Underweight Child VENT

[MrsBasil]

I hate the part of the Dr visit when he pulls out the weight charts to tell me where DS is in relation to other kids. Or his BMI.

 

I hate the sideways glances and questions that seem to imply that I am a complete moron.

 

I hate having to account for every thing he eats. I hate having to smile and answer politey if I know what a healthy fat is and do I give snacks for the 9 bazillionth time.

 

I hate being told I should give snacks as if that, THAT, will solve everything. Oh? Snacks? Just offer more food and he will gain weight. Is that all I have to do? Well that just clears everything up. I have seen the way! Oh wait. I already do that, because DUH!

 

Yes, whole milk, whole milk yogurt, dairy, offer meat, ranch dip for veggies, avocados, butter on everything I can reasonably work butter into, Boost when he will drink it...

 

I hate the fact that I feel this way about medical professionals who I know are just trying to help and do care.

 

I really hate the comments from people who aren't medical professionals.

 

No, he isn't sick. Yes, you can see his ribs. Yes, he eats. No, I'm not going to take him to McDonalds every day and just let him pig out. Clearly, he didn't get it from me.(you ass) Yes, he drinks whole milk. Yes, I offer meat. I'm not sure being sick while I was pregnant has much to do with it.

 

I should just make him eat? Sure, you come over and help me force feed a 3 year old.

 

I hate the winks and laughs when someone(grandparents) give him a donut, or more fast food, or whatever and say, "Oh well, what's it going to do. Make him fat?"

 

You are Grandma(or Grandpa) just give him a treat. It's fine. It doesn't have to be about his weight.

 

I hate that I've started dressing him in baggier shirts just to avoid the comments.

 

Thanks for letting me vent!

[besroma]

:grouphug: I understand....completely. Yes, it is hard!

[DarlaS]

:grouphug:

 

I have two that are quite thin. I can relate to all of the above. Fortunately, the doctor we have now gets it.

[BrookValley.]

Oh, I'm sorry you have to deal with this. :grouphug: We've got a little kiddo too. I've been there. A lot. Our pediatrician from birth to 3 years was a nightmare in a lot of ways (long story why we stuck with her that long). Comments, even well-meaning ones, from family members didn't help either.

 

FWIW, our son is now nearly 5--he's still barely on the charts for weight, but his weight for height is just fine (actually, it was all along, our pediatrician just refused to look at anything except his weight). He eats well, but sometimes he just eats sporadically. Like you said, you can't force feed them. My family learned the hard way that weight comments are off-limits. :glare:

[JudoMom]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

My guys are small. I understand the frustration. My doctor is great, but the comments from others are frustrating. Telling me that I should just feed my 12 year old boy more so he will grow is ignorant and hurtful, especially to the boy who is standing right there. You think he wants to be 1% for weight and height? Don't be an a$$, then, and think before you speak.

[desertmum]

:grouphug: I get the same from ds's pediatrician. He is skinny just as his dad was and still is. DH says it is a family trait. Doctor even insisted on ds having a blood test because he looked "pale". Blood test came back fine but doctor still insisted on ds drinking growing up milk designed for picky eaters, etc. He is actually tall for his age, so...(shrugs).

 

Some kids are skinny and that's it. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about it.

[Laura Corin]

I can sympathise. Calvin is now 5'10" and 110 pounds. Underweight by BMI. Always has been underweight and on the tall side. I'm lucky that his doctor is not worried.

 

But then..... one of my elder brothers is 6'2", 54 years old, and still thin as a rail.

 

Laura

Edited April 12, 2012 by Laura Corin

[Dmmetler]

:grouphug:

 

Been there...still there. I've found that parents in dance and sports are often the worst-it seems like a lot of the kids who do sports/dance at a recreational level when kids are young are in it because they're on the heavy side and the parents want them to be less active, so when you put a child who is naturally skinny (and, in the case of my DD, never sits still and EXTREMELY active), there's a major contrast-and they always act like my child is the unhealthy one, even though DD's pediatrician says that as long as she's growing and her weight percentiles don't drop (and they've been pretty steady for about 5 years), what I'm doing is OK, and their child's pediatrician says that the child should either lose weight or maintain steady while growing. And I think that dance recital costume manufacturers know that heavier kids tend to do these activities and vanity-size the outfits-most of the time, the same size DD wears in street clothes which fits her reasonably well without more than taking in a waistband hangs off her like a tent in dance costumes.

