The expected height of a normal child at 12 months is?

Appeared in: Chitranjjan National Cancer Institute Kolkata - 2021

Explanation

The average length of a full-term infant at birth is approximately 50 cm.
During the first year of life, an infant's length increases by about 50% of their birth length.
This results in a gain of about 25 cm (50% of 50 cm), leading to an expected length of approximately 75 cm at 12 months.

Option A: This value is below the average length of a healthy, full-term newborn (50 cm).
Option B: This is the average length of a healthy, full-term infant at birth, not at 12 months.
Option D: A child typically reaches a height of 100 cm, which is double their birth length, at approximately 4 years of age.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Pediatric growth milestones (length/height) as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Regularly measuring and plotting a child's length/height on a growth chart is a critical nursing responsibility to monitor for normal development and identify deviations early.
A significant drop in growth percentiles (e.g., crossing two major percentile lines) is a red flag for 'failure to thrive,' which requires investigation into nutritional intake, absorption issues, or underlying illness.
What if? If a 12-month-old child's length is measured at 68 cm, this falls significantly below the 3rd percentile. The nurse's priority is to perform a detailed nutritional assessment, review feeding history, and refer the child for further medical evaluation to rule out systemic disease or endocrine problems.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key parameters in the question: 'expected height', 'normal child', and the specific age '12 months'.
This is a factual recall question. Access your knowledge of normal pediatric growth milestones.
Recall the average length of a full-term infant at birth (around 50 cm) and the expected growth in the first year.
Remember the rule of thumb: length increases by about 50% in the first year. Calculate: 50 cm + (50% of 50 cm) = 50 + 25 = 75 cm.
Compare this calculated value (75 cm) with the given options and select the matching one.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Pediatric growth milestones (length/height)
Stem keywords: expected height, normal child, 12 months
Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE
Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.
Negative lead-in flag: false

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

E6 Physiology Ganong 27e Vol 2 Part 2 p. 25-27

Practise the full Chitranjjan National Cancer Institute Kolkata - 2021

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