Following your child's growth

Key Growth Milestones: What to Expect at Each Stage

Between 12 and 24 months, most toddlers grow approximately 10 to 12 cm in height and gain around 2 to 3 kg. Growth visibly slows compared to the first year of life but remains rapid relative to later childhood.

By 18 months, most children walk independently, begin self-feeding, and use 3 or more recognisable words. Delays in these physical milestones alongside poor weight gain may warrant a paediatrician review, though children naturally vary in pace.

By 2 years, average weight typically falls between 10 to 14 kg and height between 82 to 92 cm. Use WHO growth charts as the reference standard for children up to 24 months.

Tracking Your Child's Weight and Height

WHO growth charts are the recommended standard for children from birth to 24 months, while CDC growth charts are used from 24 months to 19 years.

Plot your child's measurements at every well-child visit and track the trajectory over time. A consistent growth curve is more important than a single measurement falling at a specific percentile — a smaller child following their own steady curve is generally not a cause for concern.

Consult your paediatrician if your child's growth curve consistently falls below the 3rd percentile or shows a downward crossing of two or more percentile lines over time.

How Much Protein Does Your Child Need for Healthy Growth?

Children aged 1 to 3 years require approximately 13 grams of protein per day to support muscle development, immune function, and healthy height gain, based on NIH guidelines.

High-quality protein sources for toddlers include lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, lentils, and tofu. Aim to include at least one protein-rich food at every main meal.

Protein Content Per Serving: A Quick Comparison

• Chicken (30g serving): approximately 9g protein — one of the highest-density sources for young children
• Greek yogurt (100g): approximately 10g protein — also provides calcium for bone development
• Growing-up formula (one prepared serving, 200ml): protein content varies by brand, typically between 5g to 8g per serving — always check the nutrition panel for protein grams per serving, not just per 100g

Signs Your Child May Not Be Growing as Expected

Persistent poor appetite, visible weight loss, dropping more than two percentile lines on the growth chart, or noticeably lagging behind peers in height may indicate a growth concern requiring medical assessment.

Other signs include unusual fatigue, recurring illness, or developmental delays in motor or language milestones alongside poor physical growth. If you notice several of these together, it's worth raising with your paediatrician rather than waiting to see if things change.

Nutrition for Catch-Up Growth: What Parents Should Know

Children who have experienced illness, low birth weight, or early nutritional deficiency may require targeted nutritional support to achieve catch-up growth. This is best managed with guidance from a paediatrician or registered dietitian rather than through self-directed dietary changes.

Key nutrients for catch-up growth include protein, zinc, iron, calcium, and vitamin D. Deficiency in any one of these can independently slow a child's growth trajectory, which is why a targeted assessment matters more than guessing at what might be missing.

Choosing a Growing-Up Formula to Support Your Child's Growth

Growing-up formula is intended to help fill dietary gaps for children whose everyday diet doesn't yet consistently cover their nutritional needs — it is not a substitute for assessing an actual growth concern with your paediatrician.

When comparing formulas, look at protein content per serving in grams across brands — not just as a percentage of daily value, which can be misleading when portion sizes differ.

Look for formulas that provide a minimum of 5g to 6g of protein per serving alongside calcium and vitamin D for bone development, and iron with vitamin C for healthy blood and energy levels. A formula scientifically formulated with these nutrients, carefully crafted to support overall nutritional adequacy, can help round out your child's diet during the demanding toddler years — alongside, not instead of, a varied diet of whole foods.