[Cortana]

We've been there with all our kids. Our oldest didn't even start hitting the 5th percentile of weight until he was nearly 5 years old, he was just tiny. Now he's more than caught up and we are actually having to watch his weight.

 

Our younger son and our daughter are both very tall and skinny for their ages and always have been. Thankfully none of the doctors at the pediatrician has any issues as long as they are both healthy and happy. As dd's favorite dr puts it "hey, someone has to be in the 5th percentile or there wouldn't be a 5th percentile". We love her! :)

[Sandragood1]

I really think our culture has changed what "normal" weight looks like. I mean that my kids, who are count-their-ribs thin, would have been normal weight even 30 years ago. Friends comment to me that they are too thin.

 

As further support: I just watched footage shot on an aircraft carrier during WWII. Every single person was skinny. The VoiceOver (original) mentions a particular pilot, "that chubby guy on the right.". He was not chubby by today's standards. Today he'd be described as thin. He was only marginally more fleshy than any of the others.

 

Btw, I am NOT thin.

 

So take heart,

 

Sandra

[Slipper]

I sympathize. I have one who is very small for her age. Thankfully, as long as she has some growth (height/weight) each year, even if it's not enough to put her on the chart, our doctors are okay.

 

They did run some tests to make sure that all was going well (other than celiac disease) and she's fine. She's just small.

[A.Balaban]

I am going through the same thing with my DD, who is a year and a half old. Almost a year ago now she stopped growing. She started gaining weight again recently, and is now nearly 18 lbs!

 

We went to see an endocrinologist, who had no answers, and sent us to a geneticist. He, also, had no answers. We go to a GI Dr. next, and then back to the endocrinologist for a follow-up.

 

I think it's difficult because as children get older they gain weight slower. Over the course of the last year, I think my son has gained less than 5lbs. So has my daughter. It might just be their "normal".

 

It is such a difficult thing to go through. I am so sorry. I have found that keeping a closer record of her weight has helped me to see more positives, rather than looking at the overall trend. I also would suggest looking at the WHO charts rather than the CDC. It's kind of like "tomato, tomatoe" but you know. Whatever helps.

 

My daughter's pants in her size are too big around her waist, she can't wear skirts because she has no stomach to hold them up, and if she wears a "fluffy" dress it completely looks like she is trapped. But, I'm so proud. She's finally out of 6month clothing.... at a year and a half! :)

 

Sometimes we just need to vent, because we are caring parents who have difficult children who just won't follow the obesity trend. :lol:

[mommymilkies]

I completely sympathize. My younger three are tiny and my son is a stick (my oldest is tall and thin, but not abnormally so). My 7 yo has profound Hashimoto's, but dh and I were both tiny until high school and we are still both small/average height and thin. I hate the condescension like we only feed our kids celery sticks. They are always amazed that I have taken courses in nutrition and I am a little obsessed about the subject. We eat avocados, full fats, olive oil, butter, whole milk yogurt, cheese, meats (except the vegetarian), lots of food. Yes we snack, NO we aren't going to feed junk just to fatten them up! It gets old.

[Mrs Mungo]

I'm sorry. I've posted about this many times. It is extremely frustrating. :grouphug:

[fiddle]

BOTH my daughters have ALWAYS been in the bottom 5% for weight on the stinking charts...... it used to stress me out. But our kind pediatrician looked me straight in the eye one day and asked me: "you know what the most common cause of thin/small children is?" Now, remember, I am a larger woman, but my husband and his side are thin/petite. I asked the dr. "what?" His reply: "the most common cause for small/thin kids are small parents" and grinned. :D I took that to heart. Some of it is just completely genetic, and some people are just built thin. My kids are healthy as can be.:)

 

Paula

[Jilly]

:grouphug: I can relate. My older son is thin, and everyone seems to have an opinion on that. It is rather frustrating, especially as he gets older.

 

His reply: "the most common cause for small/thin kids are small parents" and grinned. :D I took that to heart. Some of it is just completely genetic, and some people are just built thin. My kids are healthy as can be.:)

 

Paula

 

My pediatrician said the same thing to me. She has never been worried, and that has helped me and my son.

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

OP, I saw in your signature that your ds is one month older than my ds3. If it helps, my friend's daughter is over visiting right now. She is exactly one year younger than your ds, and she is only 1/2 in shorter than my ds3 and she weighs 2 lbs more than him.

 

Kids are different. It happens. You're keeping him healthy, that's what matters. Unless he has a food intolerance/processing issue that you don't know about, you are doing everything right. Ignore people.

[justamouse]

:grouphug:

 

I so know.

