12 Month Old Measuring Small

Where did she measure at birth? How does her RATE of growth actually look on the growth chart? Is she growing at a steady rate...or has she recently dropped? Since growth charts are statistics from children of all sizes...some kids have to be larger and some have to be smaller in order to get to "average". Traditional charts are not necessarily a good measure for a breastfed baby.

My daughter NEVER ate prepared baby foods. She ate what I ate...pureed when necessary, didn't have juice before a year old, and certainly no sweets. I nursed exclusively for more than 6 months and she was closer to 10 months before she showed any solid interest in other foods. She was consistently below the 40% percentile until she was two years old. Our pediatrician was never concerned as she was hitting all her milestones and terrifically healthy.

I think there are more natural ways to introduce additional calories and fat into her diet. Avocados, salmon, full-fat plain yogurt, etc. It isn't healthy to forcefeed and otherwise healthy child calories for the sake of calories.

Consider getting a second opinion. I know when we are comfortable with a doctor, we just want to do the easy thing and take their advice. But I can hear your Mommy radar pinging and I think it is time to listen.

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Hi S.,

I too am confused with the numbers--do you mean she went from 18 pounds 12 ounces at 10 months down to 18 and a half pounds? or from 18 lbs. 12 ounces to 18 lbs 5 ounces?
in any of those cases it isn't very much weight--enough to be accounted for in the difference of what she was wearing when she was weighed, whether she had a wet or dry or full diaper on (or no diaper) when she was weighed the one time vs. the other, whether the scale was the same one used both times, whether it was calibrated correctly both times etc etc. (Katherine Dettweiler did a whole study of stuff that can affect a supposed weight gain or loss in a baby).

You say she is in the 20th percentile for weight--where was she before? If she was only in (for instance ) the 25th before, I wouldn't worry too much. If she was in (say) the 80th or 90th, then I'd be wondering. Someone has to be down there! and with childhood obesity....I say better there than 99th!

That is a lot of extra liquid (recommended by the doc) for a little person to have to consume......

As another mom said, if she is starting to walk and move around more now, she may well be losing weight from that.

I would just nurse her a lot (that is the best thing for babies as opposed to cow milk or formula).

Maybe put her in heavier clothes for the next dr. visit?

But if she is hitting her milestones, and acting as you described (happy, good sleeper, not sickly) it sounds like you are doing all the right things.

Good luck!

K. Z.

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Hi , she really has not lost that much weight , plus she is on the move more now than she was a few months ago right? I think the doctor is over reacting here and putting unnecessary stress on you , trying to feed your daughter more than she is capable of taking (in effect trying to make her over eat) , you said yourself she eats until full , sleeps well and is happy , you are her mom you know best , in this case I would decline the doctors suggestions and keep doing as you are , which to me sounds great! , what build are you & her dad? How about other immediate family members? You need to take all of that into consideration , she could be small built. My middle daughter was 18 months before she reached 20lbs.

Hope this helps

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I wouldn't worry. you are nursing her so she is getting EVERYTHING she needs from breastmilk. feed her the healthy foods she likes and offer her foods and let her eat until she is full.

My neighbors twins are almost 3 and weigh 25lbs each..... your daughter is 'average' sized for a 1yr old.

Just remember she needs to remain rear facing n her car seat until she's 20lbs, but its best to remain rear facing as long as possible. AAP recommends rear facing to 2yrs and 30lbs. Google EXTENDED REAR FACING for more info, but at under 20lbs she doesn't meet hte bare minimums of 1yr and 20lbs yet.

honestly though she sounds very healthy, just petite, I wouldn't stress, and I probably wouldn't even go to a weigh in... she's eating, pooping/wetting, and active, she's fine.

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All though her weight is something to watch because it can signal other problems don't worry so much about it. The 20th percentile is great! I have 2 that we could never get out of 10 and 5th percentiles. My 3 year old is still in the 5th percentile and I doubt we ever get out of it! On the other hand my nephew has now fallen off the charts and it turned out he was not producing ANY growth hormone. It wasn't going to matter what they fed the kid he wasn't going to grow. When we have tried to gain weight we were told calories are calories. 'Now you and I both know that they are not but for right now anything that works is great. Whole fat anything, real butter, ice cream. Have you tasted the pediasure? I don't know that you could get me to drink it. Try adding chocolate syrup to the milk. Really anything to just get it down her. You said it your self she is healthy and doing everything else so try not to stress it.

