Guidance for home growth measuring (height and weight)

Measuring Standing Height At Home

1. Remove the child or young person’s shoes, bulky clothing, hair ornaments and unbraid hair styles that may get in the way with the measurement.
2. Take the height measurement on flooring that is not carpeted and against a flat surface such as a wall with no skirting boards.
3. Have the child/young person stand with feet flat, together, and heels against the wall. Make sure legs are straight, arms are at sides, and shoulders are level.
4. Make sure the child/young person is looking straight ahead (ear hole should be in line with bottom of the eye).
5. Take the measurement while the child/young person stands with head, shoulders, bottom, and heels touching the wall.
6. Use a flat object as a headpiece, such as a book or ruler and lower the head piece until it firmly rests on the top of the head.
7. Make sure the measurer’s eyes are at the same level as the head piece.
8. Lightly mark where the bottom of the headpiece meets the wall. Then, use a metal tape to measure from the base on the floor to the marked measurement on the wall to get the height measurement.
9. Record the height in centimetres to the first decimal that is the nearest 0.1 centimetres (for example, 120.4cms).

Measuring Weight At Home

 Use a digital scale. Avoid using bathroom scales that are spring-loaded. Place the scale on firm flooring (such as tile or wood) rather than carpet.

Have the child/young person remove shoes and heavy clothing, such as jumpers.

Have the child/young person stand with both feet in the middle of the scale.

Record the weight in kilograms to the first decimal place that is the nearest 0.1kg's (for example, 17.4 kg’s).

Next Steps

Once you have these 2 measurements, you can *click here* to check your child’s BMI. This will tell you if they are a healthy weight for their age and sex.

For information and advice on Nutrition and Diet - click here.