The birth weight of a newborn quadruples at?

Appeared in: NORCET 2 - 2021 (shift-1)

Explanation

According to standard pediatric growth patterns, a newborn's birth weight is expected to quadruple by the end of the second year of life (24 months).
This follows a predictable pattern where the birth weight first doubles around 5 months and then triples by the first birthday.
For an infant with an average birth weight of 3 kg, the expected weight at 2 years would be approximately 12 kg.
This milestone is a key indicator used by healthcare professionals to assess a child's nutritional status and overall health.

Option A: At 1 year of age, the standard milestone is for the birth weight to have tripled, not quadrupled.
Option C: 5 years (18 months) is not the standard age for the quadrupling of birth weight. The weight at this point would be between the tripled and quadrupled mark.
Option D: By 4 years, a child's weight has increased significantly more than four times their birth weight. A different milestone for this age is that the child's birth length has often doubled.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Normal infant growth and development milestones, specifically weight gain as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Regularly monitoring and plotting a child's weight on a standardized growth chart (like the WHO charts) is a fundamental nursing responsibility during well-child visits.
Failure to meet these weight milestones (e.g., not tripling by 1 year or not quadrupling by 2 years) is a red flag that requires further nursing assessment.
Assessment should include evaluating feeding practices, dietary intake, signs of illness, or potential malabsorption issues. It may warrant nutritional counseling or referral to a pediatrician or dietitian.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question that tests your knowledge of standard pediatric growth milestones.
First, identify the key parameter (birth weight) and the required milestone (quadruples).
Recall the typical sequence of weight gain in the first two years of life.
Remember the rule of thumb: weight doubles by 5 months, triples by 1 year, and quadruples by 2 years.
Evaluate the given options against this rule. '2 years' directly matches the milestone for quadrupling.
Eliminate the other options based on your knowledge: 1 year is for tripling, and 4 years is too late and associated with other milestones like doubling of height.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Normal infant growth and development milestones, specifically weight gain.
Stem keywords: birth weight, newborn, quadruples
Lead-in keywords: at?

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Practise the full NORCET 2 - 2021 (shift-1)

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