For infants, which growth measure replaces height-for-age?

• A. Weight-for-age
• B. BMI percentile
• C. Length-for-age
• D. Head circumference

Answer: (C)

In infancy, you assess linear growth using length rather than height because babies lie down and cannot stand to be measured with a stadiometer. Length-for-age serves the same role as height-for-age does in older children: it shows how long the child is relative to their age and helps detect stunting or delayed growth. Weight-for-age tracks overall size but doesn’t replace the stature measure, and BMI percentile isn’t used for infants. Head circumference is another important parameter for brain growth, but it doesn’t substitute for measuring body length. So, length-for-age is the appropriate replacement for height-for-age in infants.