Healthy new born baby weight

Introduction

During the development in the uterus, babies grow very fast, but after the birth, their growth is also rapid. Approximately, they grow one inch monthly in their first year of life, and at the end of this period, their weight is three times more than the weight they were born with. This fast growth lasts for about one year and after that it slows down, although babies still continue to grow.

Average height and weight of a newborn

Most of the babies born in North America are long 18 to 22 inches and their weight is 5.5 to 10 pounds. About 5% of the babies do not belong to this group. These data include babies who were born prematurely or had some other irregularities during their birth.

The growth of babies

As we have mentioned earlier, after birth, babies grow one inch monthly during their first year of life. When they are one year old, their height is about one third of their future adult height. It is normal for newborns to lose weight in their first days of life and this loss of weight is connected with their adjustment to suckling. After this first period, babies regain their weight and start to grow rapidly. They usually gain 5 to 6 ounces weekly in their first four weeks of life, but after that, their growth is a bit slower, though still rapid. When they turn four months, their weight is doubled, while, when they are one year old, they weight three times more than their birth weight. During their second year, their growth is not that rapid; actually it becomes much slower. The average weight of a two-year-old is 26 to 32 pounds, and height is 32 to 35 inches.

You have to know that here we talk about average weights and heights. However, that does not mean that every baby will have the same development, because there are different factors that can have influence on the growth of the infant. It is best to consult a pediatrician to get the accurate information on whether your baby’s development is proper. Newborns, who were developing in the uterus for 40 weeks, usually weight about 2.8 kg. Baby who weights less than 2.5 kg is treated specifically because it is a low birth weight baby. Normal newborns weight 2.5 to 3.5 kg and their length is about 50 cm. The color of babies’ legs and arms may be bluish right after the birth, but after a short period of time, they gain normal color. Three to four hours after the birth, baby can be nursed.