Question
Is it normal for a child to be overweight? At 19 months old, the child is 78 cm tall and weighs 21.5 kg. Since the child was 12 months old, there has been almost no increase in height or weight. The results of the trace element test conducted in October last year were normal. How should such a situation be judged as normal? What should be done if it’s abnormal?
Answer
The child’s height is slightly below average but still within the normal range. Regarding weight, if the weight is indeed 21.5 kg for a 19-month-old, that is a cause for concern with a weight of 43 jin (traditional Chinese unit of weight). Therefore, I suspect that your child’s weight might be 21.5 jin, not 21.5 kg. If it is 21.5 jin, then the weight is normal. In the first year after birth, growth is rapid, but between the ages of 1 and 2, growth slows down, which is a normal phenomenon. However, since your child’s height has not increased much, it may be necessary to consider whether there is a calcium deficiency. Although you mentioned that the test results were normal, other factors such as sleeping with the lights on at night should still be ruled out, as light may interfere with the secretion of growth hormones.