Infant Weight Gain Guidelines

Weight gain is a reliable general marker for the health of newborns and infants, as well as a main concern for many new parents. Slow weight gain, or lack of weight gain, can indicate a number of potential problems, including infection and birth defects. However, there is a considerable range of acceptable growth patterns in healthy babies, and the guidelines for infant weight gain reflect this variability.

Initial Weight Gain

• According to the American Pregnancy Association, most full-term babies in the U.S. weigh between 6 and 9 pounds at birth. Average length for newborns is between 19 and 21 inches. A number of factors may influence the length and weight of your newborn, including the actual length of your pregnancy, your overall health and nutrition during pregnancy, and the baby's gender and genetic background. Be aware that your child's initial weight can vary considerably from the norm without any adverse effects to health.

  Almost all newborns lose some weight through loss of excess water in their first few days. If you breastfeed your baby, this drop should be somewhere between 7 and 10 percent of total body weight. If you feed your newborn formula, the average weight loss is roughly 5 percent of body weight. In either case, your child will typically regain this lost weight within 10 to 14 days after birth. If your baby loses more than the average amount of weight, or is ill or born prematurely, it may take as long as 3 weeks for this return to birth weight to occur.

Weight Gain After Four Months

• Your baby's pediatrician will measure weight gain during routine physical examinations. For the first four months of your baby's life, the rate of growth will be more or less the same whether you breastfeed or use formula. Typically, your child will gain 5 to 7 oz. each week, and will double the initial birth weight within three to four months. After this time, weight gain differences begin to emerge between breastfed and formula-fed babies. These differences are generally normal, and do not indicate any differences in the actual health of individual babies. However, some pediatricians use weight gain guidelines that are geared only toward faster-growing, formula-fed infants. If you are breastfeeding, let the doctor know, and ask him what guidelines he is using to determine your infant's weight.

Home Observation

• Outside of regular examinations, you may monitor your baby's growth through several indirect methods. Begin by counting the number of wet and soiled diapers produced daily. Typically, you should need to change a wet diaper five or six times a day, and a soiled diaper three or four times. Be aware that formula-fed babies tend to produce fewer bowel movements. You may also make note of your baby's wakefulness during feeding, and level of satisfaction immediately after feeding. If your child seems sleepy while eating, or is not satisfied for at least a short duration, feeding problems may be present. Consult your pediatrician or a certified lactation specialist for advice on potential remedies.