Infant nutritional status: understanding how to measure up to its normal range

Ensuring babies have a good nutritional status from an early age is important for parents. The goal is to help the baby grow and develop on the right track. Well, the benchmark for the formation of a good baby's nutritional status is to ensure that their daily nutritional needs are optimally fulfilled.

So that the development of your baby can be more optimal, find out more information about the nutritional status of the following babies.

Indicators for measuring the nutritional status of the baby

At the beginning of life, babies need breast milk intake for six full months, aka exclusive breastfeeding. This is because exclusive breastfeeding is the best food and drink for babies who are less than six months old.

Only after the baby's age is over six months, he needs the intake of food and drinks other than breast milk, known as complementary foods (complementary foods).

However, apart from being given complementary foods, your baby still needs breast milk intake even though the schedule is not as frequent as before the age of six months.

The purpose of breastfeeding and complementary feeding is to support the baby's growth and development while at the same time meeting his daily nutritional needs.

That way, the baby's nutritional status can develop properly as a form of preparation for adulthood.

Based on the Nutritional Status Assessment Teaching Materials, here are some important indicators in measuring the nutritional status of infants:

1. Weight loss

As one of the indicators for measuring the nutritional status of an infant, body weight is described as a measure of the total body.

The reason body weight is used as one of the indicators for assessing the nutritional status of infants, namely because the changes are easily visible in a short time.

That is why the baby's weight can reflect the current nutritional status. On this basis, it is important to monitor the extent of the increase and decrease in baby weight in order to know the current nutritional status.

2. Body length

Measurement of body length is actually the same as height. However, for babies who are still unable to stand upright, the body length indicator is more commonly used to determine their nutritional status.

If the height is measured in an upright position, the length of the body is measured in the opposite position that is when lying down.

Not only are the measurement positions different, the measuring instruments used to determine a person's length and height are also not the same.

The height of children over two years of age and adults is measured using a tool called microtoise or mikrotoa.

While measuring body length using tools length board or infantometer by placing the baby in a lying position on it.

Unlike body weight, which is an indicator for measuring nutritional status now, body length is linear.

This is because changes in body length are not as fast as weight gain and loss. Changes in body length have been influenced by various factors in the past, for example, the baby's daily intake so that it affects their nutritional status.

In detail, length or height gives an idea of the growth in bone mass as a result of nutritional intake, especially in the past.

3. Head circumference

Quoting the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI), head circumference is an assessment of infant growth that describes brain growth.

That is why in addition to weight and body length, head circumference is also an indicator in measuring the nutritional status of infants.

Measurement of the baby's head circumference is carried out using an inelastic measuring tape. The way to measure head circumference is to start by wrapping the top of the eyebrows then passing over the top of the ear to the most prominent part of the back of the baby's head.

How to measure the baby's nutritional status

After knowing the indicators for assessing the nutritional status of your baby, you also need to know the right way to measure them.

Unlike adults who use body mass index (BMI) to assess nutritional status, infants use other measurement indicators.

For infants aged 0-5 years, the WHO 2006 chart is usually used (cut off z score) to help measure nutritional status.

Units of measurement with the WHO 2006 chart (cut off z score) is the standard deviation (SD). Measuring the nutritional status of babies can be done in the following ways:

1. Infant nutritional status based on body weight for age (BW / U)

The indicator of body weight based on age (BW / U) is used by children aged 0-5 years, including babies. This measurement of nutritional status aims to ensure the baby's weight gain is equivalent to his current age.

In addition, this nutritional status indicator can also help show if the baby is underweight, less, ideal, overweight, and obese.

In the WHO age-based weight table, babies are said to have the ideal weight when the results are in the -2 to +1 SD range.

If the measurement of body weight is less than -2 SD, the baby is said to be underweight.

Likewise, if the measurement result is more than +1 SD, it means that the baby's weight is included in the excess risk category.

Assessment of the nutritional status of infants based on weight / age, namely:

Extremely underweight: less than -3 SD
Underweight: -3 SD to less than -2 SD
Normal weight: -2 SD to +1 SD
Risk of overweight: more than +1 SD

However, it is important to remember that this single measurement can only be used if the age of the child is clearly known.

2. Infant nutritional status based on body length according to age (PB / U)

As with weight assessments, measurements of body length per age are also assessed based on the current age of the baby.

In fact, the measurement of height by age (TB / U) can be used by children in the age range 0-5 years.

It's just that, babies who are not able to stand upright still have to use the body length indicator based on age (PB / U).

The purpose of this nutritional status indicator is to find out if the baby's body growth is not suitable for his age, aka short.

