OT: Do you have a skinny toddler?

[laughinplace199]

DS has always been on the small side, but lately I'm becoming more worried about it. I'm not sure of it's because of the fact that it's summer and we're at the pool a lot, but people are constantly commenting on how skinny he is. My mom has to take all of his pants and shorts in at the waist or they'll fall down.

He is 2.5 yrs old, and has only gained 1 lb in the past 6 mos. His dr is not concerned because he is gaining weight. I've been taking my kids to this ped for 10 years and I trust him, but now that so many people are commenting, I'm beginning to wonder if I should be more concerned.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has been in a similar situation.

TIA!

 

[Jdougherty]

My 18th mon only weighs 20lbs, Her 7 mon old cousin weighs 5lbs less than her. she still wears 12 mon cloths. I wouldn't be worried if the Ped isn't. Everyone comments how small she is, I just smile and say thank you you should see her eat. (she eats MORE than enough) Everyone comes in differnt sizes, it's the spice of life.

 

[mom_2_K'Lynn]

I agree with the previous poster. My 5 1/2 year old isn't even 40 pounds yet, but boy can she eat!!! And she is only 42 inches tall too, she is just a petite girl!! One word of advice is buy clothes at like childrens place or old navy and look for the adjustable waistband. I love these, if they don't have the adjustable waistband they fall right off. I wouldn't be worried. Your child just probably eats well. MY DD snacks a ton on fruits and veggies and would choose these any day over junk food, as long as you know he is eating and drinking I wouldn't be concerned!!!

 

[M-J's Mommy]

My DD will be 2 in August. She is 32" and only weighs 22 pounds. In fact, she had lost a couple of ounces recently. It makes me feel bad because I can see her ribs sometimes, but the doctor did nothing more than put her on prescription pediasure. She has been wearing 18 month clothes for over a year now. I just recently had to start buying 24 month or 2T clothes because she was getting too tall for the 18 month ones, but the new ones are so baggy. But she is happy, energetic, and very intelligent, so the doctor says that she is healthy. If the doctor says it's cool, then I would agree. You can always get a second opinion, though, if it is bothering you that much. I'll admit that it is hard for me to figure out my baby because I'm chubs, but if that's the way she is, I just have to accept it.

Oh, and maybe everyone has been commenting on your kid being skinny because a gang of the babies out there now are fatties. Just a thought.

 

[mjkacmom]

I can count every rib and muscle on dd6, ds6, and dd8. Dd8 has been gaining a pound a year for as long as I can remember, and can still wear size 5 shorts. Ds11 used to be this way, and then gained 10 pounds a year, 4 inches, for many years in a row, putting him in the 95th% for height and weight. My kids have very fast metabolisms (DH's side of the family). There's no harm in being skinny.

 

[dizneechic]

My ds was similar except he stayed at the same weight for nearly 2 years (37.2lbs from almost 3 to 5 y/o). He was dx with ITP at 18 months and was going through lots of infusions at the time so we figured his body was dealing with that vs focusing on weight gain, although he was still growing in height and head circumf. At his 6 year check up he was 42lbs and at his 7 year was up to 50lbs (and 50") so he did some catching up but is still on the slim side.

I have 2 others and their weight gain has been consistent and the funny thing is my middle guys numbers are pretty much the same as my older ds minus the long stall and catch up (he was steady getting getting there).

I would think if the pedi isn't concerned and he is eating well and is just lucky with a super metabolism that you shouldn't be too concerned. Just watch his trending on the charts and make sure there are no sudden changes and keep feeding him well and all will turn out fine.

 

[laughinplace199]

Thanks for the replies. DS is my 3rd kid, so at this point there's very little that I worry about. I guess it's just the constant comments from people that are making me dwell on his skinniness. My other two kids are skinny as well, but they were average babies/toddlers and they slimmed down as they got more active. This guy will be in big trouble if he slims down! He is 35.5 in and 24.5 lbs.

I do look for pants and shorts with adjustable waists, but a lot of his clothes are 18 mos or 24 mos, and most adjustable waist pants start at 2T. He'll probably need a 2T by the fall for the length, so at least we'll be able to find more adjustable waist items then.

Thanks again. It's good to hear from others in the same boat.

 

[rt2dz]

All three of my kids are on the thin side, but OMG my oldest has a concave stomach and his ribs stick out. People are always commenting on how thin he is. Actually, all three of them, but especially him. I don't worry and our pedi isn't worried.

1) A lot of people have gotten used to seeing kids who are a bit on the heavier side that makes him look just that much skinnier. Granted though, he is really, really skinny.

2) He's always been that way; 100% for height, 20% for weight. It's just how he is built. He's taller than most his friends and weighs just over half of what they weigh.

3) He eats. He eats a lot. All my kids eat a lot. They out-eat most teenage boys. I don't know where they put the food. And they eat healthy. One of their favorite snacks are raw carrots.

