Really concerned :(
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Topic: Really concerned :(
Posted By: July Mum to be
Subject: Really concerned :(
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 9:51am
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Hi Everyone
My almost 18month old son was 9.75kg when he was 7 months old, he got weighed a couple of weeks ago (when he was 17months old) and he weighed 11.80kg, which means he has only gained 2kgs in 10months. I knew he wasn’t gaining weight but didn’t realize it was this bad until the nurse printed out the graph and showed it to me. I don’t expect him to be gaining weight like he was when he was a baby but I thought it would be more than 2 kgs in 10months. He is 83.7cm , so very tall and skinny (all bones). He is allergic to dairy and have recently found out that he is allergic to soy as well ( I used to give him soy milk and yogurt before). I still breastfeed him twice a day but I don’t think my supply is good. It’s a struggle to get him to eat anything, it takes about 45mins to an hour at every meal time and it’s been like this for about 2 months now. He needs distraction (something to hold onto and play) while I feed him and if he doesn’t have something to play with, then he simply wont eat. Everyone keeps telling me that he will eat when he is hungry but sure enough he is hungry in the morning when his last feed was 12-13 hours ago. I end up all stressed out at his meal times. He also gets bad eczema (on his back and tummy) on and off and I give him anti-histamine when he is very itchy. He is otherwise a very happy and active toddler. I guess I just want to know if there is something I need to worry about or am I just worrying about nothing? Any advice would be much appreciated as I am really worried about my son. Thanks again ------------- http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com/"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: tictacjunkie
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 10:03am
| Do you have a WellChild book? If you look at the WHO graphs in the wellChild book your boy going by the measurements/weights you gave is pretty much bang on normal. My 2yo is 14kg, my 5yo 17kg, & my almost 7yo is 18kg, & they're definitely all within normal, weight's not much of an issue beyond babyhood. He sounds ok to me, did the nurse say anything to make you feel you should worry? |
Posted By: tictacjunkie
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 10:09am
| And it's pretty normal for a toddler to be fickle with their eating, though my ds has eczema as well & when he's on antihistamines is appetite is slightly less than normal. |
Posted By: rachelsea
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 10:22am
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Yup weight gain definitely slows down as they get older. My DD will be two next month and only weighs 10.5kg-ish now and was 9.3kg at 15months (mind you we haven't had Plunket yet - my Plunket nurse likes to make me worry about these things...) but she's healthy and happy and certainly doesn't look like she's starving so I'm not concerned. She also spends all day eating lol ------------- DD 4yrs DS 2yrs http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 10:31am
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I wouldnt worry too much. Ive always had a fussy toddler, she has only just started eating within the last 6 months. Before that i had to try get food into her.
Maybe offer him more finger foods or even let him try feed himself. He might prefer that and start eating more. My dd was 8kg at 9 months 9kg at 1year and 11kg at 20 months. Now she may have reached 12kg being 2. But i wouldnt worry about his weight gain -------------  
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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 10:31am
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once kids are active they definately tend to even out - he may just be naturally thin
My little girl was 8 kg at 1 and now only 4 months from turning three is 13.5 kg - she isnt into food at all but is well covered and active and happy Does your wee guy like cows milk? or toddler formula? maybe if your supply is a bit low you could top him with this and save breastfeeding for morning and bedtime? My little girl looves fruit - always has - but i give her lots of choices to encourage her to pick what she likes I find stressing about food with her makes her less likely to eat For dinner on an average day she will have a meat choice - although its usually left, also plain pasta and lots of colourful vege - and tomatoes - cause she loves them - somedays she eats the lot - otherdays its hardly touched If he is happy and active otherwise and ok with fluids I wouldnt stress to much , especially with another bub on the way Good luck!! ------------- http://lilypie.com] 
http://lilypie.com] 
http://lilypie.com] 
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Posted By: Babykatnz
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 10:35am
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Has he started crawling/ moving about in that time between weight checks??
