Weight LOSS from 12-18 mos?

[JessieBird]

Should I be concerned if my DS lost about three pounds in the last six months? Our next check up isn't till the end of the month but we had to see the doctor today due to his persistent cough (have questions to post about that later). It was the first time he'd been weighed in exactly six months. He was 26 lbs at 12 months (so at the very top of the chart) and now he's 23 lbs. We didn't measure height but he's outgrown all his clothes and is tall compared to other kids so I'm pretty sure he's still growing. He looks much bigger to me so I was shocked and made them re-weigh him. No mistake. The doctor we saw was not our usual and he was quite alarmist about DS's cough so I really didn't want to have a conversation about the sudden drop off in his curve. I told him that I'd just discuss with our usual doctor at our check up in a few weeks.

So I know it's normal for their weight gain to slow down when they become more mobile but is it okay to actually lose weight at this stage? He is otherwise very happy and healthy (other than the pesky cough) and eats fairly well.

Thanks!

[JamieCatheryn]

Holding steady at this age is normal, but losing isn't really. Has he weaned? If he's still nursing I'd say offer more often. Also they say add more healthy fats to their food to keep the weight up: olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, butter, meat, etc.

[karika]

I agree that weight loss would be unusual. Steady is my experience in that growth spurt time. Nurse as often as possible and cut down on the solids perhaps? When you do offer solids, make sure it is protein. 3 pounds sounds like a lot. I only have 2 children, but neither of them have ever lost weight, fwiw. It could be that the illness has really taken a toll on the child. Is LO on a probiotic? For anything related to allergy, cough, colds, ears, respiratory... cut out dairy to help clear it up. If you are unwilling to cut out the cow's milk, make sure it is only given as fermented- like kefir and yogurt (organic). Dairy (mammal milk that is not human) is what produces phlegm and such in our bodies.

[pbjmama]

I would make an appt and get him in to your regular doc asap. He has lost over 11 percent of his body weight. In an adult, if you weigh 135 lbs and lost 15 lbs that is about 11 percent. With no explanation behind the loss it really needs to be looked into.

[JBaxter]

Weight LOSS is a big issue. I would have your ped check them out.

[babydanielsmom]

yeah, I'd def make an appointment to see his ped asap. A couple of ounces would not concern me but several pounds would.

[ellemenope]

Originally Posted by pbjmama

I would make an appt and get him in to your regular doc asap.

I know he was at the top of the curve at 12 months but babies should not lose any weight at this age, and that is a lot of weight.

He could just be thinning out, but let's make sure a soon as possible.

[Raine822]

Weight loss is always a concern so absolutely talk to the doctor. To reassure you though my DD1 did the same thing. From her 15 month to her 18 month appointment she went from 24 to 21 pounds. The ped made note of it but was not concerned-she was very active during this time. Now she is 22 months and weight is slowing gaining. Ped says all is fine and normal.

[JessieBird]

Thanks everyone. I will try to move our 18 mo check up to sooner (it's currently booked for the day he turns 19 mos). I just can't help but think that there was something wrong with the scale. The nurse weighed him twice and then checked the scale with a small bottle to be sure it was sensitive though that's no guarantee. There is just no way he could have lost 11% of his body weight, he's still a very big kid and much bigger than he was at 12 mos. He has this little cough but isn't really what I'd call sick. He's still full of beans, happy and eating. He has stopped nursing (on his own around 6 weeks ago, possibly due to me being pregnant) and prefers broccoli over any other food so probably doesn't get as much fat/protein/carb as other kids do but still I just don't believe it. I will try to feed him more rich foods and will cut down on milk. Thanks also for the tip on probiotics, he loves yogurt!

I think I'll also try to find another scale to weigh him on.

[Yuba_River]

Is it possible that the first weight, six months ago, was off? We had that happen once--they recorded an inaccurate weight that made it look like he had grown a ton, and then the next weight was lower--but if we discarded the inaccurate weight, his growth was on a steady curve.

[JessieBird]

I think that the previous weights were accurate. They stayed right on curve since birth and I also weighed him far more frequently between 0 and 12 months because we went to monthly breastfeeding clinics as well as our regular family doctor check ups, so an inaccuracy then would have been obvious. I went back to work at 12 mos and I also felt so confident in his size and health that I stopped being curious about his weight or obsessive about any aspect of his development. My instincts have always said that he's totally fine. I feel a bit shaken tonight about the possibility that I've been missing something significant.

[JessieBird]

Ah ha! In case anyone out there is interested...we stopped in at a walk-in clinic on the way home from work last night so I could weigh DS on a different scale. TWENTY NINE POUNDS!!! Not 23. I cannot believe the ridiculous stress I went through all because of a broken scale. I'll be calling the doctor's office on Monday. I hate to think of how many other moms are going through this.

[karika]

Originally Posted by JessieBird

Ah ha! In case anyone out there is interested...we stopped in at a walk-in clinic on the way home from work last night so I could weigh DS on a different scale. TWENTY NINE POUNDS!!! Not 23. I cannot believe the ridiculous stress I went through all because of a broken scale. I'll be calling the doctor's office on Monday. I hate to think of how many other moms are going through this.

glad you found out and that everything is ok

[ellemenope]

Oh, my! What a big boy you have! You have nothing to worry about. I hope we all didn't get you too stressed out.

[JessieBird]

Originally Posted by ellemenope

Oh, my! What a big boy you have!

Yeah, he's huge - you can see why I was so baffled!

[MujerMamaMismo]

My massive DS was 29 pounds at his 12mth check and at 17.5mths is sitting somewhere just under that.

These big babes are generally fine with a little bit of weight loss in the first half of the second year. In the time that my DS has lost his tiny amount of weight, he's gotten heaps taller but also become a running, climbing, non-stop adventure machine. He's also slightly cut down in breastfeeding and solids which is normal in the 2nd year.

Keep an eye on it, but don't worry.

ETA: I see you've resolved the issue. Glad there's nothing to worry about.