[Mommy_of_4]

I am sorry :( I go through the same thing with all my kids. DD1 weighs 25lbs at 3 1/2.

[ktgrok]

Switch doctors. We have NEVER had those issues with a pediatrician, thankfully. My son was under the weight chart all his life, and still is. He is almost 5ft tall and is 75lbs. His father is the same way. He is obviously healthy, active, and strong. He is just wiry.And when he goes through a growth spurt yes, you can count his ribs. But he is healthy. Neither ped we've had has even commented.

[Lisbeth]

I understand, I was always very underweight. Those comments really got to me as a kid, and I wore layers to hide my skinniness. People think nothing of making constant skinny comments, something they would never do to the overweight.

[redsquirrel]

I get it. I really do. Both my boys are petite. My eldest isn't even in the 5th percentile in height or weight. I am hardly 5' and my dh is maybe 5'10" so I don't know what people expect.

 

Our Dr has never given us a hard time, ever. In fact, he is quite reassuring. I have never had to deal with that and I am sorry you are. That might make me want to change Drs. But the comments by other people I have had to deal with.... it is just so rude!

 

And yes to people not knowing what a "skinny little kid' looks like any more! My older son looks just like I did when I was a kid. My and my three siblings were all skinny kids. I have pictures of us on the beach and you could see my ribs, my sisters's ribs, my brother's ribs. No one ever commented that we were unhealthy. We looked like everyone else we knew. I was looking at an old class picture of mine and saw a girl who was considered quite overweight in those days. Now, she would be on the slim side of a group of kids.

[stripe]

I really think our culture has changed what "normal" weight looks like. I mean that my kids, who are count-their-ribs thin, would have been normal weight even 30 years ago. Friends comment to me that they are too thin.

 

 

And also that the doctors usual speech is in favor of, say, a lowfat diet. My kids' pediatrician has posters all over the place about a lowfat diet which shows eating prefab mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, and carrot sticks as the meal to be improved -- by subtracting nuggets and adding a carrot or something). The nurses and doctors ask as a part of a well child exam what kind of milk the kids drink. They otherwise ask NOTHING about fat in the diet! I got the doctor to agree with me that whole milk was the sensible choice for my very skinny kid.

[Word Nerd]

I would consider finding a new doctor. My younger DD has always been in the 5th-percentile range for height, sometimes closer to 10th. (I was at the bottom of the weight charts when I was a kid and am only 5'2, and she is built like I am.) Our pediatrician isn't concerned as long as she continues to grow along the curve. A height-weight chart isn't a test. You don't get a gold star for being closer to 100!

[mom2scouts]

:grouphug: I too have an underweight child. I was underweight as a child too and heard all the comments. (I'm very overweight now!:glare:) Fortunately, I have a very experienced pediatrician who tells me that he isn't concerned at all. He says he's much more concerned about the epidemic of obese children he's seeing than the few underweight but healthy children he sees. He tells me that if she's healthy and energetic and shows at least some growth each visit then it's not a problem.

[JeneralMom]

My kids are very skinny. The people who knew me before I got very ill and put on alot of weight don't even comment on it, but people who have only known me since then make comments "must get it from Dad's side". Really? So, my 6'5" and 130lbs (on the day he got married) father has nothing to do with it, or the fact that I was 5'7" and weighed 89lbs? Geez, thanks. I hate having to explain to every doctor that both DH and I had very fast metabolisms and were both significantly underweight until our 30s.

 

Don't make my kids feel bad because they are skinny.

[Alyeska]

I understand. My dd is SO sick of people telling her she is skinny.

 

She is in the underweight category on standard charts and is naturally very thin.

[fraidycat]

:grouphug:

 

I can't completely relate because it's not my child, but my poor SIL went through this with my niece when she was younger. She was perfectly well adjusted, active, incredibly intelligent, imaginative, friendly, happy, etc....but she was TINY. Doctors and nurses were always making my SIL feel bad about it.

 

My SIL, who was 5' nothing, and thin, married to my 5'10" stick thin brother. These supposedly "well educated" humans would stand there looking like wooly mammoths compared to my tiny SIL, and berate her for having a small child. They have no sense. A college education does not = respectable advice in my eyes, especially if you're a dumba$$!

 

My kids were both completely off the charts on the other end of the spectrum. Tall, muscle, and H.E.A.V.Y. - like they must eat lead pellets for breakfast heavy, because they certainly do not look as heavy as they are.

