OUR BABIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 4, 29 September 1917, Page 12

OUR BABIES

TBt Higeu.l • Published under the auspices of the Society for the Health of Women aud Children. "It is wiser to put up a fence at thetop of a precipice than to maintain an WEIGHT AND HEIGHT. An Inquiry Prom Otago. ".Would you tell me the weight an average child gains during the second, third, and fourth year? I have been considering: Bix pounds an average gain for the second year, and rather, less for the third, hut. cannot find out if I am correct." EEPLY. I have received several inquiries from time to time as to the average normal height and weight of infants. The question of weight in early infancy is dealt with in l lhe feeding table, pag; 34, "Feeding and Care of Baby," but i auv glad to supplement this with data as to height as w.ell as giving the weight and chest measurements in later infancy. The followinE summary regarding weight and height, mainly adapted from data given by Dr. Leroy Yale, of Sow York, in answer to questions submitted to him. conveys practically all that most mothers want to know on the subject:— THE INFANT'S NORMAL WEIGHT. How Much Ought the Normal Child to Gain in One Week? What is the Average Gain,' in the First Four Months? Growth varies according to age. During the first -week thero is usually a slight loss. After this is overcome the gain is continuous, but not uniform. It varies first of all with different children, depending somewhat, but not entirely, upon the original size and strength of the child. Five ounces per week is a fair gain for the first few months; but the gain often reaches as much as half a pound weekly during this period. By the ago of four months tho rate of growth is slackening, being usually not much above a quarter of a pound per week. Tho weight of that, age will bo on an average about 131b.—sometimes 141b. or more—but owing to tho progressive ro-' tardation of growth tho weight at a year is on the average less than doublo what it is at three months. Thus a child who weight 141b. at three months cannot bo expected to weigh abovo 241b. at 12 months, if so much; and the weight at one year will not. on the average, be again doubled before tho sixth or seventh year is reached. It is usual to consider that tho birthweight should be doubled at five or six mouths, and trebled at one year; but this is not truo if the birth-weight is exceptionally high. Tablo of Average Weigh!, and Height of Babies During the First Year. At birth. Months. Weight in 1 2 3 4 5 0 7 S 912 Pounds 7 8 9i Hi 13 14* 164 16J 171 18 21 Height in inches. 20 ■ 22i 25 87 29 Baby girls tend to be s'ightly bolow and boyß slightly above these figures, the differoncerin weight being usually not more than about half a pouiid. Of course, thero arc some naturally quickgrowing babies, who much exceed the . abovo figures, while Other babies, who are quite healthy, may ..weigh considerably less. V MEASUIiEMKNTS AND WEIGHTS OF BOYS ' AND GIHLS AT VARIOUS AGES.

"Will you plcaso give me the average height, weight aud chest measurements of a two-year-old, also of a three-year-old, child? Is there found to bu a. difference between an avcrago boy and average girl of these ages in, regard to size .and weight?" While we. have a good many figures regarding th'f first, year, and nbuudaneo concerning (the school age—six years aud upward—wethave few regarding the interval from one to six years. Dr. Holt has recorded tho results of weighing and measuring 372 children from the second to the fifth year. His results aro as follow:—

Two Year?.—Weight: Boys, 26J11).; giuls, 2511b. Height: 32Jiu. for both sexes. Ofiest (middle of inspiration):-Boys, 19in.; girls, 181 in- . Years—Weight: Boys, 31!b.; girls, 301b. Height:'3sin. tor both sexes. Chest: Boys. 20in.; girls, "Oin. An easy figure to bear in mind as an averago is that when five years old a child should weigh in pounds about, eight times its age—in other words, about 401b. Knowing that for several years before and after five* years of age tho yearly increasq is about 4lb. or 51b., one can easily arrivo at; what a child should weigh lor -4ny year from two to eight by merely subtracting or adding these figures, as the ease may be. The average normal height at five..years of age. is about, 42in.. lor hoys and about 41Jiu. for girls; and at ten vcafs of. age 62in. for boys aud 51iiu. for girls. The average weight of a ten-year-old normal boy is about, 6611b., and tha.t, of a girl 641b., but, at 16 years the average boy weighs about 101b. or Mb. more than the girl, • and he should have shot 4in. above her in height.