One Year Old Is So Small!

I know how you feel! My 15 month old is in the bottom on the weight chart and above average for height. I was worried out about her size until her doctor said it wasn't anything to worry about, just genetics (tall dad and skinny mom). My girl eats REALLY well, she's just thin. Don't listen when people tell you that you need to feed him more. Just smile and move on.

Both my boys were and are still really small. My 4 year old is still only 34 pounds and my 16 month old is 20.7 lbs. So, I wouldn't worry about plumping him up...he'll get there.

So many children have problems with their weight nowadays, why would you want to plump him up? If he is healthy let him be the way he was intented to be petite. My daughter was always in the 1-3% for weight. She was healthy and active and I never force her to eat or tried to get her to gain weight,. that is her body type. SOmedays she doesn't eat anything others she eats more then me. Don't force food on your child or make eating and gaining weight a big deal. Let him be a child, eat when he wants and not worry about food. If you want to create a food problem or complex about his looks then this is the way to do it. My second daughter is plump and eats everything. Every child is different and has a different build. My first daughter never had baby fat or rolls. Worry about him eating the right foods and being healthy not plump.

I have 4 children, ending with a set of B/G twins, whom did not get above 20 lbs for over 3 years. They are now 5 and weigh in at a grand total of 38 lbs. I have spoken to my doctor, we discussed their diet & made sure they were healthy. Some kids are just skinny and petite. As long as your child is eating a healthy diet and is functioning normally and seems happy, please do not worry. If you want some added calories try the pedia-sure or something of that nature. It is full of vitamins & calories. You have 2 healthy children you are blessed.

Hi E.,

Being small or in the lower percentiles doesn't mean your little one is unhealthy. I would focus on health as my goal and not average weights. My daughter was very tiny and extremely thin for most of her life. She is just now beginning to gain weight and is still petite at 65 pounds and 4-1/2 ft. tall. She is ten years old and wears size 6 in clothes. Just because she is skinny doesn't mean she is unhealthy. I would offer your son lots of healthy foods (fruits & veggies) throughout the day instead of "fillers" and let his appetite be his guide. I also count my blessings that in this day of childhood obesity my children are petite and healthy. I credit this to eating lots of whole foods and focusing on being healthy.

One more note, I see another poster has suggested peppermint tea for soothing stomach upset. Nursing moms should note that peppermint can sometimes reduce milk supply. The effects vary from mom to mom, so if anyone tries this, they may want to monitor their milk production.

Hope this helps.

M.

Hey E.,

I remember when my first son did the same. He was losing weight and we were one day away from him having an upper GI. I was beside myself to say the least.

An elderly lady told me to drink Pepermint tea. (I nursed and it was when he was a bit younger). Sure enough - it soothed his digestive system. My pediatrician uses this remedy for all her babies that are having problems. She has moms that do not nurse give a diluted form of natural pepermint tea with water. Works like a charm.

I hope this helps.

Best regards,

LL

I had a lot of these same issues with my son. He was as you say a puker and he also has never been that interested in food. We still struggle with this day by day. He will catch up when He is ready. My son is on the smaller weight side but has continued to grow with his height. Just try to add any extra calories where you can. If it is vegis put butter on it. What ever it is that he likes to eat make sure you are getting the one that offers the most calories. I also found and my nutritionist said that you can use the carnation instant breakfast in his milk. Not a whole pouch of it. About half a pouch per 8 ounces. So you are almost doubleing his calorie intake when he is drinking milk. That one helped us the most. I hope some of this helps.

Has the doctor given you any indication that he has an issue with height and weight development? From what you've shared this doesn't seem to be a concern for the doc. I find that when issues arise with a 2nd child and so on that did not appear in the first we involuntarily compare their growth and development. Not to mention the societal pressures that are felt and become self imposed for our kids to measure up to what "seems normal". I know you want the best for your son but give him time. I know this is harder to deal with when it's a boy vs a girl.
When he sense confidence, security and acceptance from you it will greatly impact him in his identity even at his young age. My 3rd child, a girl, 22 mths, has been in the 30% since birth. It has concerned us but her body type is just differ from the other two. We make sure to give her whole milk and carbs (pasta, bread, crackers, oatmeal, fruits, rice) of course without going overboard.
If this helps both my husband and his brother were premies and now my husband is 6'3" and his brother is 6'6" and they had to where suspenders growing up to keep their pants on. Also try webmd or just google info on kids and eating.