Hi S., My daughter was always in the bottom percentile, we are talking 10% for height and weight, for the first 2 years. At her recent 3 year appointment she was now in the 25% range. I would just continue to encourage the baby foods and not rely on the nursing. I know we also tried mashed potatoes and breads among the baby foods. Also, I would keep trying the pediasure. They have several different flavors so keep trying until you find one she likes! I know our daughter LOVED the chocolate pediasure. Hang in there and don't get too frustrated or your daughter will pick up on your tension during meal times ;-) Some kids are just made to be smaller and I am sure at your next weigh in she will have gained a little weight if you just continue to keep trying with the table foods!

good luck!

First of all, Dont Worry! Those charts measure averages, for every off the charts huge kid there is a really small one. My daughter was perfectly healthy but she fell off the weight chart completely!! I wasn't worried because I had done the same thing. As long as she continues to be healthy, I see no reason for concern. You might check out the World Health Organization growth charts, they are a worldwide average and tend to run smaller, ask your pedi about it.

Isn't your baby much more active now? I would expect that may effect it! However my daughter was always on the skinny side. She ate and she was happy and was beautifully blessed with a slender body into adulthood! I have friends with naturally thin children, if they are healthy otherwise, I wouldn't worry! I might suggest a second opinion from another pediatrician!
Good luck!

My son has always been small and skinny. I felt really guilty about it for a long time. My pediatrician who also is a small man with a slender build was pretty reassuring. It also helped when I saw pictures of my husband when he was younger--he had the same build as my son--very thin.

You could try different supplements, but also foods with healthy fats (my 10-month-old who has refused baby food since about 8 months loves olives and avocados, as did my even skinnier son). I also try to be sure to give more produce and protein to my 10-month-old and less grains than the rest of the family eats as she needs the nutrients that are in the fruits, veggies, dairy, legumes, etc.

I also found that people where I live were commenting on how small by babies are, but people in this part of the country are in general larger than my husband and I. Yes, we have small babies, but I come from a long line of healthy but small people! Try not to beat yourself up.

If she's roughly 3 times her birth weight give or take a pound or two at 1 year, she's doing fine. Especially if she's begun walking, it's common for them to thin out a little since they are burning up more energy and using their muscles.

My daughter has pretty much consistently been in the 20th percentile for weight. She weighed 18.11 at her 12 month check up and was 23 lbs when I took her in last mo. at 20 months (still in 10-25th percentile). Her pedi. has never expressed concern about her weight, especially since she's pretty healthy otherwise. I wonder if your dr. is just a little more concerned about the weight loss? Good luck.

My daughter was in the 10% for weight since day one! She is now 2. At her one year check she weighed 17 lbs. Her doctor said if she didn't gain weight by her next check up he wanted to draw her blood and run tests. I told him he wasn't going to do that. I'm small and so is my husband. She was breastfed for 14 months and was on table food when she was 6 months old. My daughter was very active and still is! Just feed her what you have been! I wouldn't stress about it unless she keeps losing weight. Doctors are so concerned about the babies that are small but not concerned about the babies that are really over weight. Don't know if I helped but I wouldn't stress out about it! Every baby is different! Good luck!

I wouldn't worry too much. My oldest was in the 10 percentile till she was 5 or 6 years old. At a year she only weighed about 16 lbs. She hated breastfeeding. I could never get the hang of it with her, partially because the hospital gave her bottles of sugar water when she was a newborn and it was a struggle. Because she was so little, the doctor kept insisting that I only breastfeed, no formula. When she was 4 months old and only 9 lbs, I blew it off and switched to formula. She did gain a little but was still really tiny. My youngest was in the 50 percentile but now she is reed thin. Both of my girls have their dads high meatabolism and my small bone structure. The oldest now weighs about 105 and she has 2 kids of her own (and they are not small). My youngest is 17 and is 5'5" and weighs about 95. If your daughter is eating good and pooping good, she just may be one of those people who will be small.

