Anyone with a baby who kept dropping on their weight curve?

[ChristusG]

DD just turned a year old. Since she was born, she's been steadily dropping her weight curve. She was 8 pounds, 5 ounces when she was born, so that's pretty high on the curve. A few months later she was down to 50%, then around 35%, and most recently about 10%.

 

She nurses well. She's interested in "real" food. But she doesn't eat very much of it yet. She'll act all excited when I pull out a yogurt bar or brocolli, but she'll take about 6 bites, then she doesn't want any more.

 

She's hitting all milestones....early, in fact. She's happy, laughs, claps, points, says "mama". She is VERY active.

 

I'm wondering if she's just dropping on the curve because she's so very active that she burns the calories right up. She is always moving....ever since she was a newborn she was constantly kicking her feet. She began crawling at 5 months so that she could get around. She was walking at 9 months. She's just always on the go.

 

And she doesn't *look* too skinny. She looks fine. She's at 50% for height. She doesn't have fat rolls, of course, but she doesn't look too skinny.

 

Anyone have a child like this? Her doctor isn't too concerned but she did say to start trying to push solids more now that she's a year. I'm not used to this little peanut because both of my other kids were always in the 80th and 90th percentiles as babies.

[StephanieZ]

My youngest has always been a tiny bug. She was 7'15 when she was born -- so a healthy, big baby (but half a pound smaller than my other two kids). Then she just got tinier and tinier as the years went by. She was routinely WAY below the 2nd and 5th percentiles (whichever was lowest on the chart they were using that time . . . she'd typically look about 2 standard deviations below!) in weight, and maybe 20-50% for height.

 

I was worried that the DRs would be worried . . . but she was always VERY active and very mobile, bright, etc.

 

However, her DRs never worried. :) I was compliant with all wellness exams/testing/etc, and she was breastfed until 3 years old, and had healthy older sibs, etc. Her DRs knew ME and knew she was well cared for. I am sure she had blood testing a few times at wellness visits. She was VERY active even in the exam rooms (constant motion child) and always way ahead on milestones. I think that combination of factors allowed us to avoid any medical anxiety on the parts of her DRs.

 

She's 10 now, still a peanut (I think she was 52 inches tall and 54 lbs a few weeks ago when she was in the DR), incredibly healthy, fit, strong, and very bright.

 

Her sibs are slim, but not like she is!

 

So, anyway, so long as the child is otherwise very healthy, I doubt low weight is much to worry about.

[ChristusG]

Good to know! Sounds like my DD could be on her way to just being small, as your DD is. But it's strange because her Daddy is 6 foot 4, so I never imagined a small child LOL!

[Carrie12345]

I don't really "get" the whole curve thing. My kids were all between 7lb9oz and 9lb2oz, and you would never be able to tell which had been born higher on the curve and which were lower.

 

My 7lb9ozer is a 5'11, 140lb, size 12 shoe 14yo. My 8lb10ozer and 8lb15ozer are peanuts compared to the other 3. And 4 of the 5 were dx'ed FTT as infants, one completely legitimately, and he's huge now, lol.

[Gentlemommy]

Mine were all like that.:001_smile: Luckily, they are all growing height wise, milestone wise, and eating a well balanced diet. I wouldn't worry unless one of those things was also an issue.

[twoxcell]

My youngest is kinda like this. He was 7lbs 9oz induced 2 weeks early. He will be 3 tomorrow and is barely 26lbs. It is weird for me because my older two have always been high on the charts for height and weight. My third is skinny and tall but he is short and tiny.

[Momof3littles]

Are you and your doc using the charts for BF infants? THey often start off in higher percentiles and drop as time goes on, while FF babies sometimes do the reverse.

 

http://kellymom.com/health/growth/growthcharts/

 

Many docs use the standard growth charts, which are not always accurate for BF babies as time goes on since more and more moms stop nursing as each month passes. See where she is on the BF baby charts if you haven't yet.

[SKL]

My dd was born at a fairly normal weight, but from around 1yr - 3/4yrs was below the 5th %ile for weight. She is also on the short side, but her weight was far lower on the curve than her height. Eventually she started to bulk up. At 5.5 her well-child visit indicated that her BMI was above average, which was a funny thought since she was still wearing size 2 shorts comfortably. She's always been extremely healthy and fairly active.

 

I would not worry since she is energetic and happy and developing.

