Why we weigh and measure babies

Babies are regularly weighed and measured to monitor their growth.

The majority of children are growing just right, at rate determined by their genetic recipe.

Very occasionally, a baby causes concern because they are not growing at the anticipated rate and this flags potential complications. This includes everything from poor feeding through to complex and rare medical conditions. Regularly checking all babies is intended to prevent the few slipping through the net.

But the monitoring of weight can cause extreme anxiety for parents and, when poorly interpreted, can jeopardise exclusive breastfeeding.

Each newborn baby is measured soon after birth, which creates a starting weight which is plotted on a growth chart. They are also measured for length and head circumference.

It is typical that babies lose weight in the first week of life before gaining in the second week. After that, weight gain is expected to steadily increase as one indicator of growth. Length and head circumference are also recorded for the same reason.

Babies are measured at set ages and the data is expected to follow a curve on standardised charts. But while the charts are standardised, there are two major charts used which are not the same!

The preferred charts are the World Health Organization (WHO) charts developed in 2006. Previously the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) charts developed in 1977 were the standard. These two charts are interpreted differently.

Follow us as we explore how infant growth measures up and its implications for establishing and maintaining breastfeeding.