My Child Is Underweight

He could have a common gag reflex disorder which is treatable. Find another Dr for a second opinion.

Hi A., I couldn't help but add to the responses. I also saw an episode of Mystery Diagnosis where a toddler hadn't been able to keep anything down since birth. He was very underweight. Finally, at the age of 4 his parents had his abdomen xrayed and it was discovered that his stomach was actually up near his chest. After they moved his stomach back into the proper position, he didn't have any other problems. I know this is a long shot, but worth a shot.

B.

Have they tested him for celiac disease or gluten intolerance. A lot of children (and adults) have this or develop it- it can cause weight loss and illness from eating foods containing wheat.

Always, follow your doctor's lead. But, just know, that there are a lot of kiddos out there just like your son. My daughter weighed 16 pounds at a year. She now weights 24 pounds at 25 months. We went through all the same testing as your son, cystic fibrosis testing, went on prevacid for acid reflux. Now, we are at a place where we just know, that she is a small kid. I still worry a bit, and have really loosened up on just letting her eat when she wants, and what she wants. I am not nearly as worried as I used to. Just yesterday, I thought that she looked and felt as though she has gained weight, so i put her on the scale, and nothing. She's just a little kid, so just hang in there. Again, follow your doctors advice, but in the end, there's a good chance that right now, he is just a small kid, and everything will be ok.

I would consider allergy testing. My son was underweight before he was born as well. They believe it was due to my BP medication. He was born early at just over 4 pounds and didn't gain any weight the first month of life. He was on Reglan and Xantac for reflux. He is 5 and still on reflux meds, unfortunately. At 11 months old it was finally determined (although I had been saying it for some time) that he was severely allergic to all dairy products. He could not tolerate soy during the first year of life, either. Once I put him on food he could actually eat he began to slowly gain but he was well over 2 before he became approrpiate for his age. He's still skinny but he's in the top percentile for height, now.

Between reflux and any intolerances he might have I'm sure food is not at all appealing to him. If I spit it all back up I sure wouldn't want to take it in, either.

What does your pediatrician say? Have you seen an allergist, GI doc, or nutritionist?

Really, I would look at allergy testing first, since it's fairly non-invasive. If that is negative I would move on to testing for celiac and maybe consider seeing a GI doc.

Good luck and hang in there.

Hi A. ~ I recommend that you see a colleague of mine... Dr. Jaime Francescangelli. She is a chiropractor that specializes in pediatrics. We are both chiropractors and share office space; however, I've seen some amazing results with children from her office...She deals a lot with 'last resort' cases - whereas, they've tried the medical model of treatment without results...or without even knowing what is the true source of the problem!!! Anyway, you should give Dr. jaime a call and at least schedule a consultation to see if your little one is even a candidate for her treatment! Dr. Jaime is a wonderful doctor and takes the time to listen, examine, and educate you on the true source of the problem. best of luck to you!
Dr. H. S.

I agree with the last post I saw that episode and they child was scared to eat because it made him so sick. I would start off by asking your doctor to run a scan of his body to rule that out.

A.,
The digestive system is where we manufacture up to 50% of our neurotransmitters (chemicals that relay brain messages) and up to 70% of our immune system. So it is no real surprise that digestive issues are also showing up a little as development issues.

I would HIGHLY consider a natural physician---either a naturopath or a homeopath. It is my opinion that they are better for chronic situations such as this. (Obviously traumatic cases are best handled in the ER by traditional physicians.) I've worked with many kids who have digestive issues and Pediasure has not been helpful for them. I know you want to give them the vitamins, but it's not likely they are being properly absorbed.

I know of a FANTASTIC nutritionist in Philadelphia who does phone consultations. She really specializes in children who are struggling. Her name is Andrea Stevens and her email is ____@____.com phone number is ###-###-####. Her website is www.healthbasics.net---but it's not very good at communicating how much she can help your son. If I were in your situation, I would use her services for sure. I have followed her advice for my own family with tremendously great success.

You are very wise to solve this sooner than later. The effects can be far-reaching.

BTW, congrats on getting through law school on your own. That's a tough thing to do and I'm sure it will bless the lives of your family for the rest of their lives.

