Is my baby gaining proper weight or is he/she obese for his/her age? These are the most common worries that every parent has about their child. Many of us try to force-feed our children in an attempt to make them look healthy. What we forget here is our child’s birth weight. If your child had a low birth weight, he/she will gain weight accordingly. It is important to consider the birth weight of your child before jumping to any kind of conclusion or comparing your child’s weight with that of others.
If your baby does not gain weight properly in the first year, it could mean that he/she is not gaining weight properly, but it could also mean that the weight gain is perfect according to the baby’s birth weight. A doctor is the best person who can help you learn whether your child is gaining weight properly or whether he/she is underweight or overweight for his/her age. More on baby growth spurts
If the doctor suggests that you need to pay attention to your child’s weight gain, then here are some things that you can do to make sure that your baby gains weight properly:
• Never dilute the formula milk that you administer your baby with water. Do so only if your doctor asks you to. You can dilute the formula with juice if you wish to do so.
• Avoid nursing your baby or feeding your baby with a bottle if you start him/her on solid food.
• Never force feed your child if he/she is not willing to eat. As a result, your child may get used to the force-feeding habit and may not eat properly for the rest of his/her life.
• Do not try to control the baby’s weight gain unless the doctor advises you to do so as it may interfere with the baby’s nutrition requirement. See also baby growth percentile
Babies grow rapidly when they are around four to seven months of age. There is no hard and fast rule how much your baby must weigh at this age. Here are some factors that you need to consider while calculating your baby’s growth:
• Your baby’s birth weight.
• Your genes that have been passed to the baby. If both the parents are short do not expect your child to grow real tall.
• The amount and the quality of food that the baby eats.
• The overall health of the baby.
• The growth hormones and their functioning.
So, the next time before labeling your baby thin or fat, think twice and stop comparing your child with other children. Make your baby eat healthy and nutritious food and he/she will automatically gain the right weight.
Submitted by N on April 19, 2010 at 04:57