Not so great 18 month check up :(

[Mom in High Heels]

Han Solo had his 18 month appt today (though he'll be 19 months next week), and it didn't go well. While he's grown 2.5 inches in height, he's lost half a pound from his 12 month appt. He now weighs 22 pounds and is 35.5 inches tall. He eats really well, but he just won't gain. They're also concerned because I brought up the amount of water he drinks a day, which had me worried. He's taking in approximately 70 ounces of water in addition to 16 oz of milk (9oz in the morning and 9oz at night). I've tried not giving him his cup, but he goes crazy. He points to the kitchen, signs for a a drink and pitches a fit if he can't get to his cup. He's literally thirsty all the time. Of course my first thought was juvenile diabetes, but they said that's unlikely given his age. The drinking doesn't seem to affect his appetite though. He eats like a horse when he's hungry.

They decided to run some tests and had to draw blood. I think that was more difficult on me than him. He didn't actually mind the needle, it was being held still that ticked him off. Oh dear, it was awful. They also put a little urine catch bag on him and while he disliked that, he really, really disliked when they took it off. Not that I blame him for that one.

He didn't get his shots today because when they checked his ears, he has an infection in his left ear. Argh.

We have to go back next week for test results and to figure out what they're going to do about his weight. Other than adding higher calorie foods (I already add olive oil to much of what he eats for the extra calories), I don't see what I can do. I can't force feed him. He eats until he's full and then he's done. We tried juice, but other than oraange juice every now and then, he just won't drink it. He prefers water, except in the morning and at night, when he gets rice milk or formula. He won't drink those during the day either. The ped put him back on formula (prescription, because he's allergic to milk and soy) at 12 months to get more calories into him, but it doesn't seem to be helping much.

He's way ahead on his developmental milestones though so that's good. I knew he was though. He does and says far more than Indy did at this age and Indy was right on track. Some of the milestones he's hit, he should be hitting until 24+ months. Other than being crazy skinny, he looks perfectly healthy. He's bright and happy and always, always, always busy, so I'm trying not to stress out too much. Easier said than done. James Bond actually called tonight (yay!) and when I told him, he was terribly upset. If he were here and could see Han Solo, I don't think he'd be so upset, but being several countries away for a year makes him worry more than he would if he were here.

Sigh.

[Chris in VA]

Are they saying there may be some malabsorbtion issues? It could be a problem absorbing fats--in which case adding oil won't help.

 

Or enzyme issues? WHen they put my brother on digestive enzimes, it helped tremendously for him to keep weight on. (He had CF, tho, which it appears your darling doesn't.)

 

Mostly just wanted to give you a :grouphug:, but thought I'd ask. Hang in there.

[Another Lynn]

:grouphug: Sounds like there's lots of good news too, but I know I would feel the same way you do.... especially after all they put him through at the appointment! Just curious, if you want to share, where did that weight put him percentage-wise?

 

I'm sure a bunch of folks will chime in with their btdt experiences!

[Arcadia]

:grouphug: My younger was a FTT (failure to thrive) baby and at 5th percentile for weight. He had blood draw from 9mths to 12mths checkup because he was slightly anaemic. He was prescribed iron drops. He ate more than his chubbier older brother but poop a lot more too. He is still skinny but he has been climbing the growth charts over the years for height and weight.

 

It was scary at that time with my older being on the 95-99th percentile consistently.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Or maybe he's just skinny. My #2 is a case in point. I know it's hard but try not to worry and focus on how well he's developing.:grouphug:

[Mom in High Heels]

:grouphug: Sounds like there's lots of good news too, but I know I would feel the same way you do.... especially after all they put him through at the appointment! Just curious, if you want to share, where did that weight put him percentage-wise?

 

I'm sure a bunch of folks will chime in with their btdt experiences!

 

It puts him around the 5th%. He was 3% when he was born, but by 12 months, he was up to the 50%, so that's a steep decline in 6 months, especially since he's lost weight.

[Sara in AZ]

With all that drinking, can you tell if his diapers are super full all the time? Is he waking up soaked in urine in the night from overflowing diapers? That's what I hear from parents whose children are diagnosed with diabetes that young.

 

:grouphug: I hope you get to the bottom of it quickly.

[Unicorn.]

