How to Know if Your Child Is Too Skinny
Weigh your child regularly., Measure your child’s height., Calculate your child’s BMI., Recognize accuracy concerns., Note your child’s measurements.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Weigh your child regularly.
A good sign your child is is healthy and not too skinny is if they are steadily gaining weight as they grow.Weighing your child regularly can help you calculate things such as body mass index (BMI) as well as ensure your child is adding weight as they get taller.Use a scale that is properly calibrated.
You may even want one that can weigh to fractions of a poundThis will give you the most accurate reading of your child’s weight.
If your child doesn’t want to stand still, just weigh yourself while holding your child and then weigh yourself alone after you put down your child.
Subtract your weight from the combined weight.
The difference is your child’s weight.Recognize that your child’s weight can fluctuate during the day.
Weighing your child at the same time and under the same conditions can ensure the most accurate reading. -
Step 2: Measure your child’s height.
In most children, there is a direct parallel between growth in height and weight gain.Measuring your child’s height regularly can help you determine if your child is too skinny for their weight.
It can also help you calculate BMI, which is also a good indicator if a child is too skinny.
You may also want an idea of where on the growth chart your child falls.Offer your child a small prize for allowing you to measure them.
You may also want to chart it on a doorframe so that your child can watch as they grow.
Turning it into a game makes it a fun exercise for you and your child. , Plotting your child’s height and weight can give you a good idea of whether they are too skinny.
However, many doctors are now using a child’s body mass index, or BMI, to determine body composition.Body mass index considers factors including height, weight, age, and sex.It can give a more accurate calculation of whether your child is too skinny.Put your child’s measurements into a BMI calculator.
Organizations including the Centers for Disease Control offer online calculators for children’s BMI that use both English and metric measurements.Refer to BMI growth charts available online from organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control.Find your child’s BMI on the chart and then check the corresponding percentile.
A child below the 5th percentile is considered underweight., It’s not uncommon for your measurements to be less accurate than a pediatrician’s.
Your child’s doctor uses specialized instruments to get the most accurate information about your child’s growth.
If you don’t notice a big difference in measurements, you probably are doing a great job of checking your child at home.Take measurements at home after a doctor’s visit.
Compare your measurements to your doctor’s.
This provides a good reference point when you take more home calculations.
Check your measurements by doing each twice.
Check a third time if your first two measurements aren’t consistent. , Keep a notebook with your child’s height and weight measurements.
These can help you chart and watch their growth and may also provide your child’s doctor with important information about their development.Write the date before you take your measurements.
Note the numbers as quickly as possible so that your information is accurate.
You may also want to make additional notes about your child’s diet or sleeping habits.
Provide your child’s pediatrician with your notes if you are concerned your child is too skinny. -
Step 3: Calculate your child’s BMI.
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Step 4: Recognize accuracy concerns.
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Step 5: Note your child’s measurements.
Detailed Guide
A good sign your child is is healthy and not too skinny is if they are steadily gaining weight as they grow.Weighing your child regularly can help you calculate things such as body mass index (BMI) as well as ensure your child is adding weight as they get taller.Use a scale that is properly calibrated.
You may even want one that can weigh to fractions of a poundThis will give you the most accurate reading of your child’s weight.
If your child doesn’t want to stand still, just weigh yourself while holding your child and then weigh yourself alone after you put down your child.
Subtract your weight from the combined weight.
The difference is your child’s weight.Recognize that your child’s weight can fluctuate during the day.
Weighing your child at the same time and under the same conditions can ensure the most accurate reading.
In most children, there is a direct parallel between growth in height and weight gain.Measuring your child’s height regularly can help you determine if your child is too skinny for their weight.
It can also help you calculate BMI, which is also a good indicator if a child is too skinny.
You may also want an idea of where on the growth chart your child falls.Offer your child a small prize for allowing you to measure them.
You may also want to chart it on a doorframe so that your child can watch as they grow.
Turning it into a game makes it a fun exercise for you and your child. , Plotting your child’s height and weight can give you a good idea of whether they are too skinny.
However, many doctors are now using a child’s body mass index, or BMI, to determine body composition.Body mass index considers factors including height, weight, age, and sex.It can give a more accurate calculation of whether your child is too skinny.Put your child’s measurements into a BMI calculator.
Organizations including the Centers for Disease Control offer online calculators for children’s BMI that use both English and metric measurements.Refer to BMI growth charts available online from organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control.Find your child’s BMI on the chart and then check the corresponding percentile.
A child below the 5th percentile is considered underweight., It’s not uncommon for your measurements to be less accurate than a pediatrician’s.
Your child’s doctor uses specialized instruments to get the most accurate information about your child’s growth.
If you don’t notice a big difference in measurements, you probably are doing a great job of checking your child at home.Take measurements at home after a doctor’s visit.
Compare your measurements to your doctor’s.
This provides a good reference point when you take more home calculations.
Check your measurements by doing each twice.
Check a third time if your first two measurements aren’t consistent. , Keep a notebook with your child’s height and weight measurements.
These can help you chart and watch their growth and may also provide your child’s doctor with important information about their development.Write the date before you take your measurements.
Note the numbers as quickly as possible so that your information is accurate.
You may also want to make additional notes about your child’s diet or sleeping habits.
Provide your child’s pediatrician with your notes if you are concerned your child is too skinny.
About the Author
Margaret Richardson
Enthusiastic about teaching crafts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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