Pure Parents

Question:

Can I get a few opinions about this? My son, who is 3.5 years old, has recently been given an appointment by our GP to see a specialist regarding his lack of weight gain. He’s 11kg (about 24lbs) and 0.98m (about 3ft). He has not put on any weight for 3 months. We know he is small for his age, his peers in nursery are bigger and taller. But he’s always been bright and active and as far as I can tell, his appetite, while not astonishing, has been "normal" (although he doesn’t eat eggs, he throws it up), I guess. He was a "big" baby at birth, weighing 3.63kg (about 8lbs) but he’s never been a big milk drinker, not when he was a baby and not now.   Apart from the usual bouts of the flu and colds, he doesn’t have any health problem. He’s day and night toilet-trained, sleeps through the night and active in the day. Should I start worrying? The appointment with the pediatrician isn’t for another 3 weeks. Many thanks in advance, Tayan (one worried mom) — What -is- Gonzo? Sunny Days at http://www.singnet.com.sg/~liviafyk/sesame.html

Response:

 he’s never been a big milk drinker, not when he was a baby and not now Milk is the main source of protein and calcium for the majority of toddlers.  If you can’t get your son to drink it then he needs to be making up for it by eating more meats, beans, and green vegtables.  I would be alarmed too.  I think your Ped is right on target.  Sounds like he ought to be referred to a nutritionalist.  Perhaps his body isn’t absorbing vitamins and minerals like it should.  Your son may seem fine and in good health to you but suppose he were to get sick.  Your child could easily dehydrate from such common ailments as the flu.   Sherri SAHMilitaryM to Lauryn Angela, 4  and  Angela Renea, 1  (my two "ANGELas")

Response:

> Can I get a few opinions about this? My son, who is 3.5 years old, has > recently been given an appointment by our GP to see a specialist > regarding his lack of weight gain. He’s 11kg (about 24lbs) and 0.98m > (about 3ft). He has not put on any weight for 3 months.

I sympathize with you completely. One of my daughters yearlys was with a pediatrician (on call because our regular was ill that day) who was very concerned about her lack of weight gain and practically yelled at me for not feeding my daughter correctly (this was her 4 year appointment). I was, naturally, very upset, but then I looked at the facts. My daughter was born 5 lbs. 11. oz. During the first year she tripled her weight. She is in the 5th percentile of kids her age and has maintained this growth curve all of her life (even with the lack of gain over six months in her late 3’s), her weight and height are proportional. She, too, was healthy and bright and ate a normal amount of food. So we made an appointment to go back in three months during which she gained 2 pounds and grew 2 inches! Her father is five foot six and I am five foot two, she can’t be expected to be a particularly large adult. And, as I recall, I was a head shorter than everyone in my class when I was in school too. In any event, she is now, at five years, ~30 pounds and about 3.5 feet, healthy, happy and wise (and small!). So, definitely see the doctor if you are concerned but look at his eating, his output, if he’s lethargic, if he’s sickly, if he looks ’skinny’ or just normal and look at his muscular coordination to see if it’s on target with the development of his peers. Good luck and try not to stress too much! -Alexis

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Can I get a few opinions about this? My son, who is 3.5 years old, has > recently been given an appointment by our GP to see a specialist > regarding his lack of weight gain. He’s 11kg (about 24lbs) and 0.98m > (about 3ft). He has not put on any weight for 3 months. > We know he is small for his age, his peers in nursery are bigger and > taller. But he’s always been bright and active and as far as I can > tell, his appetite, while not astonishing, has been "normal" (although > he doesn’t eat eggs, he throws it up), I guess. He was a "big" baby at > birth, weighing 3.63kg (about 8lbs) but he’s never been a big milk > drinker, not when he was a baby and not now. > Apart from the usual bouts of the flu and colds, he doesn’t have any > health problem. He’s day and night toilet-trained, sleeps through the > night and active in the day. > Should I start worrying? The appointment with the pediatrician isn’t > for another 3 weeks. > Many thanks in advance, > Tayan (one worried mom) > — > What -is- Gonzo? > Sunny Days at http://www.singnet.com.sg/~liviafyk/sesame.html

Nah, I wouldn’t worry.  At 2 yrs old they measured me and said I’d be about 6 feet tall…then at 4 they x-rayed my wrists because they thought I was going to be a midget due to a slow down in growth.  I’m now 5′5".  Average for my family.  I wouldn’t worry. Laura H