Good Morning A.,
I know how frustrating this problem can be. My son also was not gaining weight at the end of my pregnancy. We spent over two years trying to find out what the problem was. He was diagnosed as Failure to Thrive. I remeber at 12 months he weighed 10 lbs and at 18months he was 15 lbs.He was also tested for CF and it was negitive. I was told duing that time that if he got sick cold ect he needed to be hospitalized because he did not have any reserves. I was also told to call my Doctor because my son was so underweight that the ER may end up calling CPS on me. My son did not walk until 2.5 years I did have my son in therapy (Physical and Occupational , and Speech ) from the age of 4 months. Finally my son was diagnosed with Celiac Disease that then caused a malabsorbtion problem. My son is now 16 still underweight 5'7" and 98 lbs. If you would like you can contact me. Good luck

Hello!
I would get him off the meds! They have bad side effects, including loss of appetite. I would go to a health food store and get advise. That is what has helped me with medical problems that the dotcors could not cure.
Here is an online site for help: silvercreeklabs. Dr. Valerie Saxon is the resident nutritionist there and she is a Mom of 8 healthy children!
Blessings to you! You sound like a fantastic Mom! Hang in there and keep up the good work of caring for your child!
It is worth it!
Sincerely,
C. N.

Tips to add fats to his diet, add butter to everything you can. Or we use coconut oil instead of butter. You could start giving him a high quality flax seed or dha supplement. whole milk yogurt, with granola. Avacados, dried fruit, you can add saflower oil to some mashed up sweet potatoes.

I would ask your Dr to run a celiacs test, and then if that come back fine, you might want to look into a metobolic didorder if he is having a hard time reaching his milestones.

How old was he when he was born?

A.,
I hope you don't mind me giving you some advice. If your little one is this sick PLEASE do not vaccinate him while he is sick. GET THE BOOK by Dr. Sears The Vaccine Book. YOur little guy is having all kinds of problems with his gut and ears and vaccines DO contribute to that EVEN IF YOUR DOCTOR SAYS THEY DON'T. PLEASE listen to us moms who live it everyday. There are many natural ways to help your son's gut and ear infections. If you are interested in that you can email me at ____@____.com and I can give you some doctors name in the area. If you read www.generationrescue.com you may find some more info about vaccines. You are the only one who will truly advocate for your child. Please continue to research and look into alternative methods to help him!
L.

Has he been tested for any food allergies? Just a thought. He sounds just like my niece and she is allergic to milk and soy. Good Luck!

Hi A.,

I have 7 month old twin boys & my littlest was born at 4 lbs 8 oz. I had him on a special formula Neosure until he gained weight. I also breastfed until I quit producing. For his reflux (instead of medication) I put 2Tbl oatmeal in his bottle. It helps some, but he still spits up but w/no discomfort. I also make sure that he's burped after a couple of ounces & keep him in an upright position during feeding & leave him sitting up for at least 30 minutes after eating. Additionally, I give them oatmeal w/prunes in the am after bottle & veggies/fruit twice a day as well. He's gained up to 18 lbs 7oz. If there's hope for me...there's hope for you to!! Please don't feel like a failure. There's no guide to being a mom, we just do what we can as we go. Hope y'all have a great Thanksgiving! I hope some of this helps for your little man.

S. J

A.,

First, you are a great mom! You are questioning and searching for answers. This is what great moms do. You WILL find the answer because you care enough.

Second, I recommend you investigate food intolerance issues ASAP. The principal intolerances affecting the vast majority of the US population today (mostly undiagnosed) are gluten, dairy(casein) and soy. The lab to go to is www.enterolab.com. Order test kit online, send in stool specimen, they email you the results in 3 weeks. Easy easy easy for a baby. No doctor referral needed. No blood draw, invasive endoscopy or skin scratch. This is the MOST ACCURATE way of testing your little guy, even if your pedi or GI specialist has never heard of the lab. They are behind the times on this issue.

Dr. Fine explains on his lab's website that if you want to know what is happening in the gut, you have to test in the gut - with stool. Not blood, which may or may not show the problem. Endoscopies are invasive, expensive, require anesthesia (oh my!) and only identify end stage celiac, not early stages of gluten intolerance which can still result in major bodily damage. If you want to know what your skin is allergic to, test the skin. Otherwise, this is a silly way to test. This does not stop many allergists from testing blood and skin. After all, that's what they were trained to do in med school, so it is difficult for them to switch gears.

