2 1/2 Year Old Son Still So Skinny

My daughter is/was the same way. The doctors were concerned. They drew blood from her hand and ran a few tests and found nothing wrong with her. She is a completely normal, healthy 7 year old now, but still very skinny. She is only 36 pounds. She was probably not even 26 pounds at 31 months.

Hi L.,
My son is the same way!!! He is almost 16 months old and is only 18 lb 6 oz. He is in the -3rd percentile. The doctor says he is healthy, he is just VERY small. My son is SUPER active. He is still in 9 month shirts and would still be in 9 month pants if they were long enough. Don't worry, every child is different and will grow at their own pace. I was worried but I'm not anymore. He eats like a pig and sleeps great. I wouldn't worry about him as long as he is eating. He will catch up on his own time.

We had the same with my daughter. We started going by the 50% rule when she ate, just to see if she at according to what was on her plate vs. what was in her tummy. The 50% rule is that you give him 50% more food than you expect him to eat. If he usually eats 1/2 cup of rice, serve him 3/4. We discovered that sometimes she stopped eating because her plate was empty or because there were a few bites left, not because she was full. So we started "expecting" more and thus the 50% more grew as well. We finally found how much she would eat, no matter how much there was on the plate. We also increased snacks and started serving watered juice instead of just water.

She started to grow and grow like a weed.
She didn't, however, get any thicker around the middle! I suggest investing in suspenders for kids (we found them at Western Implement, with little ducks and trains and stuff) and simple belts.

Hi L.,
I had the same thing with my son. I just tried to feed him higher calorie, healthy foods. At one point, around the time that he turned 3, you could see his ribs! Now, a year later, he is all filled out. He is still really active. Look at it this way, it is much better to be thin than not. I don't think that you should be concerned as long as he is eating and seems happy. Welcome to the adjustable waist pants club!

I know you already got plenty of responses and mine would be just like the others, I have faced the exact same problem with my 33 month old daughter (29 lbs, 40 in.)
The only other comment I want to make is that her pediatrician once told me that now a days many kids are overweight, and that's been the case for several years now, and some of the weight charts reflect that, so don't worry if you are in the low percentile, so long as your son is healthy and still growing... but since you are a good mom, you'll probably continue to worry about it (I do, too), so just continue to provide the best nutrition you can... and it doesn't hurt to keep checking with the doctor about it, you also don't want to miss anything...

Hi! My son is four and has weighed 30 pounds for a long time. He actually weighs 31 now! He wears 3T pants. He's grown taller, but not gained much weight. Our pediatrician has never been concerned because he's still on the chart and is thriving. You can check with your dr., but he's probably fine! Hope this is encouraging!

L.,

That shouldn't even worry you so much my youngest is a 3 yr old just barely, and a very active boy he is more of a grazer, meaning he eats every couple hours or less. Just as long as he eats like that a snack like that you shouldn't worry. My son also waers clothes still that are two yrs maybe smaller. But he a growing boy. You will never believe how fast they do grow, yours will have a growth spruit that you will never beleive.Just let him eat when he gets hungry don't try to force anything when he dosen't want it. But don't let him get to use to that. But little snacks here and there never hurt.

I really wouldn't worry about it as long as you know nothing has changed in his eating habbits. If he's eatting alot, him being really active is going to make him burn all that energy. I was the same way when I was little. My mother worried that I wasn't getting the nutrtion that I was supposed to be getting at that age. All the doctor told her was that some kids just start out with a fast matabolism, and it usually won't slow down until they get into their middle to late 20's. As long as you know he's eatting all 3 main meals, and maybe even a couple of snacks in between, I wouldn't worry about it at all. He's just going to be a tall skinny gentleman when he gets older. Hope that eases some of the worries! Take care.

In my book, it's always best to check things out with a doctor just to make sure everything is going okay.

Hi there,

Sounds like my son. He is now 5 and still thin but getting muscular and is also getting taller. He only weighs 32 pounds and is probably in the 5% if not below that.

I would just check to make sure your son isn't anemic. Is he eating? Is he pooping? Just be warned that doctors will say to you that he isn't doing well enough based on his weight.....or they might not. If he is energetic and thriving then he is probably just going to be thin.

