When to worry....

[DocsNemesis]

I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this happen with their little one. Note that I already have a doctors appointment, but its a few weeks out and I don't really know how much to worry over this...

My ds is 18 moths old. He was a preemie-32w6d-and has always been very short (below the 5th percentile for height) but stayed around the 50th percentile for weight. I don't believe that was adjusted weight either, it was actual.

Anyway, he started to plateau on weight gain right around the time I weaned him at 9 months (biting! I don't know how you mama's get through that but kudos! I just couldn't take it anymore), but he had also started crawling and cruising. At about a year, he started walking too. So I assumed the plateau was normal-he was a lot more active, still eating plenty, etc and my other kids have always done the same.

Fast forward to now. He hasn't been to the doc since he hit a year, but we went to WIC yesterday for the first time in many months. The last weight and height they had on him was from around the same time-he was about 13 months old. Well, he hasn't gained ANY weight since he was about 9 months old. I think he's grown maybe an inch or two taller. Like I said, he's always been below the charts for height so its hard for me to say how his growth curve is there, but for weight, he's gone from the 50th percentile to the 10th. He weighs 22 pounds. He still wears 6-12 month pants (6-12 month shirts are getting too short), as the next size are way too long.

His appetite is great though, he seems happy and healthy, except for this growth thing. What could be causing this loooong plateau? I'm sure theres a lot of medical things that could be causing it, but it seems sort of odd that it started with me weaning...maybe thats just a coincidence? My fiance was saying he thought maybe his dad isn't feeding him enough (I got divorced right around this time too and his dad moved out a couple months after weaning; we have split custody, so he's only with me maybe 60-70% of the time. I don't think the change itself is the cause though-he actually seemed happier once this happened), but my first thought was that he should still be gaining weight since he eats like a piggy here and he is here almost every day of the week.

Anyway, any thoughts or experiences? I just don't know how much to worry about this. If needed, I could get him in ASAP with a different doc at our practice, otherwise I'd rather wait for him to see his ped cause she's awesome

[elmh23]

My dd stayed 25lbs from 9 months to 2 years. She gained a lot of height in that time though.

Does he eat a lot of high fat or high protein things? If not, I'd start pushing them. Does he drink whole milk or any other "milk" products? If he does, look in to coconut milk. I used to about 4oz to 4oz whole milk for my son. It did help him gain a bit of weight.

Good luck!

[calebsmommy25]

My ds stuck at 22 lbs for what seemed like forever. It sounds similar to what you are describing. He started walking at 10 months, then running and moving around a TON more. I feel that had a lot to do with it. He did gain some height. He is now about 26 lbs, so he really hasn't jumped up too much, but is quite a bit taller. I consider my ds healthy, he eats when he wants, and eats good healthy foods and nurses 2-4 times a day.

I second the pushing of some higher fat/protein foods. Ds and I make alot of muffins jammed packed with whole grains, carrots, pumpkin, oatmeal, flaxseed, etc. I shove whatever I can in them because he really LOVES muffins. I would be happy to share a recipe with you. Ds also really likes avocados, which are packed with good fat and nutrients. How about hummus? Cheese and/or yogurt?

I'm not sure if there is really anything to worry about, but I am not an expert. I would suggest checking his percentiles against the WHO growth charts which seem to be more accurate at times than others. http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/en/

[aikigypsy]

Originally Posted by calebsmommy25

My ds stuck at 22 lbs for what seemed like forever. It sounds similar to what you are describing. He started walking at 10 months, ... http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/en/

My DD was about 10kg/22 lbs from at least 18 months to 25 months, but I think had been that weight since around when she turned 1. She now seems to be gaining, since we night weaned a few weeks ago (at 2 years, 2 months). The doctor was concerned, but maybe that was her natural growth pattern. Both DH and I were small as kids, so it seems likely that she would be small, too.

[gagin37]

we've been at 21ishlbs for nearly a year now too. but ds (17mns) has been growing height wise a good bit. right on track for milestones, very healthy, happy kido, great appetite. From what I've heard it's fairly normal. I stopped going to WBV when he was 9mns, but at the time, the ped. we were seeing said that was a normal growth pattern.

[a-sorta-fairytale]

Dd was born at 12 lbs - was 20 lbs by 4 months and then slowed waaaaaay down. She is now almost 6 and is around 43ish pounds.

Ds did the same thing. He was 12pbs 2oz at birth. He will be 2 next month and is 29 lbs. He eats as much as i do (i am pregnant) but he runs and runs ALL.DAY.LONG.

For me, if they are happy, healthy, and hitting milestones around the right time i dont worry. If he is sick all the time, or lethargic, or way behind on crawling/walking etc then i would be concerned.

[dogretro]

DD is 21 months and she weighs 27 lbs. She has always been tall for her age and in the 50 - 60th percentile for weight. I would wait and see what your regular ped says.

[hrsmom]

We've had a long weight plateau as well. Seems pretty common! My dd is 22 months old (as of tomorrow!) and does not even weigh a pound more than she weighed at 9 months. She's growing, though, and her arms are not nearly as chubby as they were! She's getting longer but not really any heavier, so far.

[DocsNemesis]

That's part of what worries me some-the lack of height growth as well. If it were just the weight, I wouldn't worry at all. He definitely doesn't look unhealthy, he's got some little rolls and such, but he just isn't growing (from the way it looks on the outside anyway!).

Part of what makes it difficult is that my girls were short too, especially his 7 year old sister, and while she kept gaining weight, her height was a slow gain in the 1-3 year range. It was just her legs though, she was VERY disproportionate. My other dd was short too but not nearly as disproportionate and ds seems about the same as my other dd-his legs might be a little short for his body but not too bad. They were also slow to talk, as is he, so I can't really account for anything there.

He does sleep quite a bit, but again-his sisters were similar. He sleeps from about 7 at night to 8am and then goes down for a nap at about 11-12 and wakes up at 3 or so. I'm not sure he's always asleep the whole time though, he seems to enjoy quiet time alone in his room and when we'll go up to wake him up because its been a long time (if we let him, he'd sleep 5+ hours for a nap!), he's often sitting in his bed or on the floor, already awake. And his door isn't latched so its not like he couldn't go out on his own!

As far as high fat/protein foods, yes, he gets a LOT already. He does drink milk, whole milk, and he eats with us, whatever we're having, until he's done. And of course he gets snacks. I try to avoid empty calories so its mostly *whole* foods and he's never limited on how much he can have. He really likes food.

[a-sorta-fairytale]

It cant hurt (well more then the blood draw) to have diff levels looked at. I am very vit d deficient so i had dd and ds tested for a bunch of stuff and dd ended up mildly d deficient and ds mildly low in iron. My only concern would be that he sleeps so much and maybe he is low in something that is making him tired. Till i got my vit d and iodine levels up i was so so exhausted.

[claddaghmom]

It's hard not to worry. Our society is just weight obsessed. But I remember all my siblings hitting that plateau and most of them were nursed to 2yrs+ so although I think it's thorough of you to look at weaning times, it may not be the reason he has slowed.

I mean, yes, it makes sense to me that weaning off human milk and going to full solids can be a tough transition. But that is also when kids seem to taper off...

E.g. DD hit a plateau around 12 months. But she nurses on demand.