I know what you mean on clothes. Before he ws potty trained, he wore nothing but shortalls because pants fell down on him. Now he wears slims with adjustable waistes pulled as tight as they go. For shorts, he wears Osh'kosh in a size small since Osh'kosh runs 1/2 a size big, in slims, with adjustable waists. He can just barely get away wearing them, but at least they don't fall down when he runs. What I do with my younger ones is fold down the waist band; it works like a belt. Thank you to the preschool teacher who taught me that!

 

[MaumeeMom]

My DS is 11 and has always been all elbows and knees. Since he was little he was always off the charts; too tall on one end and too light on the other. As long as he was eating and growing taller the Doc said not to worry. I did supplement with pediasure shakes and let him eat pretty much whenever he was hungry. I left bowls of Cheerios and such on the counter that he could snack on whenever. He still needs a belt with slim size pant/shorts and he is now taller than me!

Trust your "Mom instinct" - if you are worried, maybe ask the doc for a second opinion.

Good luck!

 

[brockash]

DS has always been on the small side, but lately I'm becoming more worried about it. I'm not sure of it's because of the fact that it's summer and we're at the pool a lot, but people are constantly commenting on how skinny he is. My mom has to take all of his pants and shorts in at the waist or they'll fall down.

He is 2.5 yrs old, and has only gained 1 lb in the past 6 mos. His dr is not concerned because he is gaining weight. I've been taking my kids to this ped for 10 years and I trust him, but now that so many people are commenting, I'm beginning to wonder if I should be more concerned.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has been in a similar situation.

TIA!

I completely understand. My DD is 2.5 and she's still wearing 18 month clothes, and some of those are too big to stay up. We've been starting to potty train, but I almost don't want to, because then for sure even the 18 month shorts would be falling off.
She's only gained about 4lbs. since her 12 month check up. At her 18 month check-up I said something to the Dr. and so they scheduled a hgt./wght. check-up 6 months later, and she had gained a little, and since she wasn't "off" the chart, the Dr. didn't said she wasn't very concerned about it, and to just keep an eye on it. It's just very different than our DS. He was a chubby baby and was always wearing the next size up in clothes when he was young, so it's very different with our little lady. We constantly meet ppl. that have a kiddo that looks about her age, but is always bigger, and turn out to be a good amount younger than her. She seems to be doing fine otherwise, and she's doing much better at eating (it used to be such a struggle just to get her to eat anything,) so I haven't been as concerned. Good luck to you.

 

[laughinplace199]

All three of my kids are on the thin side, but OMG my oldest has a concave stomach and his ribs stick out. People are always commenting on how thin he is. Actually, all three of them, but especially him. I don't worry and our pedi isn't worried.

1) A lot of people have gotten used to seeing kids who are a bit on the heavier side that makes him look just that much skinnier. Granted though, he is really, really skinny.

2) He's always been that way; 100% for height, 20% for weight. It's just how he is built. He's taller than most his friends and weighs just over half of what they weigh.

3) He eats. He eats a lot. All my kids eat a lot. They out-eat most teenage boys. I don't know where they put the food. And they eat healthy. One of their favorite snacks are raw carrots.

I know what you mean on clothes. Before he ws potty trained, he wore nothing but shortalls because pants fell down on him. Now he wears slims with adjustable waistes pulled as tight as they go. For shorts, he wears Osh'kosh in a size small since Osh'kosh runs 1/2 a size big, in slims, with adjustable waists. He can just barely get away wearing them, but at least they don't fall down when he runs. What I do with my younger ones is fold down the waist band; it works like a belt. Thank you to the preschool teacher who taught me that!

It's so funny that you mentioned these things. I've been putting DS in his brothers old clothes that he wore when he had just turned 1. He looks babyish in one-piece rompers and shortalls, but at least they stay up. I also do the folding down the waistband thing, which works sometimes but not all of the time. The other day I did this with a pair of 6-12 mos shorts. A few minutes later, DS goes walking over to my DD and hands her his shorts. They had completely fallen down and he just stepped right out of them.

 

[dana1003]

soooooooo glad u started this thread..i have twin girls. one is 50pds and the other is almost 30.they are almost 6. they were born preemie but for some reason one gains faster than the other. she had a bone test to see whether or not she was growing properly. the dr was so nasty with me, asking me if i fed her blah blah blah..i left the office crying. when the test results came back that she was fine the dr wouldnt even get on the phone to talk to me. i took her to a nutritionist, had blood tests, u name it and nothing. im not going to put her thru any of that anymore. she is tall, healthy, above average in intelligence so that alone tells me theres nothing wrong. some kids are skinny and some are heavy..i get so tired of the comments so i know how u feel. and i refuse to put her on weight gainers becuz im afraid it will ruin her metabolism. when people say "shes so skinny!" i say yep-and we love her.

 

[Brancaneve]

Phew...I totally relate to everyone. What I have noticed is that my DS4 gains a little weight and then stretches out and gets skinny again. Gains, stretches, skinny, gains stretches skinny. It's like I can never keep the fat on his body!

I wish he was a bigger eater and I often find myself chasing him around with food or feeding him when he's watching cartoons and is distracted. Otherwise, he won't sit at the table and eat. Anyone else have the same problem?