Jae was 9.45kg at her 15 month check, and 3 months later (GP was worried about her height growth rate slwoing down, so requested another check at 18 months) she'd only gone up to 10.05kg, so 600gm in 3 months. BUT she started walking in that time and was moving a LOT more than she was between her 15 month check and the one prior, so the GP wasn't worried at all. Once they start moving, more of their energy intake goes on fueling their 'get up and go' than it does their growth, so its normal to slow down a little. ------------- Brandon - 05/12/2003  
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 11:11am
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he has probably grown in height if not weight ... and yeah i weighed my almost 3 yr old yesterday and she is 11kg. none of my kids put on lots during that time frame... ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 11:13am
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My plunket nurse said to me that kids go through stages when they grow up and then a stage when they grow out/gain weight. Maybe your son has been growning taller lately and this might slow now and he might go through a stage of gaining weight. ------------- Lindsey 
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Posted By: LouD
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 11:24am
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I wouldnt worry, they are growing taller not rounder!!
my now 6yr old was 12kgs for almost 3 years and even now at 6 hes only just 19kgs....... Also my 13month old is still only 9kgs and hes been that weight for 4months now. but i know hes growing cos his clothes keep getting too short |
Posted By: cole88
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 12:41pm
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my daughter was weighed at 8 or 9 months and was 8.3 kgs and is now 15months and was weighed yesterday and is only 9.8kgs but 83.5cm tall, so very tall and skinny but she just above average for weight and really really tal lol look at the graph in the wellchild book to see where he is all on the average scale of things ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com/"> 
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Posted By: Nutella
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 12:47pm
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Just out of curiousity and a bit off topic....do plunket nurses get concerned when say the weight % is not the same as the height %? I guess if your child was on the bottom 15% for weight but top 15% for height then that would indicate a problem?? or vice versa with a roundy baby?
Is that how it works? I thought it was interesting when the child heath nurse said that they take note of the parents height/frame so they can get an indication of if there is a problem with baby...ie if the baby was super short with tall parents they would check out why...do they do this in nz? ------------- 
 Oct 11
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Posted By: MorgansMum
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 1:08pm
I wouldnt stress to much my DD is 2.5yrs and her weight is 10kg and she is 81cm tall, we have been to peads and plunket as they where concerned and in the end came to the conclusion shes just compact  ------------- Morgan, Libby http://www.TickerFactory.com/"> 
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Posted By: LouD
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 1:14pm
karitane doesnt check height.......cant understand why cos it gives an over all picture like you say. Plunket has but only when real little |
Nutella wrote:Posted By: Nutella
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 1:28pm
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at ds 12 month check even his head was measured! -------------
Oct 11
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Posted By: tictacjunkie
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 1:44pm
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I think all the measuring/weighing beyond a year old is taken far too seriously, it is only an indication after all. Plenty of tubby short toddlers grow into tall slender adults & vice versa. The focus should be on development, contentedness & health, not straining mum's mental health!
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Posted By: BugTeeny
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 3:59pm
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I'm sure you don't need more reassurance, but I'll give you some anyway
Hannah, at 6.5 months was 6.63kg. At 15 months she was 8.48kg. At 24 months she was 10.22kg And she is now 11.98kg, at a week off her 3rd birthday. She eats like a horse, but doesn't stop moving, so her weight gain is hard to come by 
I skimmed through other posts, so not sure if it's been said - but toddlers, as you know, are very active - barely stopping long enough to eat. I've been told that kids that age really don't need to eat a heck of a lot. Just enough to keep them going, really. He's fine, I'm sure. You know him better than anyone else and you'd know if he wasn't well, or behaving out of character. Before you know it, he'll be 16 and eating you out of house and home ------------- 
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Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 5:59pm
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He might be like my boy and is a sensitive wee bod. Cooper is only 10.8kg at 2y.
I got down to the point of complete food refusal. He's on neocate which has increased his weight. His problem is though that he wasn't eating any food which had good fats in there. Rice has diddly squat in that stakes! Try feeding him millet cereal as it's really nutritious, Try supplementing him with rice milk but make sure it's the protein fortified one. Every one is saying don't worry about his weight & you'll get fussy toddlers but if he's got allergies already, he may have issues with other foods & refusing to eat is his way of self regulating. What the plunket nurse will be worried about is that he's gone from about 75% to 25%. I would get him weighed again in a month & see how he is then. 25% is still ok. We're aiming for 25% but are struggling to get there. If he goes lower, 15% then I'd worry. Maybe also do a food diary & then work out what he's eating over a period to see if he's getting the necessary calorie consumption. This may also trigger the source of his ezcema. I really understand the stress that you are going through at meal times. I had to hold my boy on the ground & hold his head to get mouthfuls of any food into him. It's horrid. He ended up on reflux meds & is now on probotics & slippery elm to help his stomach linings. Hope I've helped a little. ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com"> 
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 6:04pm
Yes, it's the discrepancy. Cooper is 50 % for height so very average. He was 3rd % for weight which is what concerned them. If he was 3rd & 3rd then I don't think it is an issue. It's the really low weight with normal heights that makes them more concerned. It usually goes along with a loss of the sub-cutaneous fat layer. My DD was also very thin but she was 95% height & 50% weight but there was no issue with her. So I think it's only the really low weights that they get concerned about. ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com">
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: Nutella
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 6:22pm
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Makes sense to me.....and good advice too. -------------
Oct 11
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Posted By: July Mum to be
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 7:52pm
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Thank you all so much for your replies. I feel a lot better knowing Im not the only one going through this.
