Your Baby’s Growth in the First Year of Life

If you are concerned about your baby’s growth or development, you can monitor his feeding schedule and developmental changes using Babble Soft applications and share those reports with your pediatrician. A good doctor will understand that you are just a concerned parent and you want the best for your new baby!

The first 12 months of life are very important in the growth and development of your baby. Dramatic changes are taking place in all areas of their growth and development, sometimes it seems as if they are growing everyday, and they are. Most babies will double their birth weight by gaining an average of 0.5 oz to 1 oz every day for the first 6 months of life, and triple their birth weight between 9 to 12 months. By their first birthday, most babies have grown about 10 inches in length. Their head circumference normally increases 0.25 to 0.5 inches per month.
When you take your baby in for their well checkups the doctor or nurse will take three measurements:

Weight
Undress your baby completely, diaper and all. The doctor will place him on a scale to weigh him. The doctor or nurse will be able to tell you your baby's weight in pounds to the closest ounce.

Length
While your baby is lying down he will be measured from the top of his head to the bottom of his heel. Some pediatricians use a device that has a headboard and a movable footboard so they can easily get accurate results.

Head circumference
In order to measure your baby's head, the doctor will place a flexible measuring tape where his head has the largest circumference — just above their eyebrows and ears, and around the back of his head where it slopes up from his neck.

You may wonder why the doctor measures your baby’s head at every visit.  A baby's brain growth is reflected by the size of his skull. If the head circumference is not increasing normally it could be an indication that the baby's brain isn't growing and developing as it should. If a baby's head circumference grows too quickly, it may be a sign of a problem such as hydrocephalus, which is the buildup of fluid in the brain. Both conditions are rare but they are important to rule out.

Your baby’s pediatrician will use growth charts to evaluate and keep track of your baby's physical growth. At each checkup, your baby's length, weight, and head circumference will be measured and put into a chart of national averages for babies of the same age and sex. This will tell your pediatrician what percentile your child is in.

If the pediatrician tells you that your 3-month-old daughter is in the 90th percentile for weight, for example, that means 90 percent of the 3-month-old girls in the United States weigh the same or less than she does and 10 percent weigh more. If your baby was premature, their gestational age is used to plot their numbers on the growth chart.

If your baby was born 5 weeks early, her numbers will be compared with babies who are 5 weeks younger than your baby. Some pediatricians use "preemie" growth charts when measuring premature infants. Whichever growth chart is used your pediatrician will take into account that your baby was born preamturely.

You shouldn’t worry needlessly about these percentages because each child is different and will develop at his own pace. These measurements are used as a general guide to help you and your pediatrician assess your baby's growth and development. The important thing is that your baby's growth is progressing. This helps your doctor make sure that your baby is gaining weight as they should with no big drops in weight. The pediatrician will also keep an eye on their weight to make sure it isn't excessive for their height, an indicator of potential weight problems down the road.
If your baby's percentile changes significantly the doctor will want to figure out why and make sure they do not have a serious medical condition. Since a minor illness or a change in your baby's eating patterns might result in a smaller drop the pediatrician may just want to follow your baby's growth more closely for a while.

If your baby hasn't been sick but his weight gain is slowing relative to the growth curve he's been on, your pediatrician may suggest increased or more frequent feedings or may prescribe vitamins. You may be asked to come in for more frequent visits to make sure that your baby starts gaining weight again.