Infant Weight GainIn the early months after birth
One major concern for mothers, especially first-time moms, is whether their newborn is gaining weight adequately. Ensuring proper nutrition for the baby andweight gaineach month can provide peace of mind for parents. Like many parents, you might wonder if your baby is growing normally.
Healthy children can come in a variety of sizes, but their growth patterns are generally predictable. During check-ups, a doctor will assess the child’s height, weight, and age to determine if your child is growing, to plan for any necessary interventions.
Infant Weight Gain in the Early Months of Life
Child’s Weight and Contributing Factors
Many factors can affect the weight of a newborn.
-Weeksof pregnancyBecause premature infants are usually smaller, babies born on time may be larger.
-Smoking: Mothers who smoke tend to have smaller infants.
-Gestational diabetes:Diabetesduringpregnancycan lead to a baby being larger than average.
-Nutritional status: Poor nutrition during pregnancy can result in a smaller baby, while excess weight gain can lead to a larger baby.
-Family history: Some babies are born smaller or larger and this may be hereditary.
-Gender: On average, baby girls are slightly lighter than boys.
-Multiple pregnancies: A baby is likely to weigh more than siblings born in a multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets, etc.).
What factors influence infant weight gain?
Weight Gain in the First Year:
Every child is different, but here is what you can generally expect in the first 12 months of life.
-First two weeks:
It is normal for newborns, whether breastfed or bottle-fed, to lose some weight in the first days of life.
A bottle-fed infant may lose up to 5% of their body weight, while a breastfed baby can lose up to 10%.weight lossHowever, within two weeks, most infants can regain the weight they lost and return to their birth weight.
Weight Gain of the Infant at 1 Month
From birth to 6 months, infants should gain 141 to 198 grams per week and grow about 2.54 centimeters each month.Heightand weight varies among infants, but generally by one month old, an infant should grow between 2.5 to 3.8 centimeters taller and gain about 900 grams during this month. However, this growth might vary in speed.
As mentioned in the infant section onSelMagzmost infants gain around half a kilogram each month. At this age, infants are not as sleepy, start developing a regular feeding pattern, and have stronger suckling while breastfeeding.
Weight Gain of the Infant in the First Month After Birth
Infant Weight Gain at 2 Months
Infant Weight Gain at 3 Months
Infant Weight Gain at 4 Months
Infant Weight Gain at 5 Months
Height and weight increases vary among infants, but generally, a 5-month-old baby should weigh around 7.5 kilograms.
Infant Weight Gain in the Fifth Month
Infant Weight Gain at 6 Months
At 6 months, the baby starts to grow about 1.27 centimeters each month and gains 85 to 141 grams per week. On average, infants gain about half a kilogram each month during the first six months. The average weight at six months is about 7.3 kilograms for girls and 7.9 kilograms for boys.
Infant Weight Gain at One Year
Between six months and one year, weight gain slows down. Most infants double their birth weight by five to six months and triple it by the time they are one year old. At one year old, the average weight for a baby girl is around 8.9 kilograms and for boys, it is about 9.6 kilograms.
