Quantitative studies of body weight, length, weight and length velocities of Assiut infants and preschool children

ABSTRACT

The present study was carried out in an attempt to construct growth standards for body weight and length, weight and length velocities as well as establishment of percentile charts for body weight and length for body weight and length for infants and young children. A total number of about one thousand male and female infants and young children aged from birth till the end of the sixth year were included in the present study. Each infant and child was subjected to measurements of body weight and length. Statistical analysis of the raw data was carried out. The present study indicated that the mean birth weight was 3700 gms for boys and 3400 gms. for girls. It was noticed that the birth weight is doubled by the age of 6 months and tripled by the age of 2 years. By the age of 4 years the birth weight is quadrepled and by the age of 6 years the body weight is about 6 times of its birth weight. The present study indicated also, that the mean recumbent length was 554 mm for boys and 542 mm for girls. By the age of 2 years the body length is about one and half of its birth length and by the age of 5 years the birth length is doubled. The growth rates indicated that the infantile component of growth velocity occurred early in infancy at the age of 0-6 mo-interval. There is also, two other growth velocities in childhood, one occurred early in childhood 2-3 years interval and the other occurred later at the age 5 1/2-6 year interval. These growth standards as well as the percentile growth charts are of great importance in assessment of growth of infants and young child in our locality