Concerned about my son's weight

[jamiesmom]

My one year old is very skinny. He's always been lean and skinny even when he was still a baby, though, so I don't know if it's just the way he naturally is or if it's a sign of a nutritional deficiency. I give him three meals a day and try to give him at least one item out of all of the food groups (except for dairy since he's allergic, but he's still breastfeeding) but he is still skinny. He's always active, though, and has been since he was a very young baby. I try to keep giving him food until he stops eating and he loves to eat. I thought he was getting enough, but after seeing the pediatrician and getting advice to "fatten him up", I'm starting to wonder if I should be giving him more food. I'm going to be cutting back on juice to only 4 oz. a day (he had been getting a full sippy cup before) and I mostly give him carbohydrates, like whole wheat toast and Cheerios, at breakfast because he's allergic to eggs and dairy. I recently put him on a vitamin supplement that includes iron and Vitamin D because neither one of us can drink cow's milk because of the total elimination diet prescribed by the allergist and because of the AAP recommendation, so he should be nutritionally covered. Could he just be naturally skinny, though, especially since he's a very active kid? Should I try to feed him more?

[RMMom]

My daughter is also very small for her age. When my pediatrician mentioned it at her last appointment, I told her about how my siblings and I were VERY tiny as kids (doctor wanted to put us on a fattening diet then). The doctor said that genes could definitely contribute to my daughters weight. That might be why your son is so small. I've had several people tell me that she needs to eat more and gain more weight. However, I'm not going to feed her constantly - I don't want her to get into a habit of always putting food in her mouth! She also eats three meals a day and we give her a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack (crackers, raisins, fruit - something light). She eats healthy and more importantly, she's happy! If your son is the same, then I wouldn't worry too much about it! The doctor did mention getting her to drink Ensure - she said it'll help a little bit with the weight and get some extra nutrients in her. My daughter refuses to drink it (of course!) but that might be something to try out with your son (if he can drink it - not sure what type of dairy might be in it). We also give her peanut butter - adds a little fat into her diet plus some protein since it's tough getting her to eat meat sometimes. We'll put it on whole wheat toast and she LOVES it in oatmeal. Hopefully, that'll give you a couple of ideas. Good luck!

[RMMom]

Sorry jamiesmom - the drink isn't Ensure, it's Pediasure....long day yesterday!

[gale77]

As long as you are feeding him healthy meals and snacks, please don't worry. My peds put me and my daughter thru the same rigamaror. She's very tiny, and very pale--they were convinced she was ill and put her thru some tests. Long story short, we could've saved alot of time and pain (for her) if they had just taken into consideration what I was trying to tell them from the beginning -- the tinyness is from my hubby's side, and you can just look at me and see where the paleness comes from! lol She's 10 now, very healthy and active, still tiny for her age. I think part of the skinnyness issue may be from the fact that we hardly eat any junk food, and I cook whole foods mostly, hardly ever the processed stuff--as close to the good ole days as I can be. And doing that cuts out huge amounts of the fat that the general population eats. So like I said, as long as your feeding him healthy meals and snacks, don't worry! Why does anyone "need" extra fat? To fit on some standardized scale of what somebody somewhere said was healthy? We are a very diverse people, not everyone is going to fit the mold. So just enjoy your son! )

[bluegrassmom]

My daughter's tiny too, 4.78% on the weight chart. My pediatrician hasn't been too worried since my husband is tall and thin and I was small as a baby too. As long as your son is growing and learning, I wouldn't worry about it too much. It probably wouldn' hurt to throw some snacks into the mix though. My daughter gets 3 meals a day plus 1 or 2 snacks. My sister-in-law was told that her very chubby baby was too thin by her pediatrician. I think they make too big of a deal over stuff like that. They keep going by their charts, but every child is so vastly different that you can't pigeonhole them like that. Actually though, I get more comments from other people who are worried that I'm starving my daughter than from my pediatrician.

[MaternalOne_]

My daughter is also tiny. She will be going to her 2 yr check up on Thursday and I can just hear it now "your daughter has only gained one pound this year". She eats like a horse and is extremely active. Her doctor told me last year to give her an extra pat of butter on her bread or vegetables and to have her drink Pediasure. The butter she likes but not the Pediasure. My mom is petite, my father in law is short, my husband's nickname was peanut as a child. I know she is okay because she is healthy and full of life.

[mort20]

Hi Dear, I think its important to stick to the plan of giving him the necessary nutrients that he needs. As mentioned on previous posts, genes can be a great factor as well as his age group - the time where kids are so active.

[mort20]

Hi Dear, I think its important to stick to the plan of giving him the necessary nutrients that he needs. As mentioned on previous posts, genes can be a great factor as well as his age group - the time where kids are so active.

[H.Starr]

How old is he? Height? Weight?

[MommyToConnor]

I think it depends on your son's weight and height to determine if he is underweight. However, if your doctor thinks he should put on weight, you shouldn't be feeding him juice since he gets fruits and veggies throughout the day from actual food. My son lost five pounds so I know a lot about weight in infants. This may not be the greatest idea, but one way I got my son to gain weight was to give him donuts occasionally. Also, you should consider putting your son on formula. Formula will help him gain weight.