How Much Should a One-Year-Old Weigh?

A healthy one-year-old's weight is based on several factors.

Body Mass Index

Growth charts should show a steady increase in weight.

A healthy one-year-old's weight is based on nutrition, growth, gender, environment, hormones, parental size and health. The weight of a child is important, but the BMI (body mass index) is another important indicator of the child's health. A healthy child is generally within acceptable BMI limits.

Different Growth Rates

Compare the child's weight against her own growth pattern, not a chart's.

Every child grows at a different rate. Some children are born small and gain weight slowly, while other children are born heavy and gain quickly. If the child is healthy overall, then the weight should just be another consideration and not the defining health factor. If the child's growth is steady, then the medical weight charts should not be as important.

Bottom Line

A baby's growth should remain steady.

A healthy one-year-old could weigh between 17 and 28 pounds. This is the range into which almost all one-year-olds fall. However, you have to look at the child's pattern of growth to make sure she is growing at a steady rate and falls in the same percentile every month.

References

• Kids Growth: Baby Charts
• Kids Health: Growth Charts