My son is 21 months old and 22 pounds (under weight)

Sara - posted on 11/14/2012

Hi I have the same problem now I have 19mth old and he a picky eater and what to only drink breath milk he is under weight I also need advice on how did u do it!!!

Carolyn - posted on 05/04/2011

My daughter was also small for her age. She hated fruits and veggies and because she was my first I didn't push things on her like I should have because for years she was an extremely fussy eater. Now she eats mostly all fruits and veggies with no fuss. With my second child I kept reintroducing the foods he was fussy with and he eventually took to them and to this day he eats everything and anything. With my new son I intend to do the same.

Meghan - posted on 05/04/2011

Have you tried to swich him to whole milk?My son is 23 month and weighs 22 pounds.He is under weight to but i dont worry because he eats.he is a verry picky eater and is verry active thats why plus he was only 2 lbs 10 ounces when he was born.They have a drink called pedasure you can buy at the store in the baby section that helps put weight on children that is for pickey eaters it fills the gaps in there diet.My sons doctor has him on them twice a day and it has helped him to gain weight.I hope this helps you.

Kathy - posted on 05/04/2011

Also, have a look round your family - are they small people? Can't discount genetics!

Maggi - posted on 05/03/2011

Hi, Although I am a strong advocate of breastfeeding for as as long as baby and Mommy feel they want to breastfeed . . . As a physician, I have to say that there are times when it can work to the detriment of the child. I do not know your situation personally and would not be able to comment without much more specific info but am willing to offer this: Yes, breast is best, but not when it is preventing a child from getting adequate calories/nutrition from other foods or a continuous (at least 8 hour block of sleep) night schedule of sleep (minimum for a two year old). Remember breast milk at two years old is SIGNIFiCANTLY different then your milk at 6 months or one year. They are not nutritionally equivalent. Additionally, breast milk has an undeniable laxative effect ( more for some babies then others). Remember laxatives cause weight loss not gain! I have told mothers with underweight babies that

exhibit chronic loose bowel movements to discontinue

breastfeeding and to begin drinking formula/milk, as

well as begin eating a wide variety of foods in order to begin gaining needed weight (always at 1 year and

up only). I will tell you that 99% of the time the

children do indeed begin to gain that much needed

weight! Although there is a wide range of normal

weight displayed on that percentile chart, the Calories, vitamins, minerals and fat that cause your child to ideally rest somewhere on that chart really mean something much more important - being in the " normal" range is CRUCIAL for cognitive brain development , eye, teeth, speech and normal emotional development (also equally important) for your child's successful future. It is undoubtedly

hard to hear these things as a parent, but there is a reason for growth charts and why your pediatrician

and/or nurse "run around with their heads cut off" if

your child does not register on these charts. A child

who is below the growth curve for their age

is simply not in the healthy range, period. Things

may be normal now yes, but these

continued factors can form deficits that will eventually

show deficiencies later in life. So I ask you these 3 things: Is your son's nursing taking the place of normal meals? Does he have 1 or 2 consistent solid bowel movements per day? Is he getting a 7-8 hour uninterrupted segment of sleep at least 5 out of 7 nights? If you answered yes and/or no and/or no it is

time to discontinue the nursing in order to allow him

to have the benefits that nutrition and rest will bring

to his life.

Faratiana - posted on 05/01/2011

Hi Marsha, thank you for your advice. Sometimes we try vegetables disqguised in casseroles or stews but when it comes in his mouth, if vegetables is not really mashed , my son will spit it up. lol, he is funny

Marsha - posted on 05/01/2011

All three of my kids were "underweight". My youngest weighed 35 lbs at the age of 5. They were all very healthy and ate everything in sight. Both their father and I were high metabolism people. By that I mean we ate anything we wanted and were underweight for our height. You have to take a lot of factors into consideration before you worry about weight. All of my children are now grown. My oldest is 6'4" and his top weight has only been about 175. My youngest is 5'10" and will probably never see that weight. However he may still grow. They are all very healthy adults. They eat well and, yes, they do eat junk food. As long as your pediatrician does not feel you have a problem medically, do not sweat the weight issue. Try different fruits or vegetables disguised in casseroles or stews. Good luck.

Faratiana - posted on 05/01/2011

Hi Teresa, thank you for your reply. May be later I will use your method to talk to him how he is a big boy and does not need to nurse because now I think he does not understand yet. Hopefully, it will work. hihi .
Thank you

Teresa - posted on 05/01/2011

My 3 year old son is 31 pounds. His 4 year old cousin weighs about the same... or a couple of pounds less. I watched a little girl in Sunday school today who is 2 years and I don't know how many months.... she weighs 20 pounds. I also know a 3 year old boy who is probably 50 pounds..... Kids come in all shapes and sizes and being small does not automatically mean something is wrong.

As for the sleeping.... not sure how much I can help on that. My son wasn't sleeping through the night (except a few random occasions) til after he turned 2. He was usually up 2-5 times a night before that. What I did was start talking to him EVERY night at bedtime from about 18 months. We talked about how he was a big boy and didn't need to nurse til the sun came up (yeah, he'd laugh at me..lol). We cosleep (no where else to put him) and CIO is really NOT for me. It took about 6 months, but our talks started to sink in and I guess he just outgrew the 'need' to wake and nurse.