Let me know if I can support you in any way. I'm all ears.... It was an agonizing time for us when my son was that age. I hated seeing him so thin, but he is just fine.

Warmly,
gwen

You know if your Dr says he is okay, then don't worry.
I have a first grader, heading to seven years old and she only weighs 41 lbs, her almost four year old brother weighs 42 pounds. My daughter has always been petite, even barely hitting her percentile but each Dr visit has been going upwards so there was no concern from the Dr. It took her a year to gain a pound and a half. Consider it a blessing and as long as he is healthy don't worry.

I have one that is petite and one growing so fast it is nuts! My four year old son is the size of most six year olds! (drives my daughter nuts that he is taller). She was smaller at birth and he was almost 3 pounds more at birth and the cycle has continued. Don't worry to much about it. Do ask your Dr as it cannot ever hurt to ask.

He should be gaining at each visit, if he just had a growth spurt upwards then I wouldn't worry too much.

My daughter eats very healthy gets sweet treats at least once a day and though some mornings wants seconds on breakfast before she goes to school she is still thin. I look at it as a blessing with all the kids that are becoming overweight so much younger. Neither of my kids are allowed juice but once a day and only drink 1% milk and water basically to keep them on the right track.

My daughter was wearing 3T shorts when she was 5, hee hee. Finding jeans for her is so hard as she is getting taller but not much in the middle of her.

I don't ever bring up weight in the house as I don't want her to ever feel self conscious about weight at any level. I just don't know where she got the thin gene as it didn't come from me, hee hee.

Our oldest is really skinny as well. Last summer, at 4, we finally retired some 18 mo. shorts. The doctor has never been concerned. Our baby on the other hand, is recovering from failure to thrive, so you never know without checking with your doctor whether it's serious or not.

Listen to your gut. but remember that some kids are just skinny. If he eats well and you are feeding him a healthy diet don't worry about it. My 4 1/2 year old can still wear a couple of 2T skirts even though she's into size 5 for length! She only weighs 31 pounds (10th percentile) but is 41 inches tall (85th percentile)! I'd ask if you can come in for a weigh and height measurement (nurse visit) and check if he's staying on track on the growth chart.

You just described my daughter, she's 32 months old and can still fit 12-18 month clothes except for the length. My Dr just said she may be smaller and as long as she stays on her weight curve not to worry. I am most definatly looking forward to summer and can buy her smaller clothes and not have to take it all in. As long as he's healthy and active I wouldn't worry about ie.

Hi L.,
Not to worry you but I had the same problem with my little boy and noone ever worried about him but me. So we went to several different Dr.'s and tried HIGH fat diets with him. He ended up needing a feeding tube after a surgery was needed so he wouldn't aspirate food into the lungs anymore. So if he has a history of reflux make sure they check his lungs. I wish you all the best.
M.

If all medical test show healthy then don't worry about it. My daughter, although a premie, was 12 pounds at 12 months. She grew very slowly and the doc. were worried. She just takes after me, I told them. Now she is taller than I am, but still small. My four siblings and I were very skinny until we reached ault hood. Of course be aware always of what he is eating- how much ect. Note anything usual, and keep a chart of his weight and height. He may just have a very high metabolism. C.

Hi L.,
I have 3 kids all different sizes, my oldest son is 10 and when he was little he was FAT but now he is just about 5 ft tall and barely 50 pounds, while my middle son was so skinny as a little guy but now at 8 he is short and well balanced but at 5 he was still wearing a 2-3t and my youngest who is 4 is just right maybe a little on the small size but not to bad. Both my brother and I were small kids now at 30 and 3 kids I am still pretty small and my little brother is over 6 ft and on the small side.

My advice would be make sure with his Doc that he is healthy and just let him be. Kids come in all different shapes and sizes and with age he will change (maybe) some more. As long as he is eating and active he will be fine.

I would wait until your son's next checkup, then address this with his doctor. Unless he is falling off the weight chart or becoming delayed in his developmental milestones, the doctor will probably take a "wait and see" approach. It sounds like he is healthy and shows no signs of illness, so I would just make sure his diet is varied and nutritional.

Considering the obesity epidemic, this is easier to deal with than having an overweight-child issue!

Hi L.!