RELAX AND BREATHE!!! My 8 year old and 3 year old didn't hit 20 pounds until they were 2. My 3 year old is still only 24 pounds and my 8 year old is 45. As long as you don't see any signs of trouble. Like trouble breathing, extreme fatigue, blusih fingernails etc just relax. If he's eating, sleeping and having fun then join him!! It is hard to see a kid not "big" like other kids. This may be normal for him. Look back to when you were a kid, were you "small" or what society thinks is normal? I was soooooo concerned about that with my first daughter. Then I learned to realize she was healthy, smart and funny. What more could I want? He will catch up. He will "bulk" out. Don't give him a complex until at least high school!! (HEE_HEE) You will see that as long as he has a healthy appetite and your love and support he will continue to thrive and rock! If you see any problems then address it to your ped. Otherwise, just enjoy your baby.

i would try nutripals by pediasure. they have chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry drinks. its almost like milkshakes, except you don't have to freeze them. i just recently started giving them to my son as a snack, and he LOVES them! he actually askes for them on a regular basis now. i also wouldn't give him any "reduced fat" type stuff, since you don't have to cut that back until they are two (you probably weren't anyway, but just in case!). i would also just ask his dr for ways that you can help him put on a few pounds. other than that, try not to stress about it...you could be on the opposite side of the spectrum like my brother who is having to make sure his 2 yr old doesn't GAIN anymore weight!! hope this helps! :)

i'm not sure if this will work the same way for the baby as it does for mother but here goes. when i was pregnant with my first child my doctor told me to cut down on potatoes to lose weight so maybe if you feed your 1 yr old more potatoes it will have the opposite affect for him to gain a healthy weight.

My son was also very small for his age and walked at at 7 months. I took him in for blood work to maybe give him a growth hormone but the dr said just leave him alone and it might take him until he is 18 to reach his height. We waited and today he is 200 lbs and 6 feet. Some children take longer to grow and it might be because of the spitting up it has slowed the process down. Sometime we worry to much and want our children to be like everyone else but if he is happy that is what counts.

Well, since he has reached 1, and can drink milk, I would concentrate on fattening him up. How about a milkshake, or soy shake twice a day for a snack. The extra fat & Calories would be good for him. You could also buy flavored ensure (the kind for weigh gain) drinks for him to drink with his meals. I would also start giving him a gummy bear multi-vitamin (very easy to chew).

If he eats good and has lots of teeth, you could also fix him a high calorie breakfast like turkey bacon and scrambled eggs.

Don't worry my 1st son weight about 19 lbs for 2 years..He would get taller but not gain weight..I didn't worry, now he is nine & he is in alot of sports, he is still the smallest in his class, but he is the fastest on the soccer field!..I used to give him Mcdonald milkshakes, I know that sounds bad, but he did maintain his weight & gained more as time went on..he doesn't like sweets now, thank goodness, everychild is different, my 6 year old is about the same size as my 9 year old..He eats all the time..

Good Luck

T.

My son was the same way. As a baby he only gained the minimum weight within "normal" ranges, and I even scared myself to death by plugging his weight into one of those percentile calculators and found at 4 months he was in the 1st percentile! He was just small, but very healthy. He was always small, up until he was nearly two years old. But then he just started to fill out a little, and at his two year checkup he was right in the middle of the weight and height charts. So if your doctor isn't worried, I wouldn't worry about it.

When I look back at my husband's childhood pictures, he looked so scrawny to me. His shoulders were narrow which made his head look huge. He stayed scrawny looking until he was in his early 20's. Now he's 6 foot and about 185 lbs. He still has the mental image that his head is big, but his body caught up with it and now he looks great. My friends thing he's "big". I don't see him in that light, but he does seem to have a presence about him.
Don't worry about the size of your child unless they are considered obese. If he is hitting his milestones and developing on a scale the doctors are happy with, just let him be. He will fill out eventually. And is there something wrong with being on the thin side these days? If it's not forced dieting or over-exercising, there's no harm in him being small. Everyone has their own rate of development. When I was 18 I had a guy the same age tell me that he couldn't date me because I looked too young. Then he started dating a girl 2 years younger that looked older. Now, having 4 children, the oldest being 10 I get the looks as if I'm babysitting. I get people around my age or older telling me that I couldn't possibly be the parent to all those kids because I don't look old enough. Well that's fine by me!
Just enjoy him as he is. We should be teaching our children that personality and actions speak more of us than our body type. And enjoy the fact that he doesn't puke as much as before. I know how great it feels when you know it's not coming right back out at you in a few minutes. :o)