Response:

<Can I get a few opinions about this? My son, who is 3.5 years old, has recently been given an appointment by our GP to see a specialist regarding his lack of weight gain. He’s 11kg (about 24lbs) and 0.98m (about 3ft). He has not put on any weight for 3 months. > I don’t have a size chart that goes to 3.5, but your son is quite a bit below the normal range in weight and probably at the very bottom of the normal range for height. That doesn’t necesarily mean anything is wrong with him, some kids are small, some adults are small, even if they started off big. My youngest sister is 4" shorter than the rest of us, and very slender, she was the dinkiest little kid around, but she is perfectly healthy. Just smaller. Some things to consider. Has your son been following the chart on his own curve, albeit underneath it, or has he gone down in percentiles rapidly or over a long term? Does he gain appropriately for his calorie intake? Does he have any lung problems (like asthma) that might cause him to burn more calories? What size are you and your husband and other relatives? I wouldn’t be too concerned about not putting on weight in 3 months, sometimes kids have growth spurts and lags. Eggs and brussels sprouts made me throw up as a kid just to think about them and I didn’t have any *problem*. You might want to get him tested for peace of mind. If it were something like a growth hormone problem there is a certain time window for best treatment. If he is gaining less than he should for his calorie intake, he may have an absorbtion problem that can be treated. Some kids can’t tolerate certain foods in their diet and those foods cause them not to be able to absorb food properly and gain weight. It may turn out to be nothing, he may be smaller or a late grower, but at least with the testing you (hopefully) will be sure. Best wishes, Suzanne who has read far too much on children and weight (mom to John Henry, 24 weeker, now 2, 22 lbs w/ a full tummy and 34.5", and doing great)

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>My daughter (now 4) has always been very skinny.  At her 4 year old >appointment, she was 42 inches tall and weighed 28 pounds.  She is now >the same height and weighs about 35 pounds (OINK! >My pediatrician said that as long as they are eating well and don’t >seem to have any medical problems, everything is probably just fine.

Many thanks, Patty, for sharing your thoughts. I’m such a worrywart I’m beginning to feel a little embarrassed. Everyone has been so supportive. We will keep our appointment with the pediatrician and see how things go from there. TGFKids! Tayan — What -is- Gonzo? Sunny Days at http://www.singnet.com.sg/~liviafyk/sesame.html

Response:

> >My son is 5 yrs 2 mos, 37" tall. His pediatrician sent him for bone age >test at 3 1/2, hormone testing just before he turned 5. Everything is >normal, he’s just growing slowly (he has gained an inch in the past >month). It was a relief to learn he wouldn’t need hormone therapy.On the >other hand, he’s reading, writing, adding and subtracting. > Mind if I asked what bone age testing and hormone testing involve?

As I recall, Bone age testing was simply xrays of the hand to determine the developmental age of his bone growth. Hormone testing, having been done recently, is fresh in my mind. One of several hormone stimulating agents is given during the test by IV. The IV is left in for the three hour duration of the test to allow several blood samples to be taken. We weren’t concerned about the IV, Brian’s used to them and tolerates them well when done correctly. There are two other difficulties. The stimulants often cause nausea (Brian wasn’t tho). Second, if the test is negative (insufficent growth hormone produced) the test needs to be repeated with a different stimulating agent, possibly several times, to be certain hormone therapy is necessary. One boy being tested the same day was on his third test; it seemed that if the first test was negative, hormone therapy would probably be necessary, but the subsequent tests are needed to be certain.  If hormone therapy is needed, it would have required weekly injections at home. Good luck – I’m sure your son will be fine. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I’m glad to hear your son doesn’t need any kind of hormone therapy. My > son’s okay in his mental development. He’s reading and learning to > write fine, and talks our ears off. >At your son’s age, his height is not very short. You might want to have >it checked if you are concerned, but at 3 1/2 it will probably be a >monitoring situation rather than treatment. > Yeah, we will keep his appointment with the pediatrician and see what > happens from there. I hope he doesn’t need any kind of treatment > either. Many thanks for the reassuring words. :} > TGFKIds! > Tayan > — > What -is- Gonzo? > Sunny Days at http://www.singnet.com.sg/~liviafyk/sesame.html

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>My son is 5 yrs 2 mos, 37" tall. His pediatrician sent him for bone age >test at 3 1/2, hormone testing just before he turned 5. Everything is >normal, he’s just growing slowly (he has gained an inch in the past >month). It was a relief to learn he wouldn’t need hormone therapy.On the >other hand, he’s reading, writing, adding and subtracting.