It sounds like you've got plenty of responses but thought I'd just add to them.... my daughter is the exact same way. She just turned 3 last month, weighing in at 26 lbs. She gained just a couple of pounds over the past year and grew 3 inches. Like your son, she is healthy but VERY active. The girl does not stop moving... ever! Add to that, a light eater (who wants to eat when there's so much to see and do!!)

Our doctor has not been worried in the least, reminding me that those same babies that the charts were based on are now facing obesity and other weight/health issues like diabetes, etc... She told me that as long as my daughter was following her own curve, then there is no need to be concerned about where she falls on THAT growth chart. So if your son is growing and is healthy, then don't worry (ha ha... as if we ever stop worring!!).

Just enjoy the fact that your son gets to wear his clothes for so long before outgrowing them! :)

Hi L.,
I had the same problem with my little boy. In fact I asked the doctor about it because I was so stressed out. He told me it's o.k. kids sometimes do that. I was sure... call it mothers intuition, that there was a problem. So I had to be very persistent and finally the doctor ordered some tests, they found that he was anemic(lack of iron). So they gave me an iron supplement, but that can change the color of your teeth. So in the end I started to give more foods rich in iron,like spinach, red meat,etc... This has helped quite a bit. He still has a good metabolism like my husband, but at least he is gaining some weight. Also you might want to try and give him more snacks through the day, since he is an active boy. I hope this helps, all the best to you and your little one.

Like everyone else suggested, his doctor will be the best at determining if it's a real issue or if he's just naturally skinny. My son was in the 90th percentile until his first birthday and then he slimmed down and now is in the 15th. But his doctor didn't have any issues because other than weight, he was healthy and has a good body build (not overly skinny, just thin) and he said most children fall into the size they're going to be around age 2, so we should expect him to always be thin.

He did say that it wouldn't be bad to give him extra calories if he wanted them. He suggested adding butter to all his veggies and giving him whole milk and full-fat yogurts, etc. And to give him a Carnation Instant Breakfast once a day so he'll get the calories and nutrition of an extra meal without having to eat one. (He said it's the same as Pediasure drinks, just better tasting.) Anyway, he's now 5 and is thin, very active and eats like a horse. I am amazed at the amount of food he can eat and still stay so thin (I only wish I could do that!).

So I really don't think you need to worry if he looks healthy and acts healthy. It's probably just a boy with a great metabolism. But see his doctor to alleviate any worries.

I wouldn't worry.
My daughter has always been skinny. She is just barely 28lbs and it almost 4! She is just on her own growth curve. Never has a doctor said anything about it.

It sounds normal. If his body is putting so much into getting longer it probably has not had time to fill out, especially since he is so active.

Are you talking about my son? J/K. My son has the same exact issue. Almost his whole life he has been at the third percentile (or has fallen off) for the growth chart. They have told us to give him high calorie foods since he was an infant and he still drinks whole milk. He still eats like a bird and is super active (his favorite phrase is "superfast"). I had worried about it pretty much his whole life, but I don't anymore and have just accepted that this is the way he is. We had been told we could go to a specialist but I really don't think he has a problem - it's just his body type. Unless you are super worried, it's probably something that can wait until his 3 year well child check, unless he happens to get sick and you think he begins to lose wait. My daughter on the other hand is completely the opposite and is at the top of the growth chart - go figure! Just know that there are many other kids out there just like yours. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Have your family doctor check his tonsils. My nephew was 3 28 pounds. They could not understand why he was not getting any bigger. That was it

I have the same problem with my now almost 4 year old. He is 97% for his height and only 25% or so for his weight. I take him to all his regular yearly check-ups and the doctor sees that he is healthy, just skinny. Has your son been to all his regular check-ups? This way the doctor can be monitoring his growth and give you suggestions or let you know if there are any concerns. My doctor suggests keeping him on whole milk (he needs the fat) and adding fat to other foods when possible. (Things like real butter on toast and potatoes, etc. - try to make it good fats but butter always helps!) Also, the instant breakfast shakes are a great way to add some calories to any diet. When I make my kids waffles I use all egg yolks, whole milk, and oil (They taste heavenly! Not exactly healthy but my kids love them.).