I wish I had some advice. I am in teh same boat. I take my daughter for her 1 year checkup in a couple of weeks and I she probably weighs about the same as yours. Is she teething or learning to walk? I think both can cause a baby to lose weight. My daughter wouldn't eat well when her teeth were coming in. I am pretty small and this baby (my 2nd) is probably going to take more after me. my 1st took more after my husband and was always around the 75% on height and 50-60 on weight. It has been a big shock for this one to be around the 20% on everything. Some babies are just smaller. I think she will be okay as long as she doesnt continue to loose weight over time.

This is an area where I have a real problem with charts--the human body doesn't read charts or textbooks!! Pedi's out there need to take into account that your child looks well nourished and is healthy and active, not that she's in some version of where your child should be on some chart. Pediasure and those powdered breakfasts are full of sugar, so it will plump her up but not make her healthier!! I've even heard one of my patients tell me that her son's pedi told her to give him ice cream for breakfast everyday to add on some pounds!! Did this MD get his license from a cracker jack box?? Don't worry about making a "good grade" at her next "weigh-in". I'm sure you daughter is fine. God Bless.

My son lost weight between 15 and 18 months. But his problem sounds a little different from yours - my child didn't like to eat. I did the whole milk and instant breakfast added (just a little so he couldn't taste it much). But it sounds like your Dr. is a little too concerned. Mine let it ride for a while. When he still didn't gain, we went to Children's for blood tests and a CF test. Everything turned out normal. He is now 7 years old and weighs 70 pounds and is normal. My advice is to stay calm, monitor, and don't do any testing for a few months. Mostly - don't worry.

I am in the same boat. My son is 18 months, barely pushing 20 pounds. His weight goes up and down 3-6 ounces at every well-child visit. He was barely 6 pounds when he was born, and has always been in the 5-10% for weight and 20-30% for height. His pediatrician says that my son isn't eating enough and isn't getting enough calories...so not true! He eats nonstop, sleeps through the night, is very happy and very active. Like you, I am doing everything right and he still can't put on weight. As long as our babies are healthy, thriving, meeting milestones and are growing, I think us mommas know what's right. There is no need for pediatricians to put extra pressure on us when we are doing everything right. If I feed my son more than what he wants, he spews is back up. Yuck! You are doing everything just fine, so no worries :)

Is she only measuring small in weight? It could be that she's more active and that's why she's dropping. My 9 month old just weighed in at the 3-10% range for boys. He has never been this low! The doctor wasn't too concerned especially once we told him the child does NOT refuse any food. He said it's probably because he's become more active, he's just starting to crawl and even though he doesn't officially crawl regularly he does not sit still. Try giving her more protein like eggs etc and things like cheese and yogurt, I don't blame her for not liking the Pediasure, just smell it. Yuck! Maybe try breastmilk mixed with the instant breakfast, it's a taste she'd be more used to, it's pretty hard when you're transitioning to whole milk from breastmilk and then you're adding something totally odd to it. Or maybe instead of Pediasure you could try the stage 2 formula from Gerber Good Start it's meant for toddlers and is cheaper than regular formula.

you can also add the instant breakfast to pudding, oatmeal, etc. Add butter (not margarine) to her veggies. Give her whole wheat bread too. What was her birth weight? I would say that as long as she has tripled her birth weight she is probably ok. Did they weigh her in a dry diaper or dressed? If she was dressed 0.7 lbs could be the difference between heavy tennis shoes and sandals.

Dont' stress, you're doing fine! My daugther is almost 17 months and 18 pounds. My doctor said it's fine. She's in the 2 percantile on weight, but my doc said as long as she has bright eyes, good skin, and healthy hair and isn't showing any signs that she is hungry or struggling, it's fine. We're so used to seeing big babies that everyone gets worried when kids aren't huge. I wouldn't worry about it. If she's thriving, she just may be a little kid. Maybe you have a future supermodel on your hands!

She is probably more active than she was at 10 months. That might account for the slight loss.