Mind if I asked what bone age testing and hormone testing involve? I’m glad to hear your son doesn’t need any kind of hormone therapy. My son’s okay in his mental development. He’s reading and learning to write fine, and talks our ears off. >At your son’s age, his height is not very short. You might want to have >it checked if you are concerned, but at 3 1/2 it will probably be a >monitoring situation rather than treatment.

Yeah, we will keep his appointment with the pediatrician and see what happens from there. I hope he doesn’t need any kind of treatment either. Many thanks for the reassuring words. :} TGFKIds! Tayan — What -is- Gonzo? Sunny Days at http://www.singnet.com.sg/~liviafyk/sesame.html

Response:

>If your son is healthy and active, I don’t think 3 months is too long to go >without weight gain; he might just be in a stage where he is burning up a >lot of energy and too impatient to eat much. If he’s not eating much >protein (you mention no eggs) that could be a factor; vegetarians tend to >be smaller than meat-eaters.

Yeah, the amazing thing is I -do- wonder where he gets his energy. He likes to eat, he just doesn’t eat a great deal at a time. >How big are other children and men in your family? In your husband’s >family? Also, I notice you’re in Singapore – I’d guess that average sizes >vary between Chinese, Caucasians, and Southeast Asians and that could be >another factor to consider.

My husband and I are both about five foot four. My family has the "tall" genes, I guess. Most of us are at least five foot four. My husband’s family has the "short" genes. I am taller than his parents and all of his 4 siblings. Yes I’m from Singapore. I’m not certain what kind of growth charts the doctors here use as yardsticks (but I’m going to ask at the next visit) although I have observed that my son -is- small for his age, when compared with his peers. He’s the smallest in his nursery class. Even the next smallest child (a girl) is discernibly bigger. I have a friend whose 2-year-old boy is already taller and heavier than my son. TGFKids! Tayan — What -is- Gonzo? Sunny Days at http://www.singnet.com.sg/~liviafyk/sesame.html

Response:

>They always get you worried, don’t they?!!!

Yes they (the medical professionals, I mean) do. <snip> >So I would say, if your son has a good level of energy, seems to love >his life, sleeps well, don’t worry! I was very small and skinny as a >child, and hardly ate. The best advice the ped gave my mother was "As >long as she is energetic and well, leave her alone". Which she did, and >I fared well, found a healthy appetite at puberty (together with >breasts, thighs, etc…:-)), and we never fought at mealtime.

Many thanks for the reassuring words. I appreciate them. My kid is right now playing Playdoh with his father and I can hear him talking merrily about the "onion rings" and "fried doughsticks". Everyone who has responded to my post has been tremendously supportive, and I can’t say how very much I appreciate that. Many Thanks! Tayan — What -is- Gonzo? Sunny Days at http://www.singnet.com.sg/~liviafyk/sesame.html

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Hi Melina. >    I wouldn’t worry about it either.  My son is 4.5 years old, he     >    weighs 32 pounds and 42 1/2 inches tall.  He slowly, I mean very   >    SLOWLY gain weight.  His doctor knows about and told me not to     >    worry about because he will gain weight later on as long he is     >    eating and drinking quite well, active and alert and on the right   >    stage for motor skills, etc among other things for his age range. >    He is really a healthy normal and bright 4.5 years old little boy.

Thanks for sharing that. I feel a little less alone and paranoid, I really appreciate your reply. TGFKids! Tayan — What -is- Gonzo? Sunny Days at http://www.singnet.com.sg/~liviafyk/sesame.html

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[This followup was posted to misc.kids and a copy was sent to the cited author.] My daughter (now 4) has always been very skinny.  At her 4 year old appointment, she was 42 inches tall and weighed 28 pounds.  She is now the same height and weighs about 35 pounds (OINK! My pediatrician said that as long as they are eating well and don’t seem to have any medical problems, everything is probably just fine. Good luck! Patty – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Can I get a few opinions about this? My son, who is 3.5 years old, has > recently been given an appointment by our GP to see a specialist > regarding his lack of weight gain. He’s 11kg (about 24lbs) and 0.98m > (about 3ft). He has not put on any weight for 3 months. > We know he is small for his age, his peers in nursery are bigger and > taller. But he’s always been bright and active and as far as I can > tell, his appetite, while not astonishing, has been "normal" (although > he doesn’t eat eggs, he throws it up), I guess. He was a "big" baby at > birth, weighing 3.63kg (about 8lbs) but he’s never been a big milk > drinker, not when he was a baby and not now.   > Apart from the usual bouts of the flu and colds, he doesn’t have any > health problem. He’s day and night toilet-trained, sleeps through the > night and active in the day. > Should I start worrying? The appointment with the pediatrician isn’t > for another 3 weeks. > Many thanks in advance, > Tayan (one worried mom) > — > What -is- Gonzo? > Sunny Days at http://www.singnet.com.sg/~liviafyk/sesame.html

