UC-NRLF U. S. DEPART MENT OF- LABQft '* JAMES J DAVIS. Secretary CHILDREN'S BUREAU ^' JULIA C. LATHROP. Chid AVERAGE HEIGHTS AND WEIGHTS OF CHILDREN UNDER SIX YEARS OF AGE COMMUNITY CHILD-WELFARE SERIES N^. 2 Bureau Publication No. 64 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1921 L333U3 AVERAGE HEIGHTS AND WEIGHTS OF CHILDREN UNDER SIX YEARS OF AGE. During Children's Year, the second year of the participation of the United States in the World War, the Children's Bureau conducted a series of campaigns designed to focus public attention upon the welfare of children. Among these campaigns was the ''weighing and measuring test." During the period devoted to this test great numbers of children — for the most part under 6 years of age — in all parts of the United States, were weighed and measured. Record blanks were furnished by the bureau, and when the children were brought for examination entries were made of height, weight, age, sex, and race, besides particulars of country of birth of father and mother, and physical condition of the child. As a result of this campaign the bureau received over 2,000,000 records, and was thus in possession of a larger mass of anthropo- metric material relating to children of these ages than was ever before available. Consultations were held witii anthropologists, statisticians, and pediatrists, and plans of tabulation were prepared in accordance with recommendations made by the authorities consulted. A careful selection was made of approximately one-twelfth of the cards which had been received. The basis of selection was fourfold: (1) The record card must have been signed by a physician; (2) no serious defects should have been noted; (3) the child must have been weighed and measured without clothing, as verified by the physician signing the card; and (4) all essential items must have been answered. On the basis of these selected records, tables have been made showing average weights and heights for children of different ages and average weights for children of different heights. They are based upon measurements of 167,024 white children. The children included in the tabulation were 70 per cent of native parentage; 6 per cent with one parent native and one foreign born; 4 per cent oi British and Irish parentage; and the remamder of Scandinavian, Italian, and other racial stocks. They represent children from every part of the country. The averages for white children of native parentage agree very closely with these averages lor all white children. Table I shows average heights and weights of boys and girls from birth to 72 months of age, and Table 2 shows average weights of boys and girls for different heights from 20 to 47 inches. These averages represent, so far as the original material permits, averages based upon children without defects or diseases. 4fi428°-21 (2) Table 1. — Height and weight of ivhite children from birth to 6 years of agt} Age. White boys. Height (inches). Weight (pounds) .2 White girls. Height (inches). Weight (pounds). Under 1 month 1 month, under 2 2 months, under 3. . . 3 months, under 4. . . 4 months, under 5. . . 5 months, under 6.. . 6 months, under 7. . . 7 months, under 8.. . 8 months, under 9... 9 months, under 10. . 10 months, under 11. U months, under 12. 12 months, under 13. 13 months, under 14. 14- months, under 15. 15 months, under 16. 16 months, under 17. 17 months, under 18. 18 months, under 19. 19 months, under 20. 20 months, under 21 . 21 months, under 22. 22 months, under 23. 23 months, under 21. 24 months, under 25. 25 months, under 26. 26 months, under 27. 27 montlis, under 28. 28 months, under 29. 29 months, under 30. 30 months, luider 31. 31 months, under 32. 32 months, under 33. 33 months, under 34. 34 months, under 35. 35 months, under 33. 36 months, under 37. 37 montlis, under 38. 38 months, under 39. 39 months, under 40. 40 months, under 41. 41 months, under 42. 42 months, under 43. 43 months, under 44. 44 months, under 45. 45 months, under 46. 46 months, under 47. 47 months, under 48. 48 months, under 49. 49 months, under 50. 50 months, under 51. 51 months, under 52. 52 months, under 53. 53 months, under 54. 54 montiis, under 55. 55 months, under 58. 56 months, under 57. 57 months, under 58. 58 months, under 59. 59 months, under 60. 60 months, under 61. 61 months, under 62. 62 months, under 63. 03 months, under 64. 64 months, under 65. 65 months, under 66. 66 months, under 87. 67 months, under 68. 68 months, under 69. 69 months, under 70. 70 months, under 71. 71 months, under 72. 21J 22i 23| 29 29* m 30i 30i 31 311 311 32i 32i 32i 33 331 33i 341 35 35i i 36 36i 36* 36| 365 37« 371 371 381 38i 3Si 38J 39 m 39i m 39| 391 40 40| 405 111 41i 411 41f 42 42| 421 ^H 42| 43 43J- 43| 43i 431 29| m 31 31g 31i 32 32| 32| 33J 33| 34 M\ 3H 34| 35 35i 35; 3i 36^ 36^ ^n 37i 37| 38i 38| 38| 39 39i 39i 39* 40i m 40J 41i 4H 30J 30i 30| 3l| 31f 31J 32i 32| 33t 33| 33| 34 34i 34i 341 1 351 35i 36 36i 37 37i 374 37| 38 m 381 381 39J 39i 39i 39| 40 40J m m 40i 41 411 411 41i 41| 42^ 42i m 423 42| 43i 43i 43| 1 These figures are based upon measurements of 167,024 white boj's and girls for whom no serious defects were reported. The averages as calculated have been smoothed and corrected to allow for the inclusion in the basic figures of children v/ith adenoids, diseased or enlarged tonsils or carious teeth, and they rep- resent, therefore, so far as the material permits, average heights and weights of children without defects. ^ Weights do not include clothing. ^:89843 Table 2. — Average weights, by height and sex; ivhite childrcrt.^ Height (inches).* 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 White boys. average weight (pounds).' 81 lOi 12 13i 15 161 18 19i 201 22 23i White girls, average weight (pounds).* Height (inches).* 34 35 33 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 White boys, average weight (pouuds).i White girls, average weight (pounds),' 26} 29I 30i 31i 33 34i 36 37i 41 421 45 46i 1 These figures are based upon measurements of 167,024 white boys and girls; no average shown is based on less than 100 cases. * Heights are classified to the nearest inch. » Weights do not include clothing. Binder Gaylord Bros. Makers Stockton, Calif. PAT. JAN. 21. 1908 TL ^tiS. 689843 ^ B 34-2 3 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 1