Should I be concerned about my 4 year old?

[Mylie]

Not sure if this should be here or in allergies maybe?? I will post it in both just in case..My 4 year old L went for her 5 year old well check last Friday..She is 39 1/2 inches tall and 35 pounds..Her iron level tested at 12.6..Her Ped(literally) is screaming because she seems to be falling off the charts..35th percentile..

My observations this year is L has grown..she went up a 1/2 size in shoe(8 1/2) wears between a 3-5t in clothes depending on the brand and style..She has thinned out the last few months I think was due to gaining a bit of height..She feels heavier now where before she was very very light..Her face has filled out..She doesn't look under nourished like she did last year when I was constantly fighting to keep gluten out of her system.

She is gluten,dairy,soy and apple free..Once we got the gluten and dairy out she seemed to start growing again although it took prob 9-15 months for that to happen..her iron finally stabilized(and it stayed low even with being on 2 iron supps)..

Yes she is one of the smallest in her class..But mom is super tiny and petite too..she eats like a horse most days and soo soo the next..but she eats healthy..for the most part..yes she does get the occasional burger(without the bun) from mcdonals and fries from BK(they are gf)..she doesn't eat much in the way of sugar but eats lots of fruits,meats,gf pastas,rice ,veggies ect..junk..potato chips,fruit snacks and marshmellows are her one true love:))

Do her stats seem off to your 4 year olds(she will be 5 next week)???

Thanks for listening...and to any advice offered..

[sunnygir1]

I wouldn't think 35th percentile is falling off the charts -- I mean, a third of the kids her age (at least the kids that chart is based on) are smaller than her.

My dd is not small, I don't think, and those numbers sound similar to her last time I knew the numbers (around 5).  She's 5.5 now.  I'll try to remember to weigh and measure her tomorrow...maybe I'm off.

But, regardless of that, if you think your child is healthy and growing, then I'm not sure the numbers matter a bit.  Was your ped able to express a concern besides that she's dropped on her growth curve?  I wouldn't worry unless you have something else that is a cause for concern...it sounds like she is thriving and eats well and is growing...healthy children grow at different rates.  People are different sizes.

[Shami]

Mine is 25 percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height.  What is her height percentile?  I don't think 35th is too low.  You sound like you are very good with nutrition too.  Only you know how your daughter is eating.  Does your doc believe you when you tell him how she eats?  If not, I'd get a new doc.

Or, was the doc mainly concerned about the iron.  I don't know what is normal range for iron.  Now if that is a concern then that is a reasonable concern. But especially since genetics is a factor (you being small), I would just be looking at how to get more iron from food sources since two iron  supps aren't doing it.  I wonder if she cant digest the supplements well.  Try a different supplement?  Maybe you could get her to eat black strap molasses somehow...I know, yuck but could it be hidden in something?
 

[Red Pajama]

My daughter turns 5 at the end of october. She's just cracked 30 lbs.   For the longest time, she was stuck at 27/28 lbs. She's little. I have to take in all her skirts/pants. but I know she's growing, because her size 4 shirts show her tummy, and has grown out of favorite shoes.

I remember being very small as a kid. I also remember gaining way too much weight at about 9 years old, and have struggled with my weight ever since. My advice is not to encourage eating "more" in otherwise healthy kids.

[lilempressmommy]

Has she always been on the small side? If she's dropped significantly from what she previously was (say she used to be 75th percentile in weight down to the 35th) then that may be way your ped is worried. 

My 4 yo DD is 35th in height but 5th percentile for weight but we're not concerned because she's always been  right there at the 5th percentile. (She didn't weigh even 10 lbs until she was six months old and didn't break 30 lbs until she was 3.5 and only then that included clothes AND shoes.) She's by far the tiniest in her class but she's also one of the most energetic. 

[Mylie]

L was failure to thrive when she was a baby because of the gluten allergy..But since we got her cleaned out and her gut healed she has been steadily growing slowly but growing..at least I can tell she has by her clothes and the way she has filled out in the last two years even..Even a pic I have on the fridge on one of her first days of preschool last year her head looked too big for her body..But now a year later she doesn't have that look anymore..her face and cheeks have filled out..I was looking at her today and she even has a little belly and butt wheras she has never had that before..

She is small..In her daycare class her and another little girl the same age are the smallest in the class..And they were 2 of the oldest..but I think we are dealing with genetics here..And I could never seem to get the ped to understand that..She is going to be going to her new ped soon and I am going to sit back and see what she has to say..And you are right pp I can't encourage her to eat anymore..she does pretty good somedays with what she eats...and she is a super healthy eater to boot:)))