Edited April 12, 2012 by fraidycat

[Mommy22alyns]

Ugh, that sucks. I'd probably get that about Rebecca at least, who's 66th % for height and 18th % for weight.

[Scuff]

I totally understand. My two middle girls have always been on the upper end in weight and about 40% in height. They would also chub out just before a growth spurt. I dreaded taking them to the dr, wondering if she was going to tell me how they needed to eat better (and we'd go over what they ate and it was fine) or whatever, but they were too big. Do they look big? They look fine. They fit in normal sized clothes. They are on the same curve they've been on since birth (and have spiked up a a few percentages just before growing since birth. They always come back down). They eat and are just as active as their brother. Hmm, perhaps it's just the way they're built. This last time everything was fine on the curve, whew, then she pulls out the BMI. Good Lord. She then asks all the questions and lectures me about how eating out twice a month is too much. Things got a little heated and ended with her telling me, "Well, she's getting too many calories somewhere." She's 7. Can we wait a little while before making her paranoid about her weight? And just to prove my point, #4 is built just like her brother, lean from birth. She's now moved up to the 5th percentile. I understand both ends of it! They're all in the same family, eat the same food, play together, ect. Lets just leave them alone and let them be kids. We grew up just fine without growth charts telling us something was wrong with us.

[MrsBasil]

Thank you all. This has really helped.

 

I am in the process of switching doctors, but my SIL(pediatrician) thinks most doctors would have said something because he doesn't always have gains, dropped off the curve for awhile, and had a very low BMI at one point.

 

He's also considered tall for his age, according to the doctor, so there was a concern with getting enough calories to support his growth. He's below the 3rd percentile in weight for height. His Dad is 6'5, he has 3 grandparents who are between 5'10 and 6'2.

 

He's healthy, active, sweet, fun to be around, sleeps well, eats, and is gaining weight. Just slowly and not always easily.

 

Thank you so, so much for just letting me vent and get it out!!

 

:grouphug:

[SweetIrony]

Some people, including doctors, do not seem to understand how percentiles work. Everyone can't be 50th%! My daughter's CF clinic said they like all their patients to be 50th percentile. When I told her pediatrician that, he said, "Yeah.... but this is the REAL WORLD." lol

[TranquilMind]

I hate the part of the Dr visit when he pulls out the weight charts to tell me where DS is in relation to other kids. Or his BMI.

 

I hate the sideways glances and questions that seem to imply that I am a complete moron.

 

I hate having to account for every thing he eats. I hate having to smile and answer politey if I know what a healthy fat is and do I give snacks for the 9 bazillionth time.

 

I hate being told I should give snacks as if that, THAT, will solve everything. Oh? Snacks? Just offer more food and he will gain weight. Is that all I have to do? Well that just clears everything up. I have seen the way! Oh wait. I already do that, because DUH!

 

Yes, whole milk, whole milk yogurt, dairy, offer meat, ranch dip for veggies, avocados, butter on everything I can reasonably work butter into, Boost when he will drink it...

 

I hate the fact that I feel this way about medical professionals who I know are just trying to help and do care.

 

I really hate the comments from people who aren't medical professionals.

 

No, he isn't sick. Yes, you can see his ribs. Yes, he eats. No, I'm not going to take him to McDonalds every day and just let him pig out. Clearly, he didn't get it from me.(you ass) Yes, he drinks whole milk. Yes, I offer meat. I'm not sure being sick while I was pregnant has much to do with it.

 

I should just make him eat? Sure, you come over and help me force feed a 3 year old.

 

I hate the winks and laughs when someone(grandparents) give him a donut, or more fast food, or whatever and say, "Oh well, what's it going to do. Make him fat?"

 

You are Grandma(or Grandpa) just give him a treat. It's fine. It doesn't have to be about his weight.

 

I hate that I've started dressing him in baggier shirts just to avoid the comments.

 

Thanks for letting me vent!

Tell them to just SHUT UP already. Do they see your kid exceedingly often for illness? No? THEN HE IS QUITE HEALTHY TYVM.

 

My very slender daughter is the healthiest child my doc ever sees. She is about to turn 16 and she has been seen for strep or respiratory things maybe THREE times...ever. SHE is the healthy one, not all the other kids who look more normal because what, 40% of Americans are now obese?

 

I'd not tolerate interrogation on this unless there is something wrong. No ped here -family practice. I think those guys have a clearer picture on a number of levels.

