How much weight does a newborn baby gain in the first month of life?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Truong Thanh Tam - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

1. Outstanding features of 1-month-old babies

The period of 1 month after birth is very important, helping the baby adapt to a completely different life than in the womb, so taking care of the baby is also much harder for both mother and baby.
In terms of normal physiology while in the womb, the fetus will develop in a curled position, so most babies 1 month old after birth are still unable to straighten their bodies, but arms, legs, and neck still has a slightly curved shape. However, mothers should not be too worried because a 1-month-old baby will lead to straightening during the development of the body to return to a normal upright position.
1-month-old babies will instinctively begin to cling and find their way to their own source of nutrition, which is the mother's breast to suck milk. Some other movements gradually formed such as the ability to grasp, the baby can grasp anything in the palm of his hand such as the mother's finger. Besides, 1-month-old babies also often and love to spread their hands wide.
Some manifestations seem abnormal but are actually physiological, such as newborn babies often have many manifestations of startling, straightening limbs and then quickly curling up.
Sleep is very important for a 1-month-old baby, most of the day is spent sleeping. When sleeping is when the baby's body grows in height, weight as well as brain. Every day, the baby sleeps about 15 to 16 hours, only when the baby is hungry, he will wake up or he will be upset and will not sleep.
In addition, the senses such as taste, hearing, smell, and sight of a 1-month-old baby are all clearly developed compared to before in the womb: babies like to open their eyes to see what's going on, like to listen. mother tongue and people speak, the nose can smell breast milk and distinguish between spicy, bitter, sour...

2. Criteria for weight gain in infants

Many mothers wonder how much weight a 1-month-old baby is enough to gain? Mothers should observe and monitor the weight and compare it with the standards of the World Health Organization WHO to know if their child's weight gain meets the standards.
Physiological weight loss usually occurs in the first week of birth. Then, when it comes to weeks 2-3, the weight of a 1-month-old baby will increase again and have a breakthrough development compared to the time of birth.
Therefore, when the baby appears to have a sudden weight loss, or gain weight more slowly than peers, mothers do not need to be too worried because it does not go against the standards of infant weight gain.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the standard for infant weight gain is considered normal through the following criteria:
Newborn weight usually decreases by 5-10% in the first week and rapidly increased again in the following weeks. Newborn babies can gain from 1 - 1.2 kg / month in the first 3 months. Over time, the baby's weight will increase slowly, about 600g per month in the period from 4-6 months old and about 300-400g in the period after that. Within 12 months, a baby's length can increase by 1.5 times and head circumference by 11cm. This is the norm for general infant weight gain. However, each baby will have a different growth rate, so the rate of weight gain of babies cannot be exactly the same.

3. Some ways to help 1-month-old babies gain weight

3.1 Breastfeeding properly For a 1-month-old baby, breast milk is the only and most important source of nutrition for the baby's development. Therefore, in order for a baby to meet the needs of a 1-month-old baby, how much weight should be gained by the mother, the mother needs to breastfeed the baby fully and properly to help the baby supplement the energy needed for the full development of the body.
Newborns should be breastfed every 2-3 hours or more depending on their needs. As you get older, the intervals between feeds can be more extended.

3.2 Create a baby's sleep When the baby sleeps, the body of a 1-month-old baby is developing. When you sleep, your body's pituitary gland secretes hormones that help your baby grow in height and weight. So, at the stage of 1 month old baby will need a lot of sleep, on average 15-16 hours and can be up to 20 hours a day.
Parents should take care of their baby's sleep, creating favorable conditions for the baby to have a good and full sleep. Not getting enough sleep will make the baby fussy, uncomfortable and adversely affect the weight development of the child.
3.3 Mother's diet Breast milk is the best source of nutrition, so in order to get a full milk supply, it is imperative that the mother's diet is full of nutrients and moves to the baby's body. through breast milk while the baby is nursing. In the diet, mothers should drink a lot of water, eat enough green vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, milk to increase nutrition into breast milk, helping the baby to have more nutrients and gain weight faster.
Master. Truong Thanh Tam has 15 years of experience in pediatrics and especially has a lot of experience in hematology, resuscitation and pediatric oncology. The doctor has participated in many national and international scientific conferences on pediatrics and participated in many short-term training courses and was certified as "Pediatric Core Instructor", by Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy. grant. Currently, she is a Pediatrician at the Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.