underweight 4 yo

[terbear1225]

took the older munchlin to the doc yesterday for a check up and found out she's now in the 5th percentile for weight (50th for height though). she's always been little but 5th percnetile was a shock. Doc wants her on a high calorie/ good fats diet.

The other issue is that her little brother (who is 1 1/2) is in the 90th percentile for weight and outweighs her!

I've been trying to come up with meals that will help her gain some weight that she'll actually eat more than 3 bites of.

Has anyone else been through this?

 

[belvak]

When my two were little, they were consistently in the 10th percentile for height and weight. Doc always said they would be short when they grew up. Daughter ended up at about 5'1" (not tall by any means, but taller than me), while Son ended up 6'.

Your girl may just be going through a growth spurt. More "up" than "out" right now. Does she eat well? You mentioned something about being able to get more than a few bites in her. All kids are different, but if I were you, I would try what the doc recommended, while trying to get her to "pick" at foods throughout the day. She just may be expending lots of energy!! Is she into sports? Good Luck!!

 

[baileydog]

please dont force your child to eat, she wont starve. there are way too many fat children in the world.. Some one has to be the thin one. There are so many peopke, different sizes, height ect, whos to say shes underweight. Dont push.

 

[libertytyranny]

please dont force your child to eat, she wont starve. there are way too many fat children in the world.. Some one has to be the thin one. There are so many peopke, different sizes, height ect, whos to say shes underweight. Dont push.

I don't have any children..but I myself was a tinnnyyy little munchkin when I was that age myself...I would eat half a grape and then go play I am sure she will be fine. if the doc is really that concerned..maybe try an occasional kids "shake" pedisure or whatever it is..usually children don't need that crap..but it may help her get some nutrients and a few extra calories.

 

[aosmiles]

My son was 9 lbs at birth. At 15 months he stopped gaining weight for about 18 months. When he was sick, he'd lose weight-the doctor said he was going backwards. Never did the doctor suggest changing his diet-son ate really well! To date, he is 4 years old and very scrawny. He's getting taller, but is healthy. He is low on the percentile rating as well. But, he eats healthy foods, some treats, but is very active.

My suggestion is to feed her what is good for her-good fats, fruits, veggies-whatever. But, there is a reason for her being so little-so as long as she is healthy, I would not worry. I'm not saying to go against the doctor's advice-but keep in mind she could "bloom" when puberty starts. Example: at 10 years old, I was 45 lbs and 45 inches tall. Then, in the next couple of years I started putting on weight too fast. It was bad-so keep doing what you're doing and trust your instincts. If she is healthy and eating well-then that is sufficient. Good luck!!!!

 

[mamamack]

literally little ones

Ahhh, I have been very interested in this subject for the last two years. My 2 1/2 year old daughter and my 1 1/2 year old son have both been under the 3rd percentile or off the charts entirely for the majority of their short lives. They were both just under 8lbs. at birth and thrived on breastmilk. Now they hardly eat anything! My daughter goes on food strikes for days at a time where she will refuse anything but water. My pediatrician recommended things like avocado and adding more butter and olive oil to foods. She said that cholesterol wasn't an issue until they were three or so. Older kids without allergies can benefit from a variety of nuts, nut and seed butters, etc. She also recommended pediasure two to three times a day. I took that with a grain of salt. I felt that replacing solid food with a sweet drink would encourage a cycle that would be difficult to break. A belly full of liquid isn't going to crave food. Pediasure is also fairly pricey as a meal. That being said, we do give both kids 4oz of pediasure mixed with 4oz whole milk a little before bedtime. It has helped our daughter especially in sleeping through the night. It costs $50 dollars a month but I have noticed a decrease in lethargy and irritibility since we started the practice.

I know how very stressful it can be to cook meals for a child who refuses to be fed. I remember sitting down and crying because I was so worn down by it. I encourage you not to give up and not to slip into the habit of offering less healthy options all the time. Leading by example is also a very powerful tool!

You know your child better than anyone else. You will notice the signs of malnourishment before your child is in any danger. I know that isn't very reassuring when you are preparing the third "breakfast" of the day.

