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U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR JAMES J DAVIS. Secretary CHILDREN’S BUREAU JULIA C. LATHROP. Chief AVERAGE HEIGHTS AND WEIGHTS OF CHILDREN .UNDER SIX YEARS OF AGE C O M M U N IT Y C H ILD -W ELFA R E S E R IE S N j . 2 Bureau Publication N o . 84 W A SH IN G TO N G O VE R N M EN T PRINTING O FH C E • https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 1921 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 periocf devoted to this test great numbers of children—for the most part under 6 years of a g e 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 j and mother, and physical condition of the child. As a result of this campaign the bureau received over 2,000,000 j records, and was thus in possession of a larger mass of anthropo metric material relating to children of these ages than was ever i before available. Consultations were held with, 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-twelltn ot tne 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 remainder of Scandinavian, Italian, and other racial stocks. They represent children from every part of the country. The averages lor white children of native parentage agree very closely with these averages for all white children. . Table 1 shows average heights and weights of boys and girls Irom birth to 72 months of age, and Table 2 shows average weights ot 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. 49428°—21 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis . . . . , . (2 ) >ba.l 3 • 6 years o f ag e} T a b l e 1 .— Height and weight o f white children from birth to White boys. White girls. Age. Height (incnes). Under 1 month................ . 1 month, under 2................. 2 months, under 3.............. 3 months, under 4.......... t^lfcrnonths, under 5.......... months, under 6............... Èmonths, under 7.............. 7 months, under 8............. 8 months, under 9.......... 9 months, under 10,.......... 10 months, under 11............. 11 months, under 12.......... 12 months, under 13 ..;......... 13 months, under 14.............. 14 months, under 15............. 15months, under 1 6 . _ 16 months, under 17.........H 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 24............ 24 months, under 25......... 25 months, under 26___ 26 months, under 27......... 27 months, under 28.......... 28 months, under 29......... 29 months, under 30......... 30 months, under 31___ 31 months, under 32.......... 32 months, under 33.......... 33 months, under 34....... 34 months, under 35............ 35 months, under 36............. 36 months, under 37............ 37 months, 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 months, under 55................. 55 months, under 56................. 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............. .-... 63 months, under 64................. 64 months, under 65................. 65 months, under 66.................... 66 months, under 67................. 67 months, under 68................. 68 months, under 69....................... 69 months, under 70................. 70 months, under 71...................... 71 months, under 72.................... Weight (pounds).3 Height (inches). 201 23$ 234 log 251 26! 27? 27| 28! 281 29 29§ 30! _______ 30? 304 31| Olg 31 31? 31! 32? 32? 33 33f 33i 349 34| S| m ni 13 14? 15# 16| 17! 17! 181 19 191 20 201 21} 22} 23! 32! 321 32| 24} 241 24! 25? 251 25? 0*2 26} ¿ •t 34} 34} oog 35f 36 36? Weight (pounds).2 271 27f 28? 29? 29? 38| 32} oog 38} 34} oog oyg oy4 36! 00 35} OOff Oft8 00} 36} 00} 374 37# 37? 36} 4H 41§ 42 424 42# 424 42? 434 43# 32} Q 97 o fj jT oo} 33} 34 34? 40 40! 401 41? ò li 31? 3l| 32? 38} 39 39} 38? 39| Oof if 41} 43| 1 These figures are based upon measurements of 167,024 white boys 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 with 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: 2 Weights do not include clothing. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 4 T a b l e 2 . — Average weights, by height and sex; white children .1 Height (inches).2 20 21 22 23 24 . 25 26 . . 27 .. 28 29 30 31... 3 2 ... 3 3 ... White White girls, boys, average average weight weight (pounds).3 (pounds).3 ............... . ................... 8J 9J 10* 12* 13* 15" 16f 18" 19J 20§ 22” 231 24J 253 8* 91 10* Ilf 131 141 161 171 19 201 21J 221 23} 25 Height (inches).2 34..................................... 35............................................ 36................................ ........... 37............................................ 38............................................ 39............................................ 40............................................ 41........................1.................. 42........................................ . 43.................................. 44........................... ........111.. 45........................ ..111.11,1.1, 46...................... . 47.................... .1 1 1 ) 1 1 1 1 1 ...., White White girls, boys, average average weight weight (pounds).3 (pounds).3 271 281 291 311 32* 331 351 3of 384 401 413 431 iff 471 261 27.f 29* 30® 3 if 33 . M % 371 391 41 423 45 46J 1 These figures are based upon measurements of 107,024 white boys and girls; no average shown is based on less than 100 cases. 2 Heights are classified to the nearest inch. 3 Weights do not include clothing. o https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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