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

soooooooo glad u started this thread..i have twin girls. one is 50pds and the other is almost 30.they are almost 6. they were born preemie but for some reason one gains faster than the other. she had a bone test to see whether or not she was growing properly. the dr was so nasty with me, asking me if i fed her blah blah blah..i left the office crying. when the test results came back that she was fine the dr wouldnt even get on the phone to talk to me. i took her to a nutritionist, had blood tests, u name it and nothing. im not going to put her thru any of that anymore. she is tall, healthy, above average in intelligence so that alone tells me theres nothing wrong. some kids are skinny and some are heavy..i get so tired of the comments so i know how u feel. and i refuse to put her on weight gainers becuz im afraid it will ruin her metabolism. when people say "shes so skinny!" i say yep-and we love her.

I went through something similar with my DS8 when he was 5 and getting ready to start kindergarten. The dr had me tell her what he eats/drinks for each meal and went on and on talking to me like I was starving him (she was the first one to EVER mention a problem, although he'd always been small). Then when she was done she said "well, his height and weight are proportionate so I won't order more tests." I was annoyed to say the least. Unfortunately for my kids DH and I are pretty short so they are, too. DS8 is about 44 inches tall and weighs 45 lbs. He is mistaken for a kindergartener all the time and asked if he and my 5yo are twins because my 5yo is avg. height and weight, it really irritates him, lol. I'm not sure how tall DS11 is now, but he only weighs 58 lbs. The other kids are avg. height and weight.

They are growing, healthy, good appetites and good energy levels so I've never been concerned about it. Trust your instincts, you know your child best. I think people anymore just aren't used to seeing skinny children with the obesity problems in our country.

Like another poster said, The Children's Place, Old Navy and Gap are great for adjustable pants when your DS gets into toddler sizes. You could try drawstring pants, too.

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

My 21 month old weighs 24lbs and has since her 18 month appt. She is 33 3/4 inches tall and has grown 3/4 inch since her 18 month appt. She is very tall and very skinny. She needs 24 months clothes for length but 12 months for her waist. Makes it very fun to try and keep her pants up.

 

[thebeesknees]

Yup, all 3 of mine are really skinny, although my DD has started to gain weight this year and was finally in the 25% for weight (first time for any of them). They all were born healthy weights and just fell off the charts around 3 months and slowly but steadily gained. My oldest DS is still in about the 5% for weight, and the youngest is not on the chart, either. My pediatrician is not worried at all. He told me that their heads are growing appropriately (95% for all), they eat a healthy diet, and that they hit all their milestones on time, so they probably just got my husband's skinny genes. He told me he'd rather see a skinny kid in his office than an obese one because it's easier to gain weight than to lose it.

 

[M-J's Mommy]

I do think that some places also make baby belts.

 

[laughinplace199]

Yup, all 3 of mine are really skinny, although my DD has started to gain weight this year and was finally in the 25% for weight (first time for any of them). They all were born healthy weights and just fell off the charts around 3 months and slowly but steadily gained. My oldest DS is still in about the 5% for weight, and the youngest is not on the chart, either. My pediatrician is not worried at all. He told me that their heads are growing appropriately (95% for all), they eat a healthy diet, and that they hit all their milestones on time, so they probably just got my husband's skinny genes. He told me he'd rather see a skinny kid in his office than an obese one because it's easier to gain weight than to lose it.

See, this is one of the things that worries me. DS hasn't hit all of his milestones on time. He is in early intervention for gross motor delay (he's about 6 mos behind in gross motor, but he's at or above age level for everything else). His physical therapist says he has low muscle tone. I've been wondering lately if the low muscle tone and low weight are related.

 

[JKSWonder]

This is my daughter. She was always tiny, usually only 5th percentile for weight and height when she was 2. My doctor didn't worry because she was following that track on a steady basis. However, slowly she started losing ground and finally dropped to the 0 percentile for both height and weight when she was about 5.

He referred us to a pediatric endocrinologist who ran all sorts of tests and found nothing wrong really. She just has what they call a constitutional growth delay. The doctor monitors her height and weight and within the last year, she is starting to do better. She is still the tiniest in her class though and this makes her self-conscious sometimes. The doctor did mention growth hormone therapy, but does not think it is really necessary at this time based upon her progress.

My son is the opposite. At 3 he is in the top 97th percentile for height and teh 50th percentile for weight....which gives him a thin appearance though his weight is considered average.

If you are concerned, ask your pediatrician for a referral to a pediatric endocrinologist. They can determine if it's nothing, or something else. Some growth delays can be caused by things like celiac disease or krohns disease (digestive disorders) which can be tested for and treated with diet.

 

[JKSWonder]

See, this is one of the things that worries me. DS hasn't hit all of his milestones on time. He is in early intervention for gross motor delay (he's about 6 mos behind in gross motor, but he's at or above age level for everything else). His physical therapist says he has low muscle tone. I've been wondering lately if the low muscle tone and low weight are related.

I just read this updated post. My son (the tall one with average weight) also is in EI for these same sorts of things. He has left sided weakness and some low muscle tone from chin through trunk. So, at least for him, the two are not at all related.

My daughter (the tiny one) hit all her milestones right on target. No problems anywhere else.