I'm just wondering if any other mom's have experienced having a very underweight baby?!
My daughter will be 12 months old in about three days, she weighs 13lbs 12oz ... she's only gained 6oz in the last 6 months.
She eats more than my three year old, she's been tested for all sorts of possible medical problems (ceeliack, turner syndrome, genetics counselling etc...) and we've visited a dietician.
She was 5lbs 2oz when born, I thought babies at the very least tripled their weight by 12 months. She is breastfed and is currently starting to be weaned directly to homo milk mixed with whipping cream (advise of dietician)
Everyone seems to baffled and I just need some reassurance that she's not completely abnormal or if there is something else people are missing that will help her? I'm really starting to get worried.
We are going to see the family doctor end of the week for her immunizations, but he's just as clueless. She's seen so many specialists!
Thank you!
2007-11-25
04:39:00
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12 answers
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asked by
Lisa
5
in
Pregnancy & Parenting
➔ Newborn & Baby
She is hitting her milestones, well she's seems to be slow on talking & I'm waiting for the walking, but not overly concerned. She is so curious and is all over the place all the time.
Food isn't just going through her, she has the opposite problem. She's gets constipated and then cries when having a movement, even a soft one. She's on colace drops to soften things, waiting for improvement.
I just don't know, but I'm glad I'm not the only one. I'm going to look into a milk allergy though, that seems like a possibility ... even though that's the high calorie addition to her diet, milk products ... we'll see.
2007-11-25
04:56:26 ·
update #1
I understand that breast milk is higher in calories etc than cow's milk .... but I need to wean now, I'm ready, she's ready. It's not going to tramatic, it's natural and it's happening.
2007-11-25
07:22:06 ·
update #2
I was in the same situation as you and I still am. At 13 months my son weight 13 lbs and now at 3 he weighs 27 lbs (10th percentile). He weighed 5 lbs 11 oz at birth. Like your child, he was tested for all the diseases and all came back normal or negative. I did find out though, that he is allergic to eggs and was allergic to milk but has since been back on at 20 months. He has eczema really bad and I had had him retested for allergies and I'm waiting for the results. When my son was younger, he ate just about anything you gave him but now, he won't eat anything at all. He went from only eating noodles, beans, crackers, french fries, toast and waffles to just about nothing. All he wants to do is drink milk and won't eat anything but maybe one bite all day. I'm calling his pediatrician tomorrow and I just pray nothing drastic has to be done (tube feeding). I'm glad to know I'm not alone and if you receive any helpful information, please pass it along to me, I'd greatly appreciate it. I just wanted to let you know that there is someone else in your situation.
2007-11-25 04:50:01
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answer #1
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answered by qυєєи of му cαsтlє ♥ 7
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My daughter is 15 months old and is only 17.8lbs. She was barely 16lbs at her 12 month check up and she was bigger than your daughter at birth (6lbs, 12oz). She has always been small and even though she is not on the growth chart our pedi is not concerned. She is meeting all of her milestones and eats quite a bit and is very active. It is normal for babies weight gain to slow down between 6 and 12 months because they are so much more active and are not just laying down all day anymore. I don't think that our daughter gained a full pound between 6 and 12 months but she gained a pound and a half between 12 and 15 months.
It's probably good that your doctor is keeping an eye on it and doing tests just to rule out any potential problems since your daughter is definitely below the average weight, but it doesn't necessariliy mean there is anything wrong. Perhaps she is just going to be petite. Our daughter is only in the 10% for height so the fact that she is skinny too just leads us to believe that she will probably be petite.
You didn't mention what solid foods she is eating in addition to the breastmilk, but if she is eating well then I would definitely discuss it with your pedi at your next appointment, but don't worry too much. She might gain a bunch in the next couple of months like our daughter did. You never know! I know that it can be very stressful though. We get a lot of comments about our daughter too because she looks small for her age. I usually just joke that she is staying small for me since I am pregnant again and it would be hard to carry around a 25lb toddler when she is fussy and not wanting to walk. :)
2007-11-25 15:51:36
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answer #2
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answered by ebstar80 2
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No! I'm about 16kg, 35lbs, underweight and I can't seem to gain any weight at all. My friends all build muscle fast but I can't seem to. Everyone at school calls me skinny or anorexic and it drives me crazy. I'm 14, 5ft 7inches, and I still fit into size 8 pants, I can't wear real jeans from stores that are cute because everything's too big. My mom and my doctor always try to make me gain which frustrates them because it just won't happen, its very anoying . being underweight is a pain, and it makes your body more fragile sometimes! It drives me crazy because I'm constantly being told that I have a problem and an eating dissorder
2016-04-05 21:40:58
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answer #3
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answered by ? 4
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I can definitely see why you're concerned. I have also heard about the tripling the weight by 12 mos. My son is actually ahead of that. 6lbs 15 oz at birth, he's 8 mos old and over 22 lbs. Thank goodness he's just solid...not fat.
