≈- Using height for age measurement to monitor growth as well as weight for age

  • Use CDC chart for this purpose
  • Refer to specialist clinic as early as possible when a child’s growth curve is abnormal
  • Encourage parents to come for growth monitoring as they are dealing with the vaccination program

v## Growth and Development

  • Growth is an increase in the size of the body & its organs.
  • Growth & development monitoring are essential components of WBC.
  • Growth can be monitored by growth charts.
  • Development can be monitored by developmental milestones checklist &
  • By risk assessment & eliciting parents concerns for growth & development.

Early Detection of Growth Disorders

Normal Infant Growth

  1. Head circumference (HC).
    • Approximately 35 cm at birth
    • Approximately 47 cm at 1 year of age
    • Use charts to detect any abnormalities:
      • Large or small head

  1. Length/ height (H).
    • Length at birth approximately 50 cm
    • Length at 1 year = 75 cm
    • Double birth length by 4 years (100 cm)
    • Use charts to detect any abnormalities:
      • Under/ over growth

  1. Weight (wt.)
    • Weight at birth = 2.5 - 4 kg
    • 4-6 months: birth weight doubles
    • 1st year: birth weight triples
    • 2nd year: birth weight quadruples
    • Gain rate:
      • 1st month: 20-30 g / day
      • 1st year: 10 g / day

Weight for Age

Boys Birth to 2 Years

(Egyptian Z score)

  • Weight (kg)
  • Age (Months)

Girls Birth to 2 Years

(Egyptian Z score)

  • Weight (kg)
  • Age (Months)

Z Score (Percentile)

  • 3 (99)

    • Length/height for age: May be abnormal
    • Weight for age: May be abnormal (Use BMI)
    • BMI for age: Obese
  • 2 (97)

    • Length/height for age: Normal
    • Weight for age: Use BMI
    • BMI for age: Overweight
  • 1 (85)

    • Length/height for age: Normal
    • Weight for age: Use BMI
    • BMI for age: Risk of overweight
  • 0 (50)

    • Length/height for age: Normal
    • Weight for age: Use BMI
    • BMI for age: Normal
  • <0 (15)

    • Length/height for age: Normal
    • Weight for age: Use BMI
    • BMI for age: Normal
  • <1 (3)

    • Length/height for age: Stunted
    • Weight for age: Underweight
    • BMI for age: Wasted
  • <3 (1)

    • Length/height for age: Severely Stunted
    • Weight for age: Severely Underweight
    • BMI for age: Severe wasted

Note: BMI: Body mass index

Definition of Z-Score Curves

  • Above 2,3: Significantly > average
  • Above 1: Moderately > than average
  • Above 0: Average
  • Below -1: Moderately < than the average
  • Below -2, -3: Significantly < than average

Case Study

A woman known of gestational DM brought her child for routine immunization: your nurse brought the girl immunization card, with this information:

  • Name: Sara Khalid
  • Age: 12 Months
  • File number: 2500-7-01
  • Date: 25/09/2019
  • Department: Almaarifa paediatric clinic
  • Code: 6822
  • Consultant name: Write your name
  • Consultant Number: 3178
  • Beep: 3070

Clinical Findings:

  • Head circumference: 46 cm
  • Body weight: 10 Kg
  • Length: 74 cm

Fill the Form Provided

  1. What you are going to tell her mum about your finding?
  2. What is your explanation to the abnormal finding?
  • The head circumference is: -------------------------------------------------

  • Her length is: -------------------------------------------------------------

  • Her body weight is: -------------------------------------------------------

  • Your explanation:

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------.

Developmental Milestones

3 Months

  • Turns head toward direction of sound
  • Recognizes familiar faces and smiles back
  • Follows moving objects
  • Watches faces with interest
  • Raises head and chest while lying on stomach
  • Brings hand to mouth
  • Takes swipes at dangling object with hands
  • Begins to babble and imitate some sounds

6 Months

  • Responds to other people’s emotions
  • Enjoys social plays/games (especially peek-a-boo)
  • Struggles for out of reach objects
    • Uses voice to express pleasure and displeasure
  • Interested in mirror images
  • Responds to their own name
  • Babbles chain of sounds
    • Rolls both ways (front to back, back to front)
  • Sits with, and then without support on hands

