Height and Weight Height and Weight Height and

Height and Weight

Height and Weight

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?

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!

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT • 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

Recording HEIGHT AND WEIGHT • 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 = 170. 2 cm – 135 cm/2. 54 = 53. 2 inches – 4 feet, 5 inches

Recording HEIGHT AND WEIGHT • 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)

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT • 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

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT

INFANT HEIGHT • 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

HEAD CIRCUMFERENCE • 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

HEAD CIRCUMFERENCE

Height and Weight

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