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Normal Growth Patterns 43

Infants and young children may lose weight should be plotted on the chart and compared with
when they are ill and not eating well but normally birthweight.
regain the weight within a few weeks once they are
well and their appetite has returned. Birthweight centile does not always
predict the weight centile later in
Weight loss after birth infancy

Infants normally lose weight after birth and then The birth weight reflects fetal growth, which is
regain their birthweight by 7–10 days. The weight loss dependent on prenatal nutrition and also any
is mainly due to a net fluid loss in the first 2–3 days. A growth restriction or acceleration within the womb.
weight loss of up to 10 per cent of birthweight is For example, intrauterine growth restriction may
considered normal: more than 10 per cent needs occur if the mother is very small in stature, or
careful assessment to ensure feeding is effective and growth acceleration may occur in fetuses of mothers
such infants should be carefully monitored until they with diabetes, possibly due to extra insulin produced
have regained their birthweight. in response to the hyperglycaemia of the mother
and consequently a high glucose level in cord blood.
Because of the variability of this weight loss and
gain, there are no centile lines between birth Within the first 6–8 weeks infants may cross
and 2 weeks of age on the growth charts for 0–4 centiles up or down, usually towards the 50th centile,
years. However, weights measured at this time to compensate for either slow or rapid fetal growth.

13.5 GIRLS WEIGHT (kg) 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52
13 0–1 year 3 4 567 8 9 10 11 13.5
Age in weeks/ months 13
12.5 4 8 9 10 99.6th 12.5
16 18 Age in weeks/ months 34 36 38 40 42 44 98th 12
12 5 67 91st 11.5
20 22 24 26 28 30 32 75th 11
11.5 50th 10.5
25th 10
11 Some degree of weight 9th 9.5
10.5 loss is common after birth. 2nd 9
Calculating the percentage 0.4th 8.5
10 weight loss is a useful way 8
9.5 to identify babies who 11 7.5
need extrra support. 46 48 50 7
9 6.5
6
8.5 5.5
5
Weight (kg) 8 4.5
4
7.5 3.5
3
7 2.5
2
6.5 91st 98th 99.6th 1.5
1
6 0.5

5.5 52

5 75th50th

99.6th 25th
9th
98th 4.5 20n.4dth

91st 4

75th

50th 3.5

25th 3
9th

2nd 2.5

0.4th

2

1.5

1
0.5 1 2 3

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Figure 2.1.3 Normal growth in an infant girl on an A5 format growth chart