All the symptoms you mentioned are classic signs of gluten problems in particular. Everyone flocks to dairy as the culprit, and gluten is routinely missed. The slow growth in utero could also mean YOU have a gluten induced malabsorption problem as well. It is hereditary. Check out the FAQ section of the lab's website to see if you have any of the signs or symptoms listed.

Once you eliminate the offending foods, you can promote accelerated healing in his little gut with a good quality probiotic. There is clear research that this helps reflux. Do not bypass this step. Keep him on this as long as you can. You can break open a capsule and add it to apple sauce until he is old enough to swallow it whole.

For assistance from a pediatrician who understands food issues, you might try Deborah Bain MD in Frisco. www.healthykidspediatrics.com. She does blood testing, which I am not a fan of. But she does understand nutrition and supplements.

Do your testing on your own FIRST through Enterolab, since the standard of care in medicine today for GI issues will mess this part up, resulting in a wrong or misleading disgnosis.

Finally, you may want to rethink the vaccination schedule you have him on. Suspend any more until age 3. Vaccinations are loaded with toxins and they are designed to provoke the immune system in a way that mother nature did not intend. Some believe this is what triggers the food reactions, which are immunological in nature. For doctors who won't kick you out of their offices for doing this, go to Dr. Bain or Daniel Chartrand MD family practice doctor in Allen - www.harmonyfamilyhealth.com.

If you follow these steps and keep him away from sugar and junk as he grows, I suspect he will go from being one of the smallest most health challenged kids around to the absolute HEALTHIEST KID IN HIS SCHOOL CLASS! Rest assured.

Good luck!!!

my first born was one month premature and he weighed four pounds! i was so scared that he would be sick and wouldn't be like the other kids but that wasn't the case at all for the most part. at one year he weighed fifteen pounds. he was short for his age too well thats according to the doctor. my son had a hard time gaining weight as well mainly because he was a picky eater. by the age one he had ear infection after ear infection and he would lose weight behind them because he had a fever, loose bowel movements or just no appetite. after he had his tubes placed in his ears he was better. then he had developed asthma. he was put on two asthma inhalers. once again he wasn't catching up. my doctor had recommended the pediasure or the carnation start. he wouldn't drink either. once he started playing more outside and we got him into gymnastics his appetite picked up. now he is in the same weight group as his peers. today he weighs forty five pounds at the age of six and a half. so basicly i think with some time he will be okay in the weight department. be patient. everything will work out.

There is hope. My nefew was born full turn at 5lbs 9oz. never even at 12 months ever took a bottle more than 6 oz due to sever reflux and always has had problems with ears etc. He is now a healthy 7 year old totally in normal limits. He looked very skeletal his first few years of life. Although my suggestions are only what I watched, my sister fed littler amount more often. He slowly got bigger and bigger. Follow the directions of your doctor - each child is different and that is a hard lesson I have learned with my two children. Good luck, God Bless.

Oh my goodness you just described my son at that age. I just want to give you some reassurance it does get better. My son was the only kid that I know that was able to wear clothes 2 to 3 summers/winters in a row up until last year. (He is 6 now.) He did not walk till he was 22 months old but he is so very bright. I'll tell you what my doctor told me. As long as he eats a little then he is fine. I always left things like vegetables and cheese in bowls around our house and I let him decide what he wanted when he ate. This helped get him to eat. We had a horrible time with acid reflux so by the time he was 15 months old we couldn't get him to drink milk, not sure why but he wouldn't. The doctor told us that as long as he was eating a lot of cheese and other dairy products like yogurt then he was fine. Which he did eat a lot of. Hope this helps because I know what you are going through I went through the freak out too thinking something maybe wrong. But he has grown to be a happy healthy little boy and has caught up with all the other kids his age.

you have a lot of responses, so I'll make this one quick. There could be a zillion reasons why your child is underweight and not walking so please ask your son's MD for a referral to a developmental pediatrition, a referral to early childhood intervention (ECI) and to Baylor, Our Children's House for a feeding evalulation.

v

I would encourage you to see another doctor. I have a friend whose child is also very underweight and they have diagnosed (finally) that she is missing the growth hormone and they are debating whether or not to start giving her the shots. She weighed about 12lbs at 1 year. My new baby weighed 8 lbs at birth and so when we went to a party together when my baby was about a month old, the two kids (a year apart) were about the same size. It was really sad.

