Is My Child's Development in Trouble?

C.,
I can understand why you are concerned. I would suggest you try making her baby food. If you need convincing, try tasting the jarred baby food... most of it is terrible so I don't blame babies for not eating it. Mash up a banana or avacado for her. Try oatmeal or applesauce. Mix the formula into these so that she gets the neccessary nutrients. Best of luck!

My first was 18 lbs at a year...was always in the -5% range...now is more "normal"...he's 7. Babies grow at different times and as long as she's eating regularly, she'll probably bump up here in a month or so. Don't worry. You're doing great!

Your infant needs to be on solid foods now that she is 6 months old. She needs to get enough calories to promote a healthy weight gain of 1/2 oz per day. A pediatric nutritionist can help you with an appropriate meal plan. She still should be getting breast milk or formula until 12 months of age. Are you still pumping?

L. Kandell, MS, RD, IBCLC
Registered Dietitian/Pediatric Specialist
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
AFFILIATED NUTRITION CONSULTANTS, LLC
Scottsdale, AZ
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Hi C.

First off, your daughter is perfectly fine and healthy baby. I have 20 month old twins and my daughter went from the 5% to the 75% from birth to 12 months and still is. My son on the other hand is super skinny and finicky and at the 5% today and he is fine. 5% is still normal.

At 6months your daughter is probably teething and may even be ready to start tasting some step one baby foods or mashed potatoes, rice, apples, pureed macoroni, throw in some carrots and sweet potato. Feed her she doesn't want the bottle. If she is teething and drooling with her fingers stuck in her mouth with a runny nose as teething kids do even my 75% daughter wouldn't eat. Things that worked for me, try pureed peaches frozen on a stick like a popsicle, you can even mix it with yogurt. Some have had success with frozen mini bagels. When your daughter has become a seasoned eater, mine were seasoned by 9months, try frozen bluberries they are amazing when my son will eat absolutely nothing, he will eat lots of frozen bluberries. For us I used lots of frozen baby treats like homemade frozen yogurt with strawberries, blueberries, bananas in the blender then into a sealed container for the freezer. At 6 months though you should try 1 to 2 new foods every 3 days and begin with the brat diet. bannanas, rice, apples, toast. Your doctor can tell you more baby safe foods but by 9-12 months your daughter should be able to eat what you eat just in small pieces or mixed in the blender.

Best of Luck
K.

If she is active and seems happy and healthy other than being small I wouldnt worry about it to much. But if you just have this nagging feeling that just wont go away, trust your instinct and ask for another opinion. It never hurts to be safe. My son was born weighing 6.5lb he gained weight fine but at about 6 months he exploded!!He went from avereage 50% in weight and 25% in height to 85% in height to 75% in weight in no time at all. (hes started eating step on at 6 months)His older sister I thought would be in a car seat for her whole life, she didnt really start growing intill she was like 4years old. Just shows that every baby is different. My son didnt really take to the step ones intill about 7 months and is now 8 months and eats everything in sight.

Hi, my neighbor's little girl had symptoms very similar to what you are describing with your child. After going through 2 or 3 doctors this child was diagnosed Failure to Thrive. I have a BS in Child Development and when I saw this child I had a gut feeling that's what she had. Good luck.

It will be OK, I do have one question-does she spit up alot?
If she does you might ask your dr about acid reflux. My son had it and once we got him on some medicine he started gaining weight and eating more. That said he is still on his own growth chart(he fell off the standard one) He is 23 months and only weighs 23lbs. He is very healthy, bright and strong. I still worry about his weight(can't help it)Just make sure all is well with her. After he was done w/ the medicine I put him on a Probiotic by Natren that is good for tummies and immune system.
Maybe she is just transitioning with everything that is going on, babies are amazingly resiliant
Take care and Good luck!

Hi C.,

If her current ped. doesn't think that there is a problem get a second opinion. Make sure you are very detailed with them what is going on with your daughter and her eating patterns/habits. It is very important.

I think it's a different story if the doctor looks at growth but doesn't know about how little she actually is eating. It is so important to voice your concerns.

It sounds like your daughter IS NOT gaining enough AND, IS NOT getting enough to eat. Someone needs to figure out why she is refusing food. She should be gaining on a regular basis and staying at the same weight for 3 months meaning she IS NOT getting enough calories in her daily diet. She is probably lacking in many areas nutritionally. You should also make sure her father is involved and aware of the situation since you share custody.

Just think of it this way, you could be potentially depriving your child by not speaking up and possibly finding another doctor or questioning the one she has now. It can't hurt.

All the best,
T.

I was told this by my doctor; as long as her different measurements are no more than 2 percentage groups apart there is no concern. Meaning if she's in 5-10% group for weight something should be in the 50% group. My daughter's height was always in the 95%, but her weight was in the 25-50% group. It wasn't an issue because her head circumference was in the 75% group, nothing more than 2 groups apart.