[TranquilMind]

I totally understand. My two middle girls have always been on the upper end in weight and about 40% in height. They would also chub out just before a growth spurt. I dreaded taking them to the dr, wondering if she was going to tell me how they needed to eat better (and we'd go over what they ate and it was fine) or whatever, but they were too big. Do they look big? They look fine. They fit in normal sized clothes. They are on the same curve they've been on since birth (and have spiked up a a few percentages just before growing since birth. They always come back down). They eat and are just as active as their brother. Hmm, perhaps it's just the way they're built. This last time everything was fine on the curve, whew, then she pulls out the BMI. Good Lord. She then asks all the questions and lectures me about how eating out twice a month is too much. Things got a little heated and ended with her telling me, "Well, she's getting too many calories somewhere." She's 7. Can we wait a little while before making her paranoid about her weight? And just to prove my point, #4 is built just like her brother, lean from birth. She's now moved up to the 5th percentile. I understand both ends of it! They're all in the same family, eat the same food, play together, ect. Lets just leave them alone and let them be kids. We grew up just fine without growth charts telling us something was wrong with us.

Amen.

[SJ.]

Yep I totally get it and it gets so frustrating. My youngest is really small for weight and height, isn't even on the charts - 38 inches/30 lbs and almost 6 yrs old.

 

Not long ago someone I casually know was constantly commenting on his size, and in front of him. "Oh my, he is sooooo small. Look my ds is the same height and probably weighs more than him and he is 2. I just can't believe your ds is 5!!"

 

When my ds was 3 he was in size 18 mo clothing. Other treated him like he was much younger. I will never forget the day that ds put some trash in a garbage can and someone clapped their hands remarking that he was such a big boy to throw his trash away all by himself. Of course it was said with such an ooey gooey voice too. DS just glared at her.

 

I've never had a problem with a dr. If this is ongoing maybe address it with the doc, or maybe you should switch to someone else.

[Beans]

:grouphug: I'm glad you were able to vent. Our 10yo son is thin as well, the same weight as his eight yo brother, but 2 inches taller. All of us are what I would consider average, healthy weight and size, but people always call us small and tiny.

I think it's a social thing. Clothing sizes have changed from what they used to be ( if you buy a size 14 pattern from 1940, it's a size 10 by today's sizing.) I hate dressing my 10yo in size 7 pants, but it's what fits, he eats balanced and healthy and for now, he's not bothered by his size.

I continue to stress body types, nutrition , uniqueness, and loving yourself as you are. I only hope to build him up as much as i can before peers and society can rip him apart, before he notices the stares and comments we get.:glare:

[k2bdeutmeyer]

I have read all the responses, but as the mother of a 34lb 5yr old, I totally understand!!! Thankfully, our ped has been pretty good about it! I mean, her dad IS 6'4" and only 165lbs.....what do you expect?

[Scuff]

My sister didn't grow for a few years and then shot up skipping a few sizes. So I think it's sometimes normal for a kid to just stall out for a little bit. DD's (new) pediatrician did send her for blood work, just to make sure we weren't missing something. But it came back fine, so she/we're not worried. I was a small baby, too. So she just takes after me. (She was 17lbs at a year. I got out my baby book and I was 18.) (DH was a tank as a kid, solid. The older girls take after him)

[J-rap]

My youngest wasn't on the growth chart for many years. She never had baby fat, and age 1 1/2 they talked about putting a feeding tube in her. Fortunately, after doing extensive tests, they could find nothing wrong. My mother has the same build. I think my daughter didn't make it to the 0 mark on the growth chart until she was almost 5. As she got to be middle school age, I anticipated people wondering if she had an eating disorder. (But in our small town, most people knew that it was just her. :) )

 

At 6 years old, she weighed 32 pounds. Now she is a junior in high school, 5'5", and weighs 99 pounds. She is in perfect health and looks healthy. She eats a LOT!

 

When she was a toddler, doctors told me to feed her butter and cream. :)

Edited April 12, 2012 by jjhat7

[J-rap]

I forgot to mention that my daughter's doctor made her her very own growth chart...totally different from everyone else's. He told us it wasn't important for her to follow the standard growth chart. He just wanted to know that she was following her own, individualized growth chart, which took into account her very tiny, petite frame.

[MrsBasil]

I forgot to mention that my daughter's doctor made her her very own growth chart...totally different from everyone else's. He told us it wasn't important for her to follow the standard growth chart. He just wanted to know that she was following her own, individualized growth chart, which took into account her very tiny, petite frame.

 

 

OK, it is seriously time for me to find a new doctor. We have a 5-10 minute discussion about growth charts and BMI every time we are there.

