child health- growth charts

Question 1

How do you measure growth in a baby?

Answer 1

weight
head circumference
length

Question 2

How should babies be weighed?

Answer 2

without clothes or nappy

Question 3

How should infants older than 2 years be weighed?

Answer 3

weighed in vest and pants but no shoes, footwear and dolls or teddies in hand

Question 4

What types of scales should be used?

Answer 4

only class III clinical electronic scales in metric setting should be used

Question 5

How should head circumference be measured?

Answer 5

measured using a narrow plastic or disposable paper tape

measurement should be taken where the head circumference is widest

Question 6

How should length of an infant be measured?

Answer 6

length board or mat as any other method is too inaccurate
requires 2 measurers
should be measured without nappy or footwear

Question 7

When is weight, head circumference and length/height measured?

Answer 7

weight 
- birth 
- first week as part of feeding assessment 
- 6-8 weeks
- 12 weeks 
- 16 weeks 
- 12-13 months with immunisations 
if there are concerns about their babies weight, then they are weighed more often but not too often as this can be misleading 

head circumference
- birth
- 6-8 weeks
and when there are concerns

length/heigh
- birth
- 6-8 weeks
when there are concerns

Question 8

Where do you start on the growth chart if the baby is born>37 weeks?

Answer 8

birth weight at age 0

- gap 0-2 weeks = variable, compare with birth weight

Question 9

When is the preterm chart used?

Answer 9

babies born <32 weeks

Question 10

What chart should be used if baby was born between 32-37 weeks?

Answer 10

use preterm section until 42 weeks and then move to the main chart
plot birth weight on main chart as well

Question 11

What do centiles show?

Answer 11

optimum range of heights and weights
describes % expected to be below that line
- 50% below 50th
- 91% below the 91st
half of all children should be between 25-75th centile

Question 12

What is a centile?

Answer 12

no single measurement that is definitely abnormal
under 0.4th centile = assess child
over 99.6th centile = assess child
weight normally tracks within 1 centile space
sustained drop of 2 centiles = assess child

Question 13

What is gestational correction?

Answer 13

<37 weeks - plot at actual age and then line back with an arrow to number of weeks preterm
until at least 1 year
for 2 years if born <32 weeks

Question 14

What is common after birth?

Answer 14

lose a bit of weight in the first week
80% regain this by 2 weeks - feeding ok and child well
weight loss >10% or slow recovery of birth weight needs careful assessment