Are you in search of “What is a Normal Baby Height at Birth?” Healthier Baby Today has the answers you are searching for! When our babies are born, we often find ourselves wondering whether or not our babies are born with an average length or if they’re slightly taller or shorter. When our babies are born, we’re often bombarded with questions about their height and weight as soon as the birth announcement is made.
The Normal Height of a Baby at Birth
Babies are born with an average height of 19 and 20 inches long. Female babies are often born with a height of 19 inches, whereas male babies are born with a height of 19.75 inches. This may vary slightly as each baby is different. This being said, healthcare providers generally consider a newborn’s size to be normal, anywhere between 18.5 inches and 20.9 inches in babies that we’re born full term.
After you have given birth, your healthcare provider will measure their length (height), weight, and head circumference. These measurements are done to give your healthcare provider an idea of your baby’s overall health. When a healthcare provider measures a baby’s height, they measure from the top of the head to the heel of one foot. Then, they compare the results to averages on a height and weight growth chart. This chart will be given at your well-baby visits in the coming weeks and months.
Premature Babies
In the event that your baby has been born prematurely, your ob-gyn or midwife will use a growth chart that has been adjusted specifically for premature babies. Once your baby reaches its adjusted age of about 10 weeks, its healthcare provider will then switch to a regular growth chart generally used for full-term infants.
It’s important for you not to stress about the exact numbers or compare your baby’s measurements to babies of the same age. Your healthcare provider will inform you if anything is off, or if your baby is not following its own growth chart or meeting its developmental milestones, which is what really matters.
Normal Baby Height at Birth – Tall Baby, Tall Adult?
In some cases, babies that were tall at birth grow up to be tall adults. However, genetics, such as the height of a baby’s parents, is often the biggest signal if your baby will grow into a tall little lady or lad -enough to be the lead on a basketball team. Babies generally do inherit the body types that their parents have, such as tall, short, heavy, or slender.
In order to figure out your baby’s future height based on this genetic factor, you can add both parents’ heights in inches together. Add 5 inches for a baby-assigned male at birth and subtract 5 inches for a baby-assigned female at birth. You can then divide that number by two. Another easier way to estimate your baby’s height as an adult is to wait until they reach 2 years of age and then double their current height.
We have, of course, seen children who tower over their friends and then end up much shorter than expected, or children who are shorter than average throughout their childhood and then later nearly double their length during puberty. Therefore, it is important to remember all this is only done as an estimate. There are factors such as hormone imbalances, genetic conditions, chronic illnesses (this includes cystic fibrosis), as well as taking certain medications that may all affect the growth of a child.
One Length Away – Normal Baby Height at Birth
Your baby’s height may change when they reach puberty. The average height for your baby will be between 19 and 20 inches long. If you have any concerns about your baby’s height, speak to your healthcare provider to ensure that your baby’s growth and development are up to standard.
