If a baby is about 2 lbs under weight is that really considered failure to thrive?

Question

She was born premature, but started to get on the 50% range for her weight, she's 22 months old now and is on infant formula still (we're still trying to find a toddler formula that she'll tolerate), and has cut 8 teeth in the past 4 months and started losing about a 1/4 pound each month. She has a g-tube and is starting to eat a little bit more solid food, she doesn't want for anything. She's very active now. Every child in my family including me lost a pound or two when we were her age and then started to slowly gain weight again at about 2 years old. No one will take what I have to say into consideration. I don't want my daughter to be unheathly but I do want her to be what she's meant to be naturally. She weighs 20 1/2 lbs, the people who watch her growth and development are telling me that she is failure to thrive and they want to put her in the hospital. She acts like a normal baby, although she is a little slow, she is learning new things daily. I don't agree with their opinion.

Answer 1

Since she was premature and is still underweight for her age, they are probably very concerned about her weight loss. It's not a problem for the average toddler to lose a little weight when they become more active, but you daughter doesn't have much of a buffer zone.
Talk to your doctor about this, he or she can probably explain further why they want her in the hospital.

Answer 2

I would get a second opinion if I were you. My daughter was born at 25 weeks, and while she didn't have any feeding/weight gain issues, my experience with being in preemie support groups is that FTT is serious business. It's ok to disagree with the opinion, but go to a feeding clinic where there are nutritionists who are specialists in this sort of thing.

You may want to ask the nutritionist about Resource 1.5, which is a formula that provides more calories than Pediasure does. It's normal for a toddler's weight gain to slow down once they become more active, but it's not typical for them to lose weight, especially on a consistent basis. How premature was she? Does she receive Early Intervention Services for her delays? If so, what does the therapist think about her meeting her milestones?

You could also take your daughter to a Developmental Pediatrician to have her evaluated to get a second opinion on her developmental delays. Not trying to scare you, but there could come a point in time where these are no longer just "delays" but something more permanent. A Developmental Pediatrician will be able to help you with that, and possibly lead you to other specialists you may need to see.

I hope you get some answers for your daughter. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 3

My failure to thrive child is now 23 years old and weighs 175 lbs. He was preemie also and when he started becoming more active as a toddler, he started loosing some weight for a period of about 8 months. I disagreed with the doctor and got a second opinion. The second doctor agreed with me, that it was normal due to my son being more active.

Let me also add...I was told that my son was mentally slow and was ADHD when he was 7 years old and that he would end up on SSI or in a prison somewhere. He is now a college student and has a 3.50 GPA...Doctor's are not Gods, just ordinary people with degrees...be skeptical about what they tell you...life has a way of proving them wrong. My son never made any of the mile stones on time, he was late with everything and everything seem to be harder for him.

Answer 4

No I don't believe so. Being a little under weight is okay. Just like being a little over weight is okay. I was worried about my son when he was little like that. 24 months he weighed 21 lbs and stayed there at 21 ibs until he was almost 3. Today at 7 he weighs in at 55 lbs.

He has always been small for his age.

now my daughter on the other hand. Let me tell you. she is 6 months and weighs 17 lbs 10 oz she has slways been on the bigger size.

so i say size doesn't matter until the Dr says different.

Answer 5

They wouldn't be as concerned if she weren't loosing weight. My sons were premature and underweight, they didn't tolerate formula well, but they never LOST weight. They just gained slowly. 2 lbs is quite a bit of loss on a body that only weighs 20.5 lbs. If she weren't loosing weight, the other thing wouldn't matter. Of course she will be small for her age, and she won't meet milestones like children born at full term. My sons' Pediatrician said that premature babies meet milestone slower than babies born full term. For every week they were premature, is approx. equivelent to 1 month. So if your baby was 4 weeks early, she could be up to 4 months behind and so on.

Answer 6

In the time that she lost the weight, did she grow any taller? Sometimes kids will grow one direction for a while (taller) and then another direction (heavier) later.

Has she become more active in the last 4 months than before?

Do you have copies of your weights when you were little, say a baby book or doctor's records, that you can share with them to show that it might be how your family grows normally?

Is she meeting milestones?

Have you asked them what are the alternatives to hospitalization and what they hope to accomplish by putting her in the hospital?

What about keeping a daily journal of her food intake to share with the doctors?

Answer 7

I had the same problem with my son, he was born at 28.5 weeks weighing 2lb 11oz and for months I kept being told he had weight issues and faliure to thrive. He had a NG tube too.
Best thing to do, is let them know you dont agree with what they are saying, get 2nd opinions - to be honest if you go to the hospital they might be able to help you out a bit more with the feeding etc.. - there maybe a simple explanation for the weight loss - my son lost tons when he came home, and for months after that - What milk is she on? He was on Nutriprem 2 for ages
Have you tried asking your H.V for advice?

Answer 8

Being a mommy or daddy is the most wonderful and stressfull thing in the universe. You love your baby and you want what is best for her. Unfortunately medical professionals have different opinions about what is best for our kids. It sounds like you have done a wonder ful job and she is doing great. 20 pounds is a big step from two pounds. Babies that are born premature hit their developmental milestones long after other children. You are very blessed that your daughter is doing as good as she is. It is best to do what the doctors tell you because that is what they do and they are objective which is something that parents can never be when it comes to their children.

Answer 9

Hello well my last 2 boys were premies... one born 10 weeks early 2.5 pounds and the last 11 weeks early at 3.5 pounds. I was being told the same. I would recommend offering her high callorie diet. Try having snack foods around all of the time and then remind them that she is now active and moving around and so she will fluctuate in the weight. I also would look at using something like ensure, or pedisure to help add more calories to the diet.

Answer 10

Absolutly not! 2 pounds is not that big of a deal... Try to supplement her with Pediasure so she gets the extra nurtients and calories that she needs. Don't let these doctors guilt you into thinking you are a horrible mother because your daughter is a couple pounds under weight.