Have you ever considered ECI (early childhood intervention)? I can give you more information if you're not familiar with the program (I work for ECI as a PT), but they can offer nutrition services where they come out regularly and take his weight and give you ideas on foods to try with him. Also, if he is developing an aversion to eating because it always makes him so sick, OT or speech can help with feeding issues if the need arises. It's an excellent resource- they come to your home, and it's free or very low cost (income based) services because it's a state funded service. Even if they came out and determined that he was fine, you wouldn't be out anything more than a few hours of time and could get some peace of mind maybe. You don't even need a referral to get started, you can just call the number and they will get you started-###-###-####.

Hi A.,

I feel for you and your baby, I think you should give him more natural supplement and less meds which is too much for his little body. There is a nutritional food supplement that is safe and helps with childrenes developmental needs that could help his immunie system and his growth. My daughter has been taking it for 7 years and has not been to a Doctor except wellness check up.

Let me know if you are interested.

Blessings!

Very interesting. I was reading an article in parents magazine about Celiac Disease (Really, it isnt as bad as it sounds) but I was wondering if that could be causing his problems? I know it can cause poor weight gain (failure to thrive) and malabsorption of necessary vitamins and fat.

Here are some websites to look at.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/digestive/celiac_dis...
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/inde...
http://www.babiestoday.com/articles/general-health/celiac...

Please let me know what you think? Im very curious if that sounds like your son?

i have a son who has been under weight since birth not a preemie or anything just will not gain weight. I even nursed him and that didn't help him at all. So after he was on whole milk I figured not a problem he will gain the weight there. I was wrong Just now at 2 doctors are concerned about his weight so they did blood work on him and stool test on him. I know your child is younger i wouldn't worry but when he reaches 2. I would be really concerned. I am and was. I give my son instant breakfast with his milk at least 3 times a day. This has helped him again weight and faster than the pediasures. So my advice to you is try the instant breakfast for him. they come in many flavors,chocolate vanilla,strawberry. My son likes the vanilla better.He has to take instant breakfasts for a while but at least he gains weight and gets all his vitamins and nutrients. Hope this helps you.

My daughter has always been at the low end of the chart for weight, and now at 3, she is under weight. She is healthy, other than some constipation. She did not walk until age 21 months...2 days after we took her to get checked out at the Pedi. Ortho surgeon. She told us that structurally she looked perfect, and 2 days later she was up and about.
Of course you should take professional experience over my own, but I just wanted you to know that in my dd's case, everything is fine.

I had the same problem with my son. The dr. told me that as long as he kept gaining, barring illness, like the ear infection, that your son had, that everything was ok. He just gained weight slower. On, a side note though, we did find out that my son has only one functioning kidney, and a nurse told me that kids with kidney problems are smaller, and he was diagnosed with mild spastic cerebal palsy last year, he's 8 now. I don't know what other concerns you may have, but it's worth checking into. Just don't be scared to talk to the dr. about other things. I know the waiting for test results, and the unkown, is the worst thing in the world, but you have to be your child's advocate. Just a thought, when you look at his feet, does he keep them pointed?

T.

is your doctor concerned? babies should triple their birth weight by age 1 and you son has done that. talk with you doctor about the feeding issues that you are having with your son. He may need some speech therapy inorder to help him learn to eat more effectively. weight loss when he is sick is also normal. good luck

I would definitely have your doctor test him some more. I have twins that have a hormone issue and also had problems gaining weight until they were diagnosed. If he is also have stomach issues it could be celiac like someone else said, but also have them check his thyroid, etc. He could maybe have a food allergy that is causing the stomach/bowel issues as well as not gaining weight too. Unfortunately their are alot of things that can cause kids not to gain...It gets very frustrating. I would start trying to keep track of what he is eating and when he gets sick because that can also help the doctors track what may be causing the issues.
I hope your little one feels better!

