Define the genetic growth pattern of infant?
It takes 1-3 years for an infant to establish his own genetic growth pattern. Once this figure is established (such as height-for-age or weight-for-age), the child's measurements should then track along the curve. The first three years are crucial as malnutrition is most common and severe during this stage. Height-for-age is a measure of achieved linear growth that can be used as an index of past nutritional status. Low height-for-age is termed as stunting. In populations with a high prevalence of stunting, length-for-age at 3 months can be used to screen children at-risk for stunting by 3 years. Identification of such children is important because stunting during childhood, results in a reduction in adult size, which, in turn has been associated with reduced work capacity and, in women, adverse reproductive outcome.
Stunting results from extended periods of inadequate food intake, poor dietary quality, increased infections and morbidity, or a combination of these factors. It is, therefore, important to prevent infections by maintaining utmost level of hygiene and sanitation and proper immunizations status. Growth monitoring and health monitoring therefore, go hand in hand.