Young children are weighed when lying on a scale. Wait until the child lies still before recording the weight to the nearest 10 g. Always weigh the child undressed or wearing only a vest. Always remove the nappy before weighing.
Older children are weighed standing up. Record the weight to the nearest 100 g (0.1 kg). Remove all the child’s clothes, except the underpants, before weighing.
Before weighing a child, always check that the scale reads zero. Scales should be calibrated weekly.
When weighing an infant on a spring scale, or an older child on a bathroom scale, you are measuring weight. A balance scale measures mass. Both are equal and expressed in kilograms.