What is the height standard for children?

It is the wish of every parent that every child can grow up healthily and happily. However, many parents worry that their babies are malnourished or that their feeding methods are inappropriate every time they see their children are with children of the same age and are not as tall or fat as other children. Sometimes they don’t know how to take better care of their babies. Let’s take a look at the height standard for children.

What is the height standard for children?

Weight formula:

1-6 months: weight (g) = 3000 + age in months × 600

7-12 months: weight (g) = 3000 + age in months × 500

Over 1 year old: Weight (kg) = age x 2 + 7 (or 8)

The weight calculated using the above formula is only an approximate average and may vary by more than 10%.

Calculation standard for head circumference in children

The average head circumference of a newborn is 34 cm. It increases by about 8 cm in the first six months after birth, 4 cm in the second half of the year, and another 2 cm in the second year. After the age of 5, it is close to that of an adult. If the head circumference is too small, it is often due to microcephaly caused by incomplete brain development; if the head circumference is too large, it may be caused by craniocerebral insufficiency (hydrocephalus) or nutritional issues.

Children's chest circumference development standard

Chest circumference is about 32 cm after birth, increases by about 12 cm in the first year, and about 3 cm in the second year. Chest circumference is often smaller than head circumference at 1 year old, and they are almost equal at 1 year old. After 2 years old, chest circumference exceeds head circumference. Rickets and malnutrition will result in a smaller chest circumference.

Factors that affect your baby's height

1. Nutrition

Stature is the sum of the head, spine and lower limbs. It is an important indicator of bone growth, especially long bone growth. When the baby's nutrition cannot meet the needs of bone growth, the rate of height growth will slow down. Nutrients closely related to bone growth include vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus. Insufficient iodine and zinc can also cause babies to be short.

2. Sleep

Growth hormone secreted by the pituitary gland is an important hormone that stimulates the baby's growth. The secretion of human growth hormone is unbalanced within 24 hours a day, and its secretion is higher during sleep than when awake. Lack of sleep will affect the baby's growth. Generally, newborns require 20 hours of sleep per day and night. From 2 to 6 months, it is 15 to 18 hours; from 6 to 18 months, it is 13 to 15 hours; from 18 months to 3 years old, it is 12 to 13 hours; from 3 to 7 years old, it is 11 to 12 hours. The amount of sleep a baby needs each day varies greatly from person to person. If some babies sleep less but their spirit, mood, and growth and development are normal, there is no need to force it.

3. Exercise

Exercise can promote blood circulation, improve bone nutrition, accelerate bone growth, make bones dense, and promote height growth. Babies under 3-4 months old should lie on their stomachs several times a day to promote whole-body activities, and should develop basic abilities such as turning over, crawling, standing, and walking as they grow older. Babies should not be held or sit for too long. It is not convenient for babies to move their whole body while being held, and sitting for a long time will affect the development of their lower limbs. At the same time, after babies learn to sit, they are often unwilling to learn to roll over and crawl.

4. Disease

Many diseases can affect the baby's height growth. Generally, acute diseases only affect weight, while chronic diseases can affect height. If, after long-term measurement and observation, the baby's height is always more than 10% lower than the average height of children of the same age, it is called growth retardation; if it is more than 30% lower, it is abnormal and should be diagnosed and treated in time.

5. Genetics and Gender

It is reported that the height of a considerable number of babies is affected by genetics. In terms of gender, boys are generally taller than girls of the same age.

6. Living environment, social culture, and climate region

According to a survey, babies in northern my country are taller than those in southern China. Babies living in areas with high living environment and social and cultural levels tend to grow taller.

The above is an introduction to the standard height for children. After understanding it, we know that children have certain growth and development standards at different ages and periods, so parents don’t need to be too anxious as long as the baby’s growth range is within the normal range. After all, children’s physiques are different. However, in the process of caring for the baby, we must ensure that the child’s diet is balanced and nutritionally balanced, and do not let the child develop a picky eating habit.