1 Year

  • Pulls up to stand, Walks holding onto furniture
  • Tries to imitate during play (like winking when you wink or clapping when you clap)
  • Explores objects; finds hidden objects and begins to use objects correctly (drinking from cup, brushing hair, dialing phone, listening to receiver)
  • Uses simple gestures like shaking head to say ‘NO’ or waving to say ‘BYE BYE’
  • May speak single words like “Mama” and “Dada”
  • Cries when Mother or Father leaves
  • Babbles with inflection (changes in tone)
  • Uses exclamations, such as “oh - oh!”
  • Pokes index finger

2 Years

  • Excited about the company of other children
  • Begins to sort by shapes and colors; starts simple make-believe play
  • Follows simple instructions; recognizes names of familiar people
  • Walks without help; plays pretend (like talking on a toy phone)
  • Points out at the objects, when you name it (like toy or photo)
  • Imitates behavior of others, especially adults and older children
  • Uses 2-4 word sentences
  • Repeats word overheard in conversation
  • Pulls toys behind him/her while walking

3 Years

  • Imitates adults and playmates
  • Shows affection for playmates/friends
  • Sorts objects by shape and colors; and matches objects to pictures
  • Plays make-believe with dolls, animals and people (like feeding a doll)
  • Uses pronouns (I, you, me) and sometimes plurals too (cars, dogs)
  • Uses simple phrases or micro sentences to communicate with others
  • Understands concept of ‘mine’ and ‘his/her’s’
  • Expresses wide range of emotions
  • Walks up and down stairs, alternating feet (one foot per stair step)
  • Runs easily and pedals tricycle
  • Starts to make friends

4 Years

  • Follows three-step commands (like wash your hands, comb your hair)
  • Draws circles and squares
  • Speaks in sentences of 5-6 words; Speaks clear enough for outsiders to understand
  • Names some colors; understands counting
  • Shares and takes turns with other children
  • Knows the difference between boys and girls
  • Enjoys humor (like laugh at silly faces or voices)
  • Brushes his/her teeth by self
  • Dresses and undresses without help except for shoelaces
  • Pretends by role playing
  • Knows opposite (hot/cold, big/small)

Gross Motor Skills

  • The acquisition of gross motor skills precedes the development of fine motor skills
  • Both processes occur in a cephalocaudal fashion
    • Head control preceding arm & hand control, Followed by leg and foot control

Head Control

  • Newborn

  • Age 6 months

Sitting Up

  • Age 2 months

  • Age 8 months

Ambulation

  • Nine to 12-months

  • 13 month old

Fine Motor Development

  • Newborn has very little control
    • Objects will be involuntarily grasped & dropped without notice
  • 6 month old: palmar grasp
    • uses entire hand to pick up an object
  • 9 month old: pincer grasp
    • can grasp small objects using thumb & forefinger

Fine Motor Development

  • 6-month-old

  • 12-month-old

Speech Milestones

  • 1-2 months: coos
  • 2-6 months: laughs
  • 8-9 months: babble: mama/dada as sounds
  • 10-12 months: “mama/dada specific”
  • 18-20 months: 20 - 30 words (50% understood by strangers)
  • 22-24 months: two word sentences, >50 words, 75% understood by strangers
  • 30-36 months: almost all speech understood by strangers

Hearing

  • BAER hearing test done at birth
  • Ability to hear correlates with ability enunciate words properly
  • Always ask about history of otitis media – ear infection, placement of PET – tubes in ear
  • Early referral to ENT to assess for possible fluid in ears (effusion) to avoid speech delay
  • Repeat hearing screening test
  • Speech therapist as needed

**

Red Flags in Infant Development

  • Loss of developmental skills at any age
  • Parental or professional concerns about vision
  • Hearing loss at any age
  • Asymmetry of movements or other suggestive features of cerebral palsy
  • Not rolling, Not reaching for & holding toys, Not starting to babble by 6 months
  • Not sitting unsupported, Can’t move toy from one hand to another, by 9 months
  • Not walking without support, No clear words, not saying dada, mama or other names, not following one-step direction by 18 months
  • Not pointing to pictures or body parts when named, Unable to run, Not use two-word phrases by 2 years
  • Not running well or walking up or down stairs, Not following two-step direction by 3 years