13 Month Old Is Only 19 Pounds

My son's dr told me that breast fed babies don't follow the same 'weight and height' guidelines as formula babies. He may be just fine. I have 2 boys - both of which are very thin. They have always been "low" on the charts. You need to look at your family build. My father, grandfather, brothers are tall and thin. And I mean 6 feet tall and weigh 125 pounds in their early 20's. And my boys are following that pattern. My oldest son is 5'9" and barely weighs 110 pounds at age 16. He eats well.
My younger son did use pediasure (he only liked the chocolate) at ages 3 & 4 (1 a day) because he was so grouchy and grumpy in the afternoons and evening because he didn't eat well. They talked about supplements for my older son when he was about 13 - but I showed a picture of all the boys in the family and the dr backed off. He eats really well and I showed him pictures of him and all the nephews that are all extremely thin.
Hope this helps. I wouldn't worry about 1 visit if he's eating well.

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Keep doing what you're doing, he sounds fine. My 2nd child was like that... 19 pounds at her 1 year check-up. She didn't gain hardly any weight between the 6 month and 1 year checkup because she was very active. She was crawling at 5 months and walking at 8 months. She ate alot and breastfed alot but she was very active. By her 3rd birthday, she was in the 50% range. We didn't really do anything like PediaSure, just gave her whole milk and other dairy products. As long as he was offered a wide variety of healthy food and keeping active (the reason for not putting on weight), he doctor wasn't concerned at all.

Try adding chocolate or strawberry nesquik to his milk. Many breastfed babies don't like the taste of cows milk. After a few weeks, you can slowly lessen the amount of flavor until it's gone and he'll probably take it. Or just keep giving it to him - it's better than juice and the little bit of extra sugar shouldn't be a problem if the rest of his meals/snacks are healthy.

Breastmilk has a higher fat content and is more healthy than cow's though. In fact, it's generally advised to breastfeed more when there's a low weight issue. So keep on breastfeeding as long as you and he want to - the weight issue is no reason to quit. My youngest is 20 months and still breastfeeding, the others all weaned around 18 months.

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I wouldn't worry about it at all!! This same thing happened to me with my daughter and the Ped. wanted us to see nutritionist and everything but we pretty much told him where to go (in a very polite way of course). You see my daughter is just small and I was the EXACT SAME WAY when I was her age. Some children are just all and thin. My daughter is almost 33 months and weighs 27.8lbs. She is very healthy and incredible smart. The thing is that a lot of breastfed babies are less chunky than their formula fed piers and that is okay! As long as he is meeting all his milestones and is health I wouldn't worry one bit. Oh, and one more thing breast milk actually contains more calories, nutrients and good fats than cows milk so if you really want to see him bulk up a little bit INCREASE your breastfeeding. It is absolutely 100% okay to still be breastfeeding your child at this age and even beyond the age of two if you and he are still happy with the nursing relationship. The WHO actually promotes that a breastfeeding relationship continue to at least the age of 2 and the American Academy of Pediatrics supports this statement. You can also add things like avocados to his diet which are very rich in the good fats your body needs. I would suggest you do some research on-line for good healthy good that contain the nutrients he needs instead of trying to get him to drink and artificial beverage who's main calorie source is high fructose corn syrup. Also, you can find growth charts on the World Health Organization's web site that are created for breastfed babies/toddlers since most Peds. offices only use the ones created for formula fed babies. Remember, pediatricians are not educated in nutrition. They like to suggest things but they really have no educational background for it (crazy I know, but true!). In a country where obesity runs rampant you'd think a doctor would be happy to see a nice, trim, healthy child that isn't being led down the road to a battle with weight issues.

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I went through this. My son was 5 wks early, 5.3lbs. He couldn't breastfeed, so I pumped for 6 wks. We had to go to weight checks for 18 mo's every 6wks. Hated it! When he started on formule he spit up a lot, I think he had acid reflux and wasn't correctly treated for it. Anyways, the ped's dr told me to pur butter in his meals give him PediaSure, which he wouldn't touch. I stressed out all the time over it. Not worth it. My son is 4.5yrs old now, and is tall and skinny. Even now to this day he is below 0 on the charts just as he was when he was born. I eneded up switching peds dr when he was 3, and wish I had done that in the beginning. The new dr was totally different, not to say she wouldn't still have done the weight checks, but I think she would have explained better and have been more understanding instead of concerned. Actually, my husband was built the same way as our son is when he was little-genetics. And my husband was a 12lb baby 23" long, but he stayed skinny until he was 21yrs old. All I'm saying don't stress out about it, he probably has a high metabolism, he walked at 9.5 mo's that's amazing. If you need to ask more please do not hesitate to contact me. Good Luck.

