No Weight Gain for 7M

You are not alone. Our daughter was also a preemie (3lb. 11oz. at birth) and has always remained on the small side. I was more worried at first, but now I have come to realize that the reason there is a "range" on growth charts is because children are all different. We have her kindergarten physical in a month so I'll be anxious to see how she has grown in the past year too. I know she is getting taller, but the weight will be interesting because I don't think it has changed much.

One caution I want to share with you: be careful about what you say and do with your daughter regarding her weight. Society is obsessed with the extremes -- obesity and eating disorders -- and it is rubbing off on our children. Love her and tell her she is beautiful because she is unique. Prepare healthy meals with lots of choices and lead by a good example. She will turn out just fine because it sounds like you're doing a great job!

1 mom found this helpful

Worry is counterproductive. If the doctor thinks she is malmourished, he would have told you to supplement her diet. If he just says she's small, feed her what she needs/wants and see what happens. Is her general health good? If so, no need to be concerned, just keep offering a variety of foods. Some people are naturally small and that's fine.

SAHM of seven

S.,

The fact that your daughter was a preemie shouldn't have any real bearing on her weight this far down the road. There is a lot to consider, genetics being a big one. Are you or your husband very slender or not tall?

Whether you should change or keep doing what you are depends on what you are doing. Is she getting at least 3 healthy meals everyday with few treats? Let me quantify "healthy" - foods that came directly from animals and plants. (If you don't know how they made it or it comes in a package with ingredients you can't pronounce, it is probably not healthy not matter what the package claims.)

If she snacks a lot, you may want to cut that back. I know that sounds counterproductive, but some people snack just to the point that they lose their appetite and rarely get in a sound meal.

Add little extras here and there. Put peanut butter on lots of things - toast, vegetables, fruits, etc. Add some meat to her salads. Butter her bread. Make sure her rice, breads, pastas and cereals are truly whole grain. (You have to read the ingredient list carefully because somehow even the sugary garbage now has a "whole grain" claim.)

You may want to talk to her doctor about having her take a children's vitamin, also.

Good luck,
S.

I have a 5 yr old boy who was a premie as well. (26 wks) He is small for his age too. Premie might have something to do with it... I don't like to bring it up anymore, and we don't have a need to. He is doing fine and has show no other signs of development delay or problems. Is your daughter a picky eater. My son has always had a problem with food and texture. He is a grazer and would rather eat 6 times a day. If the doctors are concerned... I would ask why. Maybe talk to a nutritionist?

Your daughter is probably just small, by the same token you may want to persue it a bit further before she gets older. My cousin's daughter was very small as well and she was not growing at all. By the time she was ten she wasn't even 4 feet tall. It turned out she has Celiac disease which affects the absorbtion of nutrients in the intestine (it's primarily a wheat and gluten allergy). After she was diagnosed and her diet was adjusted, she grew 6 inches in as many months!!! It was unbelievable. My son had a girl in his preschool class who was just diagnosed w/ it about 6 months ago. She was the smallest in the class and wasn't growing either. She has made some progress as well and is starting to catch up.

This is just a suggestion for something to check if you are seriously worried about your daughter's growth. Not many people know about the condition, but I think it is on the rise like all the peanut allergies.

Has your daughter had genetic testing done? My friend has two very small children a 1 year old who wieghs 14 lbs and a almost 5 yr old who weighs 26 lbs and she found it is a genetic condition which in noot serious, she jsut had small kids. If your doctors say everything is fine then it most likely is, however if you are not comfortable with their answers you should push for more or get a second opinion. If she is eating well then she is probably fine.

I'm a mother of two preemie boys, the first, now 11 yrs. had no health issues being born at 30 weeks. Although my second born at 26 weeks, now a 2 1/2 year old was a different story. He's been having his own trouble gaining weight. He's been stuck around the 20-23 lbs. for months now. Last year only gaining 3 lbs total. I'm with you, I feel preemies are prone to be small all around. But I would not just let it go. Has she gained weight ok in the past growing up or has it always been an issue?
My doctor currently has my little guy on Pedia Sure for the extra calories that he's not getting enough through his food source in the day. Its good for children up to the age of 13 (I think). I would ask you doctor about putting her on it, it is recommeded that you get a doctor's opinion before giving it on your own. If your doctor is concerned, what is his/her advice on helping the issue? What are you doing through the day to help with extra calories?
mother of two preemie boys!

My ten year old hit a year that he did not seem to gain any weight either and I thinkit was when he was four or five. He thinned out, but grew several inches the following year. My now four year old has not seemed to change much in the last six months, and my daughter who will be three next month has all ready caught up to him and looks as if she might pass him up, but the point is that I think most kids go through a year that they stay the same size. Your daughter has always been on the small end so it is remarkable to your doctors. Mine have always been off the chart for height, weight, and head size so the doctors always make the comment about how big they are, or tall they are. I even have women stop to talk to my daughter at the grocery store as if she is 6, and they look at me funny when she can not answer their questions. I simply say she's only 2, and then there is always huge surprize. My girlfriend down the street from me has a five year old who is smaller than my daughter, and actually wears 2 T clothes while Molly where's 5T's, but she is cute as a button. I would not worry about her lack of growth right now. If the doctors did not recommend making changes then you are doing just fine. They will just want to see that the next visit in a year shows more marked growth. It is perfectly normal for kids to slow down and then hit a huge growth spurt.

I wouldn't be worried unless your daughter gives you reason to worry.

If her stool has changed, or she has mood swings or she cries as if she is in pain, if her diet changes, or you know...

