7-month-old baby weighs 6-7kg, is it malnourished?

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1. What is child malnutrition?

Malnutrition is a condition in which the body is not provided with all the necessary nutrients and thus affects the process of life, functioning and growth of the body. Children are a group that is susceptible to malnutrition, especially those aged 6-24 months. More specifically, this stage is the time when children have very high nutritional needs for development, are in the process of adapting to the environment and are very sensitive to diseases.
Malnourished children are a group at very high risk of infectious diseases, especially respiratory and intestinal infections. If you are both malnourished and suffer from the above diseases, it will lead to a child's retardation in both physical and mental development compared to other children of the same age.
Malnutrition is a driving factor, causing all organs to slow down, the most important of which is the musculoskeletal system because this directly affects the height and stature of the child. In addition, the lack of essential nutrients makes the brain slow to develop, the child shows slowness, the ability to learn, absorb, and communicate poorly and the consequences when the adult child has a lower ability to work. normal babies.
The treatment of childhood malnutrition will depend on the cause and severity of the child. From there, the specialist will give the appropriate treatment at home or in the hospital.
Under normal conditions, dietary changes are the most common and basic treatment for childhood malnutrition. In which, children's meals may need to increase the content of essential nutrients or can be supplemented through drugs or products under the guidance of a doctor.
Watch now: Treatment of acute malnutrition in children

2. Is the 7 month 7 kg baby malnourished?

To know if a 7 month 7 kg baby is malnourished, parents need to know how many kg a 7 month old baby weighs. Based on the table of height and standard weight of the baby according to the World Health Organization (WHO), how many kilograms of a 7-month-old baby will be different in each sex:
Standard weight of a 7-month-old boy is 8, 3kg. Meanwhile, if at this age, a boy weighing less than 6.7 kg is called malnourished and he is classified as at risk of malnutrition when his weight is less than 7.4 kg. For girls, the most standard 7-month-old baby weight is 7.6kg. If at this age the girl weighs less than 6.1kg, it is called malnourished and the baby is at risk of malnutrition when the baby weighs less than 6.7kg. Through the above data, we can answer the question of whether a 7-month-old baby 7kg is malnourished:
For a 7-month-old boy weighing 7kg, he is classified as at risk of malnutrition; For 7-month-old girls weighing 7kg when compared with WHO weight-for-age standards, they are classified as normal, without malnutrition; The case of a 7-month-old baby weighing 6kg, whether a boy or a girl, is in the malnourished group.

3. Signs of malnutrition in children

In addition to the weight-for-age criteria, malnutrition in young children can also have the following manifestations:
The child's weight does not increase as expected for 3 consecutive months; Malnourished children often have changes in behavior such as frequent crying, no or little play, less flexibility, a slower body than children of the same age; The muscles of the limbs are soft and the abdomen is getting bigger; In particular, the most obvious sign of malnutrition is that children are slow to reach milestones of motor development such as being slow to roll over, sit, crawl, and walk; A very common manifestation today is anorexia, eating less and eating for a long time in children. Therefore, if parents notice that the baby's weight is not up to the standard, the child does not gain weight for 3 consecutive months or has the above symptoms, it is necessary to quickly take the child to a nutritionist for advice.

4. Measures to prevent child malnutrition

To limit the prevalence of malnutrition in young children, parents or caregivers can take the following precautions:
Exclusive breastfeeding should be done immediately after birth and should continue until the child is born. 18 - 24 months. In case the mother does not have enough milk, it should be replaced with other suitable milk; Applying a reasonable diet to help children gain weight and stay healthy: For children to eat complementary foods when they are 6 months old, meals need to provide enough 4 main food groups such as starch, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Note that parents should choose fresh foods, limit processed foods, cook food thoroughly to prevent intestinal diseases caused by worms and flukes; Monitor the growth chart by age monthly for early detection of malnutrition in children; Do not abuse antibiotics for children, only use antibiotics at the right dose and time according to the instructions, and take care of proper nutrition when the child is sick. Fully vaccinated with vaccines and dewormed periodically for children according to schedule. Based on the table of height, standard weight of the baby according to the World Health Organization (WHO), parents can know if the child is malnourished or not. From that basis, parents can evaluate and build an appropriate child care regime so that the child can develop comprehensively and stay healthy. Especially this is also the time when children start to enter the weaning stage, if the child is at high risk of malnutrition, parents can add more nutrients to make it easier for the child's muscles to absorb. According to nutrition experts, children need to be supplemented with necessary micronutrients such as zinc, selenium, chromium, vitamins B1 and B6, ginger, acerola fruit extract (vitamin C),... to improve the taste. sense, eat well, reach the correct height and weight, and exceed the standard, have a good immune system, strengthen resistance to reduce minor illnesses and limit gastrointestinal diseases.
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