Pediatric Growth: High-Yield Constants
Growth velocity is the most sensitive indicator of health in children. Master these numerical standards for NEET PG.
1. Weight & Height Rules
| Metric | Standard |
|---|---|
| Birth Weight | Doubles at 5 months, Triples at 1 year, Quadruples at 2 years. |
| Height | 50 cm at birth, 75 cm at 1 year, 90 cm at 2 years, 100 cm at 4 years. |
2. Head Circumference (HC)
- Birth: 35 cm.
- Rate: Increases by 2 cm/month in the first 3 months, 1 cm/month from 3–6 months, and 0.5 cm/month from 6–12 months.
- Equivalence: HC equals Chest Circumference at 1 year.
3. Dentition
- First tooth: Lower central incisors (6–9 months).
- Calculation: Number of teeth = Age (in months) – 6.
NEET PG Hint: Remember the “Rule of 2s” for weight: Birth weight (3kg) doubles at 5mo, triples at 1yr (10kg), and quadruples at 2yrs (12-14kg). Always identify Failure to Thrive as a drop in weight percentile across 2 major grid lines.