Growth and development of children

Question 1

What is assessed by the APGAR score?

Answer 1

(A)- Activity (Absent = 0, flexed arm and legs with no activity = 1 point, Active = 2)
(P)- Pulse (ab=0, <100=1, >100=2)
(G)- Grimace (floppy =0, minimal response to stim=1, prompt response to stim=2)
(A)- Appearance (Blue;pale = 0, pink body blue extremity =1, pink=2)
(R)- Respiration (ab=0, slow irreg=1, vigorous cry=2)

• Normal score is 7+ less than that baby needs monitoring 0 = dead baby

Question 2

What are the stages of growth and development?

Answer 2

1) Infancy:
- Neonate (0-1 month)
- Infancy (1 month - 1 year)

2) Early childhood:
- Toddler (1-3 years)
- Preschool (3-6 years)

3) Middle school
- School-age (6-12 years)

4) Late childhood (teenager):
- Adolescent (13-18 years)

Question 3

What are the growth parameters?

Answer 3

1) Weight
2) Length
3) Head circumference (2years) /occipitofrontal circumference (OFC)
4) BMI = weight/height2

Question 4

What are the red flags in the growth parameters?

Answer 4

1) <3-5 percentile (< S.D from mean)
2) > 95 percentile (>S.D from mean)
3) Has clinical significance
4) OFC>95% = Hydrocephalus (abnormal build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain ventricles)
5) OFC <3-5% MICROCEPHALY (DOWN SYNDROME)

Question 5

What is the normal weight of the baby?

Answer 5

1) 4-5 month = Double the birth weight
2) 1 YEAR = Triple the birth weight
2 Years = Quadruple the BW
- Then an annual gain of 2-2.5kg between 2-puberty
- Normal Birth Wright is about 3.5

Question 6

What is the normal height of a baby?

Answer 6

1) At birth = 50 cm
2) During the first year avg = 75cm
3) by 3 yrs height = 90 cm
4) by 4 years = 100cm

• Between 4 and puberty average growth is approx 5-7cm per yr

Question 7

What is the normal head circumference?

Answer 7

1) At birth - 35cm
2) First 3mon increase 2cm/per month
- 3 month = 39-41
2) 0.7-1cm/mon for 3 mon
- 6month = 43-44cm
3) at 1 yr 46-47 then it increases 10cm for the rest of life (adult = 56cm)

Question 8

What is the difference between growth and development?

Answer 8

growth refers to the increase in bodily size or any of its parts (quantitative change, measure in Kg, pounds, meters, inches, etc), while development refers to the increase in skill and functional capacity (qualitative measure) measured by observation