 

[gemini5715]

Please!!!! Have your Doctor check the child for Diabetes!! My grandaughter was like that. She would not eat very much (But always healthy things like salad or good protein). My daughter took my grandson in for a Dr. appt and mentioned something about the girl not eating. He checked her sugar levels and they were through the roof. Turns out she is a type 1 diabetic and now has to have insulin 3 times a day. She will never outgrow it--but the good news is she now eats well and has fianlly gained the proper amout of weight. Please have her checked!! You never know with young ones about how they are really feeling.

 

[SoMDGirl42]

took the older munchlin to the doc yesterday for a check up and found out she's now in the 5th percentile for weight (50th for height though). she's always been little but 5th percnetile was a shock. Doc wants her on a high calorie/ good fats diet.

The other issue is that her little brother (who is 1 1/2) is in the 90th percentile for weight and outweighs her!

I've been trying to come up with meals that will help her gain some weight that she'll actually eat more than 3 bites of.

Has anyone else been through this?

I'm having a similar issue. It was recommended to give her the Carnation Instant Breakfast. It has lots of protein, extra calories and vitamins she needs. She is about 20% for weight, close to 50% for height. So far I haven't had much luck getting her to drink it. Go figure, one of the rare kids that doesn't care for much chocolate, strawberry or vanilla milk. I think they're pretty good myself. Mind you, she didn't care for chocolate milk before either, so it's not too much of a shock. I'd try it. It's not as expensive as Ensure, but is very comparable in ingredients. You could even try adding some icecream to it and make it a milk shake. That's what I'm going to try next.

Please!!!! Have your Doctor check the child for Diabetes!! My grandaughter was like that. She would not eat very much (But always healthy things like salad or good protein). My daughter took my grandson in for a Dr. appt and mentioned something about the girl not eating. He checked her sugar levels and they were through the roof. Turns out she is a type 1 diabetic and now has to have insulin 3 times a day. She will never outgrow it--but the good news is she now eats well and has fianlly gained the proper amout of weight. Please have her checked!! You never know with young ones about how they are really feeling.

I still can't believe how much healthier she looks now! What a change in the last year. Poor baby, I can't imagine how horrible she must have felt before starting the insulin. I'm so glad she's doing well now.

 

[terbear1225]

I'm having a similar issue. It was recommended to give her the Carnation Instant Breakfast. It has lots of protein, extra calories and vitamins she needs. .

We just started with that this morning. So far, she likes the chocolate, I'm a bit skeptical about the vanilla though.

Thanks all for the advise from everyone. I know most of you are saying don't worry about it, and up until Weds. I agreed with you. If she had been steadily in the 5th percentile I would just think that's her natural size and not worry. It's more the fact that she's 5th percentile becuase she lost 1.5 lbs in about 2-3 weeks that has me concerned.

She has a fairly healthy and varied diet (needs more veggies but otherwise good) Not a lot of sweets but we're also not exactly giving her diet foods either.

 

[kermitt]

We just started with that this morning. So far, she likes the chocolate, I'm a bit skeptical about the vanilla though.

Thanks all for the advise from everyone. I know most of you are saying don't worry about it, and up until Weds. I agreed with you. If she had been steadily in the 5th percentile I would just think that's her natural size and not worry. It's more the fact that she's 5th percentile becuase she lost 1.5 lbs in about 2-3 weeks that has me concerned.

She has a fairly healthy and varied diet (needs more veggies but otherwise good) Not a lot of sweets but we're also not exactly giving her diet foods either.

The vanilla are icky.

 

[SoccerMom2]

I give my kids the Carnation Instant Breakfast.

 

[tazzman]

Both of my daughters are small for their ages (16 & 11). They always have been picky eaters. The older one has started trying different things now. Don't worry about their weight. There are too many overweight children now. My husband and I were both small at their age and we turned out ok. My youngest daughter was drinking the carnation breakfast in the morning, I would add ice cream and make it like a shake. She can afford the extra calories. As long as they are not losing weight or sick all the time, don't worry.

