Growth and development of an individual starts at conception and is a continuous process. In children

Growth and development of an individual starts at conception and is a continuous process. In children, growth is assessed by nutrition, growth indices such as height, weight, circumference of the head and various other body measurements. Other parameters, one can use are bone age, dental age and body mass index (BMI). Growth charts are the most important tools in assessment of growth. A standard chart contains weight for age and height for age. The growth in rapid in the first 4-5 months after birth and then again there is growth spurt in mild-childhood at the time of puberty.

There is a genetic and racial difference in growth for e.g., Asians are shorter as compared to Caucasians.

Weight: - The newborn loses upto 10% of its weight during first week but regains it in the next few days. The child doubles its birth weight by 4-5 months and trebles it by 1 year of age. The weight is quadruple to the birth weight by 2 years of age.

Age	Weight
At birth	2.5 – 3.75 kg.
3-12 months	(Age in months) + 9 / 2
1 to 6 years	(2 x Age in years) + 8
7 to 12 years	(7 x Age in years) + 5 / 2

Height: - The height of the baby is usually 50 cms at birth. In children upto 2 years of age, sleeping length is taken whereas in children above 2 years of age, standing height is taken. The spurt in height is different in different age groups for e.g., a child increases by 25 cms in the first year of life i.e., height at 1 year would be around 75 cms. In the second year of life, increase in height would be by around 12 cms. Subsequently the child grows by 6 to 8 cm/year till 5 years of age and then 5 cm/year till puberty following which there is a spurt and increase in height by 10 to 15 cms.

Age	Height
At birth	50 cms
1 year	75 cms
2 years	87 cms
2 to 5 years	Increase by 6 to 8 cm/year
After 5 years	Increase by 5 cm/year till puberty

Head Size: - The size of the head is a good indicator of the size of the brain. The head size at birth varies from 32-35 cm and increases by 12 cm in 1 st year to reach 43-46 cm at 1 year of age. Subsequently the head size increases gradually to reach an adult size of 48-51 cm at 5 years of age. Small head size (microcephaly) can occur due to infections in pregnancy, genetic disorders and early closure of skull sutures. Large head (macrocephaly) can occur due to water accumulation in the cavities of the brain (hydrocephalus) or due to genetic disorders.

Soft part of the head: - The soft part of the head is known as anterior fontanelle and is usually about 2.5 cm x 2.5 cm at birth. It closes by about 9-18 months of age. Delayed closure of anterior fontanelle occurs in patients with rickets (Vitamin D deficiency), hydrocephalus or genetic disorders.