Know Average Baby Weight and Height the First Year

If you are anxious that your child isn’t at a normal baby weight or a normal baby height, worry not. Every baby grows differently, and it is okay if their weight fluctuates or if they haven’t shot up in height yet, during the formative months.  It should come as no surprise that baby weight and height can vary as the baby goes through growth spurts and other developmental milestones. Plenty of factors can affect a baby’s height and weight including growth spurts, whether or not they were born prematurely, physical activity, genetics, and even gender. Most babies are between the 2.5 kg to 4 kg range. Newborn baby who is lighter or heavier than the average is usually fine after time so it shouldn’t be too much of a concern for you.

Baby Weight Gain in the First Year

As a rule of thumb, babies triple their birth weight by the end of their first year. Baby boys are usually a little heavier than baby girls, and first babies are usually lighter than later siblings However, keep in mind that sometimes babies go through brief periods wherein they stop gaining weight or even lose a little weight. This is completely normal and shouldn’t be a cause of any concern as long as the baby’s overall growth chart is steadily rising over time. It might happen due to the onset of physical activity, or when they lose the extra fluids they are born with.  A normal baby weight at birth should be anywhere between 2.5kg and 4.5kg, with 3.5kg being considered the average. After this, a baby will gain anywhere from 140 grams to 200 grams per week up till the 6-month mark. Between 4 to 6 months, do note that your baby’s weight will have roughly doubled as compared to their birth weight. Newborn babies may lose some weight during the first few days of life. However, this should normalize and the baby should start gaining weight once they start feeding from the breast. It is also possible that a baby gains weight too quickly due to an overabundant supply of breastmilk, excess nursing, or if the baby is started on solid foods too soon.

Weight Chart

First two weeks – As mentioned earlier, it is normal for newborn babies to lose weight during the first few days of life. A bottle-fed baby may lose up to 5% of their body weight whereas an exclusively breast fed one may lose 10% of their body weight. However, after two weeks, they will regain all the lost weight and return to their birth weight. Normal baby weight in kg is going to be 2.6 to 3.8 kg for a full-term baby.
 

One month – At the one-month mark, most babies will have gained anywhere from 500 grams to 1 kilo (from their birth weight! At this point, they will have developed a regular feeding pattern while also practicing a stronger suck during feedings. This enables them to steadily gain weight. Expect your baby boy to be around 4.5 kg or your baby girl to be around 4.2 kg.
 

Six months – At the half year mark, it is common for most babies to be roughly double their birth weight. So expect an average weight of 7.3 to 7.5 kg for baby girls and 7.9 kg to 8.5 kg for baby boys.
 

One year – Now that you have an idea of average baby weight by month, you should know that weight gain will slow down between the six month and one-year mark. However, it will still have tripled when compared to your baby’s weight at birth. Expect your baby girl to weigh around 8.9 kg or your baby boy to weigh around 9.6 kg.

Baby Length (Height) in the First Year

Your baby will gain an average of an inch a month during the first six months of their life.  After six months, growth will slow down to around ½ an inch per month, but will still be a constant for the remainder of their formative years.

However, do keep in mind that there is no consistent rate of growth when it comes to your little one’s length. Instead, what you will notice are growth spurts. Growth spurts are sporadic in nature and can happen at any time, without really following a pattern. Some of the ages that your child may experience a growth spurt are ten days, three weeks, six weeks, three months, and six months. Nonetheless, do not worry if your baby does not grow during these time periods as every baby is different. During and after a growth spurt, a baby will tend to cluster feed, which is essentially feeding every hour or two. Luckily, these intense cluster feeds will last a day or two, at which point your breasts will adapt to the increased demand by providing more breastmilk.

There are several factors that determine the growing capacity of a baby. Genetics plays an important part as the height of mother, father, and other family members can also impact how tall the child will be. Generally, tall parents will have tall babies whereas short parents will have short babies. In terms of gender, boys tend to be taller than girls. Infants grow in length after long periods of sleep. Make sure baby is moving around a lot as physical activity builds strong muscle and bones. Finally, good nutrition during after pregnancy will help ensure that baby’s body is getting the necessary vitamins, minerals, and protein needed for growth.

Height Chart

At Birth – 49.9 cm (boys) and 49.1 cm (girls)
 

One month – 54.7 cm (boys) and 53.7 cm (girls)
 

Three months – 61.4 cm (boys) and 59.8 cm (girls)

Six months – 67.6 cm (boys) and 65.7 cm (girls)

One year – 75.7 cm (boys) and 74 cm (girls)

However, do remember that these are just approximate numbers as most baby growth happens during growth spurts. Your child’s pediatrician will be more concerned with your baby gaining weight, rather than getting taller. As long as the baby is well-fed, moving around, and sleeping often, they are bound to get taller over time. Your baby’s month-to-month progress isn’t as important as the trend of the growth curve overall.

Best Food for baby weight and height

Breastmilk – This is hands down the best food to ensure consistent growth in your baby the way nature intended it. It should be top of the list as it is the most important food a baby will eat in its entire life. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life, and breastfeeding to continue until at-least one year (although it doesn’t hurt to extend it).

Eggs (non-vegetarian) or Soya beans (vegetarian) – Protein forms a part of all the cells in the body and is needed to make new cells. Hence it is essential in a child’s formative years as this is when most of the development takes place. Mash some egg yolk or soya beans and feed one tablespoon to your child (increasing it over time) so they can also get the growth benefits of protein.

Avocado – Even though it isn’t native to India, that doesn’t mean you can’t derive the benefits of this super-food. It is known as ‘Makhan Phal’ (butter-fruit) because of its buttery texture. The delectable, creamy texture makes it palatable for babies. Not only taste, avocado is also packed with essential nutrients, fatty acids, and fiber; making it one of the most baby-friendly solid foods that you can introduce as a puree at around the 6-month mark.

Potato - A classic in every right, the potato is versatile, yummy, and rich in minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. It is also the least allergenic food, which helps when dealing with the sensitive digestive system of a baby. It can be had as a puree, a soup, or even in khichdi. In addition to that, it’s also a fuss-free food as most babies love the bland, soft taste and texture of potato. Widely available all over the world, you should have no trouble findin

g potatoes anywhere.

Banana – One of the most popular baby foods, bananas are naturally sweet, easily mashed, and quite portable too! They don’t require any cooking and can be mashed without any equipment. Bananas are energy dense, packed with dietary fiber, potassium, and other vitamins and minerals making it an ideal weight gaining food. The best way to introduce bananas are by pureeing them and feeding a tablespoon to your baby.

Do keep in mind that solid foods should only be started after the six-month mark. Consult your pediatrician about how and when to start solid foods for your baby. The list provided above are just general guidelines about foods that can help your baby gain weight and length. As long as your baby is steadily gaining weight and length on their growth chart, and being regularly breastfed until the one-year mark, you have no reason to worry about their growth.