He's 35.5" tall, and he's not even 2? No wonder he is skinny- it's all going to height! I wouldn't worry too much, he's obviously growing. He may just be a really skinny guy. DD was super skinny when she was bitty, and I didn't think she'd ever gain weight. She wishes she had that problem now. :grouphug:

[k2bdeutmeyer]

As the mom of a 45", 35lb child - I totally understand! At 18m, I believe she was about 20lbs. I know at 2.5yr she was only 24-25lbs. She wasn't even on the charts for weight for a long time. The child eats like a maniac and is just skinny....there is no putting weight on her. It just doesn't work that way.

 

Thankfully, her ped has never been concerned. She did have a growth hormone checked once, but that was related to her metabolic condition (which does not affect her weight) - it was fine.

 

:grouphug::grouphug: Putting our kids through tests, blood work, etc is never fun.

[Mom in High Heels]

With all that drinking, can you tell if his diapers are super full all the time? Is he waking up soaked in urine in the night from overflowing diapers? That's what I hear from parents whose children are diagnosed with diabetes that young.

 

:grouphug: I hope you get to the bottom of it quickly.

 

He obviously has high output, but he never wakes up at night and rarely has a leaky diaper. Of course I change him frequently, but he goes 12/13 hours at night in one diaper.

I googled juvenile diabetes, which was about the worst thing I could do. Other than thirst and unexplained weight loss (which could be due to his extreme activity), he doesn't exhibit any of the other symptoms. He's certainly not weak or fatigued or lethargic, which are all symptoms. He does sleep a lot, but Indy had the exact same sleep pattern (12/13 hours at night, two 1-2 hour naps a day). He's about the busiest child I've ever seen. He can and does sit still when we're out and he needs to be in his stroller or in a high chair at a restaurant, but when he's home, he's ALWAYS on the move. I often wonder how he doesn't drop from complete exhaustion. *I* get tired just watching him. I personally think this is why he's not gaining weight. He eats really well, and quite healthy (though if there are french fries anywhere in his sight he won't eat anything else), he's just incredibly active. He's a climber too, which scares the beejeebers out of me. The child has no fear. Thank goodness they make hair color, because I'm going to be 100% gray before he turns 2. He climbs everything and has taken to diving head first over the arms of the chair down onto the dog bed. Good grief.

 

As far as the weight goes, I'm guessing he could just be skinny. Indy was the same weight at this age, but 2 inches taller. Han Solo looks chubby to me compared to Indy in photos.

[Mabelen]

With all that drinking, can you tell if his diapers are super full all the time? Is he waking up soaked in urine in the night from overflowing diapers? That's what I hear from parents whose children are diagnosed with diabetes that young.

 

:grouphug: I hope you get to the bottom of it quickly.

 

:iagree: 18 months is young for diabetes, but my friend's little boy was diagnosed at that age, so it does happen.

[MomatHWTK]

I kept all my allergy babies on formula for as long as they would take it. For the super allergic one, I used a blend of Neocate and Alimentum, for the others just Alimentum. For my first- the low weight one. Once he turned a year old, I used Alimentum with extra Neocate powder added to increase the calories per ounce because the infant formulas have a lower calorie count than a toddler formula would. I worked with a nutritionist (one visit) to get the right ratio.

 

My to be 3 in January actually still takes Alimentum twice a day. Because they can't have dairy, I just prefer the formula to give them their calcium over the various alternative milks. (If they gained well I probably wouldn't.)

[dbmamaz]

im sure its been mentioned but gluten sensitivity can also throw off weight gain

[Jennifer in MI]

As the mom of a 45", 35lb child - I totally understand! At 18m, I believe she was about 20lbs. I know at 2.5yr she was only 24-25lbs. She wasn't even on the charts for weight for a long time. The child eats like a maniac and is just skinny....there is no putting weight on her. It just doesn't work that way.

 

Thankfully, her ped has never been concerned. She did have a growth hormone checked once, but that was related to her metabolic condition (which does not affect her weight) - it was fine.

 

:grouphug::grouphug: Putting our kids through tests, blood work, etc is never fun.

 

This is your gymnast right? There is something about the way they are built, isn't there? Meg is just over 45" and she weighs 36 pounds and she's almost 7. My dd was born 8 pounds 10 ounces. At one year, she didn't even weigh 18 pounds.