[Crimson Wife]

On the flip side, my little one was written off as just being naturally tiny when all the lab tests came back normal. Then I put her on a gluten-free diet when she was diagnosed with autism. Within 6 weeks of going GF, she had a dramatic "catch up" weight gain. She went from a size 18 mos last December to a 4T by April. She didn't have any obvious GI symptoms and had tested negative twice on celiac & allergy panels. Our pediatrician says she sees this kind of dramatic catch up weight gain frequently when gluten intolerant kids go GF.

 

So I would do a trial of the GF diet just to see if it makes any difference.

[brownie]

Exclusively breastfed babies (and I mean the first 6 months) tend to be heavier than average early on and then thin out earlier toward the end of the first year. In other words, the average breastfed baby does not match up with the average growth curve, so your child may be more "average" weight wise than you think. Brownie

[Cera]

My youngest was born at 7 pounds and barely reached 18 by a year. She stayed right at 50% for height though and also hit milestones early. breastfed babies are hard to predict for the first two years (My oldest was 7 1/2 pounds at birth and over 22 lbs at 1 year, same 50% in height. Oddly, they were within two ounces of each other at two, one gained her second year and the other didn't...both have been at 25% for weight since 2).

 

I wouldn't worry about it unless there is something concerning other than just her weight.

[LisaKinVA]

My 6yo dd weighed in a 9lbs 4oz at birth. She kept getting taller, and dropping her weight curve until this past year. She went from the 90's to the 4th percentile. We had a celebration when she made the 5th and into the "normal" range. She's still at the 75th percentile for height, though. She's a twig. She eats frequent small meals. I try to keep them as high fat as I can, or she is really, really hungry.

[ktgrok]

Mine did that, one went from 50th to 5th, one went from 90th to 50th.

[SevenDaisies]

My son was 8 lb 5 oz at birth, but quickly fell off the growth chart. He wouldn't take anything but the breast. It took a lot of work to get home to eat anything else. The doctor wasn't concerned because while he wasn't on the chart, he was moving along on his own curve. He finally made it back on the chart around 18 months, and although still slim, he's been just below the 25th for sometime now.

[Jann in TX]

She was over 9lbs at birth but barely over 14 pounds at 1yr. She was almost 3 before she was 25 pounds.

 

We started solids at 4 months. The Drs wanted me to stop breast feeding (should NOT have listened but she was so tiny...) but they pressured so I stopped BFing at 6 months and changed to formula (she actually LOST weight when I did this)....

 

My MIL was only 5 ft tall and barely 90 pounds so we resigned ourselves to having a small child. I'm 5'8" and DH is 6'2"

 

When she started K she was 4 (August B-day) she was the smallest child out of over 200 K students. We had her do 1st grade twice (teacher issues) and she was now one of the oldest students-- and STILL the smallest in her grade!!!

 

DD hit puberty on her 12th birthday-- she was just over 5 ft tall.

 

Today as an adult she is 5ft 7 inches.

 

DD was a 'failure to thrive' child... she has some mild learning disabilities-- but I do not think that they are related...

[Jerico]

All three of mine did. First one born 8 pounds 7 ounces. Only weighed 17 pounds 3 ounces at one year. Second one born 9 pounds 6 ounces. Weighed 19 pounds 1 ounce at one year- just had his 3 year appointment... weighed 31 pounds. The baby was born at 8 pounds 7 ounces and weighs maybe 17 pounds so big for me :) but still pretty small. All of them ate a ton, nursed often, but never stop moving!

[ScoutTN]

Yes!

My dd is petite and has always been very low on the charts, though she was a week late and weighed 8.3 at birth.

She is 30 something % now on height and 20 something on weight and we don't worry about her, but I did when she was a toddler and hovering in the single digits % on weight.

At 7 yo, she eats way more and better than her 5 yo brother who outweighs her by 5 lbs and is 1/2" taller than she is.

Body type/size comes hardwired to a large degree! :D

[StephanieZ]

My middle dropped to below the 2nd percentile fairly rapidly, after being my heaviest baby. Hers was definitely because of activity level. She'll be my shortest child, having stopped at 5'7". She's still insanely active, having texted me that she got 85 points on her pushups and maxed her run and her situps on her Army Physical Test last week. The doctor hassled me about growth hormone for her. We declined. Yeah, she'll be shorter than my other children. She's still within normal range.

 

Growth hormone for a girl who grew to be 5'7!! What a stupid doctor! I am glad you said no! My BIGGER daughter, almost 16, is 5'4" and seems done growing!