My daughter hated all the supplement drinks until I found Boost Essentials in chocolate. If you taste them yourself, you will notice the others all taste like chemicals. Even the one you add to milk tastes gross. The Boost tastes like chocolate milk. My daughter still drinks one of these daily and she is nearly 3 yo. It just gives me peace of mind that she is getting her vitamins on days she doesn't eat everything I think she should.

I'm sure your daughter is fine. Those scales are a measurement tool and not precise. As long as she looks healthy and is active, you have nothing to worry about.

I have two grandchildren in the same category. Ethan is 3 1/2 years old now and still measuring small. He has steadily grown but just smaller than most children. The doctor would like to see him taller and heavier but since he is so on target developmentally or even ahead (very active) she is not worrying about it. He has seen an endocrinologist a couple of times to keep things in check, but no real worries.

His sister is 13 months now and 16+ lbs. Much the same as her brother. We have small babies I am 5ft. my daughter is 5ft one. My husband is 5'8" her husband is 5'6".

As long as she is eating and does not continue to lose weight. Ethan began losing weight when he began to eat solid food. We did find out he is allergic to wheat products. When he went on the gluten free diet he did much better.

Good luck.

K. Voigtsberger
www.wholeheartbirth.com

If I remember correctly, my kids did the same thing. When did she start walking or being more mobile? I would think she would drop a little weight if she just started walking. Mine did. But 18.5 is not down from 18.12 - that is an increase (did you mean 19.12?). We are small frame parents, kinda on the shorter side, so our kids have always been in the 20 percentile.

If it were an actual pound or two I would worry but it's not, so I wouldn't worry about it. I'm surprised your doc even addressed it. That just isn't a big variance.

Keep doing what you are doing, monitor her intake (like you seem to already be doing). Does she eat oatmeal, that should also help with her calorie intake. Don't make her drink something she does not like b/c feeding will become chore and you don't want that.

Like you said, if she has regular BM's, eats at every meal and sleeps well, then she is probably okay. Only worry if her weight is down again at the check up. Then, take it from there. That's really all you can do.

Hi S.,

I think it is too soon to worry to much. You didn't say what build type of build you and your husband are? My middle grand daughter is not even on the chart. Her Dr. mentioned growth hormones at her 2 yr check up. Both of her parents are small in height and weight. We both do not think that is a good option. I will tell you the same thing I told her. Get her on a good vitamin and good protein shake. Shaklee has a powdered vitamin that you can add to milk, juice or water. You also have to look at the type of protein shakes you use. The ones you buy at the store usually have lots of chemicals in them. These toxins have negative effects on our bodies. I can make a good suggestion on this as well. Keep feeding her food from the table this is GREAT! If she has favorites then fix those more often so you can make sure she is eating til she is full. Also remember what another mother said that breastfeed babies are lower in weight that formula feed ones.

Has she recently started walking? Once they start moving lots then sometimes they do lose a little. Listen to your instincts as well. You know if she isn't eating enough.

Give her good nutrition and she will thrive. My last suggestion would be to write down everything she eats, how long she nurses as well so that you can be absolutely sure she is getting enough.

Best of health,
M.

20th percentile is fine! My almost one yr old is at .25 percentile - that's way below the bottom curve of the chart. She has hardly gained weight since 4 months and currently weighs 15.5 pounds at 11.5 months. I know exactly how you feel with the doc being concerned, everyone says "she is so small!" etc...

If she is eating well and still nursing (which is great for so many reasons), I think you can stop worrying. Doctors sometimes get stuck on the one-size-fits-all mode and thing every baby should be right at 50%. Hello? Someone has to be the bottom or there would not be a 50% or 75%, etc... :)

If you are comfortable with how she is eating, growing (even if it's slow - our baby's growth is extremely slow but in every other way she is fine) and developing, please do not panic! Sure, adding calories is good (we add coconut oil to her food, feed her lots of avacado and whole milk yogurt), but I really don't think you should worry or revolve your life around this issue.

My12 mth old eats wonderfully pretty much anything I give her but is also only about18 lb. That was in the10th percentile though. However her height was only in the 25th so her doctor wasn't concerned. What is your daughters height percentile? Is it proportionate?