Did they ever come up with a reason that he was not gaining weight before he was born? It could be the same problem. Does he drink a lot of the Pediasure because it could be decreasing his appetite. Try giving it to him after food. If he is drinking the pediasure well, you could also try adding some more things to it to make a shake--like a weight gaining powder, yogurt, fruit, etc...Also, is he height/weight proportionate? My son was always on the thin side--80% for height and 15th for weight--so there was a concern, However, the doctor told me that if he was in the 15th or 5th for both it wouldn't be as much of a concern. FYI, my child does eat, just not a lot, and it was finally decided he was just destined to be thin.

Good luck, I do understand the concern. I do encourage you to see a endocrinologist to rule out other problems.

I have went thru the same thing with my daughter. She was born at 2 lbs and 11 oz. To this day she only weighs 52lbs and 49 1/2 in tall and is 10 years old. She is in the 2 percential. We had her on Pediasure but it was giving her diahrea and took her off, no point in giving it to her if it is not working. Her Dr was even to the point that they wanted her to get hormones so that she would reach 5 ft tall. well it was my choice and i said no, to many hormones in things now a days anyways. He will take off, I promise. Maybe not at the rate that your daughter did but he will. Just be patient and give him the things he likes. Give him a little extra protein now and then if he will eat it.

Good Luck and keep us informed.
M

Do you every watch Mystery Diagnosis on TLC? Well last night it was about a 6 month old baby that was not growing at all. They realized it was something in her pancreas and she had to have a bone marrow transplant and now she is 4 yrs old. She will always be small, but now she is growing. I'm not saying your son has this, just saying that it could be many things. I pray that it all works out asap!

Good Morning Allison,
First I’d like to say KUDOS to you! Being a strong, single mama and willing to reach out for help!
Please just consider the advice I suggest. I am also a single mama of two children. My son had a growth spurt when he was about two and he got kind of skinny. I come from a Mexican American family. And if you were to ask your question to the Hispanic community, you wouldn’t have enough vacation time to hear it all! Haha! With that said, are you only trying to put some weight on him? If you are, ok , I have plenty to tell you. As I said before my son was a little underweight as well, and my mother would cook him a scrambled egg(with a little butter) and add a couple of teaspoons of refried beans to it and mix it up and let him pick at it. Then for a snack she would give him half of a biscuit or cornbread with some honey drizzled on it and milk to drink. Your son is at the age where he is ready for solid foods (soft but solid). I only assume he isn’t running around all over the place. Maybe that inactivity will help him gain some. Also, don’t be afraid to try different stuff! Go to the bakery and buy some Hispanic sweet breads, and let him try some chocolate milk! Ice cream is good for both his reflux and it doesn’t taste bad! Most important, make eating apart of showing Love to him by this I mean, Eat with him. Usually babies want what YOU have on your plate so throw in some ravioli’s (canned even!) and bread and butter. Don’t forget to make the “ummmmyummmm” song and DANCE.. let him see you enjoy eating! Give him a Flintsone vitamin so you make sure he is getting his daily nutrients too! Don’t fret Allison, you have soo many foods to help him. But do it with him. Make fruit salads, Cheese, and tortillas! Roll one up and let him walk around and chew on it! Or sliced apples and peanut butter. Of course it can get messy, but he will start to like eating. And I don’t remember where I read it but I read that as the kids get older and their pallets change. they wont like certain foods (mainly veggies). But you have to keep trying at least 10 times before they accept the taste and learn to like it!
So go on! You don’t have to buy fast food, ( I didn’t). But try giving him a drumstick to gnaw on, some pie (teeny bit) and physically show him how great it is! Go on Ally, do the “ITS TIME TO EAT” dance with him..
Good luck, and let me know how you are doing..

A.

please don't feel like a failure, i was in the same boat. all three of my kids had reflux really bad. the muscle that closes over their stomach and separates the esophagus was not very strong and would not close all the way so ultimately all the food would come back up. i wish i could remember the name of the medicine they took. but it worked hand in hand with the prev-acid because with just the prev-acid alone they were not able to gain weight. sorry i really can't remember the name but ask your doctor, because there is more that can be done to help your son's situation. oh and i remember when i made him food i tried to cut it up as much as i possibly could so it would make it easier to swallow. with my daughter on top of all that the arch on the top of her mouth was so arched she had trouble even swallowing and she would gag, because her tongue could not reach that high to push the food down her throat. you could check for that to. but it does get better and now my kids are just the right weight!

