Smart weighing scales for babies are used for those under 6 months. When infants are taken for immunization or other medical treatments, they are weighed first to confirm the progress of their growth. Babies under six months are often found in emergency situations because of feeding factors including malnutrition. During the breastfeeding period, infants might suffer malnutrition, and prevention and treatment of the same require assessing the nutritional condition which includes weighing the baby.
Weighing the babies is important in determining their progressive growth and determining any underlying issues. There is not enough information regarding the ideal weighing scale for infants. World Health Organization recommends the hanging spring scale for infants. In recent times, electronic baby scales have been considered for the management of malnourished infants.
Portable electronic scales have become common and are used both in clinics and at home. Emergency programming has not been effective for young infants with very low weight because of unclear guidelines while assessing babies in emergency situations. There are manual and digital weighing scales but today we’ll talk about the digital scale.
When looking for a baby scale, you should consider the design and accuracy of the digital scale. Electronic scales should be accurate with a precision difference of + or - 50 grams.
Easily packed and carried and this means they are lightweight.
Weighing even in very small graduations such as 20 grams.
Scale should be able to operate in extreme hot and cold temperatures environments and avoid holes that might let in dust.
In case of frequent movement, the sale should be able to withstand as well as heavy use
Should have capacity to measure very small babies and those older than 6 months.
Look for a scale that is affordable with low cost and lasting a long time.
Include features that are easy to use with possible self calibration options.
Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN) has been working with researchers to find out the type of weighing scale commonly used for effective diagnosis.
Tared - Place a blanket on the scale, press the ONN/OFF/TARE button, place the baby and the scale will display the weight of the infant.
Cradled - Cradle scales have trays designed to fit infants while lying flat. Weighing trays are also detachable for the digital scales.
Different models are found in the marketplace but the most common type is the Salter 235 6S model especially in emergency situations. In other instances, tared scales take measurements of two weights then subtract from each other. Basically, you weigh the one carrying the baby while on their arms then weigh the person alone without the baby. Tared scales calculate the difference automatically and determine the weight of the baby.
Recommended for both clinic and home use because of the easy to use features such as fine graduation. Convertible as the weighing tray is detachable from the base and used as a flat scale.
Hanging Spring Scale.
Weighing infants below six months required scales that have been tested in field trials for the sake of accuracy especially in emergencies.
When purchasing a digital scale, you need to consider getting a carrying case for the sake of safety while moving the delicate scale. Note that measuring the infant’s length will require you to get a length board separately. Further research is ongoing to develop better digital baby scales that handle a wider variety of needs while measuring an infant.
https://www.ennonline.net/fex/29/weighingscales
https://www.seca.com/en_us/products/all-products/product-details/seca354.html