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Go to a La Leche League meeting! It sounds like your doctor has no idea what a breastfed healthy baby looks or acts like. Those growth charts were designed in an era when almost all kids were formula fed. Breastfeeding into toddlerhood is a good thing and something to feel proud of. I would ignore the doctor if your child is acting healthy and meeting milestones without a problem. I wouldn't personally force the PediaSure on him since he is breastfeeding.

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My 9 month old is only 16 pounds, and my doctor is not worried. I think those height/weight charts are flawed. If your son is like my daughter (happy and meeting all her milestones early) then do not worry yourself! The world is full of short, skinny people and tall and heavy people. Adults of the same age are not all the same height and weight! Why would babies all measure the same? As long as he weights more than he did at his last appt, then he is growing. Relax and enjoy your baby!

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I wouldn't worry and I would cancel that weight check unless he's totally off the chart and used to be big. If he's always been small, been active, hits his milestones on or ahead of time, and eats well, he's fine.
I think a lot of Pedis don't know enough about breastfed babies and jump to scare tactics to get you to beef them up. He doesn't need pediasure unless his diet isn't nutritious. If you feed him junk food and only nurse once a day, maybe. But, if you feed him healthy foods and he's still nursing a few times a day, he's getting what he needs:)

Go here for recipes that are great:
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/

Try high-calorie, good-fat foods like avacado, sweet potatoes (I cook them in their skins, then peel them and put them in the food processor with some chicken or ham and corn), bananas, blue berries, tomatoes.

Don't worry, he'll be fine. Some kids are just smaller. Keep him rear-facing as long as his weight and/or height are under the limit for his seat!

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Fat babies are more prone to be fat adults. As long as your little guy is healthy I wouldn't worry too much. The PediaSure should increase his calorie intake and help him with vitamins and minerals he is lacking in his diet.You might try it frozen like a ice cream to get him to eat it instead of drink it.
My niece was very tiny and refused a lot of food up until she was around 10 years old.Then she discovered chicken strips boneless cuts they can be cooked just about any way and added batter makes them tasty too. Mashed Potato's should help put some weight on him and they are good for him.Real ones that is, instant taste like paste. You can also add shredded cheese to them for a more pleasant taste.

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My older child didn't like milk, either, until I mixed it with white grape juice. My understanding is that breastmilk is sweeter than cow's milk, so many kids don't want to switch. My niece was too small at that age and they had her drink Carnation Instant Breakfast. She's a chubby 8 year old now. I'm sure you've tried lots of things- how about chocolate milk? Strawberry milk? I'd also just keep trying to offer more new foods during the day. Have you had his iron levels tested? If kids have low iron, it makes them have no appetite. I'd ask the doc about that, just to be sure. Good luck. I'm sure he'll be fine.

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My son is also small. He was born 7 lbs. 5 oz. (which is average), but then he has been 1 percentile in weight ever since his 1 month check up. There was even a time he dropped to 0.5 percentile in weight. He is now almost 2 years old and weighs about 21 lbs. He didn't make it to 20 lbs. until 18 months. Don't stress about it. As long as he is doing everything he should be for his age, and the doctor is not worried, try not to worry about it yourself. Easier said then done, I know from experience. Good luck!

PS- When my son was finally on baby food and table foods his doctor told us to put butter on everything to help add calories. Also, I was told to put Instant Breakfast in his whole milk for added nutrition/calories.

I don't think that putting on more weight is that big of a deal necessarily. I think a more efficient way of tracking progress is that if he is 50th percentile in weight and 70th percentile in heighth that he remains at those same percentiles throughout childhood. If he drops to a much lower percentile for his age, then that may be a more noticable red flag. Everyone grows at different rates and has different metabolisms. If he is not growing or gaining weight over a year, then it may be indicative of a glandular or hormonal problem.

