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. 1983 Mar 12;286(6368):860-3.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.286.6368.860.

Is weighing babies in clinics worth while?

D P Davies, T Williams

Is weighing babies in clinics worth while?

D P Davies et al. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). .

Abstract

An appraisal of the widely implemented clinic practice of weighing babies to monitor their physical well being showed that these weighing practices are often inadequately administered through faulty weighing techniques, insufficient use of centile charts, and misunderstanding of normal variations in, and nutritional influences on, early weight gain. If measurements of weight are accurate and the counts of weight gain plotted on centile charts and the resulting profile sensibly interpreted it becomes a valuable method of monitoring health. Possibly the greatest benefit is that the mothers have the opportunity to discuss any anxieties about the baby's health.

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