 

It sure would be interesting if my d10 ends up growing longer and ending up taller than we have come to be used to. She so used to being the "peanut", I think she'd freak out if she ends up outgrowing us!

 

FWIW, I think birth weight is mostly related to MOM's size and to MOM's nutrition and some genetic factors controlling BIRTH size, and then genetics for future size of the baby take over and during that first year, the baby's destiny takes over (unless impacted by poor nutrition or illness, of course).

[cottonmama]

Both of my big kids have followed a similar pattern. 8lb 8oz at birth, and very quickly dropped in the percentiles. Head circumference went down to the teens, and weight and height settled around 30th percentile. I'm petite and my husband is skinny, average-height, so doctors haven't really worried much.

 

With my first I was told that in the first year they transition from their birth weight percentile to a more long-term curve. Seems to be holding true with both of my kids.

[EKS]

The only curve that matters is weight for height. If she's at the 50th percentile there, then she is perfect.

[Plateau Mama]

My youngest was 9 pounds at birth, I'd a nosedive off the charts. My Dr. Looked at him during the exam and asked if he was always that active. I said yup. She said he jut burns lots of calories. She said to just do full fat everything and put butter on whatever I could. (he to this day asks for butter & jelly sandwiches). I don't remember what he weighed at a year but it was under 20.

 

Now at 4.5, he is still as active as ever. He is around 40 pounds (which I think is around 50% ). He eats more than my 10 & 12 yo combined.

[StephanieZ]

The only curve that matters is weight for height. If she's at the 50th percentile there, then she is perfect.

 

Whoa, I don't think that is quite right!

 

Slim kids are very healthy, likely healthier than average (50%) kids.

 

I personally am happier to have children on the low end of the weight curves despite being middle (to a bit above middle) on the height curves. I do NOT aspire for my kids to have an average weight-for-height, as average is overweight!

[Jennifer in MI]

My fourth was this way too. After three HUGE boys, she was a surprise!

 

She started off at 8 pounds 10 ounces. She took FOREVER to re-gain birth weight and then slowly fell on the percentages. It was a little scary, but my doctor looked at her and not the charts.

 

Now at nearly 7, she is barely 36 pounds. She's TINY!!! She's my gymnast. VERY strong and muscular.

[Mom-ninja.]

Yes. All my babies started out on the higher end of the scale and by the time they were each a year old they were in the 3rd or lower and have stayed there.

[EKS]

Whoa, I don't think that is quite right!

 

Slim kids are very healthy, likely healthier than average (50%) kids.

 

I personally am happier to have children on the low end of the weight curves despite being middle (to a bit above middle) on the height curves. I do NOT aspire for my kids to have an average weight-for-height, as average is overweight!

 

Excuse me, I guess I meant to say that if she is at the 50th percentile on the weight for height curve, she is not underweight. Is that better?

[plansrme]

Am I the only one who keeps seeing this thread title and thinking it refers to dropping babies? As in, "Oh, gosh darn it, dropped the slippery little devil again."

 

Yeah, thought so. Carry on.

 

Terri

[Donna]

My dd started life at the 25% even though she was a little early. By 3yo she was in the 2nd%. The doctor was initially concerned when he saw she only gained 2lb between 2 and 3yo but her oldest brother didn't even get on a growth curve until he was 12yo. Her height and weight are both close to the same level so she's just on the petite side.

[GSOchristie]

My little two started off fairly robust, 8 los, 5 oz and 7 pounds, 13 oz, and stayed at 50% until six months. They both began a steady decline down the the growth charts. They are both in the 7th percent for height now, and have been there for a while. Piper is 19 months and weighs 20 pounds, my 8 month old niece is the same size. Jax is 30 pounds at 3, so I'm not sure what percentile that is.

[J-rap]

That happened with my youngest. She was small-average at birth, and then kept falling lower and lower on the chart, until all the doctors were quite concerned. (Esp. since both my husband and I are taller, as are her older sibs.) She always ate well and seemed healthy and happy, but even the specialty pediatric docs were pushing us to put her on a feeding tube at a little over a year. We finally took her to Mayo Clinic, and after numerous tests, they decided she was healthy but just for some reason on her own "curve." They actually made me a new growth chart just for her, to make sure that she was at least making progress on her own personal growth chart.

 

Now she is 17 years old and nearly 5'5"! She is still very petite (size 0 or 2), under 100 pounds, but very healthy!