Underweight Child

I wouldn't worry about it... As long as this isn't new (as in she ws 30% last year and now is at 2%) she could have a family history from dad's side. My kids all show signs of my side in the underweight area and there is nothing you can do about it.

I am 5'6" and weight 98 pounds... I am VERY underweight, my kids are all underweight and my parents are both underweight. In fact my dad was drafted for the Army back in the day and he weight too little for the ARMY. They tried for 6 months to get him to gain and NOTHING worked. He couldn't even gain 5 pounds. I used to have my Jewish friends call me "the holocaust victim". Believe me if I COULD gain, I would, but please make home a safe place for her and don't make it one more place she feels judged for being "too thin".

Is she on her "curve" or has she fallen? While that's small, my DD is also small (though not quite that tiny) and I was told that I should focus more on "is she growing? Does she follow her growth curve?" than the %tile she's in. Did you discuss with the doctor the family trend?

My niece is super thin and something her doctor recommended was protein shakes. Now, verify with your pediatrician (my niece is a young adult) but maybe a kiddie version of ensure would help.

You might also try to go vegetarian if she'll take those sources of calcium and protein more readily.

It sounds like genetics rather than something being wrong. Some people just can't gain weight. My husband is like that. He can eat what he wants when he wants and never gain a pound. I mention the word cupcake and gain 5 lbs.
If she's healthy and not losing weight, I'd say just let it go. You can look into meal replacement shakes to give her extra calories. Carnation Instant Breakfast is really good for that. You give it to them in addition to a meal or snack.
It's great that she's learning to try more foods! Since she doesn't eat meat, make sure that she's getting enough protein from other sources. I know that can be an issue with kids that don't eat meat.

well I think some kids just run smaller than others, as long as she isnt losng weight suddenly (just like someone previously mentioned) I wouldnt be worried.. but if you are concerned with her not getting all the nutrients she needs try mixing vanilla or chocolate pediasure with her milk. It is some extra calories and nutrients but isnt too big of a change. Hope that helps.

It sounds like her genetics.

Is she healthy overall??? And developmentally on par?
If so then that's good.

What about her height? My son is almost 3 and almost 39 inches and 33.5 lbs. He is tall but he is slender in my opinion. How about when she is sick, does she eat? The problem with moms who say leave her be is that most kids don't eat well when sick and if she continues to lose weight she is not going to be healthy enough to recover properly. Have you seriously given her a milkshake with cream in it every day and she doesn't gain weight? What about mac and cheese...homemade, not processed. My inlaws eat that and they are huge. You don't want to give her junk but bagels with cream cheese, cheese in general, bread and butter, mashed potatoes made with butter and cream will all fatten her up. Does she like fries and hotdogs? Is that what you mean by sodium? You can make fries at home and add a little salt and they made lower sodium hotdogs you can cook in oil. What does she eat? She will never be plump but 2 percent for weight is a little scary.

I wouldn't worry! It sounds like it could be genetics from her father's side. My boys seem to take after me. My two older boys (5 & 2) have never been on the growth chart (oldest son is 5.5 and 34lbs, middle son is almost 3 and 25lbs). My youngest (6 months) is in the 8%ile...I was just happy to see him on the chart. I am only 5'2" and 100lbs. I was very small as a child (I wore a 6x in 5th grade). So, I would just make sure she has a healthy diet with a variety of options. I know some people use PediaSure to give extra calories. Maybe you could give that a shot! My kids wouldn't drink it.

We all grew up 'underweight' and my lil bro is 16 and doesnt weight 100 lbs yet! He doesnt look unhealty and eats loads of calories and doesnt gain it, OH but wait til shes 23! lol Thats when I finally gained weight (and now need to loose some at 31!) Grilled cheese, mac n cheese, shakes, ice cream, anything high in calories.

My almost 4 year old only weighs 31 lbs and he is 42 in our ped is not concerned because he has always been on the same growth curve and he takes after my side of the family lean. If she's healthy I wouldn't even worry about it. I think we are so used to seeing obese and overweight children that we get all nervous about the skinny ones and want to fatten them up.

Well my son turned 6 2 weeks ago and is 38 lbs and 44 inches tall. No worries here, some kids are smaller then others.

My kids all run on the small side because I am not very big. It is more of a concern if she is suddenly losing weight, but some people are just small! Just make sure she is getting all the nutrients she needs!

First , genetics plays a huge role in this - my kids and nephews are the same way as your daughter. If you are worred about her calorie and food intake give her a drink supplement - carnation breakfast or the pediasure drinks once a day to boost her protein. I have a very healthy 17 year old son who is 5' 10" and weighs 115 pounds. Eats fine, but based on family history he probably won't fill out until he's about 35. Also, I took in pictures of my family for his dr to see that they are all the same, and he shouldn't be concerned.

I wouldn't worry too much. My daughter was always on the small side, but she was extremely healthy, extremely bright, and walked at 7 months.
She's 24 now and built very much like my mother. Very tiny and short. I'm tiny and 5'8" like my grandmother. We have thinness on our side of the family. My son, on the other hand, weighed 7 pounds at birth. At 15 he's over 6 feet tall and weighs 203 pounds. He's not fat, he's built like his father, but taller.
Healthy and size aren't always proportionate.
Try to cut back on the salt intake though. I love salty foods, but they can deplete you of other things.
Try to get her to explore other things by helping you cook. Introduce new things.
She may never be a big eater.
I only "go for it" on holidays because I know I can get full and just lay around for a while. My biggest meal of the day is in the evening.
During the day I eat small amounts every couple hours or so. I hate big luncheons and things. They make me feel tired and just ruined for the rest of the day.
I think she'll be okay. The doctor was never worried about my daughter. Some kids are just smaller than others.

You might want to get her thyroid checked, just in case. None of the thin people in my family have those issues, but you could get it checked.

Best wishes!

I am going thru the same thing w/ my 3 y/o. She weighs just shy of 28lbs but has always been in the 10% range or so. My dr says they should gain about 5lbs a year and she only grew about 3. She just suggested I stop all juice and only give here milk or water when she is halfway done with her meal. Also to cut out the cereal b/c it's just empty calories. I did just buy some Carnation breakfast drinks. Focusing on bagels/cream cheese/ yogurts, cheese sticks, etc. It seems weird though to have sooo much dairy. Neither of my girls like meat much. Overall, they eat pretty healthy. I am trying not to worry about it because she has always been on the small side and looks totally proportionate. She is starting to fit into some 3T clothes finally. I am sure she is fine but it is stressful! Good luck with your love!

My Dr suggested healthy fats, like avocado, nuts, fish, olives and make sure you buy whole milk dairy (cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese)

A nutritionist really helped with our son. They will give you a list of foods that help to add in extra calories. Whole milk, real butter...and all the other stuff we as adults are told to NOT eat because it is bad for you. I also give my child vitamins and that helps to boost his appetite. Carnation Instant Breakfast and yogurt smoothies can really add up the calorie count when you use ice cream and real cream. Avoid junk and candy as they told us it will make a high metabolism of a young child burn up even faster.