Friday, September 14, 2018

word usage - Is an infant child long or tall?



I was describing my 8 week old child to someone recently and struggled to pick the correct word for her height/length. "Tall" doesn't feel quite right for something whose natural orientation is horizontal.




Tall doesn't seem right because they can't stand or sit yet.


Answer



At least in the United States, it is common for medical people
to speak of the
length of an infant rather than the height.
For example, see the data for length vs. age
from the United States Center for Disease Control.



Since parents are often shown growth charts from similar sources

(referring to the infant's length rather than height),
this should be a familiar use of words for most parents.
It is possible that you might have to explain yourself when speaking with childless people, however.


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