 

OP - My dd was your child (well, minus the excessive thirst). My doctor was never worried. He watched HER and not the charts. Meg fell off the charts early, but met developmental milestones easily. He did have me give her a LOT of higher fat foods (healthy ones) for six weeks to make sure she was able to gain weight. She was. After that, he wasn't worried.

 

How much height did your son gain in those six months? It was the 12 - 18 months that my dd fell off the charts weight wise. She started walking during that time and just burned off the calories she was eating. 1/2 pound loss can be easily explained by a difference in scales or in what he was wearing or a difference in time of day even.

 

I think you have your answer when you say he is crazy crazy busy!!! That was my dd. And, she still is. (She's a very talented competitive gymnast!)

[Jennifer in MI]

He obviously has high output, but he never wakes up at night and rarely has a leaky diaper. Of course I change him frequently, but he goes 12/13 hours at night in one diaper.

I googled juvenile diabetes, which was about the worst thing I could do. Other than thirst and unexplained weight loss (which could be due to his extreme activity), he doesn't exhibit any of the other symptoms. He's certainly not weak or fatigued or lethargic, which are all symptoms. He does sleep a lot, but Indy had the exact same sleep pattern (12/13 hours at night, two 1-2 hour naps a day). He's about the busiest child I've ever seen. He can and does sit still when we're out and he needs to be in his stroller or in a high chair at a restaurant, but when he's home, he's ALWAYS on the move. I often wonder how he doesn't drop from complete exhaustion. *I* get tired just watching him. I personally think this is why he's not gaining weight. He eats really well, and quite healthy (though if there are french fries anywhere in his sight he won't eat anything else), he's just incredibly active. He's a climber too, which scares the beejeebers out of me. The child has no fear. Thank goodness they make hair color, because I'm going to be 100% gray before he turns 2. He climbs everything and has taken to diving head first over the arms of the chair down onto the dog bed. Good grief.

 

As far as the weight goes, I'm guessing he could just be skinny. Indy was the same weight at this age, but 2 inches taller. Han Solo looks chubby to me compared to Indy in photos.

 

A gymnast in the making!!!!! :001_smile:

[k2bdeutmeyer]

This is your gymnast right? There is something about the way they are built, isn't there? Meg is just over 45" and she weighs 36 pounds and she's almost 7. My dd was born 8 pounds 10 ounces. At one year, she didn't even weigh 18 pounds.

 

OP - My dd was your child (well, minus the excessive thirst). My doctor was never worried. He watched HER and not the charts. Meg fell off the charts early, but met developmental milestones easily. He did have me give her a LOT of higher fat foods (healthy ones) for six weeks to make sure she was able to gain weight. She was. After that, he wasn't worried.

 

How much height did your son gain in those six months? It was the 12 - 18 months that my dd fell off the charts weight wise. She started walking during that time and just burned off the calories she was eating. 1/2 pound loss can be easily explained by a difference in scales or in what he was wearing or a difference in time of day even.

 

I think you have your answer when you say he is crazy crazy busy!!! That was my dd. And, she still is. (She's a very talented competitive gymnast!)

 

Yep!! Describes my kid to a T :) She was 8lbs 2oz at birth and just never gained really - or did so slowly. She's always moving, was a climber, and eats a lot.

[Mom-ninja.]

Well, my almost 4 yr old (b-day in 2 weeks) is 36.5" and weighs 26 lbs. My 8 yr old is 53" and weighs 55 lbs, and my 11 yr old is 55" and weighs 56 lbs.

 

Some kids are skinny. It always good to check everything though. I hope all the tests come back clear.

[bobbeym]

It sounds to me like you've just got a skinny little boy. Based on the standard growth chart curves and the measurements you gave, it seems like he's been consistent along the 5th percentile for weight and a little longer (taller?) than average. As long as he's not spiking drastically on either of those curves and is otherwise healthy, I wouldn't worry too much.

 

DS18 was ALWAYS taller and skinnier. When he was born, he was about 50th percentile length and 15th percentile weight. Then he learned how to walk at a very young age and he's been nonstop every since. At almost 19, he's now 5'10", weighs 135lbs, and can bench press twice that. We tell him he's not allowed to suck in his gut or go around without a shirt b/c he looks anorexic.

 

NOTHING we've done has put weight on that boy. We let him eat whatever he wants without restriction, and specifically give him plate leftovers, but he doesn't gain weight. It's just how he's built.