Many kids lose weight when trying to switch from liquid to solid foods. I wouldn't try to push cow's milk in a replacement for breastmilk. As long as he obtains fluid, he will not dehydrate. Many children do not like the taste of milk. There are multiple other ways to obtain the calcium, protein and fat children need. As far as daily, there are so many cheese and yogurt products on the market that drinking milk isn't that big of a deal. He can eat cheese sticks, cheese slices, cottage cheese, cheese squares, yogurt, frozen yogurt, etc. He can obtain fat and protein in nut products, meat, fish.

** Calcium **
http://www.myfit.ca/foods_highest_calcium.asp

** Protein **
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/highproteinf...

Hi, T.! I was pretty much in the same boat with my daughter. At her 15 month appointment, she was 21-1/2 pounds, and was still the same weight at her 18 month appointment. They didn't seem all that concerend. She said that they tend to plateau when they are constantly on the move at this age, and especially those who have decided to become picky eaters. She told me that she will see if she gains a little weight at her next appointment, and if she doesn't, we'll figure out what we'll do next. I would say that if your son is eating and doesn't look thin, I wouldn't worry much about it.

Hi T.
I wouldn't be too concerned. I just took my daughter in for her 15 month well baby check and she was only 20lbs 8oz. At 12 months she was 18lbs 3oz. My doctor is not concerned at all. Does he seem to be making progress on the growth curve? Like you said he is very active, which is very good. I was kind of paniced at her 12 month check too because I was so sure she'd be at least 20lbs so I could turn her car seat around. Now I just figure that she is active and seems to eat normally so she'll grow at her own pace.

There are so many factors to consider when talking about kiddos weight and growth. He is clearly reaching developmental milestones appropriately, so that doesn't indicate problems. Are you and/or your husband petite in nature? I'm 4 ft 11 in, so my kids are not on the upper end of the charts - never have been. My ped referred to my oldest as a "might mite" - smaller, but strong and healthy. (He walked at 10 mos - he is 10 years old now). And the charts that are frequently used are based on growth for formula fed babies - breastfed babies should be the standard, but unfortunately they are not. Formula fed babies tend to get bigger and heavier (NOT necessarily a good thing - bigger and heavier isn't always the good indicator of healthy growth - our society's weight problems highlight that). All that said, as long as he is reaching milestones and the doctor is evaluating him, I wouldn't worry. Babies come in so many sizes, so don't always focus on that unless there are other concerns too. In terms of his diet, he probably isn't going to sit still very long to eat, so snacks are an important part of his diet. Maybe milkshakes if he doesn't like plain milk? You're doing great with him! Good luck!

My son has been that tiny also! And he did like the whole milk. he was only 19 lbs at 12-13mo. and still only about 22-23 lbs by 24 mo. now at 40 months he has just made 31 lbs! The Dr. wasn't too concerned abt his weight but did have us put him on pediasure like yours did since he also didn't like meat much (and still doesn't unless it's in chicken nugget form!) I don't have any advice--just wanted to let you know you're not the only one! I've just decided my guy is probably always gonna be a little guy :) Good luck! and if you figure out a way to get him to eat meat pass it on!
J.

As everyone else has already said, I wouldn't worry about it. Unless your baby is malnourished, there's nothing to worry about. My son is 17 mos. old and weighs only 21 lbs. I also nursed him until he was 14 mos. old (which is when he started walking). Our ped. isn't concerned in the least - he's perfectly healthy, just a little on the small side (which isn't at all abnormal for mine or my husband's family).

I wouldn't worry too much about this. My daughter will be 17 months in about a week and she only weighs 20 lbs. I swear she has weighed that much for half her life almost! Same thing happened to us...she was about in the 90% for her weight and then she got more active w/ walking, running,and the like. Now, she has just seemed to even off. As far as the food goes, just keep offering your child things. Sometimes they will not eat them and then the next time love them! I know with my daughter I have to be careful what order I feed her things. For example, she loves green beans BUT if I give her chicken first she won't eat her bean because she likes chicken more. Ultimately, if your little one is healthy and your doctor hasn't said anything to you, I wouldn't worry about it. Good luck and God bless!

I would say if your son is healthy and happy then do not worry about his weight. Breastfed babies often come in on the lower percentiles on the weight charts that they use at the doctor's office. Just keep feeding him and let him enjoy life! And if it makes you feel any better, my son was about 19 or 20 pounds when he was that same age and he is a very happy boy.
Good luck and enjoy your family!