– Patricia Whisler (To respond via e-mail, remove everything in caps.)

Response:

If your son is healthy and active, I don’t think 3 months is too long to go without weight gain; he might just be in a stage where he is burning up a lot of energy and too impatient to eat much. If he’s not eating much protein (you mention no eggs) that could be a factor; vegetarians tend to be smaller than meat-eaters. How big are other children and men in your family? In your husband’s family? Also, I notice you’re in Singapore – I’d guess that average sizes vary between Chinese, Caucasians, and Southeast Asians and that could be another factor to consider. — If this looks funny I’m                 typing with the baby on my lap!

Response:

My son is 5 yrs 2 mos, 37" tall. His pediatrician sent him for bone age test at 3 1/2, hormone testing just before he turned 5. Everything is normal, he’s just growing slowly (he has gained an inch in the past month). It was a relief to learn he wouldn’t need hormone therapy.On the other hand, he’s reading, writing, adding and subtracting. At your son’s age, his height is not very short. You might want to have it checked if you are concerned, but at 3 1/2 it will probably be a monitoring situation rather than treatment. Kurt – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Can I get a few opinions about this? My son, who is 3.5 years old, has > recently been given an appointment by our GP to see a specialist > regarding his lack of weight gain. He’s 11kg (about 24lbs) and 0.98m > (about 3ft). He has not put on any weight for 3 months. > We know he is small for his age, his peers in nursery are bigger and > taller. But he’s always been bright and active and as far as I can > tell, his appetite, while not astonishing, has been "normal" (although > he doesn’t eat eggs, he throws it up), I guess. He was a "big" baby at > birth, weighing 3.63kg (about 8lbs) but he’s never been a big milk > drinker, not when he was a baby and not now. > Apart from the usual bouts of the flu and colds, he doesn’t have any > health problem. He’s day and night toilet-trained, sleeps through the > night and active in the day. > Should I start worrying? The appointment with the pediatrician isn’t > for another 3 weeks. > Many thanks in advance, > Tayan (one worried mom) > — > What -is- Gonzo? > Sunny Days at http://www.singnet.com.sg/~liviafyk/sesame.html

Response:

Hi Alexis. Many thanks for your reply. >I sympathize with you completely. One of my daughters yearlys was with a >pediatrician (on call because our regular was ill that day) who was very >concerned about her lack of weight gain and practically yelled at me for >not feeding my daughter correctly (this was her 4 year appointment). I >was, naturally, very upset, but then I looked at the facts. My daughter

<snip> Yeah, I felt a lot of guilt about my son’s lack of growth, and wondered maybe if it was my fault. But I took a good look at what I have been doing for the past 3 years and I don’t believe I have been doing anything wrong. >Her father is five foot six and I am five foot two, she can’t be expected >to be a particularly large adult. And, as I recall, I was a head shorter >than everyone in my class when I was in school too.

We aren’t particularly tall either. Both my husband and I are about five foot four. >In any event, she is now, at five years, ~30 pounds and about 3.5 feet, >healthy, happy and wise (and small!).

Healthy, happy and wise…glad to hear it! >So, definitely see the doctor if you are concerned but look at his eating, >his output, if he’s lethargic, if he’s sickly, if he looks ’skinny’ or >just normal and look at his muscular coordination to see if it’s on target >with the development of his peers.

We will see the doctor since the appointment’s been made and the recommendation comes from our GP. My son’s okay in terms of physical (other than weight gain) and mental development. He reads and writes and climbs around as much as his peers do, the only glaring difference being his obsession with playing with trains. >Good luck and try not to stress too much!

Thanks, I’ll try. You’ve been very encouraging. I really appreciate that. TGFParentingSolutions! Tayan — What -is- Gonzo? Sunny Days at http://www.singnet.com.sg/~liviafyk/sesame.html

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