[Sara in AZ]

He obviously has high output, but he never wakes up at night and rarely has a leaky diaper. Of course I change him frequently, but he goes 12/13 hours at night in one diaper.

I googled juvenile diabetes, which was about the worst thing I could do. Other than thirst and unexplained weight loss (which could be due to his extreme activity), he doesn't exhibit any of the other symptoms. He's certainly not weak or fatigued or lethargic, which are all symptoms. He does sleep a lot, but Indy had the exact same sleep pattern (12/13 hours at night, two 1-2 hour naps a day). He's about the busiest child I've ever seen. He can and does sit still when we're out and he needs to be in his stroller or in a high chair at a restaurant, but when he's home, he's ALWAYS on the move. I often wonder how he doesn't drop from complete exhaustion. *I* get tired just watching him. I personally think this is why he's not gaining weight. He eats really well, and quite healthy (though if there are french fries anywhere in his sight he won't eat anything else), he's just incredibly active. He's a climber too, which scares the beejeebers out of me. The child has no fear. Thank goodness they make hair color, because I'm going to be 100% gray before he turns 2. He climbs everything and has taken to diving head first over the arms of the chair down onto the dog bed. Good grief.

 

As far as the weight goes, I'm guessing he could just be skinny. Indy was the same weight at this age, but 2 inches taller. Han Solo looks chubby to me compared to Indy in photos.

 

 

 

The extreme thirst is puzzling, but if it were diabetes I think you'd know. I'm positive he'd be waking in the night soaked. DD was when she was diagnosed, even at 6. So I think you can probably breathe easy on the diabetes front. :001_smile:

[happypamama]

I was all of 18 pounds at 18 months, so small isn't necessarily bad, and *someone* has to be on the lower end of the curve. Was he walking a lot at his last checkup? I'm thinking that he's just really active, and especially if he wasn't walking much last time, the increase in activity could be hitting the same time as a normal slowing down of the metabolism that often happens around that time. It could be that he's due for a growth spurt really soon.

 

What's entailed in testing for diabetes that young? Maybe it's worth doing the testing, just to rule it out?

 

:grouphug:

[Barb_]

Yep, my 4 yo is 37 inches and weighs all of 28 pounds of muscle and bone. She didn't reach 20 pounds until well after her 2nd birthday. Busy kids do this. I've had 2 active kids gain nothing between the ages of 1 and 2. They are burning through their babyfat and using it to fuel their growth and movement. It's good to do the tests on the off chance something is wrong, but if everything seems good (energy level, milestones, diet, blood tests), try not to worry. :001_smile: Remember, doctors are trained to see pathology and will usually err on the side of *doing something* rather than watchful waiting.

[Teresa in MO]

my nephew, who is now 24, was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of 18 months. He also had an incredible thirst and lost weight, so I hope they are checking for that. My granddaughter, who will be 2 next month, weighs 22 lbs. She is not as tall as your son, but is very petite. Hope everything shows up fine and he is just a skinny guy.

[Impish]

:grouphug:

[speedmom4]

My youngest ds has always had a hard time gaining weight. He is also a competitive gymnast. He was busy from day one and hasn't stopped. Ds eats ALL THE TIME but just doesn't put on weight easily. (Wish I had that problem)

 

I think since your son is obviously healthy and growing taller he is probably fine. Hopefully the blood work will also prove that!

 

:grouphug:

 

Elise in NC

[Pamela H in Texas]

I hope it all works out well. It is amazing he's so tall! Isn't 36inches just about right for a 36month old? I know, unfortunately, how concerning weight can be. I know there are several of us struggling with it. Hope you get good news soon!

[Denisemomof4]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:I had a kid who didn't gain much but I don't remember at what age that started.

 

Maybe your little one needs to drink more because he is so active?

[Pod's mum]

My youngest seemed to live on fruit and air.

Unless she's on a growth spurt she eats very little and is always busy.

My eldest had CF, so growth charts were our bane, even though she gained well.

The younger has always been always slim, healthy and active.

She still is but now (pre-teen) gets fatter before each weight losing growth spurt.

 

Suddenly hungry > eats and eats > gets fatter > sleeps lots > gets taller overnight and skinny again > pause for a few weeks > repeat.

 

Thankfully I had a good GP rather than specialists for the younger who, (like Jennifer in MI said) looked at the child not the chart and saw a healthy slim child. Her sister's specialists would have had a fit. As it was they ignored the scrawny sibling on my hip/breast.