Remember each child is different. I had 4 children who gained weight normally, and then one who was born 5 weeks early, weighed 8lbs, and now is 7 yrs and weighs 100. He eats the same as the others, yet is off the chart in both height and weight compared to my other children. My 3 1/2 year old weighs 35 lbs. which I'm told is average. My sisters daughter, who is 6 months older than my daughter, weighs only 28 lbs. She's just more 'petite'. Healthy, just smaller. My grandmother said my mother weighed 30 pounds when she started kindergarten. Now she's 5'8 and completely normal weight. My first daughter took her first steps alone towards the end of her 8th month. My first son didn't try walking until 14 months! He also had reflux at first, but I never had him on medication, just had to hold him upright for atleast 30 minutes after each feeding to prevent the 'exorcist' type projectile vomiting of all his formula. he lost some weight during that time as well. Each child is different, and unless your suspecting a developmental delay or an underlying illness, which your pediatrician can alert you or test for, possibly he's just taking his time. The diarreah will cause some weight loss, keep him hydrated, and the Pediasure your giving him is a good choice as well for nutrients. If your concerned he's not getting enough, try a vitamin supplement like Flinstones.

Hi A., my nephew was also underweight. His doctor kept him on high calorie formula until he was 2. He also suggested we give him a SMALL amount of caffeine on the days he wouldn't eat because caffeine makes you hungry. We would allow him to have 2-3 oz of coke or mountain dew. It sounds funny but it worked. He is 26 months now and actually has some "meat" on his bones. He looks very healthy and has suddenly grown about 3 inches.

Oh also, my nephew is very irregular with his bowel movements. We have noticed a distinct pattern in the not eating when he hasn't had a b.m. in a couple of days. We work very hard to keep him regular in that area by giving him extra green veggies, raisins, prunes, oatmeal, corn syrup in his milk, V8 fusion juice, and prune juice. Perhaps your son is the same way?

Has he been checked for heart conditions? ...that is a big sign of heart problems but normally comes with other signs as well (tires easily, sweats during feedings, sometimes their nail beds or other body parts turn blueish, etc.) If he has any of these signs, he needs to be evaluated ASAP. Otherwise, it sounds as if he is just a petite boy : ) My little girl also has reflux real badly and prevacid hardly did anything for her. A week or two on Axid really worked wonders, the spitting up stopped, her appetite increased and she was just happier... so ask your pedi. about that. If he is otherwise given a clean bill of health I wouldn't worry too much, just keep doing what your doing ...sounds like your a wonderful mommy.

Hi A.. I don't have any experience in this area, but I only wanted to offer this advice: trust your gut instinct. If you feel this is important, don't let any doctor tell you not to worry. Keep looking until you find an answer. Don't accept "Oh, you are worrying too much" from some doctors who just wave us off. YOU are the mom and YOU are the advocate for your child. Trust yourself. Sounds like your son is in very loving hands.

A.,
Please don't feel like a failure you are doing everything you know and have been told. Have you condisered taking him to a chiropractor? My whole family goes and it's amazing how much healthier and better we all are. His little spine may be out of alingnment. I'm not sure where you live but it's worth trying. You have nothing to lose and EVERYTHING to gain.
Blessings!!
A.

My daughter had similar issues, and then someone reccommended to me to take her to a chiropractor. She was 8 months old at the time and I was not sure about doing that, as the thought of someong cracking my childs bones made me shudder. Well, I am a believer now. My daughter is now 4, and when I first started taking her to see Dr. Meliisa Shelton, she could not eat without spitiing up at least 3/4 of what she just ate. The first day I tok her to the chiropractor, she was able to eat an entire 8 oz bottle without spitting up. She used to take zantac 3 times a day, but after going to a chiropractor, I was able to take her off the medicine. Also, the chiropractor helps with my daughters ear infections too. One thing she did to help me, was ask me to bring in the car seat my daughter was using, as her back kept falling out of alignment, and the spitting up would come back. Upon her examining my car seat, she showed me how the foam backing stopped halfway down her back, right where she kept getting out of alignment. We fixed the carseat by putting extra foam in it, and I was amazed. SHe did not have any more problems!