Don't stress about this. My daughter has been in the lower percentile on weight from day one, but higher percentile in weight. She was also in the low percentile(maybe 10%) at her 1 year check up and the nurse practitioner (doctor was out that day) told us basically the same thing and to come back in a month. I too was a bit stress until I got home and told my husband who is an RN. "He said no way will we take her back in a month. She is perfectly healthy. And where are they getting the 'size chart' now-a-days? We have such an epidimic of obesity that what use to be normal is now underweight?!" And once I thought about it, I had to agree because our daughter was eating well, still breastfeeding (breastfed until she was 15 1/2 months old), pooping, running around like the energizer bunny, and looked perfect! My husband weighted 115 wet when he graduated from HS, so she has it in her blood to have a high metabolism and to be thin. Why do we need to "beef" them up if they are healthy? If I were you, I would not even go back to the two week appointment that they want you to. Giving her pediasure isn't a bad thing, if she will drink it, but don't worry to much about making her add weight. If she is healthy, then what more could you ask for? And on a side note, if you will compare breastfed babies to formula fed babies, you will notice that often times, the breastfed babies are thinner and formula fed seem to be on the larger side. Good luck with this, but try not to stress! Doctors don't ALWAYS know everything! :)

Keep in mind your child is being measured and compared against all other children the same age. My child is consistently in the 25 percentile. Considering how overweight the general population has become, I consider this a blessing! Weights do fluctuate, and can vary depending on who is doing the weighing too. They may have caught her wearing lighter clothes or who knows what - I would just monitor your child and try not to stress too much.

Hey there,
I wouldn't be worried. My son is 12 months also and he is in the 5-10 percentile for weight. His doctor was not concerned. He eats really well. He's just really busy and I guess has my genes (i'm little and was as a baby as well).
I'm sure your little girl is just fine.
Blessings,
A.

my son was small, he was almost diagnosed failure to thrive, we had the same thing with the dr. We gave him the flavored pediasure, I was done nursing ( I had planned to only do it until he was 1 anyways). He never gained the weight she wanted, he did gain but not as much. His daddy is 6'2" and 200 lbs, very skinny kid. I am 5'7" and was a skinny kid. All 3 of my kids have the same issues, not on their scale. The Dr. has realized this and backed off a little. Good luck.

Hi S.,

I'm sorry you are going through this. My son has always been a skinny kid as well (I think he was right around 18 or 19 lbs on his first birthday, too despite being at the 95th percentile for height) but was meeting all of his developmental milestones on time or early, and his father an I are both naturally pretty thin, so his pediatrician just chalked it up to genetics. Aside from the weight itself, is there anything concerning about your daughter's development? Did she recently start walking? (some kids lose weight when they become toddlers, my son gained no weight between 12 and 15 months).

As a side note: is it 18.5lbs or 18lbs 5oz? I ask because 18.5 IS more than 18.12, so if the numbers are as you wrote them she HAS gained weight (maybe not as much as the ped. wants but that's a gain of 3/8 of a pound).

Do what you can to get her to eat more, she might like "toddler formula" better than the Pediasure. Other high calorie foods that my son liked at that age were cheese, cottage cheese, pudding, tofu, chicken strips, cheese toast (like an open faced grilled cheese cut into little bites), but I'd also just recommend going back to whatever she was eating before table food (formula or breastmilk) more regularly and between table meals.

Good luck, but try not to stress too much. Unless she's showing other signs that her weight is an issue, it's not worth making yourself (or her) crazy over.

T.

All of my children have been small. The last lost weight at his 12 month check. All are healthy and normal. As long as she is growing, I wouldn't worry. Keep feeding her healthy.

I have a granddaughter who has always been in the lower percentiles. Her pediatrician isn't too concerned, although they do watch her closely, as she didn't drop from the upper percentiles down, but has always been around 15-20%. She is healthy, looks fine (although she is also a little shorter, so her small weight is well-distributed), and is probably just going to be petite. Somebody has to be in the lower numbers, and as long as your little one is otherwise healthy, and the dr. is watching her, I wouldn't worry about it. Has she recently started walking? I know some who tend not to put on weight when they start really moving, as they are burning more calories. Of course, continue to offer her the pediasure and a healthy diet, but try not to worry. Sounds like she's a healthy, happy baby girl!

