Height and Weight

Are YOU ever concerned with how much you weigh? Why are people interested in knowing their height and weight? Why are medical professionals concerned with a patient’s height and weight?

Overweight or underweight can indicate disease Take height and weight measurements when: Admitted to healthcare facility Part of general physical Need to calculate medication dosage Assess certain medical conditions –Example – daily weights to monitor edema Remember safety and privacy!

Following points to note for daily weights –Must be accurate! –Use the same scale –Make sure the scale is balanced –Weight at the same time each day –Wear the same amount of clothing each time Height is assessed in adults as a signifier of osteoporosis and degeneration of cartilage between the vertebrae

Height is measured in feet and inches or centimeters –1 inch = 2.54 centimeters –5 feet, 7 inches = 67 inches [(5 x 12) + 7] –67 inches x 2.54 = cm –135 cm/2.54 = 53.2 inches –4 feet, 5 inches

Weight is measured in pounds or kilograms –1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds –30 kilograms = 30 x 2.2 = 66 pounds –150 pounds = 150/2.2 = 68.2 kilograms –Infants weight is often pounds and ounces –1 pound = 16 ounces (example: 8 pounds 4 ounces)

Infants and toddlers –Growth related to wellness –Abnormalities could be an indicator of nutritional deficiencies or genetic diseases –Infants usually checked every two months for first 36 months of life –Recorded on a growth chart to compare to the average percentiles of other children the same age

Measured from heel of foot to crown of head Make sure leg is extended – knee not bent Place zero of tape measure at heel of foot then stretch tape measure to crown of head Read, and record the measurement on the growth chart

Frequently measured on infants up to 36 months of age Can be an early indication of abnormal development of the brain –Hydrocephalus: “pertaining to water within the head”. Indicated by any head circumference that measures above the 95 th percentile –Microencephaly: “ pertaining to smallness within the head”. A small brain is indicative of mental retardation caused by: congenital genetic defect, fetal alcohol syndrome, or an infection during pregnancy.

Infant Head Circumference Procedure –Position infant securely on exam table or in the parent’s lap –Use thumb and finger to hold the zero mark of the tape measurer against the infant’s forehead just above the eyebrows –Use other hand to bring the tape around the infant’s head, just above the ears, over the occipital bone at the back of the head and back to the forehead –Pull the tape snug to compress the hair but not too tight, read and record measurement

Height and Weight