Family Nurse Practitioner Exam

When does an infant typically triple its birth weight?

1. 3 months

2. 6 months

3. 12 months

4. 15 months

The correct answer is: 12 months

An infant typically triples its birth weight by 12 months of age. This developmental milestone is important for monitoring growth and ensuring that the infant is receiving adequate nutrition. In the first year of life, infants experience rapid growth, and weight gain is one of the key indicators of their health and development. During the initial months, particularly in the first few weeks, infants usually gain weight quickly, but the rate of gain slows down as they reach the six-month mark. By the end of the first year, a healthy infant will have approximately tripled their birth weight, which serves as the standard benchmark for pediatric growth assessments. This information is crucial for health care providers in evaluating an infant's growth trajectory and overall well-being.