Couple of questions about my 5 year old?

Jocelyn - posted on 04/16/2010

I can't help with the accidents, but I have a really skinny child as well. Try adding healthy fat foods, like avocado. I'd also like to say that my son is very healthy (he even takes a multivitamin every day) He's three years old and 31 lbs, but really tall. His baby sister (she's 6 months) has larger calves than he does. Your daughter might just be built that way; my son eats constantly and never thickens out lol.

Jennifer - posted on 04/16/2010

Try adding fat to her diet. Whole milk, lots of real butter. Perhaps she will drink Carnation Instant Breakfast, Ensure, or Ovaltine for you. You can use whole milk yogurt to make fruit smoothies. I would put my child in night time pulls ups and otherwise never discuss the bed wetting. I think there are a lot of self esteem issues that can go along with bed wetting. Limit her fluid intake after dinner and perhaps wake her up to go to the bathroom before you go to bed (or some other time in the middle of the night). You can celebrate the moments when she does wake up dry.

Louise - posted on 04/16/2010

First of all limit the amount she drinks and what she does drink you should make count in her diet for example sugar free milkshakes. Take her to the toilet several times inthe evening and don't give her a drink an hour before bedtime.

As for gaining weight your daughter may be deficient in iron which means whe will not have much of an appertite. If she eats cereal find one that is high in iron or fortified. Buy breads that are fortified with iron and try and give her plenty of protein that will help her gain muscle tone and not fat. Try and entice fruit into her diet as much as possible as it contains lots of vitamins essential for maintaining body weight and health. If she wont eat then make the fruit into a smoothie or a sauce that you can poor on icecream. Hope this helps.

Tracy - posted on 04/16/2010

If she's not eating well, maybe she's compensating or trying to fill up her hungry tummy with liquids (milk, juice, etc.) Perhaps this is leading to accidents at night. You have to cut off the liquids by about 6-7pm. Offer her whole fruit if she needs a bedtime snack. Also, when children's bodies grow, sometimes their bladders don't grow proportionally. They can drink more liquid but can't hold more liquid in their bladders. Eventually, the bladder will catch up. Also, it's possible that her brain is not producing the chemical that wakes us up at night with a signal that we have to go to the bathroom. This is very common at ages 5-9. There is a nasal spray that is available by prescription from your doctor that can be used if this is the diagnosis and all other options have been tried first.

Since she is underweight, you do want to have her checked out to see if she has any swallowing problems or any digestive problems, and see about increasing her calories by giving her whole fat dairy foods (Yo-baby yogurt is whole fat yogurt.) Whole milk, cheese, and ice cream are good ways to increase calories, too, and kids tend to like these foods. Your pediatrician may have other recommendations on gaining weight. Sometimes they recommend dietary supplement shakes. You'll have to experiment with different foods to see what she likes and what kind of textures she prefers.

Nicole - posted on 04/16/2010

I say go with your gut if you think she is small go see another doctor. Do you limit the water she drinks at night? I do not give water after 6pm and I make them go to the bathroom before before we go upstairs to start our bed routine and than again right before they get into bed. I think you need to pursue both concerns. Good luck!