With this in mind, I don't worry about it too much. I have heard that skinny kids have a better chance of being thin as adults and thats a good thing. I know my kids are getting enough to eat in a day and love to eat the healthy things - I am not going to stop them from doing that. I don't want to overload their diet with fat and so i just keep things in moderation. Basically I would suggest watching that your son gets a well balanced diet with maybe a little more fat than the normal kid but watch that it doesn't get to be too much. You also have to think that it is at this age that they become VERY active and don't care as much about eating.

I hope this helps and good luck! Keenan, Utah

I also have a 31 month son! (Mine was born on August 18th...) Anyways, my son is the same way. I took him to the doctor and he is very healthy. He is a VERY active child. The reason why they are still little string beans is because their matabolism (sp?) is still very high. Therefore, when they eat, it won't count for much because they run around right after. It's like they ran off everything they just ate! But it is just a stage and he will most likely grow out of it. Just make sure he is eating well etc... Oh and if you are having trouble getting long enough pants that still fit around his waist, you can find those elastic belt pants (the ones with the elastic belt on the inside) at Old Navy or GAP etc.
Hope this explanation works for you! I totally know how you feel!

I have a 3-1/2 year old daughter who is 28 pounds. She's always been small and her weight has really been a struggle for me. I've had weight checks, feeding checks, kept food diaries, given her supplements and Pediasure. She didn't weigh 20 pounds until she was 2 years old. Her height isn't a problem just like your son but she is skinny. She doesn't look freaky or anything but people guess her age as younger. Don't worry about your son, as long as he is growing there is no reason for concern. My doctor feels like as long as her growth is an upward curve, not flat, when charted she's fine. She's really started to catch up in the last year since she's 28 pounds now and just getting into a 3T. I think your son will be fine.

if he's actually lost weight I'd call the dr. othere than that if he's hitting all his developmental milestones and otherwise healthy he's probably fine.It can be normal for there growth to slow down alot in the older todder and preschool years. just imagine if the kept growing at the rate they did as babies.they'd be full grown by kindergarten. my middle dd is skinny (32lbs at 5yrs). the women in my family are petite and small. at 5'3" i'm the tallest so it's very normal for her to also be small. She always has puts on weight (even if it's not much at time), eats, hits normal developmental milestones,so her dr is not concerned. I'd also be careful about fattening him up. our dr still strongly suggested we switch to lowfat diet cause of our family heart health history. even people who appear thin can have issues with colesterol and such. basically that fat can store in the blood stream or internal organs.at this age it ok to go over 30% fat but I'd keep it under 50% and try to do more healthy fats.like avacados, fish, seeds, and nuts.

Kids' weight definitely plateau once they start walking. And it doesn't do any good to compare to other kids because all kids are different. For example, my 16 month old weighs +/- 25 pounds. Plus toddlers are so difficult to feed. But if your child hasn't gained weight in a year, I think it's worth talking to the pediatrician about this. It's worth being safe than sorry.

wow! that sounds like my son exactly! 30 lbs at 2 and also 30 lbs at 3yrs!~ (4 inches taller) he did different growth spurts and eating a lot, not eating very much through the years - and now he is a quite handsome (if I do say so myself!) 21 yr old - 6 foot 3 inches 210 pound strong healthy smart and good (to the bone) man -

If you are worried check with the doc, but take it from an adult who was just like your son.....that's just how he is.

I was so skinny that there was question of neglect in my family. I was eating of course, but I just didn't gain much. I was tall and skinny my whole life until 7th grade when I stopped growing (for good) and gained some poundage.

Good luck! As long as he is eating healthy and growing (up or out) I'm sure he'll be fine.

I think you should ask the doctor. It could just be that he has stuck in a place and he'll be having a growth spurt soon, but in case it's something really serious you should talk to the doctor.

My daughter is the same way. though she only weighed 1.5 pounds at birth she stayed the same weight for over a year. when she was 1 she weighed 16 lbs. then at 2 she was up to 22lbs. and now almost 3 she weighs 26lbs. but she has gotten really tall and is still skinny. My doctor told me that because she is so active she will not put on a lot of weight. She also told me to be happy that she weighs 26 pounds being that she is a preemie. but don't worry once they reach 3 to 3 1/2 they will start to put on more weight. Hope this helps.