I understand your concern with her eating, but as long as she is active and her coloring is good, don't be concerned. If she becomes listless, her soft spot is sinking in and her lips chapped then become concerned. Those are indicators that she is dehydrated, and that will show up before anything else. Look at it this way, for 6 months my 4 year old only weighed 1 1/2 pounds more than his 2 year old brother. It's just the way kids are. The only purpose for doctors to keep track of their growth is to determine the INDIVIDUAL child's development. There is no "norm", seriously. After having 3 kids it's become quite obvious, there is no norm.

Despite your worries, if she is continuing to develop at all, she is getting enough to eat. It's hard on parents who worry that their children are "starving", but children are excellent at regulating their own appetites. If the doctors were concerned, they would have either told you some various foods to try and/or suggested a specialist. Urging her to eat more or forcing more than she desires will only serve to create unhealthy eating patterns later in life. Not to mention the digestive issues when she begins to regurgitate the excess. I know it's hard to do, but just offer her food and/or bottles and, if she rejects them, move on. Trust me, in another month she might be eating everything in sight and you'll worry she's gone the other way. *L* (And, yes, I have been through it with my own children. I know it's hard, but as long as she's healthy just be thankful and try to stay laid back. :D )

It is hard to tell from what you are explaining, whether or not your daughter is lethargic, inactive, etc. If she is, I would recommend getting a second opinion. If not, she is probably just fine.

I just took my 16 month old to her '15 month' appt. and she weighed only 17 lbs. She has weighed very little from the beginning. When she had her 6 month appt. she weighed approx. 12 lbs, but had dipped dramatically off of the growth chart. Everyone was concerned. The doctor suggested medical testing if she didn't continue to gain weight. However, she has stayed on her growth curve which is -5% since. She is very healthy, she walked early and already talks up a storm.

If you are still concerned, please seek medical advice. It never hurts to have more than one opinion. I also spoke with a lactation consultant when she was younger and she helped to make sure she was getting enough to eat.

If the doctors were not worried, dont be. My peditrician told me that as long as they were getting enough nutrition through the week, she'd be ok.(My daughter would eat fruit one day but not the next, etc.) Also, my youngest is a nibbler.She does not eat all at once, but rather likes to eat a little bit and come back to her food. She will eat her 3 balanced meals, but between waking hours. Since she is a very active child, I know that her metabolism is in good order. I would seek a second opinion if she is not showing other development marks. I hope this helps.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. I'm a mother of three and my first and third were pretty small as well. In fact, today my youngest just had her baby well check up at 6 months (she'll be 6 months on the 19th). She weighed in at 12lbs. 7 1/2 oz. She only gained a little over a pound in 2 months. But the bottom line is, if your child is hungry then she will eat! I know it's hard...but hang in there! One more thought...every baby is different...Both of my first two would not eat baby food of any kind at all! Not even bananas or applesauce! My third one, however, absolutely loves it... all of it! She's not too crazy about peas...but she'll eat them if she is hungry! So be patient...she will eat and as long as she continues to grow in length and head measurement then she'll be fine! Hope this helps!

C.,
I will not pretend to be an expert however, I had a daughter that reacted the same way when I was trying to break her from the breast. It seemed as though she just stopped being interested in eating at all. It sounds as though your little one is going to be fine, however, my experience was that after having the breast my daughter would not accept the bottle or food until we found out it was temperature related. Breast milk is very hot when it comes out and my daughter was used to that temperature......her bottles of formula had to be very warm......I was so concerned that I would burn her so I was very careful about testing the milk on my arm.....but as strange as it may seem she would not eat anything unless it was heated to that very very warm temperature! Maybe this will work for you it certainly solved my problem and she is now 9 and thriving.

P.

C.,

I had a son with a growth problem. He was born of normal height and weight, but he just wasn't growing at the correct rate for his family history. Some doctors ignored his chart because I am a short person, but my husband and I used the growth charts and pediatric books to calculate our son's future growth. If we hadn't sought a 2nd and 3rd opinion, our son would only be 4' 10" tall at his peak adult height. Your instinct is telling you that something is wrong and you should follow it! Go seek another opinion from a different pediatrician or an endochronologist who specializes in weight development. They will tell you what is normal weight gain based on your family history and your individual child's needs. After seeking a second opinion from an endochronologist, we learned that our original pediatrician's nurse had entered our son's growth chart incorrectly (she didn't know how to chart accurately); this is why the pediatrician did not notice his growth problem. Just to ease your mind, we found out from the endochronologist that our son's pituitary gland was not releasing enough hormone and we were able to give our son medicine to help his growth and development. He is now an adult and he is 5'8" tall (within normal adult height for a male). I also want to let you know that girls are often overlooked by society for normal weight and height growth and development because our society thinks that having a petite girl is acceptable. However, a baby who is lethargic and not gaining weight will have serious long term problems if something isn't done soon to correct a true weight gain problem. Get a second opinion! Good luck!

A.

I am not an expert either but, with me and my kids, I didn't follow the rules with stuff... I had my kids off formula by the time they were 6 months old but I would even try giving her normal food like cheerios and banana's... They have to learn how to develope a taste for things and sometimes it does take time for them to adjust. She will eat when she is hungary and when she is ready.... Try some gerber juices too....

