Advice? re: failure to thrive

LittleMamaB

We just got back from Jonas' pedi, and he diagnosed Jonas with failure to thrive today. Everyone assures me that it's not my fault, but I feel like the crappiest mom ever today. He is just about 15 months old and is 32" tall and weighs only 20lbs. Overall, he seems healthy, but he has only gained a pound a a half in six months, and has dropped nearly twenty percentile points on the growth charts in the same period of time.

Right now, his pedi is just recommending adding some high calorie foods to his diet (oils, butter, half and half, etc.), but we go back in one month for a weight check. He also has to get more blood work done (which I am dreading...the poor kid went through so much of this as a newborn and they never found a reason for high platelet counts then) and I guess we go from there.

Any advice or words of wisdom from anyone who knows a bit about FTT would be very much appreciated. Thanks. 

DandelionMom

You are not a crappy mom.  My middle DD was FTT and shortly after was diagnosed with celiac disease.  She's turned completely around and is now the tallest child in kindergarten and about 50th percentile for weight. 

Failure to Thrive is a scary thing to hear but it doesn't mean he isn't a happy, healthy child.  It just means he isn't growing as much as they'd like.  Sometimes it is because he's just a small kid, sometimes it is something like my DD has (or food allergies or some other malapsorbtion issue), sometimes it just means he's hitting a growth spurt a little late. 

(((hugs)))

And for the blood work, ask for the person who is best with kids, ask about a butterfly needle, and don't be afraid of bribing your child. 

PearlieGirl'sMom

There is nothing that you did or haven't done.

I'd love to know what pediatricians constitute as FTT. DD was less than 32" and 20lbs at that age. Today, she is 3 and is 35" and 27.5 lbs... 8% and no one has ever mentioned FTT.

LittleMamaB

PearlieGirl'sMom:

There is nothing that you did or haven't done.

I'd love to know what pediatricians constitute as FTT. DD was less than 32" and 20lbs at that age. Today, she is 3 and is 35" and 27.5 lbs... 8% and no one has ever mentioned FTT.

His pedi says his height is fine, and he wouldn't be too concerned if Jonas' weight percentile hadn't dropped so drastically. It's more the ratio than anything, and the fact that he's fallen off the curve for weight. He is the 87th percentile for height, and under the sixth for weight (were he used to be in the 27th percentile). So, basically, his weight curve goes from normal to a huge drop. 

eclaires

PearlieGirl'sMom:

There is nothing that you did or haven't done.

I'd love to know what pediatricians constitute as FTT. DD was less than 32" and 20lbs at that age. Today, she is 3 and is 35" and 27.5 lbs... 8% and no one has ever mentioned FTT.

I could be wrong, but I think the dropping 20% points is more concerning than actual size, but I've never dealt w/ a FTT diagnosis either.

Littlemamab - it's definitely nothing you've done - some kids are just small and it could be for a variety of reasons like DM suggested.  Definitely ask for someone good w/ bloodwork on kiddos - that can be a lifesaver!

GreenEggs&Ham

My daughter was never officially diagnosed, but she was close.  We did baby ensure and milkshakes and lots of butter and syrup on pancakes. We also did peanut butter (even though she was only 12 months, we took a risk and tried it) and avocado to get her gaining....it worked eventually and today she is a thin little 3year old, but certainly healthy.

part of it was she was just stubborn and the more we wanted her to eat, the more she resisted.

Halo79RN

it has more to do with a sudden drop in percentiles than with being small/skinny.  dd dropped suddenly btwn 6 and 9 months... she fell right off the charts.  stayed <3rd percentile until she was 2 1/2... she was 18 lb at 15m... I want to say 28"  ... tiny.  she wasn't 32 "  or 20lb until age 2 ... so we went through labs, calorie counts, sweat test.. nada nada nada.  she's just tiny.  my mom is tiny... I'm short... it's no shocker to me... but b/c she dropped so suddenly, she was labeled ftt.    in some situations, like pp, there is a reason other than skinny genes from GM...  which is why pedi's run the tests... to r/o underlying issues (such as allergies) vs just a skinny, low wt child. 

you did nothing wrong. don't let this stress you out too much.  hang in there.

lsufan

Bennett dropped from 35% to 5% in weight between 4 and 9 months.   For a year he was under 5%, and just recently at 2 years went back up to 15%.  Our pediatrician has never been concerned.  He's a small kid, but he's always been healthy.  If I were you I wouldn't worry as long as he seems healthy.  Sorry you're dealing with that, though.

PearlieGirl'sMom

Thank you! I think I understand better.. and I am sorry. I am sure it is nothing that you did.