11 Month Old Almost Underweight

Hi. My youngest ds wasn't even on the "growth chart" until after 1 year old. I wouldn't worry about it. He will grow into the "growth chart". My son is 4 1/2 yrs old now and he is catching up to his big brother. He is still petite and thin. But, he has always been healthy, ate well and very happy. As long as the doctor is not worried, you shouldnt be either...

My pediatrician suggested, when my daughter was an infant/toddler, to add extra butter to foods like veggies, mashed potatoes, things like that. I also looked for high protein foods and even some that had high fat content just to give her an edge. She's 4 now and still petite, but she eats regularly, pretty much now.

Hi L.!

My daughter was the same way. She is going to be 4 next month and has only gotten out of the 3rd-4th percentile for weight within the past 6 months. As long as your son isn't appearing malnourished, don't sweat it!!! Some kids are just tall and lean - not matter how much feed them. If it will help set your mind at ease, you might try talking to your mom and mother in-law and find out how the kids on both sides grew. My mom told me that me and all 5 of my siblings were ALWAYS tall and skinny growing up. So, I just figured it's all in the genes! Hope this helps.

My daughter, now 2, was always in the very very low end %iles. (2.7%) She has just now bumped up to 10%. Don't give a lot of weight to the %. If he is eating and drinking and doesn't seem hungry all the time, don't stress yourself. I know of some people so concerned with the low % that in forcing food on their children, a 3 year old cannot feed herself. If the doctor doesn't seem too concerned, you should not either.

Some kids are just a little slower when it comes to weight gain. My kids went through this as well. The doctor said not to worry a whole lot because when they hit a growth spurt the weight will come up as will the height. Kids will grow and grow and then out of nowhere they seem to just stop for a short period of time and then start all over again. Don't worry he'll put the weight on in time.
D.

I am 31 and have been married for almost 12 yrs. My husband and I have 3 boys ages 10,7, and 4.

As long as you are feeding him healthy options I would not worry about it. My daughter was in the 5 percentile for a long time and then just with in the last two check ups she has reached the 25th. She is 4 1/2. I think it is just the way genetics may play out, especially if your hubbie is thin. Kids go through different growth spurts, they get really tall and thin and then the next growth spurt they get really chunky. Also when they start walking they slim down as well. Just keep in mind that you are giving him the healthy options and this is setting the ground work for a healthy life style.

You've had lots of similar responses so here's something a little different.

I had supply issues with my son when he was nursing and he never really recovered from the "shrink" he experienced before we realized it (he lost weight). Consequently I felt like it was my fault that he was small and made it my mission to beef him up as much as he would eat. I made sure everything I gave him was healthy but high calorie. Here are some things I fed him:

Yobaby yogurt- one of the only whole milk yogurts out there so there's fat in it

Beech-Nut used to have a line of food (can't remember the name) that had egg and cream in it in addition to the fruits and veggies so that added some fat

shredded cheese

tofu

edamame (soy beans)- once he had enough teeth and the facility to chew

I also read the nutrition info on the baby food jars and made sure everything he put in his mouth was healthy but also had some fat in it when possible (almost all baby food fruits and veggies have no fat). If your son gets full from eating instead of drinking and he's eating low-fat foods (which is easy to do with baby food), you might want to try giving him formula before feeding since that's where most of his nutrition is coming from right now.

My son moved to exclusively eating table foods late (maybe around 16-18 months) so he spent A LOT of time eating baby food. He was born at the 75th, dipped to the 5th (around 4 months of age) and is now (almost 3 yo) around the 60th. Who knows if what I did helped with that or if that was just where he was going to be anyhow but I feel like I did what I could and that makes me feel better, know what I mean?

My daughter has moved to solids much more quickly than her brother did (she's 9 months and on table food almost exclusively). Consequently, we have lots more options with her as far as feeding goes. I use a food grinder with her so she eats what we eat at some meals, another way to add fat since an adult diet, a healthy one anyway, has a balance of fat, sugar, vitamins and minerals. We have a Munchkin brand food grinder that costs about $10 at Target.

As other posters have said, if your ped isn't worried, try not to too. I made these suggestions in case you want to try them. Doing these things with my son helped me feel like I was doing something to help him.

HTH-
J.

If the doctor is not bothered than don't worry. If he is eating healthy than that is good. You can give him graham crackers and such sometimes. That would give him extra calories. Every child is different. My daughter was always in the low percentile. She is only 5 foot 2". My son was better on the charts and he is tall and thin. If your husband is tall and thin, he may just be taking after him. K.

My son who is almost 2 has been under the 10th percentile most of his 2 years. When I was concerned because he'd gone all the way down to the 3rd, our pediatrician said that as long as he was still growing that it wasn't anything to worry about. Neither my husband nor I are large people so he told us that he wouldn't expect our child to be either. I know it's difficult because I was worried too.

if you're giving him a balanced diet and enough of it then don't worry too much. my 6 year old was a little chunka until about 1.5 after that she got tall and skinny so i added real potatoes to almost every lunch and dinner, also tried to give her an extra small meal before bed. she has always been pretty unconcerned with food but when she gets hungry she sure can pack it away.

