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Healthy Growth & Development
As your baby grows, it is important to assess for overall growth and development signs.
Some of the available tools include:
LookSee Checklist (formerly NDDS): This checklist is a surveillance tool that can help assess a child’s progress and provide tips and activities to encourage reaching developmental milestones. 14 checklists follow the developmental stages of children from 1 month to 6 years old. Ask a Public Health Nurse or go online for more information Home | Looksee (lookseechecklist.com)
WHO Growth Charts for Canada: The WHO Growth Charts for Canada are the best tool for tracking a child’s growth. A growth chart is a type of graph used to track your child’s growth pattern. Each time your child is measured, the new weight and length/height measurements are marked on the growth chart. Your child should be weighed and measured at all regularly scheduled well-child and immunization visits and/or at visits when your child is ill. Typical well-child visits may occur:
- within one to two weeks of birth, at two, four, six, nine, 12, 18 and 24 months
- once per year for children over two years of age and adolescents
Parent-Child Interaction (referred to as NCAST): This is an evidence-based tool that examines parent-child interactions in detail. These interactions with your child (3 years and younger) happen daily and often, specifically when feeding and playing (teaching). As part of the Healthy Babies Healthy Children program, Public Health Nurses may ask to observe an interaction between you and your baby to support your parenting journey.
Partners In Parenting Education (PIPE): Our Family Home Visitors use these activities as part of the Healthy Babies Healthy Children program. These evidence-based activities focus on emotional communication, regulation skills, understanding what the baby is trying to communicate, respecting the baby, building routines, and building play as a way for children to learn through everyday skills.
Look at your Baby
On a day-to-day basis look for:
- A gently rounded tummy.
- Bright eyes and alertness.
- Spend time skin-to-skin with your baby. This encourages attachment and feeding.
Feed your baby
- Watch for hunger cues/signs of fullness.
- Expect the baby to eat small amounts, often.
- In the first few weeks, breastfed babies eat 8-12 times per 24 hours; formula fed
babies eat 6-10 times per 24 hours.
Urine
- Should be pale yellow and odourless.
- Diapers heavy or soaking after 5 days
Bowel Movements
- 0-Day 2: Meconium Stools—black to dark green tarry stools in small amounts
- Day 3-4: Transitional Stools—black to green in increasing amounts
- Day 5 onward: Breastmilk Stools—yellow, soft and seedy in larger amounts
Some babies go for several days without a bowel movement. Watch for signs of discomfort and contact your healthcare provider if necessary
Baby’s Age |
First 3-4 months (After initial weight loss in the first 3 days) |
3-6 months |
6-12 months |
Avg. Weight Gain(in ounces) |
1oz per day (range of 5-7 oz per week |
4oz per week (range of 3-5oz per week) |
2oz per week |
Avg. Weight Gain(in pounds) |
Just over 1lb per month |
1lb per month |
1/2 lb per month |
Newborn infants
- Most babies lose weight in the first 3 days after birth. A weight loss of 7% is common; up to 10% is within the normal range.
- Weight gain/loss may be impacted if the mom received IV fluids during labour or feeding is not well established.
- Most babies start to gain weight by day 5 and return to birth weight by 2 weeks.
- Breastfeed babies tend to grow faster than non-breastfed babies in the first 6 months of life and more slowly in the second 6 months.
- Non-breastfed babies tend to grow faster in the second 6 months of life
Typical pattern of length
- Length is a more reliable indicator of baby growth than weight, however, it is more difficult to measure accurately.
- 0-6 months about 1 inch/ 2.5 cm per month
- • 7-12 months about ½ inch/ 1.25 cm per month
Head circumference
- The first year is a time of very rapid brain growth and therefore head growth
- At age 18 months the brain has reached 75% of adult size.
- Head circumference is usually done by a healthcare provider at baby visits.
Your baby should have regular well-baby visits with a healthcare provider. You can ask questions and have your baby weighed/measured during these visits: |
Once per year after 2 years of age |