12 Month Old Didn't Gain Enough Weight

Hi J.!

I think some kids at some point or another will stop gaining weight. DD2 stopped gaining weight at 12 months, and DS1 stopped at 9 months like your daughter. DD2 started gaining weight after her 18 mth b-day and I suspect DS has gained weight since 12 month well check in June. (He sure feels heavier!) You might ask your pedi about PediaSure. Ours recommended for DD2 when at 15 month well check. I think by taking a blood sample you pedi was just being cautious.

Good luck, GOD BLESS.

My son was always small and didn't even hit the growth chart until we started real food. Then he didn't catch up or show real growth until he was 2 1/2.

Naturally you are concerned but I wouldn't freak out. Your doctor is right to be cautious...that's his job.

Has anything changed? Did you stop formula? Add milk? How are her bowel movements?

If she is meeting her milestones, eating a fairly balanced diet, and getting enough milk/formula or substitute each day I wouldn't worry too much. She's gaining, not losing which is good.

It's certainly something to keep an eye on but if your doctor rules out anythign medically then it just might be the way your daughter is. She could have a nice size jump in weight at say 15 months and then not again until she is nearly 2. Each child is different.

Good luck!

My littlest did the same thing. Once she started walking she actually LOST weight. Don't worry yet, but it is something that your pedi will want to keep an eye on.

I think it's good he checked her blood. My neice has cystic fibrosis and one of the first signs her pedi noticed that gave him a warning something wasn't right was because of her not gaining enough weight.
Yes, some kids are smaller but it's definitely good he's taking precautions and doing some extra lab work to rule out any diseases.
Once everythings ruled out that he tested for, I'm sure he'll tell you everythings ok so you don't worry.

Good luck and take care!

Don't fret, my youngest daughter is the same. When we left the hospital she was about 4lbs and 10 oz. She will be 2 in Dec. and is about 18lbs. She is petite and very active with her other siblings. She eats well, she justs never gains. She has a very small frame. If you or your family are of small build, I wouldn't worry, just listen to the pedi and always express your concern, and if you are ever in doubt of their advice you can always get a second opinion.

I have a preemie who is a slow grower from a weight perspective. But she's long and skinny. Basically, our Ped has been watching this from visit to visit and factoring in everything from a growth perspective-weight, height, head circumference. My daughter is an eating machine and is super-active too. The rule my Ped and I have come up with is that as long as my daughter is consistently growing in all areas, we aren't sweating the weight issue.

I wouldn't be concerned with the blood work either unless Dr. tells you there is something to worry about. I think it's good practice to check for known issues that might be responsible and if you don't come up with anything, you get some piece of mind. The other thing to remember is that every kid is different and they will grow like crazy one minute and plateau the next.

Personally, I tend to look at the averages among all our visits since we see big gains at some visits and little ones at others. The only thing that would alarm me is if she lost weight, say, a pound and hadn't been sick recently.

You are doing great, J., don't panic! Just keep doing what you are doing and let the Dr. tell you if there's anything in the bloodwork that is concerning. If not, then see what happens at the next visit. You will probably have a big gain at the 15 mo visit if she only gained an ounce for this one.

;)

If she will drink it, give her Pediasure. This should help her gain a little weight.

Also, visit McDonalds and introduce her to Happy Meals. She will soon learn to recognize the golden arches and start pointing them out to you.

Blessings,

P. <><

Our youngest who is now 2.5 and only 22 pounds has gone through the same. She had blood testing, fecal testing, and a sweat test as well. This was done to rule out CF and other metabolic disease. If in the lowest 5%, my understanding is further monitoring is standard. She was sent to a pediatric gastrointerologist for followup for the past year. She is just tiny and will continue to monitor.

My son weighed the same thing for about 3 mths, from age 9 mths - 12 mths and was in the 10th %. He got taller but didn't gain any weight. Finally at his 15 mth checkup, he's gaining again and up to the 50th%. I was worried, but my pedi said he's healthy and fine. My baby is very active too, so I was increasing his calories, and feeding him healthy fats to try to keep up with him and he's just now gaining weight again.

Don't worry about it, let your pedi worry about it. I am kind of surprised that they would take blood though. My daughter started out big and got small as she got older. We are taking her to a endocronologist, so that they can monitor her height and weight. My little one is 2.5 years old and she only ways 22 pound, but according to her pedi and endo. she is perfectly healthy. Your daughter is probably fine, some kids are just a little smaller. Heck my little girl isn't even on the growth chart anymore.

I can relate to your stress. My son was born just shy of 9 lbs. By 6 months his weight was a concern, he had gone from the 95th percentile to the 10th, and I was given instructions on how to boost his weight. Then by 9 months, they labeled him as "failure to thrive". At one point he dropped to below the fifth percentile. I was a nervous wreck about it. He started walking at nine months and I tried to convince myself and the doctor that this caused the weight drop. He assured me the drop was too significant for that to be the cause - especially at this point he had been walking all of three days! I just wanted a reason, something to fix. I breastfed for the first year and fortunately I was encouraged to keep doing so (as there were NO issues with my supply - I had to pump more and keep a log for the pediatrician). But we were told to make some dietary changes. We were told to add butter (real butter, not margarine or substitute) to everything he ate. I was told to feed him high fat foods as often as possible - meat sticks, sausage, eggs. Closer to a year we started pediasure milkshakes (milkshakes made with pediasure instead of milk). I stressed all the time. He has always been a very good eater and always very active. We went through a battery of tests to rule out metabolic disorders and cystic fibrosis. After the sweat test came back normal, we chose not to run any more tests and just watch him. Since his weight was the only issue, the doctor agreed to just monitor him closely. Like your daughter, he met all his milestones early and remains very active. By his 18 month checkup his weight finally started to go up a bit. He will be three in November and he is still a lightweight, but we no longer worry. I would follow your doctors advice. Do your research, but don't try to make a diagnosis. Try not to let yourself get too worked up. Do the medical testing you need to do for your peace of mind, but don't let yourself get talked in to something you are uncomfortable with doing. I am sure everything will work out. I hope it helps to know you are not alone. Good luck!

Hi J.,

Offer her frequently a lot of healthy calorie dense food like avocados, pasta with olive oil & herbs & salt & pepper for flavoring, eggs, cereal, yogurt, juice, cheese, meat, beans, rice, potatoes, yams, & oatmeal. Use coconut oil too, it is a good fat.