Estimation in Children
A number of ways to estimate weight in children have been developed for circumstances (such as emergencies) when actual weight cannot be measured. The most commonly used methods include guesses of the child's weight by parents or healthcare providers, weight-estimation formulas based on the child's age and tape-based systems of weight estimation. Some of the many formulas that have been used include the APLS formula, the Leffler formula, and Theron formula. There are several tape-based systems for estimating children's weight, the most well-known of which is the Broselow tape. The Broselow tape is based on length with weight read from the appropriate color area. Newer systems, such as the PAWPER tape, make use of a simple two-step process to estimate weight: the length-based weight estimation is modified according to the child's body habitus to increase the accuracy of the final weight prediction.
The Leffler formula is used for children 0–10 years of age. In those less than a year old it is
and for those 1–10 years old it is
where m is the number of kilograms the child weighs and am and ay respectively are the number of months or years old the child is.
The Theron formula is
where m and ay are as above.
Read more about this topic: Body Weight
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