Baby growth charts show new weight measurements
New charts published this week for monitoring babies' growth promote breastfeeding and show a link between physical growth and motor development.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) was commissioned to design new charts to replace the 1990 growth charts, which described average growth and were based on babies who were predominantly fed with formula.
Babies who are breastfed tend to gain weight more slowly and are less likely to become obese. The new charts reflect this by showing a 1kg drop in expected weight gain by the age of one year, which will help to identify children at risk of obesity at an earlier stage.
The charts include for the first time Body Mass Index, which can be used to monitor childhood obesity, and a low birthweight chart for very pre-term babies.
Six key motor development milestones such as sitting, standing and walking, are listed.
Professor Charlotte Wright of the RCPCH said, 'The 1990 chart made parents more anxious as more children were deemed underweight.'
The charts have been introduced to coincide with National Breastfeeding Week on 10-16 May, as part of the Department of Health's commitment to increasing breastfeeding rates in England.
They are based on measurements collected by the World Health Organisation from 8,440 healthy breastfed children from six countries in 1997 to 2003.
They are to apply throughout the UK for all new births. The 1990 charts will continue to be used for measuring all children over four years old.
The new charts will be included in the updated Personal Child Health Record that is given to all new parents.
FURTHER INFORMATION
UK-WHO Growth Charts are available to download at www.rcpch.ac.uk
