DS not gaining weight

Sarafuss · April 2012

This morning was Roman's 9 month well appointment. We have had issues with reflux and his lack of weight gain since he was born so we've gone in for a lot weight checks. Six weeks ago he was 14 lbs 3 oz and today he was 14 lbs 7.5 oz.

Up until now they weren't very concerned be cause he was following the 3-5% curve for weight and around 5-10% for height. He usually gains about one lb. in a month. But he has been eating a ton lately. Much more than before since he seems to have outgrown the reflux. He drinks around 32 oz of formula a day and eats 3 solids meals (combo of fruit and veggie purees and baby oatmeal). And he also snacks on puffs and yogurt melts throughout the day. I was expecting him to be around 15 1/2 lbs.

Our pedi office has you meet with the NP for the 9 mo. appt so they are checking with the pedi so see what the next step is. The NP thinks they will due some bloodwork/tests to check for any problems.

Sorry for the rambling. Does anyone know what they might be checking for? I don't want to google since I scare easily. Sad

CJ71903 · April 2012

My kids are a little older than yours, but my DD didn't gain much weight from her 12 month to 15 month appointment and our pedi wasn't overly concerned. He tested her thyroid just to be sure and it came back fine. If he's mobile, that could be why he's not gaining much. Try not to sweat it too much, even though that can be hard. I still worry about my daughter sometimes.

Sarafuss · April 2012

CJ71903:
My kids are a little older than yours, but my DD didn't gain much weight from her 12 month to 15 month appointment and our pedi wasn't overly concerned. He tested her thyroid just to be sure and it came back fine. If he's mobile, that could be why he's not gaining much. Try not to sweat it too much, even though that can be hard. I still worry about my daughter sometimes.

He just started crawling a week ago. My gut feeling is that everything is fine and he's just a small baby. But I can't help but worry! Thanks!

krissyh21 · April 2012

Ditto pp, most likely they are checking thyroid levels and other hormone levels.

D has always had weight gain issues and been on a slow curve, but right when he became more active was when it dropped further and his growth curve went down, but that slow curve is now where he is and remains.

I think your pedi is just being proactive now, which is a good thing, but there really is no need to worry.

Sarafuss · April 2012

krissyh21:

Ditto pp, most likely they are checking thyroid levels and other hormone levels.

D has always had weight gain issues and been on a slow curve, but right when he became more active was when it dropped further and his growth curve went down, but that slow curve is now where he is and remains.

I think your pedi is just being proactive now, which is a good thing, but there really is no need to worry.

I'm glad to hear that dropping in weight is normal once they become more mobile. That makes perfect sense but for some reason that hadn't occured to me! Thanks!

perry7285 · April 2012

how is he doing for height? if he is staying on the same curve for height, i bet you are fine. DS hasn't gained any weight in the last 7-8 months, but since he is still growing for height we aren't worried.

our pedi did do a million dollar work-up of stool and urine tests (to test for parasites and diabetes) and bloodwork too (not totally sure what they were looking for, but i know they cast the net pretty wide and tested a lot of things). it is good to check for underlying conditions, but i bet your gut is right in believing that he is just a small baby, especially if his other development markers (like crawling) are normal. DS is in the 1st percentile for weight now (20th for height) but since he is a happy thriving baby we aren't worrying about it.

Sarafuss · April 2012

perry7285:

how is he doing for height? if he is staying on the same curve for height, i bet you are fine. DS hasn't gained any weight in the last 7-8 months, but since he is still growing for height we aren't worried.

our pedi did do a million dollar work-up of stool and urine tests (to test for parasites and diabetes) and bloodwork too (not totally sure what they were looking for, but i know they cast the net pretty wide and tested a lot of things). it is good to check for underlying conditions, but i bet your gut is right in believing that he is just a small baby, especially if his other development markers (like crawling) are normal. DS is in the 1st percentile for weight now (20th for height) but since he is a happy thriving baby we aren't worrying about it.

She said he fell off the curve a little for height. He was 26 inches today. I'm not sure where that falls in the percentiles. (I asked her twice and she wouldn't say the specific number). She said he is off the chart for weight though whereas last time he was in the 3rd percentile.

ETA: I looked at the weight/height charts on the CDC website and he is no longer on the chart for height and weight and at his 6 month check he was in the 3rd for weight and 10th for height. His head circumference is still in the 3rd percentile.

