How to carry out growth assessment in i nfants and children under two years old

摘要

Measuring and monitoring growth in infants and young children under two years old is an important part of their clinical assessment in hospital and the community. This article outlines the procedure for measuring growth in infants and children under two years old, and discusses the main factors to consider when undertaking this assessment. The procedures and some of the data used to monitor the growth of infants and children under two years old differs from those used in older children. Obtaining growth information for an infant or child involves measuring and recording their length, weight and head circumference. The process of obtaining this information is not necessarily straightforward and errors may occur while measuring and plotting or interpreting data. Correct use of growth measuring equipment and growth charts is essential to obtain accurate results. Nurses should be able to plot weight, length and head circumference data for infants and children under two years old, and to correctly interpret this data to identify malnutrition and faltering growth.