I would consult your doctor about what is dangerous and what it okay for weight. My daughter was in the 15% for weight until she was about 1 and could be on cow's milk. Since she is 6 months old, she can be getting a lot of her calories from baby food. I would also talk to your doctor about getting her on a calcium supplement in the meantime as well. you could also try talking to a dietician or nutrionist on ways and ideas to get your daughter to start fattening up. I would also try putting a small amount of formula in with her baby food. Hope some of this helps!

I have read some of the responses here. I don't know you or your child well enough to know exactly what is going on in your house, but it sounds like your little one misses you as much or more than you miss her. It sounds like you had to go back to work, which is the case for a lot of parents, but babies react differently to the change. Have you tried connecting with her when you are at home? Skin to skin on your chest. I was recently at a conference where Christina Smilllie was tlaking about this skin to skin contact. It might help her and it might also help you.

I think I saw a post like this not too long ago. It might have been you when you were first starting this transition. Dr. Sears, among others suggest that real meals of solids not be introduced until 12 mos. They are ready for tasting solids from 7 mos to 12 mos. At 7 mos their bodies are just getting the enzymes to digest solid foods. Babies can get horrible allergies if given the wrong foods too soon or too often.

If I were in your boots, I would reinitiate breastfeeding when I was home and available. I would skip the bottle entirely and try to work with her drinking out of a sippy or cup or even a water bottle filled with milk. I would spill a lot of milk, but I would do what I could to get her to drink. Breastmilk and/or formula is where a baby at this age should be getting all of it's nutrients.

One other thing, the growth chart has been updated to reflect more nationalities and a new generation of people. Here is a link to the CDC-
http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/
Every child is diferent, but I also believe that mama's know their babies. If you think she needs help do what you need to to get her help.

HTH,
M.

Hi C.,

I understand your concern. My little girl had a difficult time adjusting to the bottle at first, too. In order to make sure she was getting enough milk I would mix a bit in with everything I fed her. Also, foods like avocados (cut into small pieces), chicken (pureed), and other high-protein foods should help her to gain weight. Good luck!

I wouldn't wait too much longer before you seek a second medical opinion about your daughter's situation because weight gain at that age is supposed to happen... it is not about the percentiles but babies are supposed to gain weight. Gaining weight = growth.

The energy from food is not only used for physical growth but also mental development.

Go to another doctor for an opinion and make sure you voice your concerns and be assertive and persistent. Trust your instincts, especially if you are a first time mom. It's better to ask too many questions than to deal with regrets later.

All the best to you two.

Take your baby in to the pediatrician for a weigh-in. Tell them you're very concerned. Give them specifics about what she is or isn't eating.

Don't let the pediatricians brush you off. They should be tracking her growth on a chart. Make them track the latest weight. It's one thing if a child has always been at the 5%-ile and is steadily consistent, but a child shouldn't drop from the 50%-ile to the 5%-ile and dropping.

I'm no expert, but it's my experience that babies eat when they are hungry and don't when they are not. As long as she is reaching her milestones and growing otherwise I would try (even though I know it is probably impossible) not to worry. Both my girls started at ~90% at 2 monthes. My first was down to under the 10% by her first bday and my second seems to be following the same pattern. Also, does she eat better for other people? I breast and bottle feed my baby, it can be easier to get her to take a bottle from other people.
Hope that helps-
E.

I'd like to give you more of a referral, rather than advice. There is a really great place in Albuquerque called "BODY, MIND & SPIRIT" which is on the corner of Silver and Wellsley in the Nob Hill area. Here's a link to the website http://www.bodymindandspiritabq.com

I highly recommend them in any capacity. Just a wonderful group of mothering, infant care and childbirth, baby-feeding, women-supporting GURUS - they are AWESOME.

Wow she is little. Well usually as long as she is eating whether its formula, breast milk, or baby food she should be OK. Some babies don't gain alot of weight but I'd be concerned too if I was you. You should ask your doctor more in detail about her eating habits and weight gain. My kids are the opposite they gained alot so I was always concerned they were too big!

I am a first time Mom myself and I had some of your same concerns. I would call you baby's Dr and ask them specifically about her weight. They may have resources to get you. Also, if they did not bring this up to you at the appointment, I would assume it was not too alarming. But call, I think it would make you feel better. Outside of Dr advice, I can tell you that my daughter has been a little under weight too. My Dr says he prefers to keep little ones around the 30% in weight due to the obseity epidemic in children. Here is a few tips they may help: try changing the formula- some of them just taste better than others to babies. Look into organic (which are more expensive) or soy formula; changes can upset the stomach and make her feel worse so decide if you think it is the formula you are using or not. Listen to your instinct. I also breat feed for the first couple of months and the little one didn't like the change either. It got better with time and I think part of it was her figuring out that breast milk was no longer an option.
When feeding rice ceral mix in thinner than the directions. Try not to let baby get to distracted in between bites and encourage her constantly... good girl.... mmmmmm..... u know. At first I would eat with her, something like ceral, so she could see what I was doing.
Also, if you have started bananas mix it with the already mix rice ceral. This makes it taste a little better.

Hope this helps and good luck