My son is almost 3(still can wear 24 mo in the waist) and in the same situation. My husband was the same way when he was little too. As long as your son is growing taller and developing mentally well I would not worry. The fact he is growing taller is a sign he is getting what he needs. And remember, as a little boy he is also probably extremely busy so he is burning a lot of calories during his day.

My daughter has been steadily lower than the 5th percentile. We go to her pediatrian in between regular check ups for weight checks. The last time we went I took a list of all the food she had eaten for the previous week. Her MD didn't request it, I just did it for my piece of mind and thought she could help me if there was any way I could alter her diet to help. She said it was similar to other kids her age (other kids drink more formula but we can't seem to get her to drink more than 10 - 15 oz.) but healthier. Now I don't worry any more.

L.,

This is a subject near and dear to me. My daughter and son have for the most part always been below the 3rd percentile. The were both bigger babies at birth. My daughter was 8lbs 4oz and my son was 8 lbs. My pediatrician never seemed overly worried because they were gaining at each visit (following their own curve) and were otherwise developing as normal or above. My daughter was keep on formula with food until she was 2 (she is now almost 3) and my son is still on formula with food at 15 months. I personally have decided that those percentiles are based on children nationally and children in general are heavier these days. I have decided that I am not going to stress out trying to make my child match them. I don't want a heavier unhealthy child. I will take my long lean healthy children and be happy. :o) I do sometimes worry about it though, so I know it is hard not too. They are our children and we love them. Hope this helps. :o)

My son is 22 months and has always been in the 5th percentile for his weight and 25-50th for his height. For a while he dropped completely off the growth chart for weight and he has always been a good eater (now a great eater healthy food and eats all day.) We saw a gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic, went through all kinds of tests, sweat test, stool test for fat content, multiple blood draws, all to find out this is just his normal body make-up and is just slender. So if you are concerned there are tests that they can do, but if he is otherwise healthy and growing normally I would consider trusting your doctor and watching his growth.
Good luck, I can completely understand the frustration. My son is now 22 months and weighs 22 pounds, my friend's daughter is 9 months and weighs 20 pounds. Now that he is potty trained I have a terrible time finding shorts/pants that will stay on him.
A.

I wouldn't worry, neither will doctors, about being underweight. The key is making sure the weight stays in the "same percentile" as he develops. Some children have high metabolisms and different builds. Being skinny isn't a big deal. At 11 months the child can eat all solid and semi-solid foods. Depending on the child, you can probably reduce the formula to milk and fruit juice.

My first son was like 95th percentile in height and 40 percentile in weight. He's pretty much always stayed like that. He's still really tall and lean. He has practically no fat. He is a very solid and muscular guy. His brother is the same way. Just a large bone structure, lean and muscular little boys.

i'm actually going through the same thing with my daughter now, she's 8 1/2 mo. old and weighs 13 lbs & 10 oz. she's 26 1/2 inches tall and is in the 50th % for her height but finally made it back on the scale at 1th%. she's been having tummy problems too(only can go #2 if she gets 1/2 a jar or prunes everyday & she's still constipated after that), her pediatrician sent her to a developmental specialist & they ran tests on everything they can think of & we're playing the waiting game now to get the results back. that might be an avenue you'd want to consider, just to be on the safe side. good luck & god bless.

Remember that the growth curves are based on average American children, and the average child is now being fed a lot of junk, juice, etc. People didn't used to grow as large as they do now. My son is 3 1/2 and is in the same place... the ped wants him to go to an endocrinologist to rule out a thyroid or growth hormone issue. But we feed him a completely all-natural diet (he might have sugar once every other week and I think he gets Ritz crackers at church when the teacher forgets to give him his own), so it makes me think that maybe he's actually what would be a natural normal. The endo is going to call one of these days to make the app't and I still haven't decided whether to take him! I think I probably will just to rule out something serious, but I wouldn't do anything invasive.

The one thing in your post that gives me pause is the formula part. I'm one of those wackos that has been convinced that formula is not as healthy for babies as it's made out to be. If I had another and couldn't provide breast milk (I actually pumped for a year with my 3rd child), I would make my own formula out of goat's milk. There's a lot out there on this subject, so if you're truly concerned, begin the process of researching--being sure to look at both sides of it. I tend to want to read the one that represents taking the easy route and claim that all the others are misinformed.

Rambling thoughts, but figured I should reply since I'm in a similar situation and have had some thoughts about this!

B.

I agree with everyone saying don't be concerned, as long as he is growing, healthy, eating & doctor not concerned. and your husband is tall and thin. Remember the percentiles are just a gauge based on national averages, but there are always some above & below the averages (just like school testing results) Everyone cannot be average!!