My son was 19 pounds 11 ounces at 13 months. He is almost 15 months now and weighs 22 pounds. It is fine, a normal weight, especially for breastfed babies.

I've written a similar response many times before and after reading just a couple responses I'm so glad to see that the word FINALLY seems to be getting out. Breastfed babies have a different growth pattern than formula fed babies. The most common growth chart used by peds is a formula fed baby growth chart though breastfed baby growth charts do exist. In fact, if you are breasfeeding, I recommend printing one off from the internet and takng it with you to your doc appts. We were advised to do the pedia sure thing as well and complied. It did help our little man to add some pounds, but why would anyone want to pack unnecessary weight onto their kiddo. We found that though our son wasn't fond of white milk at first, we added ovaltine to his milk for a bit and then backed that off until he was used to white. Breastmilk is just SO much sweeter than cow's milk that breastfed babies seem to like pedia sure and ovaltine or even nesquik. To sum up, you KNOW your child, you know if he is hitting milestones like he ought, Don't let them bully you into a "failure to thrive" diagnosis unless there's atually due cause to think so.

That is about all my daughter weighed at that age too. She looked fine proportionately and she ate well, so I didnt' worry about it. The doctor would prefered that she weighed more, but as long as she was healthy otherwise, he said not to worry.
As far as milk, I breast fed my daughter until she was 5 months then went to formula.
When it came time to go from formula to regular cows milk, I started by actually adding a little sweetner to the milk. Formula or breast milk is a LOT sweeter than cows milk. I used artificial sweetener so I wasn't just giving her sugar. Then as she got used to that I cut back on the sweetener and eventually came to pure straight cows milk and she loves milk to this day.

Hi T.,
Ive been down this road with number 2 and number 4! My daughter, who will be 6 in Oct, only weighs 33 pounds. My other daughter, who will be 3 in July, weighs 35 pounds...crazy!! I really think that all kids just grow at different rates. Your son sounds healthy, just small. That doesnt mean he will stay that way. He could be a 6'5, 220 pound linebacker when he grows up! But until then... we have had some success with certain foods in helping my daughter get the nutrition she needs gain a little weight along the way.... we did Carnation Breakfasts... she liked those pretty well... and what not...We did a lot of oatmeal... I also added whole milk to some of her baby food and other foods.... or I would bake a sweet potato and mash it up with whole milk....we did lots of cheese and avacados... I would cut the avacado into little squares and she would pick them up with her fingers.. perfect little finger food.. little tricks like that helped get some good food into her and I felt like I was making an effort to help her stay healthy. Just remember... he could be 30 pounds but not be healthy.... as long as he seems happy and healthy to you... I wouldnt worry to much. Good luck!!

My grandson had a problem like this. He actually lost weight a couple of times. So, give him yogurt, cheese, crackers, minimarshmallows with raisins, fruit bars, icecream. My grandson's problem is he loves vegetables more than anything else and fruit, so he doesn't take in a lot of meat or carbs. I put ketchup on all his meats and he eats a scrambled egg very well. If he doesn't feel like eating, I will promise him a box fruit juice or kool-aid if he finishes his food.
Keep in mind that the food chart has changed and the vegetable and fruit catagory is bigger, 5-7 servings a day I believe. Cook peas and carrots and green beans so he can feed himself. Try to get him to take at least a tablespoon of each different thing you serve so he is getting all his vitamins and minerals.

I went through this with my daughter. The issue was that she dropped ont he growth chart, not that she did not wiegh much. the pediatrican put us on pediasure as well, which she hated. I calle dthe nurse and asked for some other ideas, and she suggested using whole butter on anything that she ate. for example, if I made scrambled eggs for breakfast, whole milk, whole butter, veggies - whole butter, etc. At the next appt. I had my son (who is 21 months older thanhis sister) at the appt. and I asked if I had to keep trying the Pediasure, he looked puzzled and said your daughter is fine - you just have small kids.....she has stayed regular on her charts and is both of my kids are still petite. Natalie is 4 years old and weighs a whopping 33 pounds. Nathan may weigth 36 and he will be 6. Point being, as long as your child is eating well and you are not restricting fat from the diet, your child will be fine. just be aware, as I was dieting I had not realized I put my kids on a diet tooo when I went to all fat free and low fat foods.

