My niece has always been very tiny. Two months ago she celebrated her one year birthday and she is the same size as her perfectly healthy 5 month old cousin. Even though she doesn't register onthe height/weight charts, the doctor said that she was fine as long as she was gaining weight. In the past two weeks she has actually lost 2 pounds even though she is a good eater. She has even had to go back into the 6-9 month clothing. Has anyone had this happen? When should you get concerned? Thanks for your help!
My son is 27 mths and can still fit into 9-12mth shorts. He is wearing 18mth clothes. I say as long as the child looks healthy and is eating, and getting the proper nutrition,I would say nothing to worry about. She is just petite.
I would think the doctor would be concerned with her loosing weight. Like you say as long as they gain weight and are proportional I think it isn't a concern. This is something that really has to be addressed by her pediatrician. I always worry mine are to big but they are very tall too so their weight and height are proportional and that is what seems to matter.
I'd get her to the pediatrician. She's losing weight, and 2 pounds at her size is a lot to lose, and it sounds like she lost it pretty quickly.
I think that just to be on the safe side, mom should keep a complete diary of what she is eating and have a consultation with a dietician. Also, scales are not always accurate. Maybe she should also make sure she is weighing at the same time each day on an accurate pair of scales.
Suzi
My youngest is also tiny, he is 31 months (2 years and 7 months) and he barely fits a 2T some of his pants are still 18 months and many of his shorts are 12-18 months. The weight loss however, is a cause for concern. Mind you she may just be small, she should not be loosing weight. I would talk to the Ped.
Make sure the scales are ok, but if she's really losing weight, you want to talk to the pediatrician.
I'm not a medical professional, I only have my own experience, but I know from our son that if the adrenal gland isn't functioning properly a baby can lose weight despite eating properly.
Are there any other symptoms besides losing weight?
My granddaughter will be 4 in August and she is still wearing 18 month clothes. The doctor says she is perfectly healthy and not to worry. She sometimes goes a couple of days without eating anything more than a piece of fruit and drinking some milk. He says she knows when she is hungry and will eat when she is ready. She was 6 weeks early and only weighed 3lbs 12 oz, so she has always been small. I was worried too but the doctor swears she is fine, so I have learned to live with it. We just make sure that we chart her eating habits and take her to the doctor often for checkups. As long as your neice is healthy I don't think there is much to worry about. But stay on the weight loss and make sure you tell the doctor about it.
I think it's important for one thing to consider family history. Our docs have expressed minimal concern at our children's low weight, however we know that both my husband and I were very thin as children (not anymore unfortunately!) and both of our children have been this way as well--not off the growth charts, but around the 5th percentile or less. What our pediatricians have also said is that as long as they are consistent in their place on the charts, not to worry about it. However, they do also recommend feeding them the higher calorie snacks and plenty of dairy.
If she is continuing to lose weight, that should be looked into, but I think if she has always been this way, it's not something to be overly concerned about.
I would definitely call the doctor about the weight loss, especially if she's gone down a clothing size. May be nothing - weight fluxuates, but still. I thought my doctor was crazy when he had no concern about the way my son ate - practically nothing - just pancakes and other bread products, and very little of those. He told me that as long as he was growing or gaining weight, he was fine. Well, he's 6'3" now and still eats like a bird. My daughter who is built more like him eats fairly normally and is 14 now, is a head and shoulder shorter than her classmates and still wears a girl's size M tops and 10 slim pants (sometimes size 8 slim). She's barely 75 pounds. Some people are just tiny. If it's any consellation, my grandpa was tall but skinny and lived to 92 on a diet of mainly peanut butter, cookies and hot tea!
First did you weigh her at the same time of day with the same clothing on. Obviously if you weigh her right after eating one day and when she hasn't ate for a while the next time it will seem as if she lost weight. As far as the size as long as she is healthy, growing, and developing at the proper pace she is probably fine. My daughter was still in 6-9 month clothes on her first birthday. She is now 20 months and still in 12 month clothing and can still wear some 6-9 month clothes. There is nothing wrong with her she is just little like the majority of the women on my mom's side of the family.
In my opinion, if she has lost 2 pounds in the last two weeks at such a young age, something is up and the little girl needs to be checked right away. If the doctor does not seem too concerned, get a second opinion.
