The practice of weighing babies began in the late nineteenth and early-twentieth century as part of the reformation of mothering practices. Government institutions and welfare associations collaborated to promote rational, scientific principles into the feeding and rearing of babies. All babies considered to be below the 'normal' weight were placed on a system called 'test-feeding' where they were weighed after every meal in order to determine if they were receiving enough nourishment. Mr T Avery’s patented baby scales, manufactured by his company W&T Avery, aided in this process; his company also made a variety of other weights and scales for both industrial and medical use.