T.,
I think your son will be ok. My daughter was 7lbs.7 1/2 oz. and 21" long. At a year old she only wieghed 12lbs. I was concerned but I was a thin child. I started feeding her mashed potatoes, whole milk, she never gained weight like other children. We even had to stuff blankets around her so she wouldn't slide through the legs of her walker. She was always very active and starting walking at 7 months. She was a tiny teenager too. Hard to find clothes for tall and very long. She is now 20 years old, in college and looks like a supermodel. She is and always has been healthy. Nothing out of the ordinary. So try not to worry to much. People will ask "Do you ever feed that child?" Don't let it get to you.

I have a similar experience with my son who just celebrated his 1st birthday. The doctor has been unhappy with his weight since he was four months old. I had to take him in every couple of weeks for weight checks and at one point she recommended supplementing with formula (which I did for a week but stopped because it was interferring with breastfeeding.) He now weighs 20 lbs at his last check. He eats well and has been eating solid food since he turned 5 months. He also met milestones very early. He started crawling at 5 months and he is very active. The only reason the doctor would give me for her concern was that he fell low on her growth chart. Even though he was consistently gaining weight. Even though everything that I have read says that every child is different and as long as he's gaining weight consistently there should be no concern. I know that it can be very frustrating when you know that you are doing everything you can to give the best care to your child and you don't get the results that you want. Good luck to you!

My baby was the same weight as yours at this age. My doctor was not concerned because all babies grow different. My doctor just told me to let her have as much food as she wanted since he was not concerned about her being overweight. My daughter is very petite. She is very healthy and happy. I wouldn't let this get to you.

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I wouldn't worry. My son was only 18lbs at a year. The doctor told me that as long as he was eating a balanced diet and was active not to worry. Jacob didn't get on their chart until he was 2.

That is a normal weight. My sister was 19 lbs when she turned One and also when she turned Two - she was perfectly healthy, even though the docs scared my mom. My little guy was about 18lbs when he was a year and only 21 at Two.

honestly, try flavoring the milk. Add a little strawberry syrup or something like that. That should get him interested. My little brother is 4 now and we had the same problem with him. He wouldn't drink milk. Nothing we tried would work. The kid just would not drink it. Juice was no problem but the milk, couldn't get him to touch the stuff. His doctor told them to flavor the milk. That at least he'd drink it then. And the flavor syrup stuff isn't bad for him. Good luck.

Your 13 month old is about the same size my daughter was when she was that age. She's two now and only weighs 24 pounds! At first her doc was really concerned, but we did a few minor things to bulk her up and it worked. Cheese, pasta (whole wheat was rec, but we just did reg) bread, yogurt, cottage cheese and whole milk were what we used. If you want to try to get him to like milk more, mix it with breast milk. Gradually increase the ratio of milk to breast milk. It should work, but it will take some time. He can eat pretty much whatever you can at this age. We never did the PediaSure thing because the other method seemed to work best for us. Plus, PediaSure is expensive! I was told you can also use Carnation Instant Breakfast shakes. Just try to get high calorie foods into him. Carbs, carbs, carbs!!!! :) Honestly though, I wouldn't be too worried unless he's totally stopped gaining weight.

I would not worry too much, my kids have all been low or off the chart. We do Pediasure, he might like it-it different than milk. There is also a powder out that you mix with water that is like Pediasure, I forget the name, but found it on Diapers.com. It is also a bit different. Remember to that much has to do with genetics, maybe you or hubby were small one year olds as well?

My son is 16 months old and only weighs about 22 pounds. He also started walking around the same age your son did, and he instantly went from soft & chubby to very lean! Our pediatrician always tells us to pay more attention to how the child looks overall than worry about numbers & percentiles. As long as your son is eating & drinking to his content and seems happy & active, you shouldn't worry.

I would not worry too much, my daughter was only 17 pounds at 12 months (she to was breastfed as well as ate other foods when she was around 10 months) We put her on pediasure and it did nothing, she did not like it so I stopped forcing the issue. She finally started gaining weight when I stopped nursing completely. She is now healthy and weight appropriate.
Just use your mom senses and if you think there is something to worry about, then talk to your doctor.