[Excelsior! Academy]

Btdt! Switched drs because of it. What part of dh is the tallest in his family and his sister is barely 4'10" do you not get?!? Ugh. Some kids are just smaller.

[PeacefulChaos]

OK, it is seriously time for me to find a new doctor. We have a 5-10 minute discussion about growth charts and BMI every time we are there.

 

Wow! Our ped. doesn't even mention it, really. She shows me on the computer, but there isn't a lot of emphasis put on that around here. DS8 hasn't gained any weight in a year, and they said I could try to feed him more calories - but nothing real drastic. They weren't concerned.

[MrsJewelsRae]

I know how you feel! My first son was very underweight his first year, he went months without gaining an ounce, we never did figure it out- everyone pressured me to quit breast feeding, but I wanted answers before doing that, the scales showed that he was actually getting enough milk, he just wouldn't gain. Thankfully it resolved by a year and he actually somehow climbed to the upper end of the charts and still is. But my 2nd son is really small for his age. He's 3.5 and just hit 30 lbs. the problem is he's allergic to everything, hes anaphylactic to milk, eggs, peanuts, soy and kiwi. He also has a strong gag reflex and gets ill from food often enough that it affects his weight. He had an anaphylactic reaction to kiwis last month and ended up in the ER and he's been showing signs of food anxiety since. I hate it when people comment, I know he's small for his age, but please don't call him tiny right to his face, or petite, or fragile for crying out loud!!! To make matters worse my sil had a son 3 weeks before mine and we live in the same town and go to church together, it is a blessing. But her son is huge for his age and people constantly compare them, it really bugs me. My doctor doesn't really get concerned about his weight at all and the the dietician was practically no help. I really don't have peace of mind that he's getting enough fat in his diet.

[MistyMountain]

My girls are thin and on the bottom of the weight charts but thankfully my pediatrician knows that it is normal for them and is not concerned at all. My youngest eats all the time and consumes a ton of food and my oldest is not a big eater. I was really thin as a child and I got those kind of comments from both kids at school and adults daily. They accused me of not eating and asked my mom if she fed me enough. They acted like I was super fragile and commented that I will just blow away in the wind. They said I was anorexic and the kids said things that were even worse. My girls haven't gotten it yet but I know it will come.

Edited April 13, 2012 by MistyMountain

[redsquirrel]

OK, it is seriously time for me to find a new doctor. We have a 5-10 minute discussion about growth charts and BMI every time we are there.

You really do. Our family Dr has been the one who reassures me when I get worried. He tells me not to listen to other people, and has given me permission to say anything I want to people using the magic incantation: "our doctor says....." You deserve to have that for your kids.

[courtney.byrum]

I had the opposite problem for the longest time - my son was a big baby/toddler and even my daughter caught up fast (she was a 3 lb preemie). I had many comments about his size and that he looked much older, etc.

 

Now my concern is he has been dropping down percentiles for about 3 years - all the way from 95% wt 90% ht to today he was 30% wt and 37% ht -- but he seems fine at 49" and 51 lbs (he's 7 yrs 9 mos).

[GAPeachie]

We switched to a family practitioner and now this talk isn't as annoying as it used to be. In fact, as a homeschooling father of six, he doesn't make a big deal out of alot of things that got me in constant hot water in the pediatrician world.

[idnib]

My son hovered below the 8th percentile and a couple of times fell off the charts so I know what you mean.

 

He ate normal, non-junky foods. He drank only water and milk. If a doctor mentioned his weight I would tell them to check his percentiles against the weight charts from the 1930s. (I used to keep a copy of this with me!) For that time frame he was in the 40th percentile. Go figure.

 

That said, he did fill out more (and is now in the 50th percentile) over the course of a year once I started giving him fish oil. A nutritionist clued me in that apparently the balance of omega-6/omega-3 fats has something to do with height vs. girth.

 

Hang in there! :grouphug:

[Crimson Wife]

I haven't read all the responses, but you may want to consider doing a trial of eliminating gluten from his diet.

 

My youngest DD was off-the-charts small and all the tests that our pediatrician had run (including 2 celiac panels) came back negative. I took her off gluten when she was diagnosed with autism and within 6 weeks she had gained 6 lbs. (25% of her bodyweight) and 1/2". She went from being <3rd percentile for both weight and height to 5th percentile for height and 25th for weight. She has since gained even more height and weight but I haven't had her officially measured so I don't know where she is now on the growth chart.

 

Our pediatrician said that she sees this kind of rapid "catch-up" gain all the time in gluten intolerant kids who switch to a GF diet.