section 3
Monitoring height and weight
4-5 months
meeting
21
Let’s review:
Once the meeting starts, welcome everyone and ask the participants: • Who can help us remember what we talked about in our last meeting? • Who was able to do the activity at home that we asked you to do at the end of the meeting? How did it go? • Does anyone have questions or concerns after doing the activity?
What are we going to learn?
How to continue monitoring your baby’s development and growth, how to measure his or her height and weight and recognize the development markers he or she should have. Let’s talk about it! We are going to look at some pictures so we can talk about what we know about the subject. Every how often do you think a 4-5 month-old should be measured and weighed? What things (like smiling and holding an object) should babies be able to do according to their age?
How do they measure height and weight in your community? Why is it important to monitor babies’ height and weight? section 3 / 4-5 months • meeting 21
82
Activity:
“Reviewing height and weight” We are going to review the best way to measure a baby’s height and weight to see if he or she is growing properly.
What we’ll need: • Growth charts
WHAT WE’LL DO: • Ask the parents before hand to bring their baby’s growth chart. • Use one of the charts as an example and, section by section, ask what each section means. At the same time answer any questions and clarify doubts. • Next, help them practice measuring their baby’s growth and verifying if it’s within the growth curve. • At the end remind the mothers whose children are under the age of 6 months that it is extremely important that they continue breastfeeding exclusively. At the age of 6 months they can start introducing solids and purées into their baby’s diet.
Summing Up:
What did we learn today? Now, we’ll review what we discussed today. • How do you feel after this meeting? Why? • What are the two most important things you’ve learned today? • What will you do differently based on what you learned during the meeting? • What did you like the most? Are there things you didn’t like? • Do you have any remaining concerns or questions about what we talked about? To finish, what would you recommend to improve today’s meeting when we do it again with another group. (Explain that answering this question will help the meeting be even better in the future for parents with small children.)
To do at home:
Mothers with babies under the age of 6 months should continue eating well and drinking enough so that they are able to breastfeed exclusively.
Facilitator’s Manual
83
Basic information for the facilitator: Learning more about monitoring height and weight: 1- By the age of ONE MONTH a baby should be able to: • • • •
Turn his/her head toward a hand that is stroking his/her cheek or mouth Bring both hands toward his/her mouth Turn toward familiar voices and sounds Suckle the breast and touch it with his/her hands.
2- By the age of SIX MONTHS a baby should be able to: • • • • • • • •
Raise his/her head and chest when lying on his/her stomach Reach for dangling objects Grasp and shake objects Roll both ways Sit with support Explore objects with hands and mouth Begin to imitate sounds and facial expressions Respond to his/her own name and to familiar faces.
3- By the age of 12 MONTHS a baby should be able to: • • • • • • • •
Sit without support Crawl on hands and knees and pull up to stand Take steps holding onto support Try to imitate words and sounds and respond to simple requests Enjoy playing and clapping Repeat sounds and gestures for attention Pick things up with thumb and one finger Start holding objects such as a spoon and cup and attempt self-feeding
section 3 / 4-5 months • meeting 21
84
4- By the age of TWO YEARS a child should be able to: • • • • • • • •
Walk, climb and run Point to objects or pictures when they are named (e.g., nose, eyes) Say several words together (from about 15 months) Follow simple instructions Scribble if given a pencil or crayon Enjoy simple stories and songs Imitate the behavior of others Begin to eat by him/herself
5- By the age of THREE YEARS a child should be able to: • • • • • • • • •
Walk, run, climb, kick and jump easily Recognize and identify common objects and pictures by pointing Make sentences of two or three words Say his/her own name and age Name colors Understand numbers Use make-believe objects in play Feed himself Express affection
Facilitator’s Manual