in my opinion don't worry about it. i was very small as a child but i was healty. my son is also the same way he is very short and just hit 35 lbs, he has always been in the very low percentile for his age, and he turned 4 last week. you have to think children are much bigger the how they used to be, but over time what we eat and what is out in our foods has changed drastically. kids are much bigger from when "we" were growing up. if she is eating till she is full, going to the bathroom normally, doing things that she is supposed to for her age i wouldn't worry. but if you still have doubt then keep searching till you find the answers that satisfy you.good luck

I'm surprised your pedi is concerned w/ 20th percentile. My daughter bottomed out at -5% and my son bottomed at 3%. Both were exclusively BF. You didn't mention if that's the case w/ your kid. First off, assuming your baby is BF, then you should know there is a whole separate weight chart for BF babies that the WHO puts out. Most doctors in the US don't use it. BF babies generally don't weigh as much (b/c it's so easy to overfeed via a bottle). My pedi looked at the whole package - meeting milestones, temperment, urination/pooping frequency and given all those where fine and since my kids overall trended up in weight (until they starded crawling and walking - both early), she was not concerned. I just have petite kids. My son is now 20 months and only weights about 22 lbs. My daughter is 4 1/2 and only weighs about 35 lbs.

My child is not on the chart and will be 2 in 2 weeks....was 16.8 lbs at 1 and FINALLY reached 20 lbs now that she's nearly 2! As long as she's hitting milestones and is eating, sleeping and pooping normally then I would let her eat when hungry and finish when full. There is no need to stress out and over feed her for the sake of a few oz's. Just my 2 cents

My daughter was that weight at 12 months also. She didn't hit 20 lbs until 14 months. She was in the 5th to 10th percentile for a little while. After drinking 1 to 2 pediasures everyday she put on some weight and kept it. At 4 she is in the 50th percentile and has been since about 2. She is average height, not skinny, but slender....if she keeps that she will be one lucky girl! :-)

Anyway, sounds the same as your daughter. Don't worry, she will find her spot on the percentile chart in a year. My daughter fluctuated a little the first yr and a half before remaining at 50th. She had actually not gained any weight for 3 months before I put her on the pediasure and then she jumped up to the 50 th. Not saying it was the pediasure and could have been a coincidence but it is worth a try.

I am really surprised that your pedi is concerned that seems ridiculous to me. My daughter was less than 5% for her weight at 12 months, she was not even on the charts. Even now my daughter is 28 lbs and 4 years old! For your daughter to loose that little of weight in 2 months is not a big deal, it could be because she is more active than she was 2 months ago. Maybe she started crawling or walking, etc. Then to have you bring her in 2 weeks later for a weight check that is crazy, how much weight could she really have gained? I would not worry about it too much I am sure that your daughter will be fine, don't let the doctor freak you out.

My daughter started seeing a pediatric endocrinologist when she was about 18 months because she is not only small but she is up and down and on the growth chart and can't pick a spot and stay on it. We would only go to the specialist once every 3 months for a weight/height check so 2 weeks seems crazy! The endocrinologist did have us give her pediasure or she said the instant breakfast was fine too, my daughter loved the strawberry she was not a fan at all of the chocolate. She had us add things like honey and peanut better to her snacks to add more calories (like PB and bananas or PB and apples, etc..) You may try some of those things if you want to fatten her up but I don't think you have to.

My son fell off the height/weight chart at a year, was subjected to a bunch of testing for the next year, and he is perfectly healthy. I would get a second opinion! In the meantime, smoothies are a great way to increase calorie intake. 2-3 cups of frozen fruit, 3 cups whole milk, 4 oz full fat yogurt (like yobaby), 1 banana, 1/2 cup orange juice. Or you can use frozen bananas (remove peel before freezing!) and fresh fruit. Change up what kind of fruit you use for variety. There are many other good smoothie recipes available online. Any tips they give to reduce the calorie count, do the opposite =) Other ways to increase calorie intake is to give her "dip" with everything...ranch, ketchup, whatever. For snack, try Odwalla bars. As long as she's healthy and on track developmentally, I wouldn't worry too much-somebody has to at the bottom of the curve. My son is happily thriving there!