When my now 17 y.o. was about 2 and still on the low side of weight, the doctor asked about family history. were either of us that way or even aunts/uncles. My MIL remembered that several of her crew were tall skinny things when they were little. the Dr. was not concerned at all. My son continued to be the skinny, bony, tall guy until about 5th grade when he started to fill out. He definately has 'meat on his bones' now, but not too much :) Hang in there, continue letting him eat as much as he needs. One day you'll probably be amazed to remember when he was 'so skinny'

Don't pay any attention to those percentiles. They really don't mean anything. As long as your son is gaining weight at each check up, don't worry about it. My daughter is 17 months old and just barely weighed 20 lbs at her 15 month check up. The doctor said that she's gaining weight consistently, so not to worry. I was told that she should drink 3 8 oz cups of milk a day in addition to water or juice. She's not a big eater and it bothers me, but I can't force her to eat. Offer snacks that are healthy, but high in calories. Animal crackers, graham crackers and NutriPal bars are all good snacks. As long as he is growing, no worries!

Ask your doctor about pediasure I know some kids that drank that who were a little underweight. My son was never below the 5th, but was as low as the 11th at that age. I didn't worry because the pediatrician said it's and average, and as long as he doesn't go lower and is increasing as he gets older then he was fine with it.

Good luck.

hi, i have had the same problem i have a five year old and a 2 year old. my moms family was very skinny growing up. and my first son the dr kept saying he needs more calories. we used carnation, butter. it did not work. and i kept telling him my mom was like that but he kept telling me well he is only in the 0-10th percentile. so then my second child comes and he is the same thing. and he eats like crazy. all the reserch i have done says as long as they move up and stay in the percentile and don't jump up high or low. ( like go from 50th to 5th) they are fine. my five year old is 34 pds and my 2 year old is 27 pds. and they have steadly stayed in the low percentile. i don't think they have ever went over the 20th. my neighbors child is the same way. my first child eats good now. but it is all healthy food so i don't worry. i did at first but when my second child came they said you must have a high metabalism in your kids. so i think as long as they eat and fluxuate in percentiles they are fine. and if you are still worried talk to a nutritionist.

I can really appreciate your concern. My daughter is 20 months and still weighs less than 20 pounds! (Less than a pound to go!) She doesn’t even register on the chart for her weight. She’s been diagnosed with “failure to thrive” solely because of her weight. She was low on the chart but doing pretty well and then dropped off the chart soon after she turned a year. So, her doctor became concerned and she’s been on Pediasure with Fiber ever since. We go for a doctor visit every six weeks to check her weight. She is extremely active so I know she burns off the majority of the calories that she takes in. My husband and I both have family that are petite and some that are tall. But I have to look to my husband who weighed less than 90 pounds when he got his driver’s license, and my own petiteness. She gets it honestly. She’s not lethargic in the least bit and she seems to be developing rather normally. She does not eat a lot even though we try, try, try to get her to eat more. So I am extremely grateful for the Pediasure that she loves to drink. My other daughter didn’t weigh 20 pounds until right around age 1 ½. She weighed 24 pounds at 2 ½ and finally 30 pounds at age three. So, the trend is there. My doctor told us to give our second daughter three set meals a day and three snacks and to offer those at her high chair each time. She was “grazing” (as her doctor put it), eating a little bit here and there throughout the day…which sounds like how he eats. Maybe try to have set meal and snack times so he’s hungrier at each setting and is getting the maximum calories during a specific time. I wouldn’t give him any juice or water; only offer him breast milk and/or formula for maximum calories. That has all the water in it he needs, especially with breast milk. When he turns a year, maybe his doctor will recommend Pediasure with Fiber. I was told that doctors like to see children generally move along the same curve on the chart. It’s when a child drops down that they become concerned and try to determine the cause.

I hope this is of help. You are not alone! Best to you, your husband, and your precious little boy!

I have twin sons who will turn 2 tomorrow. One of them has struggled with weight for most of those two years. He has consistently been in the less than 5th percentile. Our doctor has told us we just need to keep an eye on it and when he's two if things hadn't changed we may need to look at some growth hormone studies (his 2 year appt is Wed, we'll see what she says then). When he was still on the bottle he was drinking maybe 7 ounces of formula a day. We had switched his formula and were mixing it at a more concentrated level so he was getting more calories. Until two weeks ago he really wasn't eating much during the day (yogurt and bread mostly). I offer only healthy choices, whole grains, no juice, etc. Over the past year I've kept myself from worrying becuase it's nothing I can control. He'll eat when he's hungry and he looks healthy and he keeps up with his brother just fine. One thing I do find frustrating is, like you, we always tried to get an extra bite in him. So if he wanted to eat out of our cereal bowl we would give him a bite. There are certain rules I would like to start enforcing but haven't yet becuase of his weight issues. I plan on discussing this with their peditrician at their appt on Wednesday. If you want any other information please feel free to email me.