My sister looked anerexic for years. She's was just tiny!

Her twin is a BIG guy, but she was always petite. She's turning 40 and I think she still wears a size 2 or 4.
But I remember she had to go in the kids section all the time for her clothes. That's just how God made her!

God Bless,

Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

J.

Was the Dr worried about her size and lack of growth? If she is still going upward on the chart then she is growing at her own pace.
I have a preemie son who is now 6, he is small for his age but there is actually a couple of kids who are smaller than he(they are very tiny for their age) He was always below 3% on the charts but the doc would say he's growing slowly but still growing so not to be concerned. We did give him the weight loss shakes for a while to help him gain weight. But, if the doc didn't suggest a problem or a need for alarm then I would just try to keep her eating healthy so you know getting the right nutrients.

I dont know much about Preemies, but I do know about the whole failure to thrive stuff (I have a daughter with a heart defect and they are worried about her doing the failure to thrive) Basically it means that they do not stay on the curve on the growth chart, they are not gaining weight or gaining inches, and they are not meeting their developmental goals. They have to be in all three of these to be in the failing to thrive area. Being small in weight is not a bad thing, unless she isnt doing the other things, it probably mean she will just be skinny. Look at your family history, is there skinny people in your family, are you a small skinny person? Good Luck!

Don't worry too much. Maybe put her back on some more full-fat foods like cheese and yogurt. Some people (bless their hearts) just have a smaller frame than others and docs sure seem not to like it cuz they cannot explain it.

S.,

None of my kids were premies, but I would think by 5yrs old that she wouldn't have any side effects of being born premature.

How tall is she and how much does she weigh?

My daughter was 7lbs 14oz when born but was always only in the 25% tile for her height and weight when younger and now at 10yrs old she is in the 10%.

Did the doctor tell you what % tile she is in??

Hi S.,
My name is K. and I am the mother of four wonderful children and one more due in 4 days. I have two small children and two that are larger. Their ages are 6,5,4,and 2. My 4 and 2 year olds are both petite and Dr.'s say they should have grown by now as well but it has nothing to do with the charts of the average kid their age it has to do with their personal growth chart and if their personal growth is good and they are healthy then there should be no concern yet. My oldest son(6) was tiny until last year and all of the sudden he just sprouted over the christmas break he went from a size 4 pants to a 7 since christmas time. As well as jumping up 4 sizes in shoes. If she seems happy,content,and healthy then don't fret over it she WILL grow.Just at her own pace. My two year old is showing the same patterns in growth as your daughter as she has not gained any weight but the Dr. says she is healthy and some kids take time....
So please write if you need an ear and just know that it is normal and don't lose sleep over it...
Sincerly,
Mother of soon to be five,
K.

My kids are small too (boys)and gain very little weight. My oldest probably hasn't gained weight for almost a year, but he is older than your daughter (11). The doctor has always told me as long as they continue to grow they are fine. My husband and I are both on the smaller side so they aren't destined to be basketball players. Is your doctor concerned? I was always told there were x-rays they could do to check growth rates. If you aren't happy with your current pediatrician maybe you could get a 2nd opinion. As long as she is healthy, growing and eating well she may just be a small person. Some kids have late growth spurts too. My brother was always one of the smallest kids in his entire grade and then he grew 4 inches in one year the year after he graduated from high school. His classmates were pretty shocked at his first H.S. reunion! Good luck.

My daughter hasn't gained any weight in a year. She's 4 and is approx 42 lbs and has been there for at least a year, maybe longer. Doctors don't seem very concerned but that could be because she's a little taller than most children her age.

I think if your daughter is meeting her developmental milestones, I'd think she should be fine. She may just be small in stature and it may be a sign that she's just going to be a small person in life, not just as a child.

Go with your instinct. If your doctor is concerned and you don't agree I suggest getting a second opinion. My son barely gained weight for a year of his life and now has started gaining again. Is she getting taller? Look at her growth overall, not just her weight. I think that is more of a true indicator.

My question is: Is she hitting all her physical and developemtal milestones? If so there's nothing to worry about in all likeyhood. Some kids are just on the small side normally. This is especially true if you have small people in your family. Just keep doing what you're doing. And don't accept a failure to thrive diognoisis (I know you mentioned nothing about this but some docs are quick to jump on that banwagon KWIM?) unless the milestones are being hit.

As long as she's eating healthy (and enough) I wouldn't worry about it. Some kids are just smaller than others.

When my oldest was little, the carseat law was under 40 lbs, and to my surprise, my almost 3 yr old was 38 lbs. Two years later, 4 inches taller, and still 38 lbs!

I have two boys, 7 and 2.5 years old. The older one, who was born at 37 weeks and the younger one was born at 32 weeks. I noticed that the older one did not gain any weight from 5 to 6 years. But last winter, he gained almost 5 pounds in just 4 or 5 months. So I think that it is only time issue as long as your daughter has not other healthy problems. Our younger one is a premie too, but he catches up very well, from out of chart to around 20% now. We give him high energy food, like whole milk, cheese, syramp, etc. So your daughter will be fine.
Good luck.

When my daughter was an infent they told me she was small for her age every time we had a check up, she was a normal pregnancy and delivery. Even fully baked she was small. I finally told the doctor that most likely she would be small for her age for the rest of her life... I am and so is most of the women in my family. This is the reason that I think the growth charts are a bunch of bull, every person/child is different. (by the way, my oldest boy was 9lbs 8 oz at birth and they said he was TOO big! Go figure.) I wouldn't worry too much, she'll catch up, and as long as she happy and healthy she'll be just fine.