These are also important measurements of growth. Height is the best method of measuring linear growth (stature) as height reflects growth over a longer period than does weight. Measuring height is therefore important in older children. Head circumference can be used to assess brain growth in children under 2 years. During this period brain growth [...]
Weight-for-age is usually used to monitor growth. It is particularly useful in small infants who normally gain weight fast. Normal weight gain suggests that the infant is healthy and growing normally. Failure to gain weight normally is often the earliest sign of illness or malnutrition (i.e. undernutrition). Therefore, a child’s weight should be measured at [...]
Growth monitoring is the regular measurement of a child’s size in order to document growth. The child’s size measurements must then be plotted on a growth chart. This is extremely important as it can detect early changes in a child’s growth. Both growing too slowly or too fast may indicate a nutritional or other health [...]
No, as the definition of growth is a change in body size over a period of time. Therefore, some other form of assessment of growth is needed when you cannot wait a few weeks or months to decide whether the child is growing normally or not. An assessment of growth can be made if the [...]