My 12 year-old daughter was like your son. She was always on the very bottom of the growth chart. She ate a good diet and was very active, but just very small and without the usual belly that little ones get. I was concerned too and talked to her pediatrician, but he always told me that she was very healthy, just small. She weighed the same thing (24 lbs) for over two years! At 12 she is still thin,I have to search for size 10 slim in our area, but healthy, and eats like a horse! She now weighs 60 lbs., and is not the smallest girl in her group of friends. I think as long as your son is eating good food and active he should be alright, but I would still check with his pediatrician just for your peace of mind.

I am a working mom with 5 children and 5 grandchildren.

L.,

Don't worry. One of my girlfriends had a daughter that only gained two pounds in two years. But her mommy was a small peitite person. Are you small or your hubby? Anyone in your family? It may just be genetics.
As long as your son is otherwise healthy he may just be a slow grower. It happens. My baby only hrows very slowly, at her four month checkup she finally made it on to the growth chart. The 3 percentile. WHoo-hoo!
She is just small and smll boned. Which makes her like her paternal grandmother. So just think about your family then see if your baby is healthy, if your son is healthy mention his slow weight gain to the doctor at your next appointment. I wouldn't call for an immediate apointment though.
Let me know how it goes.

Is he eating healthy, natural foods? My son had trouble gaining weight and it turned out he was allergic to wheat, corn and dairy, basically everthing I was feeding him. We started eating really healthy and he has gained a bunch of weight and has more energy. Those instant foods can really do a number on our bodies and some people are more sensitive to them than others. I wish I had known earlier to make sure I was giving real food, the way it was designed.

K. Loidolt, author of Shopper's Guide to Healthy Living

It all kind of depends on where he is in the growth charts. There are blood tests that they can run to rule out any medical issues. Kids growth does slow down a lot but he does sound small (my son has something called RTA which relates to his kidneys and it stunted his growth).

Although, as others have said, some kids are just small.
L.

This is nothing to worry about. It is very normal. I have known many kids like your son. The height gain is much more important than the weight gain at this stage of life. As long as he is still growing in height, I wouldn't worry at all. I wouldn't worry too much about what he is eating either. Give him plenty of healthy choices & he will regulate himself with what his body really needs. Kids won't starve themselves - even if it doesn't see to us like they are getting enough - they are.

I wouldn't worry. My 5 year old is very skinny also. He has to wear 3T swimming trunks, as anything else will fall off of him. He has always been very skinny. He eats well and is very active also. We have to be always watch what cloths we buy for him and make sure they have a small waste band or belt loops. It is a pain, but that is just the way it is.

L.:

I wouldn't worry about it! My son is the same way. He has the bodybuild of a basketball player. Long & skinny! He is now 6 years old & is still skinny. All the pants I buy him aren't tight enough around the waist & seem to never be long enough because of his long legs. He's also a very active boy; he's into sports big time! His dad & I were both skinny kids growing up, so it's definitely something that runs in the family. If you're son is healthy & seems to be active, I wouldn't worry about it.

As long as he's still eating plenty of food and doesn't seem to be in discomfort, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Around this age tots start becoming a lot more active than they were previously. They run around a lot and doing so burns a lot of calories. According to my mother, I didn't gain a single pound for a whole year after I turned 2. However, if he acts like he's hungry all the time and is overly fussy, it may be of some concern. There is a disease out there that one of my aunts had (I can't remember what its called) that causes a person to have an extremely fast metabolism and to never feel satisfied no matter how much they eat. But he sounds like he is a happy two and a half year old boy.

My 2 1/4 daughter is only 21 pounds and also still fits (with room to grow) in 12-18 month clothes. I wouldn't worry too much unless this is a big change for him (being little). Some kids are just small.

Some kids are naturally just very skinny. My husband's family and my family are full of people like that. They are very healthy, eat a lot, and are just very, very skinny. One thing I will warn you about is to make sure that he looks really healthy. Is his face at all pale and/or does he have bags or dark circles under his eyes? My oldest daughter is naturally very, very skinny and always seemed very healthy. However, she was always pale and had dark circles under her eyes. It turns out she was diabetic. Now that she is getting treated she is still skinny as a rail, but not quite as skinny as she was. Her cheeks are rosy and the dark circles are gone. The changes can be gradual and you may not notice them, so look at photos from 6 months to a year ago and see if there are any changes in coloring. I don't mean to scare you with that. If he looks healthy and is really skinny I wouldn't worry about a thing.