The Importance of Infant Growth Checks
As parents, it’s natural to want to ensure your baby is developing and growing as they should. The first year of life is an exciting time, filled with rapid changes and growth milestones. But with so much happening, it can be difficult to know whether your baby is on track. That’s where regular infant growth checks come in—offering you peace of mind and an opportunity to ensure your baby’s development is on the right path.
At Harrison Child & Family Chiropractic, we understand the importance of these early growth checks. Not only do they provide a clear picture of your baby’s progress, but they also help identify potential concerns early, such as failure to thrive or other developmental issues. By monitoring your baby’s growth over time, we can ensure that they’re meeting key milestones and receiving the right support when needed.
What to Expect in Your Infant Growth Check
At Harrison Child & Family Chiropractic, we take a comprehensive approach to monitoring your baby’s growth. Our free infant growth checks include the following key assessments:
1. Weight Measurement
Regular tracking of your baby’s weight is essential to ensure they are growing at a healthy rate. We measure your baby’s weight during each growth check and compare it with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) growth charts to monitor their development.
2. Length Measurement
Your baby’s length is another critical indicator of their growth. By measuring their length at each check-up, we can track their physical development and ensure they are progressing appropriately for their age.
3. Head Circumference Measurement
Monitoring head circumference is particularly important during the first year of life. It provides insights into brain growth and development. By comparing your baby’s head circumference to standard growth charts, we can identify any potential concerns early on and offer advice if necessary.
These measurements are key indicators of your baby’s healthy growth. Regular growth checks allow us to keep track of their development and provide helpful insights to support their well-being.
Why Infant Growth Checks Are Crucial
Growth checks are more than just measurements of your baby’s size—they are a vital tool in monitoring your baby’s overall health and development. Here’s why they’re so important:
1. Track Healthy Growth and Development
During your baby’s first year, they’ll experience some of the most rapid growth and development of their life. It’s essential to track their growth patterns to ensure they are progressing at a healthy rate. Regular growth checks help us to monitor your baby’s weight, length, and head circumference, comparing them to the World Health Organization (WHO) growth charts. These charts provide a reliable, standardised benchmark to track your baby’s growth and ensure they are growing within healthy ranges.
2. Identify Early Signs of Failure to Thrive
One of the primary concerns during the early stages of life is failure to thrive, a condition where babies do not gain weight or grow at the expected rate. It can be difficult to notice early signs without regular growth checks, but if your baby is falling behind on the growth charts or showing signs of inadequate feeding or weight gain, early intervention can help. Growth checks can help us detect these signs and take action before they become more serious concerns.
3. Monitor Feeding and Nutritional Health
Your baby’s growth directly relates to how well they’re feeding and absorbing nutrients. If your baby is not gaining weight as expected, or if they are having trouble feeding, it can be an indication of feeding difficulties or potential issues like reflux, allergies, or other gastrointestinal concerns. Tracking your baby’s growth over time provides a clearer picture of whether their feeding habits are supporting healthy development.
4. Spot Potential Developmental Concerns Early
Infant growth checks aren’t just about tracking physical size; they’re also an opportunity to identify developmental concerns. For example, if a baby is not meeting typical motor milestones such as rolling over, sitting up, or crawling, it could be an indication of an underlying issue. Early growth checks allow us to spot these potential concerns and offer guidance on how to best support your baby’s development.
5. Build Parental Confidence
As a new parent, it’s natural to have questions about your baby’s growth and development. Regular growth checks give you valuable reassurance, ensuring you that your baby is progressing as expected. If there are any concerns, these checks give you the opportunity to address them early, allowing you to take proactive steps to ensure your baby thrives.
The WHO Growth Charts: A Standardised Approach
At Harrison Child & Family Chiropractic, we use the internationally recognised WHO growth charts to track your baby’s growth. These charts provide a standardised method of measuring your baby’s growth compared to global averages, giving us valuable insights into your baby’s development. We’ll record your baby’s weight, length, and head circumference, ensuring that they’re growing within the expected ranges for their age.
Using these growth charts, we can monitor your baby’s progress and catch any deviations early. If there are concerns about your baby’s growth, such as signs of underdevelopment or failure to thrive, we can work together to identify the cause and take the necessary steps to address it.
When Should You Schedule an Infant Growth Check?
The first year of life is a critical time for your baby’s development, and regular growth checks ensure that you’re staying on top of their health and progress. At Harrison Child & Family Chiropractic, we recommend scheduling growth checks at the following key intervals:
Birth
1-4 weeks
6-8 weeks
4 months
6 months
12 months
These checks provide an opportunity to monitor your baby’s development over time, ensuring they’re hitting growth milestones as expected. And if any issues arise, early intervention can help address them before they become more serious concerns.
At Harrison Child & Family Chiropractic, Your Baby’s Growth Check Is Free of Charge
We believe in supporting you and your baby every step of the way. That’s why we offer free infant growth checks to give you confidence that your baby is developing as they should. Our dedicated team is here to track your baby’s growth and provide helpful insights, while our paediatric chiropractor will review the information and offer any advice or guidance on how to best support your baby’s development.
In addition to taking measurements, our team will also assess your baby’s overall development and provide you with helpful advice on supporting their growth. If any concerns arise, we’ll offer guidance and work with you to ensure that your baby receives the support they need.
When you come in, don’t forget to bring your baby’s red book so we can collect any historical data that might be useful for a comprehensive check-up.
To organise a growth check, please call our friendly team on 07 3110 8980, and they will find a time that suits you!