Assessment of infant nutritional status based on PB / U, namely:

Very short: less than -3 SD
Short: -3 SD to less than 2 SD
Normal: -2 SD to +3 SD
Height: more than +3 SD

3. Infant nutritional status based on body weight according to body length (BW / PB)

As the name implies, this nutritional status indicator is used to determine a baby's weight based on body length.

However, because it uses an assessment of body length, this indicator can only be used by babies who cannot stand upright.

Assessment of infant nutritional status based on BW / PB, namely:

Poor nutrition: less than -3 SD
Poor nutrition: -3 SD to less than -2 SD
Good nutrition: -2 SD to +1 SD
Risk of over nutrition: more than +1 SD to +2 SD
Over nutrition: more than +2 SD to +3 SD
Obesity: more than +3 SD

4. Infant nutritional status based on head circumference

Measurement of head circumference is included as one of several indicators to assess the development of an infant's nutritional status.

Since the baby is born, the circumference of his head will continue to be measured until he is 24 months, aka 2 years. This aims to determine whether the development of the baby's brain and head is going well.

Assessment of the baby's head circumference to determine its nutritional status according to WHO, namely:

Too small head circumference (microcephaly): <2 percentile
Normal head circumference: percentile ≥ 2 to <98
Head circumference too large (macrocephalus): ≥ 98

Assessment of the ideal nutritional status of infants aged 0-2 years

Incomplete if you know how to measure along with the measurement category of the baby's nutritional status without knowing the ideal range.

In order to ascertain whether the development of the baby's nutritional status is on the right track, the following are indicators of body weight, body length, and normal head circumference according to age:

1. Weight loss

According to the World Health Organization and the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the ideal weight range for measuring the nutritional status of infants aged 0-2 years is as follows:

Baby boy

The ideal body weight for a boy until the age of 24 months, namely:

Age 0 months or newborn: 2.5-3.9 kilograms (kg)
Age 1 month: 3.4-5.1 kg
Age 2 months: 4.3-6.3 kg
Age 3 months: 5.0-7.2 kg
Age 4 months: 5.6-7.8 kg
Age 5 months: 6.0-8.4 kg
Age 6 months: 6.4-8.8 kg
Age 7 months: 6.7-9.2 kg
Age 8 months: 6.9-9.6 kg
9 months old: 7.1-9.9 kg
10 months old: 7.4-10.2 kg
Age 11 months: 7.6-10.5 kg
Age 12 months: 7.7-10.8 kg
Age 13 months: 7.9-11.0 kg
Age 14 months: 8.1-11.3 kg
Age 15 months: 8.3-11.5 kg
Age 16 months: 8.4-13.1 kg
Age 17 months: 8.6-12.0 kg
Age 18 months: 8.8-12.2 kg
19 months old: 8.9-12.5 kg
Age 20 months: 9.1-12.7 kg
Age 21 months: 9.2-12.9 kg
Age 22 months: 9.4-13.2 kg
23 months old: 9,5-13,4 kg
Age 24 months: 9.7-13.6 kg

Baby girl

The ideal body weight for girls up to 24 months, namely:

Age 0 months or newborn: 2.4-3.7 kg
Age 1 month: 3.2-4.8 kg
Age 2 months: 3.9-5.8 kg
Age 3 months: 4.5-6.6 kg
Age 4 months: 5.0-7.3 kg
Age 5 months: 5.4-7.8 kg
Age 6 months: 5.7-8.2 kg
Age 7 months: 6.0-8.6 kg
Age 8 months: 6.3-9.0 kg
9 months: 6.5-9.3 kg
Age 10 months: 6.7-9.6 kg
Age 11 months: 6.9-9.9 kg
Age 12 months: 7.0-10.1 kg
Age 13 months: 7.2-10.4 kg
Age 14 months: 7.4-10.6 kg
Age 15 months: 7.6-10.9 kg
Age 16 months: 7.7-11.1 kg
Age 17 months: 7.9-11.4 kg
Age 18 months: 8.1-11.6 kg
19 months old: 8.2-11.8 kg
Age 20 months: 8.4-12.1 kg
Age 21 months: 8.6-12.3 kg
Age 22 months: 8.7-12.5 kg
23 months old: 8.9-12.8 kg
Age 24 months: 9.0-13.0 kg

2. Body length

According to the World Health Organization and the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the ideal body length range for measuring the nutritional status of infants aged 0-2 years is as follows:

Baby boy

The ideal body length for a boy up to 24 months is:

Age 0 months or newborn: 46.1-55.6 centimeters (cm)
Age 1 month: 50.8-60.6 cm
2 months old: 54.4-64.4 cm
Age 3 months: 57.3-67.6 cm
Age 4 months: 59.7-70.1 cm
Age 5 months: 61,7-72,2 cm
Age 6 months: 63,6-74,0 cm
Age 7 months: 64.8-75.5 cm
8 months old: 66.2- 77.2 cm
9 months old: 67.5-78.7 cm
10 months old: 68,7-80,1 cm
11 months old: 69.9-81.5 cm
Age 12 months: 71.0-82.9 cm
13 months old: 72.1-84.2cm
Age 14 months: 73.1-85.5 cm
Age 15 months: 74.1-86.7 cm
Age 16 months: 75.0-88.0 cm
17 months old: 76.0-89.2 cm
Age 18 months: 76.9-90.4 cm
19 months: 77.7-91.5 cm
Age 20 months: 78.6-92.6 cm
21 months old: 79.4-93.8 cm
Age 22 months: 80.2-94.9 cm
23 months old: 81.0-95.9 cm
Age 24 months: 81.7-97.0 cm

Baby girl

The ideal body length for a baby girl up to 24 months, namely:

Age 0 months or newborn: 45.4-54.7 cm
Age 1 month: 49.8-59.6 cm
2 months old: 53.0-63.2 cm
Age 3 months: 55,6-66,1 cm
Age 4 months: 57.8-68.6 cm
Age 5 months: 59,6-70,7 cm
6 months old: 61.2-72.5 cm
Age 7 months: 62.7-74.2 cm
Age 8 months: 64.0-75.8 cm
9 months old: 65.3-77.4 cm
10 months old: 66.5-78.9 cm
Age 11 months: 67.7-80.3 cm
Age 12 months: 68.9-81.7 cm
Age 13 months: 70.0-83.1 cm
Age 14 months: 71.0-84.4 cm
Age 15 months: 72.0-85.7 cm
Age 16 months: 73.0-87.0 cm
17 months old: 74.0-88.2 cm
Age 18 months: 74,9-89,4 cm
19 months old: 75,8-90,6 cm
Age 20 months: 76.7-91.7 cm
21 months old: 77.5-92.9 cm
Age 22 months: 78.4-94.0 cm
23 months old: 79.2-95.0 cm
Age 24 months: 80.0-96.1 cm

3. Head circumference

According to the World Health Organization or WHO and the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the ideal weight range for measuring the nutritional status of infants aged 0-2 years is as follows:

Baby boy

The ideal head circumference for a boy up to 24 months is:

Age 0 months or newborn: 31.9-37.0 cm
Age 1 month: 34.9-39.6 cm
Age 2 months: 36.8-41.5 cm
Age 3 months: 38.1-42.9 cm
Age 4 months: 39.2-44.0 cm
Age 5 months: 40.1-45.0 cm
6 months old: 40.9-45.8 cm
Age 7 months: 41.5-46.4 cm
Age 8 months: 42.0-47.0 cm
9 months old: 42.5-47.5 cm
10 months old: 42.9-47.9 cm
11 months old: 42.3-48.3 cm
Age 12 months: 43.5-48.6 cm
Age 13 months: 43,8-48,9 cm
Age 14 months: 44.0-49.2 cm
Age 15 months: 44.2-49.4 cm
Age 16 months: 44.4-49.6 cm
17 months old: 44.6-49.8 cm
Age 18 months: 44.7-50.0 cm
19 months old: 44.9-502 cm
Age 20 months: 45.0-50.4 cm
21 months old: 45.2-50.5 cm
Age 22 months: 45.3-50.7 cm
23 months old: 45.4-50.8 cm
Age 24 months: 45.5-51.0 cm

Baby girl

The ideal head circumference of a baby girl up to 24 months of age is:

Age 0 months or newborn: 31.5-36.2 cm
Age 1 month: 34.2-38.9 cm
2 months old: 35.8-40.7 cm
Age 3 months: 37.1-42.0 cm
Age 4 months: 38.1-43.1 m
Age 5 months: 38.9-44.0 cm
6 months old: 39.6-44.8 cm
Age 7 months: 40.2-45.55 cm
Age 8 months: 40,7-46,0 cm
9 months old: 41.2-46.5 cm
10 months old: 41.5-46.9 cm
Age 11 months: 41.9-47.3 cm
12 months of age: 42.2-47.6 cm
Age 13 months: 42.4-47.9 cm
Age 14 months: 42.7-48.2 cm
Age 15 months: 42.9-48.4 cm
Age 16 months: 43.1-48.6 cm
17 months old: 43.3-48.8 cm
Age 18 months: 43.5-49.0 cm
19 months old: 43.6-49.2 cm
Age 20 months: 43.8-49.4 cm
21 months old: 44.0-49.5 cm
Age 22 months: 44.1-49.7 cm
23 months old: 44.3-49.8- cm
24 months of age: 44.4-50.0 cm

After knowing the normal range of body weight, body length, and head circumference, you can assess whether your baby's nutritional status is good or not.

Immediately consult a doctor about the baby's nutritional status if growth and development is not running according to his current age.