the average age height increases is 1-13cm. As the newborn adjusts to life outside to uterus, changes in physiology produce losses of body water and small amounts of body tissues. Also, in the first few days after birth, the energy supplied by breast milk does not yet meet the needs of the newborn. As a result, the infant loses about 6% of birthweight in the first few days after birth. By the end of the first week the infant begins to gain weight rapidly and, by about the tenth day, has regained birthweight. By the age 4 months, most infants have doubled their birthweights, and by the end of the first year, birthweight has tripled. Although the rate of weight gain during infancy is high, it decelerates from a peak rate obtained in the utero. From birth to age 4 months the infant gains 20-25 each day, and from 4 months to 1 year, weight gain slows to 15g per day. It would be interesting to note that a series of growth charts have been developed for normal ranges of weight, length, and head circumference. With these charts, parents and the pediatric health care team can plot an infant’s measurements and growth progress compared with infants of the same gender and age. If the infants moves along a given percentile rating, individual progress is likely to be satisfactory for that infant-although short deviation into another percentile channel usually is not important. However, an infant who dramatically or steadily moves into a different channel, either higher or lower, and remains there, prompts identification of the cause. For example, if the infant suddenly drops into a lower channel, eating problems, negative environmental situations, or perhaps an illness that is interfering with growth, should be explored. Dramatic changes in body composition occur during early infancy. As the infant grows and gains weight, all three major body compartments-water, fat, and lean tissue increase in size. However, proportions betwee...
