Cebu City - Weighing children 0-59 months old is a yearly activity done by the Operation Timbang Plus Team to assess the nutritional status of children and the community. The data are then collated to generate regional and national data. This article talks about the things to remember in weighing children and tips in ensuring a good quality data.

First is to prepare the child to be ready for the weigh-in. Tell the mother or caregiver why there is a need to get the child’s weight. Make sure to get their consent before proceeding. Mention how the child's growth and nutritional status will be evaluated or tell how the procedure of the activity is done. Ask the parent or caregiver to take off any bulky clothing of the child (e.g full diaper) to get an accurate weight reading. The child should only be weighed while wearing underwear, if possible.

In weighing the child, the measurer's hand should be inserted through the bottom leg holes of the weighing pants to carefully guide the child's legs through the pants after removing them from the scale. Make sure the child's hands are on the sides and the pant strap is in front of him or her.

Lift the child with the help of the qualified assistant after the weighing pants are firmly placed. Ensure that the strap is secured or the strap is firmly attached the hook of the scale before slowly releasing the child. Check the child's position, that the child is not holding anything, and that he/she is hanging freely with feet off the ground before the actual measurement. To avoid taking an erroneous weight, quiet down any agitated child first.

These are only the first batch of tips and reminders in properly weighing a child. Getting or reading the right measurement will be discussed in the next article, so stay tuned! // DMO II Christine Lopez, RND