I tell you all this, because I know there are a lot of skeptics about chiropractic care, and I used to be one of them, but I am now a believer. My entire family, and most of my friends go to Dr. Melissa Shelton. Here is her website for you to chek out, and it has her address and phone number if you are interested, http://www.drmelissashelton.com/. She is a wonderful woman, a mother of twin girls that are 6 years old now, and understands family life. SHe is more interested in taking care of you and your family than making money. SHe will work with you weather you have insurance or not. Give her a call and tell her N. and Josh referred you, and I know she will take care of you!

Just make sure that he is eating often and that he is drinking. My daughter was the same. always small. She also did not walk until almost 18 months. just keep doing what you are doing. She is now 6, a little smaller than all in her class but healthy and happy.

Is there a history of Diabetes in the family?

I would have him checked, just to be sure.

I will keep you all in my prayers.

Hi A., my brother has always been underweight, he's now 6'4" and weighs only 150 lbs. My mom worried about it all his life, but he's fine. My brother and I both were very picky eaters. Is he picky with what he eats? The doctor told mom just feed us what we'll eat, hot dogs, pizza, spaghetti, chicken nuggets. He'll be fine. My brother is still skinny, but healthy. Try not to worry, he'll be ok.

If you are dealing with acid reflux, you might already have a pediatric gastroenternologist (sp?) That is the way I would start or look into getting a referal for St. Judes for further testing. I would definantly keep persuing this. Good luck and God Bless!

A.,

First of all you are not a failure. Don't get down on yourself, sounds like you have done everything you could to help your little guy out. This may sound crazy but I'm a strong beliver in the spoken word. What I mean is what we speak effects what is going on around us. Start speaking positive things over your son, he is healthy, he is gaining weight, he is right where he should be. I was going through some tuff times in many diffrent areas and my pastor told me to "call things that are not as though they were" at first I didn't know what he meant, it made no sense to me. In the book of Romans in the Bible that is what it tells us to do. I'm gonna tell you that after I started doing that things began to change. God wants your son to be healty and when we speak things that line up with His word, we see things start happening. I will pray for your son and for you.

Blessing M.

Just to give you a sense of where I am coming from, my daughter was a preemie, born 3 months early, at 3 lbs. even. Now she is almost 16 months and weighs around 17 lbs. So I completely understand what it feels like to have a small, skinny child! You do feel like a failure as a parent that they are not the little chubby babies that people think they are supposed to be. My daughter is still not walking and it is very hard for me to just accept that it's no big deal when everyone asks the question "is she walking yet?"

My suggestion would be to have him tested for food allergies (coming from my own experience I just found out I am gluten intolerant). There are ways to sneak in more calories with regular food besides just drinking pediasure. The reflux issue is difficult to deal with. It probably makes him not want to eat because it hurts and is no fun. Like someone else said he may need feeding therapy which is ok. Kids really love the one on one attention they get from their therapists! If you want to talk to other moms whose children have been diagnosed with failure to thrive, etc. There is a preemie message board at: http://www.inspire.com/groups/preemie/ these moms have seen everything so they may be able to help...at the very least they understand! Talk to your doctor, tell them your concerns, if they don't listen, find one that will. Find a gi doc that will test your son for everything under the sun so you might be able to know what is going on. Even if it is just he is who he is, I feel it is nice to know! good luck. feel free to msg. me if you want to talk more about the pressures/comments you get when you have a small, underweight child.

I would definitely look at those celiac links and see if that is possibly causing your son's problems. My son and I both just got diagnosed with it last month. Prior, he would barely eat, especially in the evenings. I think his stomach was hurting by the end of the day and he just didn't want to. Now that we are gluten free he asks me for food ALL the time- seems like I can't keep him full. He's been in the 10% range for weight all his life and I expect to see him shoot up any day now because he's eating so much more than he used to.

One of my son's main symptoms was diarrhea- really pale colored, almost like sand.

My son was also underweight. He lost weight between 15 and 18 months. (He did not crawl until 10 months and walked at 14 months). He was not interested in food. We ran all the tests (CF and blood work) and everything was fine. I found the few foods he liked and made sure he could have as much as he wanted. We always had snacks available (in the car, on outings) and added Carnation Instant Breakfast to his milk for more calories. By the time he was 3, he was back on track. He is now 6, weighs 52 pounds, and eats a wide varitey of foods, including whatever we are eating for dinner. Good luck and hang in there.

