New born weight doubled at the age of?

Appeared in: BSF Staff Nurse - 2021

Explanation

A healthy infant's birth weight is expected to double by the age of 5 to 6 months.
This milestone is a critical indicator of adequate nutrition and healthy development during early infancy.
During the first three months, an infant typically gains 20-40 grams per day, leading to this rapid increase in weight.
The average birth weight of an Indian neonate is about 3 kg, which would become approximately 6 kg by 6 months.

Option B: At 12 months (1 year) of age, an infant's birth weight typically triples, not doubles.
Option C: 18 months (1.5 years) does not correspond to a standard weight milestone like doubling, tripling, or quadrupling. The weight at this age is between the triple and quadruple mark.
Option D: At 24 months (2 years) of age, an infant's birth weight is expected to quadruple (be four times the birth weight), not double.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Infant growth and development milestones, specifically focusing on weight gain as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Monitoring an infant's weight is a fundamental nursing responsibility to assess nutritional status, hydration, and overall health.
Failure to double birth weight by 6 months is a red flag known as 'failure to thrive,' which requires further investigation into feeding practices, potential underlying illness, or metabolic issues.
What if? If an exclusively breastfed infant shows slow weight gain, the nurse's first step is to assess the mother's breastfeeding technique (latch, position, frequency) and the infant's feeding behavior before recommending formula supplementation.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question based on standard pediatric growth milestones.
Identify the core concept: infant weight gain.
Recall the key milestones for weight: doubling, tripling, and quadrupling.
The keyword is 'doubled'. Associate this with the correct time frame.
Evaluate the options: 6 months (doubles), 12 months (triples), 24 months (quadruples).
Select the option that correctly matches the 'doubled' weight milestone.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Infant growth and development milestones, specifically focusing on weight gain.
Stem keywords: New born, weight, doubled
Lead-in keywords: at the age of

QFD49387DOIW9x--8rES2z

E6 Ghai Essential Pediatrics(pp 26-904 of 913) p. 10-12

E6 Nutrition Kumud Khanna 2e p. 109-111

Practise the full BSF Staff Nurse - 2021

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.