At any rate, is she hitting her milestones and doing everything like that the way she should? If she is, then she may just be a small child.
I can't offer any explanation, I just wanted to help to try to ease your mind a bit.
2007-11-25 04:49:33
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answer #4
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answered by sweet_trixie_1977 4
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Has your daughter's weight gain always been slower than average? It sounds like her growth might have slowed around 6 months ago, which is likely to be the time she started solid foods. Has she shown signs of food allergies (more spitting up, rashes, constipation/diarrhea, upset stomach)? Has she been evaluated for food allergies?
Your milk is likely the higest calorie food she's eating, so I'm concerned about the advice you've received to wean her onto a nutritionally less appropriate food (cow's milk and whipping cream). Your daughter needs high-calorie, high-nutrition food to help her grow, not just more calories. Increasing the amount of breastmilk she's receiving is likely to be the easiest way to ensure good nutrition and adequate calorie intake.
What about the rest of her intake? You say she eats more than your 3-year old, which is pretty typical of a 1-year old, who's growth rate is still much higher than a preschooler's. But what is she eating? If she's filling up on "junk" food, even "healthy" junk food, she's not going to gain weight. Foods to avoid that are often considered healthy for babies/toddlers are juice (just empty calories) and highly processed carbohydrates (like crackers, cookies, "Goldfish", etc.). A lot of babies end up eating tons of this type of foods. These will fill her tummy and reduce the amount of good foods she's eating. You'll want to encourage her to eat healthy, high-calorie foods, like banana, avocado, meats, etc.
What's her attitude and development like? Is she happy and content most of the time? Reaching all her developmental milestones? Is she very active? Weight is just one indicator of adequate growth and health status, so you and her doctors will also need to evaluate other indicators.
2007-11-25 06:33:44
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answer #5
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answered by cherikonline 3
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I also see your concern. Was she an early baby?
My daughter (a twin) was born at 36 weeks weighing 3 lbs. 4 oz. At her 9 month check, she was 15 lbs.
Her brother on the other hand is almost 20 lbs. (5 lbs. at birth).
If all tests have been okay and she doesn't seem hungry, I wouldn't stress too much. Give her time to grow.
2007-11-25 05:09:19
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answer #6
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answered by Mommy of twins 2
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Maybe she'll improve as she takes in more fat from the milk and increases her solids. I have a petite one too. It's a struggle to keep weight on her. I give her Pediasure in the morning to help add in extra calories and make sure she's getting in some extra vitamins. I also give her Fage, a Greek unstrained yogurt which is very high in protein. She loves it and it's always a good fallback when she is being picky. You can get it in the yogurt section of the grocery store.
2007-11-25 05:12:59
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answer #7
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answered by twinmom 4
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My daughter will be 4 in a couple of weeks and she is only 25 lbs. She eats healthy meals and snacks. As long as there is nothing medically wrong with her i would not worry about it. When she hits a growing spurt she will more than likely to put the weight on.
2007-11-25 06:23:37
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answer #8
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answered by dangerous22303 2
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My daughter was 5lbs 15oz at birth by 6 weeks she'd gained just 1 oz. at 6 months she was only 9lbs.. She quickly dropped below the 0.4 centile for weight. She was diagnosed with Turner syndrome(TS) though at birth. I know your little girls does not have TS but she seems to have similar problems weight wise to my little girl, at 6 months my daughter had to have supplements added to her milk (duo cal) ..
Because TS is a growth disorder she's never got above the 0.4 centile for height (she is almost 11yr old)
It could just be you daughter is just going to be smaller for no real medical reason.. even though she's been tested for Turner syndrome maybe she should have her growth hormone levels checked as they could be low and she could still be totally "normal"
2007-11-27 05:04:17
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answer #9
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answered by Fluffy Cheryl♥ 6
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Hello...one more thing that she should be tested for is Rett Syndrome. This is not a test that is routine to genetics Drs so you have to ask for it. I had the same problem with my daughter...the lack of weight gain and the constipation which is what it sounds like your daughter has (my daughter has Rett Syndrome). You should ask her Dr. to put her on Pediasure with fiber. That will help with weight gain and constipation. Also Milk of magnesia will help with constipation. Another thing to try is carnation instant breakfast...add to her bottles. Pediasure is better though.
2007-11-25 06:57:23
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answer #10
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answered by laineyette 5
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