 

[SoMDGirl42]

We just started with that this morning. So far, she likes the chocolate, I'm a bit skeptical about the vanilla though.

Thanks all for the advise from everyone. I know most of you are saying don't worry about it, and up until Weds. I agreed with you. If she had been steadily in the 5th percentile I would just think that's her natural size and not worry. It's more the fact that she's 5th percentile becuase she lost 1.5 lbs in about 2-3 weeks that has me concerned.

She has a fairly healthy and varied diet (needs more veggies but otherwise good) Not a lot of sweets but we're also not exactly giving her diet foods either.

As long as they are not losing weight or sick all the time, don't worry.

I think that IS her concern.

 

[StrawberryGal]

took the older munchlin to the doc yesterday for a check up and found out she's now in the 5th percentile for weight (50th for height though). she's always been little but 5th percnetile was a shock. Doc wants her on a high calorie/ good fats diet.

The other issue is that her little brother (who is 1 1/2) is in the 90th percentile for weight and outweighs her!

I've been trying to come up with meals that will help her gain some weight that she'll actually eat more than 3 bites of.

Has anyone else been through this?

I have and still is going through it with my oldest son. He's eating better since he started school, but he still pick at his food.

Please!!!! Have your Doctor check the child for Diabetes!! My grandaughter was like that. She would not eat very much (But always healthy things like salad or good protein). My daughter took my grandson in for a Dr. appt and mentioned something about the girl not eating. He checked her sugar levels and they were through the roof. Turns out she is a type 1 diabetic and now has to have insulin 3 times a day. She will never outgrow it--but the good news is she now eats well and has fianlly gained the proper amout of weight. Please have her checked!! You never know with young ones about how they are really feeling.

Now, you're scaring me... I know my husband's family have history of type 2 diabetic. I will definately ask the doctor to check my son for diabetes. Thank you for a head up.

 

[camily]

My youngest Celie is going to be 6 next week and only 35lb. She has been diagnosed with metabolic acidosis. They always said it was kidney related now they say it's not. The search is on as to why her bicarb is being taken from her body. Have your childs co2 levels checked. Keep me posted!

 

[StrawberryGal]

My youngest Celie is going to be 6 next week and only 35lb. She has been diagnosed with metabolic acidosis. They always said it was kidney related now they say it's not. The search is on as to why her bicarb is being taken from her body. Have your childs co2 levels checked. Keep me posted!

My oldest is going to be 6 in April and he weight 34 lbs. The doctor isn't concerned because he's eating, but I'm very worry...

 

[DanceMom]

Please listen to your doctor. Proper nutritian is very important for growing children, especially their bodies and brains. Ask your doctor what she should eat, and how often. If neccessary consult a nutritionist or another doctor.

 

[bohman]

Hey everybody, just throwing my .02 in. I'm the munchkin's Daddy. I see a lot of people saying don't worry about it, everybody's different - and that's what we've always done with our skinny minny. But let me throw in some more background. She's always been relatively thin (30th or 40th percentile for weight) and we've never viewed it as a problem. She's also not a picky eater (in relative terms to other toddlers, anyway). She'll eat just about anything we put in front of her. Just not much of it. She'll take a few bites, and say she's full. And she's always been healthy, no more colds or illnesses than every other kid.

The situation has changed, though. Her appetite has gone even lower, and the switch from 30th percentile to 5th is very recent and rapid, and accompanied by a LOSS of weight. I didn't think 4 year olds lost weight, ever, unless something was wrong.

We still aren't panicking, but it's cause for concern. We're giving her higher-calorie food, and trying to accomodate her natural tendency to snack all day instead of fighting with her to eat big meals like we do. We'll see how things go for the next few months, but I think if the new diet and meal plan doesn't put a pound or two on her, it's time to start looking for the reason why. "Some people are just skinny" isn't going to cut it anymore.

 

[rpexie]

Ensure

I just wanted to share that I once took care of a 7 yr old disabled girl who was also underweight and used to give her Ensure to help her keep a healthy weight and make sure she was meeting her nutritional values. She really liked them so maybe give that a shot?