Hey there! I am SUPER glad that he is hitting all of his milestones. YEAH! Congrats on his one year b'day too. As far as the "puker" part and being kinda puny. Have you checked out something simple as his heart? Don't freak on me- PLEASE! I know that sounds like a bombshell- but hear me out. I am a nurse and used to work in a NICU, and the babies with any cardiac defect big or tiny were notorisly bad eaters- and 99% of the time pukers...and ALWAYS skinny... With you saying that he has hit EVERy milestone makes me think there is no oxygenation issues or anything so it obviously isn't a big issue if it WHERE to be his heart.
Just a thought?? I could be way off base.
Good luck E.!!

Hi E., my nephew had a similar problem. He threw up daily for about two years. My sister gave him children's Ensure (vitamen enriched milkshake) a couple of times a day. He was on multi-vit as well. Around his fourth birthday, he seemed to start gaining wait better and now he looks very healthy and normal height (he's 7 now).

Hi E.,
My 1st child was like that. When she turned one, she only weighed 17 lbs, when she should have weighed 21 lbs. She was always a very dainty eater, and her doctor had a series of bloodtests done, and out of 7 blood tests, the only thing that they could find was that she has a very high metabolism. My mother-in-law would never leave me alone at how skinny and small she was, but the doctor said that she was fine.
Now, she's almost 6 years old and eats everything in sight and is still very thin, but she's tall. She has the body now that models want!
I wouldn't worry about it unless your doctor shows concern. They all grow at their own rate and the percentile chart is just a guideline, but not all children follow it.
On the spitting up issue, my second child did that and didn't stop until she learned to walk, at 1 year.
I wish you the best and may God Bless you and your family!
Take care!
V.

My daughter was always small too, but started growing more once she hit 18 mos. If your doctor is not concerned then I'm sure he's okay. My daughter also had/and still has reflux at 20 mos. She no longer spit up after 12 mos. but still has reflux. (Under x-ray you can see her stomach reflux but it no longer comes out of her mouth.) How small is he? Low percentiles aren't necessarily bad and I think they all catch up eventually. He's probably too young to tell.

Pediasure is wonderful - It is also pricey but worth it. My son is on the small side and has really never been plump as most babies are. I started giving him pediasure periodically to make sure he is getting all his nutrients. He's still not plump but I know he's healthy and that is what matters most.

We call it vanilla milk - if my son sees it in the cabinet he will pull it out and BEG, he would drink it all day if I'd let him. It's about $7 for the generic walmart brand which my son likes just as much as the name brand (he's had both).

Now that your son is walking he's burning more calories. His body is the same as ours, you have to get more calories in him than he is burning off. However, you want them to be healthy calories. You don't want him putting on weight from junk.

Hey E.

My child is the same way. She's in the 25 percentile in weight and 75 percentile in height so she looks tiny and every stranger I meet can't believe she is 14 months old. Plus she is very active and only takes 40 minute naps each day.

She did spit up a lot up until 7 months of age and she is a very picky eater. She would never finish a formula bottle (even if the doctor said she should be drinking 2 ounces instead of 1 ounce - that sort of thing) she just couldn't finish it nor did I force her.

So you could try some pediasure, to make sure he's getting enough vitamins and nutrients. Find out what HE likes to eat, try new foods. He might like some buttery mashed potatoes or some greenbean casserole (like the kind you make at Thanksgiving) I give my daughter turkey/ham slices from that oscar meyer pack. She loves though, its gots lots of protein to keep her strong. Check out the Gerber Graduate Foods! There's all sorts of things!

Since he is walking, he's burning a lot of calories. Don't worry, but think about it, you don't want your child to be in the 100 percentile for weight, then he would be overweight! LOL So just let him do the eating!
but still see your doctor of course!

Good luck