Edited to add: She was triple-tested as soon as she arrived and doesn't have CF

 

All kids seem to lose weight as they start walking. No child climbs steady like an averaged growth chart.

 

Is it possible they got the weight wrong at 12 months?

 

Seems like they are doing the right thing in keeping a cautious eye on things just in case.

Edited November 1, 2012 by Pod's mum

[mum]

Mother in law was community nurse for kids so she always told me the 'typical' patterns. I had one that failed to thrive-very thin though all of my family is thin, so we didn't think much. But it turned out she had giardia-no we hadn't been anywhere. So they treated that and she gained a bit better. But always is under 10th percentile. Mother in law says that as long as they are staying in the ball park of the percentile they have been on then all is fine. So exactly on the line doesn't matter, but from the 50th to the 5th is a big drop. The tests within reason may be worthwhile. It is always good when a child is active and alert and has good appetite, take reassurance from those things, but if it were me, I wouldn't blow Dr. off entirely, I'd look into it a bit. Sadly many doctors are poor with food intolerances/sensitivities which can be a cause of poor weight gain. Food diary might be helpful? I have asked for, and received dietician consult for my kids in the past and when you get a good one, that can be very helpful. Sadly again, many of them are poor and the only things they seem to say is to have full fat milk and add cream to everything :glare:

[ktgrok]

Does he LOOK horribly skinny? Cause my kids lost weight in that time period, both of them, but it was not a problem. They just had gotten more active around that age (running around everywhere and climbing everything) and were burning off the baby fat. They were chunky babies, but skinny kids, and in that transition they lost weight. I think my kids weighed almost the same at 12 months and 24 months!

[ktgrok]

As far as the weight goes, I'm guessing he could just be skinny. Indy was the same weight at this age, but 2 inches taller. Han Solo looks chubby to me compared to Indy in photos.

 

Wait, your other kid has the same pattern? Why are they concerned then? Sounds normal to me. (but my kids do that. Oldest went from 75th percentile to 5th, middle went from 100 percentile to 50th. I expect the same for this baby)

[SKL]

My eldest was at <3rd %ile for weight and 15th for height at that age. She still has no butt and it's impossible to find pants (other than leggings) that don't fall right off. However, she's bulked up in muscles to where they tell me she has an above average BMI now. Really? She still wears size 2 & 3 shorts (she's 6). She's always been extremely healthy (knock on wood). She went through times when she was a better eater and times when she would pick; but now she tends to eat a ton of certain foods and refuse others. I used to micro-manage a lot, but now I just trust her to eat what she's hungry for.

 

Good luck! I hope you find that it's nothing to worry about.

[phathui5]

Did they test him for diabetes when they did the bloodwork?

[SonshineLearner]

Get whole hemp seeds and ground them then put in the freezer. Figure out some different things you can mix it with. Peanut Butter, anything "Earthy"... something like Nutella ;) It has 11grams of protein for 3 tbs. :)

He can't have yogurt, right? If so, Wallaby's full fat yogurt is 23grams of protein per 1cup.

Rudy's (organic) english muffins have 5grams of protein for 1 serving.

That's some of what I did to pack on some weight...

:)

[kubiac]

He's 35.5" tall, and he's not even 2? No wonder he is skinny- it's all going to height! I wouldn't worry too much, he's obviously growing. He may just be a really skinny guy. DD was super skinny when she was bitty, and I didn't think she'd ever gain weight. She wishes she had that problem now. :grouphug:

 

This, this, this. We all come in different shapes and sizes, and he sounds healthy and happy to me, just tall! (I'm totally jealous!)

Edited November 1, 2012 by kubiac

[Carol in Cal.]

Did they check his heart thoroughly? I have a niece who was born with only one of her lungs hooked up to her heart. She did not progress in weight right around that age--maybe at 15 months. She had open heart surgery before she was two years old--they put a tube in, and this will need to be repeated when she is big enough to put an adult sized one in. But if she had not had this surgery the pediatric cardiologist said that she probably would have had a heart attack around age 6. Her heart was already enlarged at 18 months from working so hard.

