Monitoring
Problems in feeding behaviour and growth should be monitored. Children's growth measured as weight-for-length or body mass index, and weight-for-age and length- (or height)-for-age, should be routinely evaluated on appropriate growth charts. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that health professionals use the World Health Organization growth standards to monitor growth for infants and children aged 0-2 years of age, and use the CDC growth charts for children aged 2 years and older in the US. UK-WHO Growth Charts: early years Opens in new window CDC: clinical growth charts Opens in new window The CDC emphasise that growth charts contribute to the children’s evaluation, but are not intended to be the sole diagnostic instrument. Tracking growth across major percentiles is a useful method of measuring progress. Another method of measuring progress is to track actual weight gain with expected weight gain:
Expected weight gain at different ages:[52]
Birth to 3 months: 200-250 grams per week
3 to 6 months: 100-125 grams per week
6 to 12 months: 50-70 grams per week
In the short to medium term, health professionals need to carefully monitor children's growth to ensure a corrective trend. Successful treatment of faltering growth requires more frequent and extended contact than is advised in the traditional primary care schedule. Frequency is dependent on degree of malnutrition, disordered feeding, and other comorbidities.[1] A visiting nurse may be helpful in monitoring the weight while educating and supporting the family in their environment. Nurses can also provide useful information for understanding contributors to faltering growth.
In the medium to long term, careful monitoring of growth should be continued. Possible developmental problems are another concern.
The medical and psychosocial problems that may contribute to faltering growth also need to be followed; these may be long-lasting.
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