The U.S. News and World Report – Michael O. Schroeder
“Kids grow fast. In particular, babies and toddlers experience rapid weight gain in their first two years. “In the first year, we expect their weight to triple,” says Maureen Black, professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, and director of the school’s Growth and Nutrition Clinic. So a child born weighing 7 pounds will typically weigh around 21 pounds at 12 months. But just as some kids may pack on too many pounds, others don’t gain enough weight. Black says about 2 to 5 percent of U.S. kids under age 2 are considered underweight – gaining less than they should, based on World Health Organization growth standards. While childhood obesity understandably commands more attention, since it saddles a growing number of kids with adult health problems, being underweight has its own set of hazards for the very youngest, making it harder for them to fight off infections ranging from common colds to norovirus, a highly contagious bug that can cause gastrointestinal problems; kids with diarrhea can become even more depleted. In severe cases, being underweight can stunt a child’s growth. While that’s a more common issue in developing countries, programs like Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, in the U.S. intervene to help low-income mothers and children prevent such lifelong consequences. Still it can happen, and it’s one more reason children’s health providers worldwide keep a close eye on growth charts to make sure kids are getting bigger.”(more)