Dochas · April 2012

Sarafuss:
This morning was Roman's 9 month well appointment. We have had issues with reflux and his lack of weight gain since he was born so we've gone in for a lot weight checks. Six weeks ago he was 14 lbs 3 oz and today he was 14 lbs 7.5 oz.

Up until now they weren't very concerned be cause he was following the 3-5% curve for weight and around 5-10% for height. He usually gains about one lb. in a month. But he has been eating a ton lately. Much more than before since he seems to have outgrown the reflux. He drinks around 32 oz of formula a day and eats 3 solids meals (combo of fruit and veggie purees and baby oatmeal). And he also snacks on puffs and yogurt melts throughout the day. I was expecting him to be around 15 1/2 lbs.

Our pedi office has you meet with the NP for the 9 mo. appt so they are checking with the pedi so see what the next step is. The NP thinks they will due some bloodwork/tests to check for any problems.

Sorry for the rambling. Does anyone know what they might be checking for? I don't want to google since I scare easily.

We had the same situation. Once he fell off the curve they did bloodwork to check thyroid and hormone levels. My son's growth hormone was low, or in the low level of normal depending on how it was interpreted. We met with a pediatric endocrinologist who checked him for other signs. I also met with the nutritionist in his office to find out some foods that would boost his calories. His second round of bloodwork was good. We just went for a 6 month check and he's doing really well with weight gain now.

Try not to panic - see what the bloodwork says. I would insist on meeting the pediatrician going forward so you aren't left in any kind of limbo like this. I spoke with a different doctor in the practice when his bloodwork came back the first time and she practically had me running to the emergency room. I find if there is any kind of an issue or possible issue it's best to meet with the same person every time.

I really do mean not to panic. But when they are just comparing one baby to himself, dropping off the chart should be looked into. I know people mean well when they say 'eh, charts don't mean anything'. I was BFing and some people insisted that the dr was looking at the wrong chart, or didn't understand BF babies, etc. Our bloodwork showed a low level - it needed to be looked into! The endocrinologist also mentioned that his low weight could have been causing the hormone to be low, which isn't a situation I would want to continue. So really - don't panic. But don't just chalk it up to increased activity or all babies being different.

PeachyKate · April 2012

I was never on the chart until I turned 2. DH is also small.

Jackson has now officially not gained 1 single ounce in 9 months. We were at the pedi this week for his 18 month check up and the doctor wasn't very concerned. He has evened out a lot, the kid is super active and he is a typical picky eater. We are going back in three months for another weight check, he gave us some more ideas on what to give him but since he is still growing in height no one is super concerned.

It is amazing how much these kids thin out once they become mobile though, I didn't believe it until I saw it for myself. Jax was sooooooo chunky at 9 months.

We did get bloodwork done at the allergist a few months ago, he checked for just about everything and it all came back normal.

Sarafuss · April 2012

Dochas:

So really - don't panic. But don't just chalk it up to increased activity or all babies being different.

Thanks for saying this. While it could be that he is just small it could also be a problem that needs to be addressed. I'm glad they are being proactive about this instead of brushing it off. If the bloodwork comes back fine then it will put me at ease and if not then we go from there. Thanks!

Sarafuss · April 2012

PeachyKate:

I was never on the chart until I turned 2. DH is also small.

Jackson has now officially not gained 1 single ounce in 9 months. We were at the pedi this week for his 18 month check up and the doctor wasn't very concerned. He has evened out a lot, the kid is super active and he is a typical picky eater. We are going back in three months for another weight check, he gave us some more ideas on what to give him but since he is still growing in height no one is super concerned.

It is amazing how much these kids thin out once they become mobile though, I didn't believe it until I saw it for myself. Jax was sooooooo chunky at 9 months.

We did get bloodwork done at the allergist a few months ago, he checked for just about everything and it all came back normal.

They look at me and say "well you are small so maybe he's like you." While I am 5' 0" and "somewhat thin" lol, my brothers are 6 feet tall and super thin. DH is 6 feet and slightly overweight. So I would like to think that DS will at least be tall! None of us had any weight gain problems and were chunky babies. I know that babies lose weight when they are more mobile but I feel like we have been fighting for every ounce! It's frustrating!

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