Best Wishes,
Jacque H.
Probably up to her mom to decide that. She is going to the doctor so, unless you are suspecting abuse or neglect I'd leave it alone. Do think think they don't notice she's small? Do you think she needs to hear how big the 5 month old cousin is? My son is off the charts in the other direction and no one is concerned about there being something wrong with him. Kids are different sizes, just like adults. If you are that concerned go along the next doctor's visit.
If her dr isn't worried, I wouldn't be either. I was always (until I hit puberty) really really skinny. I mean small... anorexic-looking skinny! People used to make comments to my mom and now I understand what they were all about. Does she eat? Do you have concerns about her parents? If not, then don't worry about it. I still have some 9mo clothing for my 16mo old. And you should see him eat! LOL! I hope everything works out well!
If her dr isn't worried, I wouldn't be either. I was always (until I hit puberty) really really skinny. I mean small... anorexic-looking skinny! People used to make comments to my mom and now I understand what they were all about. Does she eat? Do you have concerns about her parents? If not, then don't worry about it. I still have some 9mo clothing for my 16mo old. And you should see him eat! LOL! I hope everything works out well!
My daughter has always been small, right now she is 2 and the same size as our friends nine month old. However, she is active and healthy. Is your niece active and energetic or does she seem tired? I would be concerned if she is tired and also I have heard that malnurished children sometimes have a soft spot that sinks on their head. She may have never grown out of the 6-9 month clothes to begin with, and just needed to stay in that size for a bit longer. I don't see size as being unhealthy, unless she is exhibiting outward signs for concern I would say she is probably just as perfectly healthy as the 5 month old.
I wouldn't worry about it.
My daughter is 5 (6 in July) and last fall at school she had shorts on. They kept sliding down and finally the teacher looked to see what size they were and she was shocked to see 18 months!! My daughter is very petite but tall. She only weighs 32 pounds and is very hard to find clothes her age to fit her. I always make sure she has a belt at school incase I forget to put one on her. Her ped. isn't worried about her being small as we have family members that didn't even weigh 100 pounds their entire life. My sister is 53 and never got over 90 pounds.
Jennifer
I have 2 daughters that are at the bottom of the growth chart. My 2 1/2 year old has been under the chart most of her life and my 5 month old just fell below about a month ago. Based on her older sister, she will probably continue to stay below for at least another year. My oldest is now back on the chart, but only in about the 10th percentile. She will be 3 at the end of the summer but still wears some 18 month clothes and even a few 12 month items. Anyway, we spent much of the first year of her life in and out of the doctors with weekly weight checks, multiple blood tests, and eventually trips to see specialists. They even made me keep diet diaries to be sure I was feeding her enough! Everything came back normal, as I suspected. There were times that she would drop a little weight and then gain it back, but for the most part she was slow but steady. They've now resolved that she is just petite. I have now had to take my younger daughter in for monthly weight checks but am hoping that as long as she continues to gain she will not have to endure all the tests that my oldest did. As long as they are healthy I don't see anything wrong with having a small child. In fact, I think it's great because they outgrow things slower which saves us more money! And they're also lighter to carry!
As long as she seem's healthy and is going to her well child checkups to make sure she is healthy and gaing weight it seems ok.I have 2 kiddo's they were both 8lbs. 7oz born they are tall and not over weight by any mean's but have out grown more clothes than I can keep up with they have never ever been in the age and size catagories alway over a size or two.But if she is concerened i'm sure she can ask for some blood work to check her hormones,my neighbor's children stopped growing a few yr.s ago and had to be put on steriod's.
Has she recently started walking ? Or switched from the bottle to a cup ? Or even switched from baby formula to cow's milk ? All these things can cause a slight, temporary weight loss in a one-year-old.
You can try giving her some baby formula (if she has been off of it) since it adds weight, or Pediasure in addition to meals (not in place of meals) or put Ovaltine in her milk since it, too tends to put on weight.
She should be checked by her pediatrician, but if you are not comfortable with his opinion and really feel there is something not right, get a second opinion.
Your niece's health is of far more importance than any perceived offended feelings on her doctor's behalf. I really don't think he would mind if you get another opinion, but if he does mind and is offended by it, then his primary concern was not for your neice but for his own reputation, and perhaps he is not the best choice for her anyway if that is the case.