Weight gain is a universal concern. All parents want their
kids to be healthy and an appropriate weight is very reassuring to most parents
because this means that their kid is growing & developing in a healthy way. However there are many misconceptions in the society regarding weight
of infants and toddlers . Concerns about
childhood weight gain are a very common cause of consultation in my Growth Clinic.
Are You Worried?
If you are worried that there is something abnormal and your
child is not gaining weight, stop thinking and first evaluate whether in reality the weight is less or not.
Normal weight at different ages for Indian Children
BOYS
|
GIRLS
|
|
6 months
|
6.5-10 kg
|
6-9 kg
|
1 year
|
8-12 kg
|
7-11 kg
|
18 months
|
9-13 kg
|
8-13 kg
|
2 years
|
10-15 kg
|
9-15 kg
|
In further doubtful cases , for a thorough evaluation only
weight doesn’t give the complete picture and other parameters like weight for
height have to be plotted on a Growth Chart and assessed that can be done by a
Growth Specialist
So is your Child REALLY underweight?
If your child actually falls in the underweight category,
evaluation is needed. In a child who is otherwise not having any medical problems
and doesn’t need medications very often, the underweight situation is usually
due to a lack of adequate calorie intake. Ensuring adequate food intake is the
first step and often the only step needed to bring your child in the normal
weight bracket for his/her age.
I shall discuss the common issues in young child feeding and
the common problems parents face while feeding tiny tots in subsequent blog
posts. So watch this space .
In case you have any specific worries and queries, please
feel free to write in the comments section. We ll try to address them.
Happy Growing 😊..
Dr Uppal, Saurabh
Childhood Growth & Hormone Specialist
Dr. Uppal is a Pediatric Endocrinologist and Director at ENDOKIDZ Centre for Growth, Diabetes, and Hormones for Children at Jalandhar, Punjab India.
Dr. Uppal is a Pediatric Endocrinologist and Director at ENDOKIDZ Centre for Growth, Diabetes, and Hormones for Children at Jalandhar, Punjab India.
If you have any concerns about your height, Consult your family doctor or your Child's pediatrician and request them to assess the child height and plot the child's height on a GROWTH CHART. If the height is less than what is expected at that age, your doctor may refer the child to a Pediatric Endocrinologist.
