A five-month-old baby has changed from the 65th to the 95th percentile weight for height. What should the RD first assess?

When assessing a five-month-old baby whose weight-for-height has shifted from the 65th percentile to the 95th percentile, the first step is to check whether the weights have been plotted properly. Accurate plotting is crucial in evaluating a child's growth trends. Any discrepancies in measurement or recording can lead to incorrect assessments of growth percentiles, which may result in unnecessary interventions or misinterpretation of the baby's growth patterns.

Checking that the weights are plotted correctly ensures that the evaluation is based on reliable data. If there was an error in recording weights, it could give a misleading view of the child's growth, indicating a significant change when none may have occurred. Once the data is confirmed as accurate, the healthcare provider can then explore other factors, such as growth patterns, feeding schedules, and caloric intake, with more certainty about the child's actual growth status.