AandCsmum - Thank you for your reply. Where can i find "millet cereal"? And also does the rice milk pack actually say "fortified milk"? I've got a "Vitasoy-Rice milk protein enriched" but i havent given it to my son yet as Im waiting for his eczema to clear a bit. That was the only rice milk i could find at Pak N Save. Yeah thats what I was thinking, my son not getting enough fat/protein from the food he eats. Thats why I have started adding blended almond/sesame seed/pumpking seed and flasxeed oil to his breakfast and dinner. I;ve only just started doing this so hoping this will help him to gain weight. Bizzy - Yeah he has grown almost 10cm taller in that 10 months. Babykatnz - Yeah he started crawling at 7months old and walking at 14months old and is very active. Even the doctor noticed how active he was. The doc/nurse said that was fine but i get comments from people saying how much weight my son has lost etc and this is when I start worrying and him being allergic and being a fussy eater gets me even more worried as I can't help but think that maybe he isnt getting enough nutrients and thats why he is losing weight. I also worry about him not getting enough calcium. I do give him sardine every second day along with a tablespoon sesame seed a day for calcium (not sure if this is actually doing anything). Up until he was 6.5months old, he was over the 90th percentile for his weight and height (9.75kg & 74cm tall) and last week he was at 50th percentile for his weight and 75th percentile for his height (11.9kg and 83.7cm tall) so he has drastically gone down the chart for his weight. Thank you all again for your reassurances and advice. Much appreciated :) |
Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 10:05pm
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My DS didnt gain much weight from 18 months - 2 years. He was only 11.8kgs at 2 years, but he shot up in height a lot! and now at 2.5 he is nearly 13kg. ------------- |
Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 18 January 2011 at 10:10pm
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It might be in the supermarket, I'm pretty sure it is, or get it from an organic's shop.
Yep that is the ricemilk, it's green. Soon as you see brussel sprouts get them hidden in foods & given to him, they are a super food. He will naturally slim down being super active. My boy is super active as well & I think that doesn't help. ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com">
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: kabe
Date Posted: 19 January 2011 at 7:30am
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I haven't read everyone's posts, so sorry if I'm repeating what others have already said. I'd explore the food allergy side of things abit more I think.
I also have a child who was diagnosed with multiple food allergies at about 7 mths. Are you seeing a specialist for this? If you aren't I'd highly recommend it. My DD gets retested every 3-6 mths as her allergies keep changing. Her exzema was ususally a sign that she was being exposed to something she was allergic to. They should also link you up with a dietician, who will make sure that your son is eating the right foods. They'll also make suggestions on what you should be avoiding if you're bfeeding. He should probably be on Neocate formula, rather than rice milk, as it's got alot more nutrient value if he has a dairy allergy. You need a special authority number for it and your specialist can apply for this. My DD fattened up right away on this! For kids with food allergies it's recommended that they delay being exposed to certain foods until much later. So no eggs until 2, fish until 3 and nuts until 5. Good luck!! PM me if you want any more info about the allergy side of things ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: July Mum to be
Date Posted: 19 January 2011 at 1:30pm
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Hi Kabe, We went to see a private dermatologist about 2 months ago, who gave him some steriods to put on his eczema along with some fatty cream and told me to stay clear of dairy and soy until the eczema clears up. We havent been back yet . Are you seeing a private or a public specialist?
I have requested our doctor to refer my son to a dietician and a eczema clinic at the hospital (not sure what the waiting period is like for these). Yeah i definately think his eczema is linked to food as well. My son had a prick test done when he was 12months old and hasnt had anything done since. should he have another prick test done or blood test done? WHat kind of test does your daughter get every 3-6months? |