He's very skinny and dropping percentiles.

Seraph

Wed, Mar 11 2009, 10:35 am

My son eats everything. It appears to me that he eats a lot. He is not a picky eater.

We had a checkup on taanis esther at tipat chalav (his well "baby" visit) and my 18 month old son is in the 45th percentile for height (I was 105th percentile always. I've always been very tall and still am tall. (5'9) My husband is tall but not insanely so- 5'11. So I kind of was expecting my son to be in a taller percentile, but no.)
Ok, 45th for height is no biggy, but he's between the 5th and the 10th for weight. He's going down in percentiles... he used to be 45th, then 35th, then 60th(at 1 year) and this time at 18 mos is 7th or 8th percentile...

Should this change in weight/percentile, be cause for concern? In the six months between a year and 18 months, when he started walking and running around, he only gained .53 lbs.

Mentally and everything else he's developing beautifully! Speaks a ton, understands so much, follows directions, has good fine motor coordination, etc...
Would you be concerned about this failure to gain weight and the drop in percentiles?

If so, what woud you do.

RachelEve14

Wed, Mar 11 2009, 10:59 am

No, I wouldn't be concerned. All of my kids have dropped off the charts. Rena especially is very thin. Avraham Tzvi seems to be following in his sister's footsteps. As long as they are developing well, eat, go to the bathroom, etc. I wouldn't be worried.

Seraph

Wed, Mar 11 2009, 11:55 am

Oh, maybe I should add that my husband, though chubby as a little kid, has THE fastest metabolism in the world. Though he eats and eats and eats and eats, he is 125 lbs and 5'11. Maybe my son inherited that?

Pickle Lady

Wed, Mar 11 2009, 11:58 am

Dropping percentiles means that he is not a computer. You should only be worried if he was loosing weight. My husband is almost 6 feet tall and he was the shortest kid in his class till high school. Everyone grows at their rate.

Blair

Wed, Mar 11 2009, 12:12 pm

Don't let Tipat Chlav make you crazy they are so good at it. Your son is doing great. When they start to walk they always lose that extra baby fat no need to worry and forget about the extra protein powder he does not need it.

Twizzlers

Wed, Mar 11 2009, 12:25 pm

I wouldnt be worried unless he was losing. my son hit 30 lbs by age one, and once he started to walk, he hasnt gained a single ounce! he is now 2.5 and the same 30 lbs....so his percentile went all the way down. but its ok

octopus

Wed, Mar 11 2009, 12:27 pm

Seraph wrote:

genes play a tremendous role! never underestimate that! he probably did inherit your husband's metabolism.

btMOMtoFFBs

Wed, Mar 11 2009, 12:27 pm

Seraph I think children gain more slowly after they become more mobile and very active. Still, I think children are supposed to stay in the same percentile range as a sign of solid, healthy growth and gain.

Would you be open to adding more high fat stuff like whole milk yogurts, puddings, shakes,etc..

and non dailry foods like eggs and dark meats

Can you get access to a reliable parenting book to give you professional guidance on weight gain?

Seraph

Wed, Mar 11 2009, 12:34 pm

octopus wrote:

Seraph wrote:

genes play a tremendous role! never underestimate that! he probably did inherit your husband's metabolism.

Yes, genes. But my husband only got skinny once he neared puberty. At this age he was still rolly polly.

RachelEve14

Wed, Mar 11 2009, 12:36 pm

Serph, if you saw me you would not believe my kids were mine (well they look like me, but just the weight thing). Dh also has a very fast metabalism. I have done some things they recommended (I still give 3% milk, I give them 9% cottage cheese, etc). Some t hings I refuse to do (pour oil on an instant parve snitzel, YUCK). Use your common sense and I'm sure all will be good Very Happy

ra_mom

Wed, Mar 11 2009, 12:52 pm

I wouldn't worry.
My daughter is off the charts in her weight, doesn't have much of an appetite, hardly eats, has gastro issues... so yes, I am worried.
On the other hand, her best friend is exactly the same weight and as off the charts as my daughter, yet she was born tiny, and she eats very well. So her docs and her mom are not worried at all.
Take a deep breathe, and thank Hashem for healthy metabolisms. Remember, your child is probably more active now than he was 6 months ago, and that makes a very big difference in terms of his weight.
Be"H, you child will grow to his full potential in height, you will be happy with his height, and everything will fall into place.

Seraph

Wed, Mar 11 2009, 1:20 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

It's not possible to be in the 105% percentile.

I am pretty sure it is. It doesnt make sense mathematically, but on the charts when you're above and beyond the last line on the chart, etc.... My father the doctor is the one who explained this to me.

mominisrael2

Wed, Mar 11 2009, 1:25 pm

DD1 was born at a normal weight and percentages went down, down, down...and off the charts (finally got back on at about age 4). I was super paranoid as a new mom, and my doctor didn't make it any better -- practically begged me to put her on formula "since I obviously couldn't feed her properly", had me add cream to her milk when she was 1, butter, avocado, the works. She's now 7 1/2 and still skinny as a rail (we should all be so lucky!), but her current doctors say that as long as she's following her OWN growth patterns that it's OK to ignore the "standard" ones.