Mine's short too:

My mom is a dietition and worked with all sorts including underweight kids. Two of the things I remember thinking were strange were that she encouraged cheetos and icecream with a kiddo. When I asked about it, she said that the primary concern is calories then nutrition.

Best wishes.

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S.

Do not worry to much! My daughter is 33 months and only weights 23 lbs. She also had reflux and didn't grow out of it until almost 2 years old. She rarely eats, but does have the occasional time lately that she is starving (I think those are the growth spurts!).

She has been seeing a Pediatric Endocrinologist which has really made me feel a lot better. They are monitoring her growth closely but for now they cannot find anything wrong (thank God). Both myself and husband and chunky people so it is weird that we have such a petite girl, but it happens.

I would ask for a referral to a endocrinologist just so he can be checked out. We see Dr. Ellen Sheer and she is awesome!

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I would take him for allergy testing and see a neutionist (sp?) who might help.

My daughter is on the other end of the scale since her 3rd month she has always been double her size. I am told all the time that she is fat and what am i feeding her. We watch her calories and no sugars only 2 oz of juice and the rest water. No fast foods or processed foods. She is 28 months and the size of a 4/5 year old. Off the percentile chart! Prob 150% if you were to put a number on it...she weighs about 37 lbs.

We have issues with lactose intollerance and constipation. She had been on a daily lax ever since she turned one and went to milk. She couldnt drink Soy as a baby since it gave her diahrea.

But now after 2 1/2 years of trying to find something that she can drink that wont cause her constipation or diahrea we finaly found a Soy milk she can drink that has added FIBER, Calcium and Omega Fatty Acids. After drinking this her constipation totaly went away and normal stool. NO OTHER MILK OR SOY EVEN THE SAME BRAND WILL DO - ONLY THIS BRAND AND TYPE WITH ADDED INGREDIENTS WILL DO. I clean Alberstons out of the milk and only leave one behind. The prob is that bad for us.

I plan on taking my daughter into get allergy tested as well to find out what is causing her prob.

I know it is hard but you are doing all you can and dont blame yourself. I have been there as well...my daughter has Sensory Intergration Dysfuntion and posibly PDD/NOS as well as motor ticks. I blame myself for all the meds I took to help me hold food down in order for me to say preg and my body not starve to death. Wondered by my daughter couldnt do things at the same time as others and what was I doing wrong.

I have accepted my daughter for the way she is and realize that there is nothing I can do or could of done to change things. As long as she is learning i dont care if she is delayed. I know I am doing my best and that is all a MOM can do. IS care and love for their child.

Good luck to you.

My youngest son, Jason, will be 3 in January. He is 35" tall and weighs 33 lbs. His favorite word is no, and he likes to run and climb the tallest slide at the park

A year ago, he was almost 2 and he wasn't walking yet - alone or cruising. He was barely in the 10th percentile for height and weight. Two years ago he wasn't quite one. He couldn't sit up by himself and he was at the 5th percentile for height and weight. At his first birthday party, he wore size 3-6 month clothes, and weighed about 15 lbs. He was 8 and a half pounds when he was born - and he is not from small stock. My 5 year old went home from the hospital in size 6 month clothes, and currently wears a size 7 slim.

So what happened - I don't know.. about 20 months old he suddenly plumped out - went from a size 3 diaper to a size 5 diaper in less than a week. Then he stretched out, adding about 3 inches in height overnight.

He started walking less than a month later, and has been catching up ever since. He's now a chubby bubby in a size 3t.

Not much in the way of ideas - but hopefully a little bit of hope.

You might also have him tested for celiac disease - gluten is in damn near everything, and in addition to CF was one of the first things my bubby was tested for.

*hugs*
S.

I would test him for food allergies and intolerances. I've got three kids aged 7, 9,& 11. Over the years we've loved our pediatricians, but they are not given alot of training on nutrition. I've never been a big chiropractor/nutritionist advocate until my currend ped. referred us to one for one of my kids. We've seen such an impact from their advice and counsel. We went to www.chalmnerswellness.com.

Might he have oral aversion issues? You could get therapy for that to help him eat more. Is he genetically destined to be small?