Discussion and Demonstration

of Computation of Age in Months and Determination of Nutritional Status

Esmin Marie N. Alawas

Nutritionist Dietitian I

Supplementary Feeding Program

PRAYER

Computing Age in Months

• To classify the nutritional status of children, CDWs need to know their age, sex, weight and length/height.

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These information will be used together and will serve as indicator for the nutritional status of children.

KEY POINTS

1. Get the birth date and date of weighing.

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• Compute the age of the child to the nearest month as of his/her last birthday using this formula:

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Age in months = date of weighing

– date of birth

Computing�Age in Months

3. Dates should be written in the sequence of year-month-day

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Example

May 17, 2020 🡪 2020-5-17

Computing�Age in Months

4. Convert age in years into months by multiplying it by 12

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Add the age in months to the product and the total gives the age in months

Computing�Age in Months

e. If the day of weighing is less than the

day of birth, borrow one month and

add 30 to the number of days

��Date of weighing: May 10, 2023 🡪 2023-05-10

Date of birth: Feb 16, 2019 🡪 2019-02-16

Computing�Age in Months

Computing�Age in Months

f. If the month of weighing is less than

the month of birth, borrow one year

and add 12 to the number of months�

Date of weighing: Mar 31, 2023 🡪2023-03-31�Date of birth: Aug 1, 2019 🡪 2019-08-01

Example 1

Date of birth: March 10, 2019

Date of weighing: March 29, 2023

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To compute:

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Sample Computations Age in Months

Age in months is 48,

disregard the number of days

Sample Computations Age in Months

Example 2

Date of birth : September 30, 2019

Date of weighing : April 16, 2023

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To compute:

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The child’s age is 42 months and 16 days.�Disregard the number of days.

Sample Computations Age in Months

Example 3

Date of birth : September 1, 2018

Date of weighing : April 31, 2023

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To compute:

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The child’s age is 4 years, 7months and 30 days.

Age in months 55 disregard 30 days

Classification of Nutritional Status

of Children

Nutritional Status

The physiological state of an individual is determined by the kinds and amounts of food consumed and by the ability of the body to use them.

• By gender: boys and girls
• By age-group: 0-6 mos, 7-24 mos. 25-71 mos
• By index: weight-for-age, height-for-age, weight-for-length
• Core Developmental Milestones and Visit Notes

ECCD Card

Plot points for growth indicators�

Which part belongs to the underweight?

• weight-for-age
• height-for-age
• weight-for-height

Child Growth Standards

Weight-for-Age

Boy

Weight-for-Age

Girl

• The weight-for-age reflects body weight relative to the child’s age on a given day.

Weight-for-Age

• To use the weight-for-age table:
• Locate the point where the child’s age in months intersects with the actual weight of the child.
• Use the appropriate table for a boy or girl

Weight-for-Age

• To use the weight-for age table:

Weight-for-Age

• Classify the weight of the child using the following categories:
• Normal
• Underweight
• Severely underweight
• Overweight

EXAMPLE:

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• A 35-month old girl weighing 12.8 kg
• A 27-month old girl weighing 15.9 kg
• A 71-month old boy weighing 11.2 kg
• A 54-month old boy weighing 25.5 kg

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Weight-for-Age

Height-for-Age

Boy

Height-for-Age

Girl

1. Reflects attained growth in length or height at the child’s age at a given time.

Can help identify children who are stunted (short) due to prolonged undernutrition or repeated illness and those who are tall for their age

Height-for-Age

• To use the length-for-age table:
• Locate the point where the child’s age in months intersects with the actual length of the child.
• Use the appropriate table for a boy or girl

Height-for-Age

• To use the length-for-age table:

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• Classify the length of the child using the following categories:
• Normal
• Short/stunted
• Severely short/stunted
• Tall

Height-for-Age

EXAMPLE:

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• A 28-month old girl with length of 72.8 cm
• A 71-month old boy with height of 100.7 cm
• A 54-month old boy with height of 120 cm

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Height-for-Age

Weight-for-Height

Boy

Weight-for-Height

Girl

1. Reflects body weight in proportion to attained growth in length or height.

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Can help identify children who may be wasted/thin due to recent illness or food shortage although chronic undernutrition or illness can also cause this condition

Weight-for-Height

• To use the weight-for-length/height table
• Classify the weight of the child using the following categories:
2. Normal
3. Wasted/thin
4. Severely wasted/thin
5. Overweight
6. Obese

Weight-for-Height

• 64.8
• 64.9
• 65.0
• 65.1
• 65.2
• 65.3
• 65.4
• 65.5
• 65.6
• 65.7
• 65.8
• 65.9
• 70.0
• 70.1
• 70.2

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EXAMPLE:

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1. A 60-month old boy: Height 100.9 cm weight 20.0 kg
2. A 36-month old girl: Height 92.5 cm weight 18.0 kg
3. A 45-month old boy: Height 110.4 cm weight 13.8 kg
4. A 65-month old girl: Height 100.4.cm weight 10.8 kg

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Weight-for-Height

UW = Underweight

SUW = Severely Underweight

OW = Overweight

N = Normal

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St = Stunted

Sst = Severely Stunted

T = Tall

W = Wasted

SW = Severely Wasted

Ob = Obese

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Proper Abbreviations

OMPUTE (age in months)

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LASSIFY (nutritional status)

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ORRECTLY

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C

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KEY POINT