Is a 14-month-old child weighing 8kg severely malnourished?

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By 14 months, most babies may already be able to run or jump or are still plucking up the courage to take their first steps, some are learning how to play with balls, bouncy animals or slides. Therefore, parents need to know if a 14-month-old child weighing 8kg is malnourished to assess their child's development.

1. Physical development of 14-month-old children

As babies get used to solid foods , they will be able to gain weight faster and perform a range of new skills.
According to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO), at the age of 14 months, boys have an average weight of 10.1kg; average height is 78cm. The 14-month-old girl had an average weight of 9.4kg and an average height of 76.4cm.
However, it is not the weight and height that matters but the growth rate of a healthy child. In fact, babies can gain about 200 grams in weight and grow by about 1.3cm per month. Next month, when the baby is checked at the 15 month mark, the pediatrician will assess how the baby is growing to make sure that the baby's development is still on track based on the growth chart. chief .

2. Is a 14-month-old child weighing 8kg malnourished?

Based on the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO), in the case of a 14-month-old baby weighing 8 kg or a 14-month-old baby weighing 8.5 kg, it means that the child is severely malnourished.
At this time, parents need to take the child to the pediatrician for an earlier examination. Common causes may be due to congenital diseases, recurrent infections or inappropriate weaning diets for children.

3. Other bodily development and skills of a 14-month-old baby

Walking: Most 14-month-olds can stand and walk a few steps on their own without assistance. About half of the children at this point are able to walk fluently. Others already know how to run, despite frequent falls and can even climb stairs at this age. Talk: Your 14-month-old can say baba, mama, and dada word by word, or even say six words or so to express what she wants. Teething: Some 14-month-old babies may be getting their first molars. A cold teething ring can ease the pain of a child. Besides, parents can give children acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help them feel more comfortable when teething is at its worst. Emotions: Aside from being cute and sweet at times, 14-month-olds tend to be irritable and irritable from time to time. Therefore, parents need to have skills to deal with these tantrums of their children, especially to wait patiently and stay calm. Also, while babies are becoming more independent every day, sometimes a 14-month-old baby can be more sensitive to being away from their parents. If taking your baby to daycare takes up a lot of tears, sticking to this routine will help them stop crying quickly, knowing that you'll be back at a later date. Signs of Autism: A common concern among parents of toddlers is whether their child may have an autism spectrum disorder, as autism may become more apparent from this point on . Accordingly, children with autism may have atypical communication abilities, social skills and behaviors; they may not reach the same age milestones as other children, or they may lose some skills that were previously acquired. The pediatrician may examine the child and will ask the parent a series of questions to assess the signs of autism by the time the child is 18 months old. However, if in doubt, parents need to take their child to the doctor earlier for identification and intervention.

4. Sleep for 14-month-old babies

By 14 months, babies need to get used to the sleep game so that going to bed every night becomes the norm. Most 1-2 year olds sleep a total of 11-14 hours a day, between nighttime naps and one or two daytime naps.
Teething pains and the anxiety of parting with a parent going to kindergarten during the day can cause a 14-month-old to start waking up at night — even if they've slept well before. However, parents need to always be consistent in sticking to a normal bedtime routine for children and setting limits that cannot be crossed will help parents and children stay on the right track.

5. Diet for 14-month-old babies

14-month-old babies can gradually learn to eat more new foods but also refuse some foods that they used to love before. However, don't let that stop you from constantly introducing new foods to your kids every day. This will help your child figure out what foods he likes and what he doesn't.
Whatever foods you eat, your 14-month-old should eat about three meals and two snacks a day. Parents should feed their children a variety of foods daily in all the food groups such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, proteins, and dairy. In particular, parents should continue to give their 14-month-old baby fresh milk, whole milk (unless the doctor recommends otherwise) or breast milk if available. Since 14-month-olds need 700 mg of calcium per day, if they don't get calcium from any other source, they'll need about 3 cups of milk a day.
With regard to food options, variety is key for self-directed weaning as most 14-month-olds are already able to pick up and feed on their own. Just like adults, toddlers should eat a variety of foods from all the different food groups. At this age, children do not need to limit fat, because 14-month-old babies still need lipids for brain development but should avoid giving them foods that are too salty, sweet and buttery. Let your child eat natural, unprocessed foods as much as possible. On the other hand, because children are at risk of choking, parents should grind food into really small pieces that are easy to chew. Foods like peanuts, raw carrots, and hard candies are still too hard for a 14-month-old baby. Grapes, cherry tomatoes and sausages should be cut into very small pieces to avoid choking children.
However, if one day your child suddenly becomes anorexic, this is completely normal in toddlers. Forcing children to eat is not advisable. Instead, don't worry too much because most children will eat well the next day. On the contrary, if the child has anorexia, skips meals continuously, including milk and many other abnormal signs such as crying, abdominal pain, fever..., parents need to quickly take the child to see a pediatrician.
In short, by 14 months of age, babies will be more complete in their motor skills and develop towards increasing body length rather than weight. However, parents need to know what the normal weight of a child should be, to soon realize that a 14-month-old child weighing 8kg, 8.5kg or less than 9kg may be malnourished. From there, there are appropriate methods to help children catch up with normal growth.
To catch up with growth, parents need to give their children enough sleep, have the right nutrition and supplement with necessary micronutrients such as: Zinc, selenium, Chromium, Vitamins B1 and B6, Ginger, extracts acerola (vitamin C),... to improve taste, eat well, reach the correct height and weight, and exceed the standard, have a good immune system, strengthen resistance to reduce minor illnesses as well as less frequent illnesses digestive problems.
To have more knowledge about taking care of children according to age, please visit the website (vinmec.com) regularly and make an appointment with the leading doctors, Pediatricians - Nutrition experts when you need advice.