Has anyone had there 12mo old be in the less than 5% for weight?

Krystal - posted on 03/06/2009

Both of my kids were in the less than 5% category for weight at their 1 year check up's. My daughter who just turned 18 months 2 weeks ago is still only 20 lbs 8 oz which is 8% and my son who is 2 1/2 is only 25 lbs. My kids didn't ever not gain weight tho - it was just slow for us. i just try to have my kids eat as much as possible during the day. we have 3 meals and 3 snacks per day. so even if they don't eat a ton during a specific meal i know at least they're picking through out the entire day. i try to prepare snacks ahead of time. in the pantry i fill up snack size baggies with pretzels, goldfish, and raisins all mixed together and for the fridge i peel and cut up fruit, string cheese, and chunks of turkey (i have the deli slice it thick so it's easy to pick up). this way when it's snack time they can go into the pantry or fridge and get their snack out all by them selves - which is key for the independant ones that i have!

In conclusion - don't worry! if you want to try the pediasure go for it. or just try offering food more often. Good luck!

Amanda - posted on 03/06/2009

We had this problem with our first daughter at one year.   I nursed her till she was eight months and then put her on formula from there.  She was between 0 and 5 percentile at one year.  We took her to Children's Mercy in Kansas City after a recommendation from our pediatrician.  The doctor at Children’s Mercy put her on pedisure 3 times a day.  It helped but not by much.  We tried to mixed bananas and peanut butter with the pedisure to add additional calories.  It made it too thick for the sippy cups we were using and she wouldn’t drink it that way.  Our pediatrician also suggested giving her anything she would eat no matter how healthy it was.  She is now 3 years old and weighs barely 28 lbs.   She has been off the pedisure since she was 2 and has begun to finally have an appetite.  The only advice I have is that she is her own person and doctors never take into consideration the parents genetics.  My husband is 6’ 1” and has a high metabolism and I am 5’ 3” with a low metabolism.  Our doctor has finally let up on the whole eating thing and is happy to see that she is growing.  Please contact me if you would like another mom to discuss this with as I know how stressful it can be.  Unfortunately I didn’t have anyone and spent several nights crying and worrying that I was a horrible mother because my kid was diagnosed with Failure to Thrive.  Best of luck!!

Itsamystery - posted on 03/06/2009

Here's a link to an updated WHO growth chart for girls which is more suitable for breastfed babies. Some of the older charts are based on the heights and weights of formula fed babies who tend to be heavier. http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards... . By that chart your daughter is sitting in about the 15th percentile, which is perfectly normal and healthy. Remember those charts indicate healthy weight range, if she's in the range, she's healthy. She might just be constitutionally small - are you and your partner small?



I wouldn't worry too much about her not gaining weight, babies go through growth spurts and slowdowns, and she might have just been in a slow period between 10 and 12 months, and hit a spurt later. Just like you and me, healthy babies know when they are hungry and when they are full. There's no harm in encouraging her to gain a little weight but it's also not something you need to stress about either because she's healthy. If you do think she needs to gain some weight you could give her the pediasure or you could give her some higher calorie foods instead (like avocado or adding some butter to her veggies) which would probably be cheaper. If she's eating a good range of healthy foods she should be getting all the nutrients she needs. Trust your instincts and do what you feel is best, but she's not underweight or anything so don't WORRY!