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Day-to-day variation in body weights of children
Annals of Human Biology
|January 1, 1976
Insights
Daily body weight fluctuations in young children are minimal, typically +/- 0.2 kg. Significant weight changes, indicating real growth or loss, should exceed double this normal variation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Human Physiology
- Growth Monitoring
Background:
- Accurate assessment of body weight changes is crucial for monitoring child development.
- Short-term weight fluctuations can obscure genuine growth trends in children.
- Establishing normal daily weight variability is essential for clinical interpretation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify day-to-day body weight variability in children aged 2-6 years.
- To establish a threshold for significant body weight change in pediatric populations.
- To inform clinical practice regarding the interpretation of weight measurements in young children.
Main Methods:
- Measurement of body weights in 54 boys and 50 girls over five consecutive days.
- Calculation of the standard deviation of body weights for the study group.
- Analysis of short-term weight fluctuations to determine typical daily variation.
Main Results:
- The standard deviation of daily body weights was approximately +/- 0.2 kg for both boys and girls.
- This indicates minimal day-to-day variation in body weight within this age group.
- The observed variability provides a baseline for assessing meaningful weight changes.
Conclusions:
- A body weight change exceeding twice the standard deviation (+/- 0.4 kg) should be considered a significant indicator of real change.
- This finding aids in distinguishing normal physiological fluctuations from clinically relevant weight loss or gain.
- Recommendations for monitoring pediatric body weight should account for this established daily variability.
Abstract:
Day-to-day fluctuations in the body weights on five consecutive days of 54 boys and 50 girls aged between 2 and 6 years were measured. The standard deviation of the body weights over this period were of the order of +/- 0-2 kg in boys and girls. On the basis of these findings, it is suggested that only loss or gain in body weights of more than twice this amount should be taken as indicative of real change.