[thebacabunch]

Those appointments with pediatricians can leave us moms feeling like failures, can't they? I have the opposite problem. My ds is huuuuuuge! He is a linebacker. I get looks from the dr because my son is on the 98th percentile for weight. He is also 95th for height though. My brother was the same and is 6'3" and broad shouldered. My dh is not a big guy, his dad is hispanic and he tends to be smaller like his dad, but his mom's family is huge! He has uncles that are 6'4 and 6'5. I still get the stinkeye from ds's dr cause we are on the big side of the scale. What are we supposed to do? Genetics are what they are. My son is a 41 pound 27month old kid. He doesn't look fat. He is also tall and broad, just a tank really.

 

I say, hey check for problems but otherwise just keep nourishing your little guy and he will be what he will be. Is he small compared to the rest of the family?

[brownie]

I assume they did check for diabetes nonetheless? It CAN onset at 18months and if you don't catch it early (most of the time they don't) usually you end up in the ER with an emergency because the symptoms come on fast and unexpectedly. I had a friend who was a nurse and had a child diagnosed at 18 months.

[Lolly]

He obviously has high output, but he never wakes up at night and rarely has a leaky diaper. Of course I change him frequently, but he goes 12/13 hours at night in one diaper.

I googled juvenile diabetes, which was about the worst thing I could do. Other than thirst and unexplained weight loss (which could be due to his extreme activity), he doesn't exhibit any of the other symptoms. He's certainly not weak or fatigued or lethargic, which are all symptoms. He does sleep a lot, but Indy had the exact same sleep pattern (12/13 hours at night, two 1-2 hour naps a day). He's about the busiest child I've ever seen. He can and does sit still when we're out and he needs to be in his stroller or in a high chair at a restaurant, but when he's home, he's ALWAYS on the move. I often wonder how he doesn't drop from complete exhaustion. *I* get tired just watching him. I personally think this is why he's not gaining weight. He eats really well, and quite healthy (though if there are french fries anywhere in his sight he won't eat anything else), he's just incredibly active. He's a climber too, which scares the beejeebers out of me. The child has no fear. Thank goodness they make hair color, because I'm going to be 100% gray before he turns 2. He climbs everything and has taken to diving head first over the arms of the chair down onto the dog bed. Good grief.

 

As far as the weight goes, I'm guessing he could just be skinny. Indy was the same weight at this age, but 2 inches taller. Han Solo looks chubby to me compared to Indy in photos.

 

My kids lost weight around that age due to sheer exertion. It seems like they were always moving! My pediatrician would have scared me with ds, my 4th baby. She was new to the practice and new to doctoring. She informed me that my tiny baby, 12 mths at the time, would most likely be about 5 ft tall at full growth. Fortunately, I had 3 others who had all been tiny at 1 year. I laughed at her and suggested she consult the charts of my girls. My kids grow when they turn 3. Up to that point, they were all under the charts. By 4, they were in the 90th percentile. Sure enough, ds grew shortly before he turned 3. By age 6, everyone who met him for the first time thought he was 8 or 9. It has stayed that way since. He is currently 15. Everyone assumes he is 18. He is a little over 6 ft and still growing.:glare: All of my babies have turned out to be average to slightly tall. Glad we didn't consider those growth hormones the doctor said to be thinking about for future use...:lol:

[PrincessMommy]

Or maybe he's just skinny. My #2 is a case in point. I know it's hard but try not to worry and focus on how well he's developing.:grouphug:

 

my firstborn was like this. She was always either at 0-5% or below on weight and height. She ate like a horse and hit all her developmental milestones just fine. She resembles her paternal great-grandmother more than anyone in the family - very tiny and petite. The thing is I'm 5'10" and no one would confuse me with a petite person :tongue_smilie: So the doctor would look at me, then look at her chart, then look at me, and wonder if there was a problem.

 

I hope that all it is for you too.

[Ruby Rose]

He is probably just tall and skinny. The weight loss is probably due to growth and added activity now that he's on the move. My kids are big drinkers too. Try not to worry until they give you a real reason to. He sounds like he's doing great!

[Mergath]

I'm glad to hear that they're running some tests, but like others have said, try not to worry yourself sick while you wait for the results. ;) My dd was <5% until she was three and a half or so, and doctors were constantly looking at me like I must be intentionally starving her to death, but when they'd run the blood tests to check her iron and other stuff, they'd always come back and say, "Wow, your daughter has the best numbers I've ever seen." So it's very possible to be tiny and perfectly healthy.