During the first few' days, while the nour ishment from the mother is insufficient,' the baby regularly loses 'from silt to eight ounces; but it soon begins to gain, and if the nutrition is normal and the infant remains 'well, there will be a steady increase in weight'throughoat the first two years.' The gain during: the first year is more regular however, as well• as more rapid than that during the second year: Dui ing the first three months the increase' in weight each week is obont 'half h' Pound: Man tke third to the sixth month the 'weekly gain Is somewhat less, from four to silt ounceg: from the sixth to the ninth month about fotir'oinkes, and after the ninth month a little more, usually a weekly increase in weight of from four tb'six or even eight ounces. By the end of 'the fifth month the baby that, has been perfectly well And is being properlY nourished should have doubled its birth-weight and weigh about 15 pounds: at the end of the 15th month it should weigh three times its weight at birth. In many instances the baby will treble its original weight by the end of the first year; but 21 pounds may be considered the average weight for the end of the 12th month. Infants that were very large at birth do not increase so rapidly; while small or premature babies are apt to make a gain that is greater in proportion to 'their original weight. uHand-fedo or ebottles babies should weigh on the average about the sane as breast-fed babies,— provided that they have bad no disturbance of their digestion; the food must, however, have been perfectly adapted• to the infant, and this is often a very difficult prtrblem.
Height and Other Measurementi.—At birth the length of the average baby is about 20 inches; during the first six months there is an increase of four to six inches, and during the second six months from three to four inches more; by the end of the second year the height is 3254 inches, a grOwth of over a foot since birth. By the end of the third year the stature is one-half of the adult height. The heactgrows very rapidly during infancy and early child hood, The circumference of the head at birth is from 13 to 1434 by the end of the sixth month it is 1634 or 17 inches; at the end pf the first year 18 inches and at the end of the second year it is 19 inches. By seven or eight :Years the circumference of the head almost :equals the adult size of 21 inches, This is -visible evidence that during the first months and years of life the brain is increasing in volame more rapidly than any other organ in die.body,— the head or brain-box expanding to .conform to the enlarging brain, The soft spot !•or usually closes between the 15th *ad the 20th months. The chest is smaller than the bead at birth (13 inches) but its circum ference increases rapidly, so tfiat at 18 months that the chest and the head are equal. After this the chest grows steadily but gradually until puberty, when there is a. very rapid increase
for four,or five years. Aside from the regular -iiicrease in weight and.measurement, the healthy infant shows other signs of well-being. The thaby's 'flesh is fires., eA*1 Ike skin is satiny and „.elastic: the color is pink, and the body and ex tressiities are well rounded. Very fat babies are ',not necessarily stronger or healthier than those that weigh less: as has already been noted -.they are apt be pale, flabby and of weak -.Resistance to disease. The healthy baby' is , happy and playful when awake, and sleeps from •.16 to. 20 hours out of the the the baby. It is desirable that the grow pig child haas a nap. during the .day up to' the :tithe when kindergarten work is begun; with sir poorly nourished children the-prac -Ike should be continued until the Qr eighth -year. • Ms ienIns and Mental Development.— , 'Meat begin with the entrance of the infant the world, but are slow in unfolding, At brat the grosser movements performed by the ,Autiseles working over the larger joints, next 'complex movements, and later „childhood and early adolescence the finer move ....mints requiring nice adjustment and delicate Hence it is that occupations or ,•;eccomplishmeuts requiring great manual dex terity, such as violin or piano-playing, should be „taken pp the hand gets stiff," AS the phrase is. The first movements are, those of the legs, arms and neck: they are not pur ; woeful .but merely reflex. By the sixth week she infant can hold up its head, when the back supported, but very unsteadily until about three months old, At some time in, the third of fourth month the infant makes its first vol ; untary movement, grasping at some object in the range of vision. Within a month or two .later the baby can co-ordinate the muscles of the eyes, arm and bend sufficiently to take firm bald. Sitting alone is an accomplishment of the seventh or eighth month, and creeping also be gins at about this time, if the baby is ever to ;;Creey it eighth or ninth month the baby begins to stand, having made the at , tempt for many weeks before; at ten or eleven months the infant can stand alone, and shortly after the twelfth month the first tottering steps are taken. It is some months before the baby is secure upon the feet, the maintenance of the equilibrium requiring nice control of many groups of muscles. Healthy infants differ greatly as to the time when they can walk alone, some walking at as early as ten months, while others may not walk until 18 months. Very fat babies walk late, but, in some instances, an excess of caution seems to be a factor. If a _child is far behind in performing any of these muscular functioni a physician 4,ould be con sulted so that careful examintion may be made for signs of rickets or of disease of the brain or of the spinal cord.