Parents often rely on the child's height and weight table to determine whether their child is developing properly and is healthy or not. However, if too obsessed with these numbers, parents can make their children obese in the future.
Parents obsessed with "standard" weight height tables
When asking any child's parent, answers are often given about the baby's recent weight status.
According to common belief, the standard height / weight of the baby is the basic measure to determine whether the baby is developing properly and is healthy or not. Tracking your child's growth isn't bad. But obsessing over too much of a child's weight can make parents tired, and even lead to the risk of obesity.
Weight only shows a part of a child's development, but it is the most conspicuous, and easiest to pressure parents. The more children gain weight, the heavier they are, the happier the parents. Conversely, if their children gain weight slowly, young mothers and fathers often have a feeling of "failure" when their child does not reach the "target" for the weight. They often feel that they are not doing their best as a parent.
However, scientists have long proven: the more children gain weight and grow too quickly in infancy, the greater the risk of obesity in adolescence and adulthood.
Children were forced to eat because their parents obsessed with their weight
In order for their children to grow above the average recommended by WHO, parents tend to over-stuff their children with food and nutrients. This abuse increases the risk of obesity in adolescence, adolescence and adulthood.
An example is this: Many people often advise mothers to give their babies formula instead of breast milk to help their baby gain weight faster. But the overuse of this "weight gain" formula leaves the baby's body with excess protein and nutrients. Although it will help some peace of mind because babies gain weight quickly, it makes their first 2 years of life out of control and potentially obesity in the future.
The same goes for weaning. Babies who are lighter than their peers are often criticized by their mothers for being " picky eaters ". Although scientists have proven that the weight of these babies is completely normal. But mothers still do not believe and always want to force their children to eat more. If the baby refuses to eat the main dish, the mothers often "bribe" with cakes / candies ... to let the baby eat more.
Mothers should let their children eat when they are hungry, not to force them to eat to please us. Eating and drinking because of this "hungry" reason will create a bad habit in the future. It makes children lose control in eating and become obese in the future.
How to read the child's height and weight chart correctly?
To guide mothers and foster mothers, the World Health Organization has announced the standard height and weight table for children from 1-5 years old. A normally growing child will have a height and weight index corresponding to this chart.
However, no one teaches young parents how to read this height and weight chart properly. According to WHO, in addition to the mean measured by the red line in the middle, this table is divided into 2 parts. Of these, 50% of children have a height and weight above average and 50% of children have a height and weight lower than average. This means that 50% of the world's children are more developed than average and the other half are lower.
But whether above average or below average, all these children are normal. Parents do not need to worry too much if the baby is still developing good motor and communication skills.
Below is a table of height and weight of children from 0 to 5 years old according to WHO standards that are being applied to Vietnamese children today.
Table of height and weight for boys / girls
Inside:
TB: Medium standard
Less than -2SD: Underweight or stunting
Above + 2SD: Overweight or obese (by weight) or very tall (by height).
In addition to the index of height and weight, the child's development must also be determined by many factors such as head circumference, mobility and communication. Everyone likes plump and chubby kids. But let children develop properly with their abilities. This both helps children develop a healthy overall in the future while reducing pressure on parenting for themselves.
See more:
Fetal Weight by Week - Latest 2019 dashboard from WHO
10 months old and weighs 18kg: I thought my milk was good!
Surprising truth about the Child's Weight that American doctors will reveal to the mother