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A tad too skinny...

Meagan - posted on 02/21/2011 ( 2 moms have responded )

183

10

My daughter is 22 months and weighs 20.8 lbs. She was 21.8 but got sick and dropped to 20. Amazing how it takes a MONTH to get your kid to gain a lb and a week for them to lose it!

Anyway, she's been diagnosed as failure to thrive/gain weight and is on pediasure (and no carnation instant breakfast). She eats CONSTANTLY. She has breakfast, usually a bowl of cereal or oatmean with a pediasure/instant breakfast, then snacks about 2 times before lunch, has a decent lunch, then snacks another 3-4 times before dinner, then has at least 1 snack before bed, and yes, she has a desert, but she is still way too skinny. She fell off the chart when she was 12 months old, and since she was a couple weeks old, it's been a battle with her weight. She's always been on that thin line between 5th percentile and off the chart, but finally fell off. She's been tested for a thyroid problem, hormone issues, and a gluten allergy already, and she sees her pediatrician 1-2 times a month for weight checks.

Her pediatrician says to just keep doing what I'm doing, and a lot of my friends say "some babies are just skinny" (I hate that statement! lol), but I still worry.

What are some expiriences you have had with this? Any ideas of what else she should be tested for? or suggestions I should make to her pediatrician? She already has a high cal diet, so I don't need that. Anyone else deal with this?

She was a normal birth weight and on time.

Thanks in advance! =]

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2 Comments

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Kimberly - posted on 03/07/2012

785

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Totally understand!!! My daughter was born 9lb 1oz and gained weight easy til she was 6 months then stopped. She stayed the same or would put on like 100grams in a month, We had her tested for everything and everything came back normal. She was breastfeed and we couldnt get her on to a bottle or any food even. I got so sick of people telling me kids will eat when there ready, no kid refuses all foods, or no kid starved themselves( she came pretty dam close!) I went to feeding clinic where after months they couldnt even help me anymore. I finally at 18 months, after being hospitalized twice to try to get her to eat/gain weight we were sent to a live in clinic for a week. It was amazing and helped us heaps, Its been almost a year since then and she is doing good but she is 28 months and 21lbs. She is wearing clothes that some 9 month olds wear but I know she eating and she eats healthy.

The best thing I took from all this is make whatever they put in there mouths count, so low gi healthy foods. If I can only get three bits in I'd rather it fresh fruit to rice crackers. Try heaps of new foods too. I know you hate the saying but I have learned to live with having a 'skinny baby' cause thats what she is, in a day she would easy eat more then me spread out but you wouldnt know where she puts it. She meets all her milestones and is very active I worry mostly about her getting sick cause I know she can drop 500grams in a few days and takes forever to get back but I know she is healthy and happy I had to step away from the scales cause they were driving me around a bend!!!!

Diana - posted on 02/25/2011

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Hi Meagan,
My daughter was born big at 9lb 6oz and at 12 months only had gained 4lbs. She was tested for all your daughter was and then tested for growth hormone deficiency, which she is deficient. We started her on the hormones, although controversial, she produced nearly zero GH and we felt it was necessary. Now at 28 months she is just under 24lbs. You may ask your pedi to refer an Endocrinologist.

One thing I learned from the dietician in our state's Birth to 3yr program is not to compare her to every other 2yo but if she's 10% or higher on the height/weight proportionate chart, she is not too thin. My daughter has teetered right at the mark mostly around 12%.

Good luck! I understand the wear the constant worry can have on a momma.

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