Is Your Baby's Size Normal
All mothers watch their children's development closely. We get
worried if they're too small, or too big, too short or too tall.
But, just like adults, babies come in all shapes and sizes. When
you take your baby to the pediatrician for her well baby
checkups, they will rank your baby's size. Here's some idea of
how it will work.
When your baby is weighed and measured, the pediatrician will
tell you where your baby's weight and length rank in terms of a
"percentile". This simply tells you how your baby compares to
other babies of the same age. For example, if your baby's weight
falls into the 80th percentile, it means she weighs more than 80
percent of babies her age. Some people seem to think ranking in
a high percentile is a good thing, because it means the baby is
thriving. However, this is not necessarily the case. A baby in
the 40th percentile might be thriving, but just destined to be a
small person. For example, my daughter has consistently ranked
in about the 50th percentile, and she is very healthy, and has
plenty of meat on her bones. My husband and I are not very large
people, and it seems that she has simply inherited our body size.
Your baby's length will be ranked in exactly the same way, and
can give you an idea of whether your baby will be tall, medium
or average in height. If both you and your husband are short,
don't expect a baby to rank in the 90th percentile in height,
though it can happen.
One thing you do need to look for is a major difference between
the height and weight percentiles. They should be pretty close.
If your baby is in the 40th percentile in height, and 90th in
weight, you might be feeding her a bit too much. On the other
hand, a baby in the 90th percentile in height that ranks in the
30th percentile in weight is probably a bit on the thin side.
Your doctor will advise you if your child's diet needs attention.
The most important thing you can do to monitor your child's
development is to attend those well baby visits with your
pediatrician. Your doctor will be monitoring your baby's
progress, and in the event that any area needs attention, he
will be able to alert you to the issues. This first year of
development is critical, and it is good to keep tabs on the
progress.