Faratiana - posted on 05/01/2011

hi Lissa, my son at night sleeps about 2 hours and after wakes up every 1 hour and I have to breastfeed him to fall asleep again. I mean he does not sleep for a long night without waking up.

Lissa - posted on 05/01/2011

hi my son is 5 and a half and has always been at the very bottom or not even on the chart, he is 30lb and 102cm. He is monitored for growth, been tested for various thing and has also seen a cardiologist, he is perfectly fine just little. I am understanding that he only sleeps a total of two hours a night? I would find that a little concerning. If in doubt take him to the doctor and explain your concerns, if nothing else it will put your mind at rest.

Faratiana - posted on 05/01/2011

Thank you everybody for your advice , very helpful and encouraging.

Minnie - posted on 05/01/2011

My daughter is 30 months and 23 lbs. Small enough (3rd percentile) for nurses to run around in circles over like chickens with their heads cut off.



Adults are allowed to be thin, why not children? We're all individuals. Your milk has more calories than most -healthy- table foods you could give him. It's your best bet for getting good nutrition into him.



It's hard to not compare children and not to be worried when our children don't fall into the perfect average, but in all honesty, he sounds perfectly fine.

Sarah - posted on 05/01/2011

Some kids are just meant to be smaller. :) But, small does NOT necessarily = unhealthy. My son has always been in the 5th percentile or so. He is 19 months old & weighs about 22lbs. My best friend's son, who is 6 months YOUNGER, weighs more than my son does.

If you are still concerned about his weight & eating issues, don't hesitate to consult a doctor. He might be able to ease your fears or suggest some ways to get your son to eat more foods high in calories. A lot of times I have to hide veggies so my son will eat them. Also, does your son eat casseroles or things like that? You could always hide veggies in there & he will never know lol. My son loves to eat green bean casserole. Good luck!

Ink - posted on 05/01/2011

Yogurt smoothies, milkshakes and ice cream are great treats...maybe you can get your toddler to fall in love with one of these? They are all suggested to 'pack on pounds' for the little ones. You could try 'hiding' a little fruit in the yogurt smoothies or the milkshakes.
I couldn't get my 9 year old stepgirls to eat vegetables. I learned they will scarf DOWN on some candied yams. Something about the brown sugar made them into the highlight of dinner instead of a sidedish.
Will he eat cheese? Cheese sauce over broccoli...cauliflower...? Can you hide the vegetables under the cheese and 'fool' him into a bite or two?

Jenn - posted on 05/01/2011

My daughter is now 29 months old and only weighs 23lbs. She has seen a specialist, and there is nothing wrong with her - she's just small. She eats a wide variety of foods in healthy portions - she's just a smaller person. Sometimes there's nothing to worry about - but it also wouldn't hurt to rule out any possible problems. Keep an eye on bowel movements, the amount of food being eaten, and check that they are reaching all or most of their milestones.

Melanie - posted on 05/01/2011

Is kiddo small in height also? If so then he might not be underweight, just small for his age. If he is a premie, then you have to look at his gestational age, not just how many months old he is. Make sure you (and your doctor) have looked at his weight from these views also. Is he having health issues do to his size? Then you have to do something to change his diet. High fat, does not always mean un-healthy. Whole milk gives young kids needed fat. I know there are other foods that fit this catagory but I have not much experience w/ kids being underweight.



I'm concerned to the fact that he is not sleeping through the night yet. He should be able to self sooth back to sleep. It might be time to press him to learn this skill as it has been almost 2 years since YOU have had a decent night sleep also. Two hours of sleep is not enough time for a complete sleep cycle (3 hours). Time to regain your all needed rest.



I let my kids "cry it out" when they were little, I waited about a minute before I went to them when they woke up. I would pick them up to get them to calm down, then put them back to bed and leave again. Repeated as needed w/ slightly longer intervals of being gone till baby went to sleep. It is harder on mom than baby. Trust me. I got a timer to keep myself from going back too early and negating the effort I had already put into teaching baby to self-sooth. After a few days, you will start seeing longer bouts of sleep between nightly callings till one night you wake up AFTER SUNRISE!! This will work if baby is a co-sleeper moving to his own bed, or if he has been in his own bed for a while.



No sleep can be affecting his weight situation also. Put him to bed shortly after dinner (so hunger is not the reason he is waking) and get him sleeping through the night.



I really feel that unless there are pressing health issues to his weight, then you should start w/ high fat foods, and full night sleep.

Stevie - posted on 05/01/2011

As long as he is well nourished he should be fine...we deal with mal-absorbtion issues with my daughter so her weight is watched but she is also tested for deficiencies...she does take a supplement.

Louise - posted on 05/01/2011

How much does your son weigh? My daughter was 27lbs at 21 months old and is fit and healthy. Are you sure you have your figures right.

Becky - posted on 04/30/2011

hello, my 2 year old son was (and still is) small for his size. For most of the last year the doctors were telling me that he was "almost in the 2nd percentile" compared to other kids his size. Basically, the only kids smaller were "little people." Don't stress too much- I know it's hard not to. Talk to your pediatrician about ideas to get him to eat more, and the doctor can also run tests on your son to see if he has any blockages or other digestive problems that keeps him from gaining weight. Hang in there!