their children to six months of age, unreasonably adding to breastfeeding artificial mixtures. Overfeeding in turn causes the following problems: too early completion of breastfeeding, overweight, because of which motor development of the child slows down, the risk in the future to suffer from obesity and other serious diseases - intestinal dysbiosis, food allergy, pancreatitis, chronic constipation, atopic dermatitis - several times increased.
In this regard, the research team in 2006 developed new standards for the dynamics of growth and body weight of children. To properly assess the development of the child should be taken into account 3 factors - growth, head circumference and weight. These parameters are usually presented in separate tables - for girls separately, for boys separately, since the parameters are slightly different.
Weights for girls from 1 month to 5 years
Norms of weight for boys from 1 month to 5 years
Norms of growth for girls from 1 month to 5 years
Growth rates for boys from 1 month to 5 years
Head circumference rates for girls from 1 month to 5 years
Head circumference norms for boys from 1 month to 5 years
How to use tables
The chart has two colors - the developmental norms for boys are shown on a blue background, the development norms for girls are shown on a pink background. Vertically, usually indicators of growth or weight (height in cm, and weight in kg) are indicated. Horizontally indicates the age of the child in months. We find the point of intersection between the horizontal line, which corresponds to the weight, the circumference of the head or the growth and the vertical line, which corresponds to the age of the child - this is the norm of development (located between the upper red line and the lower red line). If you look closely at the table, you can see that the rates of development vary in a relatively wide range (to some extent, heredity affects). If the indicators are above the upper red line or below the lower red line, you should consult a pediatrician for advice. The doctor will identify the probable causes of the discrepancy with the parameters of your child's development.