The Developing Period 59 



Growth During Infancy 



The infant should start life with rapid 

 growth. During the first year there is a greater 

 proportional growth to initial size than at any 

 other time of life. This is due to an extremely 

 rapid proliferation of body cells and not to 

 cell enlargement that comes after two or three 

 years. Any condition that interferes with 

 growth, such as an insufficient diet or intercur- 

 rent illness, should be averted by all the care 

 that can be rendered. It has been observed that 

 colds, bronchitis, ear trouble, indigestion or 

 constipation will inhibit growth when these con- 

 ditions last for two or three weeks. 



It is important to have a record of the birth 

 weight in every case. The male infant usually 

 weighs a little more than the female. In a 

 series of 200 cases that I examined, the males 

 weighed from six to eight pounds, and the fe- 

 males from five and a half to seven pounds. 

 As many of these infants were bom in institu- 

 tions, the averages of light weight were fairly 

 large. Seven pounds may be considered a good 

 average birth weight, although this may be 



