What age did your child's "Buddha" belly go away?

[MosMom]

My son (going to be 4 in about a week and a half) seems pretty small for his age and still has his toddler belly. People often comment about how small he is and he isn't even close to wearing clothes for his size. He can easily wear 2T pants still and I need to pull them in more with the adjustable waist. He has a few pairs of size 3T shorts and when he runs, they fall off. He has his 4 year check up in 3 weeks so I will bring this up then but I just measured him and he is at 50th percentile so I guess his height is normal. I don't have a scale so I couldn't weigh him but I know he hasn't really gained any weight since his last check up as his clothes still fit.

I just put a pair of 18-24M swim trunks on him!!! Granted, they are Gymboree and they can run big but he has two pair from two different years that fit. They fit with plenty of room to grow too. They fall at about his knees so they aren't short either.

I can't buy any clothes for him because I have no idea if he is just going to have a huge spurt or stay on the same curve. His appetite has increased quite a bit over the past few weeks so perhaps a big 4 year spurt is coming.

The belly concerns me a bit though and I was just wondering when that belly disappeared for your kids. My daughter had one too and I honestly don't remember. She was always pretty tall and chubby until she hit about 6 and then turned into a string bean so my son is obviously not following her growth pattern.

 

[SamIAm21]

Ahh the cursed Toddler Tummy. It will go away real soon, probaby by the time he's 4 1/2 or so. I remember my daughter still having some toddler tummy at the age of 4 and I can remember she still fit in 2T and 3T at that time too. She had a huge spurt during her age 5 year and has recently turned 6 and is now in a size 6 because her legs got so long. My neice is 3 and she still has toddler tummy.

Tune up your pocketbook because that boy's gonna need new pants real soon!

 

[barkley]

don't feel bad-my ds is almost 9 1/2 and has yet to hit 50 pounds! he is tall though! i have to get size 9 pants and take them WAY in (pant wise he could wear a 5t-he's the only kid i know who has to have tucks in his boxer shorts ). it's just the way he's built-his pediatrician says he's perfectly healthy and "all that eating will catch up with him some day" (i can't believe how much this kid is eating on summer vacation-i have to shop two or three times as much as normal).

despite being thin, he still has a little bit of that toddler paunch-it's probably the only thing keeping his pants up!

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

My dd's went away when she was about 4. My niece is 4 1/2 and still has hers. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[MareQ]

I wouldn't worry about the "belly' - it's not an indication of any sort unless it was very large.

As for the weight - as per my son's endrcrinologist - height is more important than weight so as long as your DS is ok in height he should be ok. If you are concerned about his weight - ask your Ped if you can see an Endocrinologist just for a consult for peace of mind.

I know how concerning it is My 8 year old son is PAINFULLY small - he's 33 lbs and approx 43" tall - he's the size of an average 4 year old - except he's twice as old.

One thing to mention - does your son have any digestive or bowel issues?

 

[MosMom]

No, he has always been completely healthy. The only issue we've ever had was an inguinal hernia which he had surgery for in 2004.

I've always figured it is just the way he is made but you can't help but worry.

 

[Rachie0507]

My DD, who is almost 6, still has her buddha belly. I'm hoping it will go away soon. She has very slender arms and legs so she looks kind of silly in a bathing suit. Luckily, she is at the age where she doesn't care. I'm wondering if it is a posture issue at this point.

My DS will be 4 next week. My Nathan is really small too and has a few articles of clothing that are 18-24 mos also. Most of his clothes are 2T or 3T though. Thank goodness for adjustable waist pants

 

[Towncrier]

I don't know when they go away, but mine reappeared at around age 30 (at the same time as my wife was pregnant with our first child).

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

i thought we were the only ones to call it that!!! We kid DD8 that she still has one after a big meal!!!! DD got rid of hers - DH now has one!!!!!

 

[HayGan]

My ped said that the "buddha" belly is due to the positioning of the internal organs (especially the liver.) When it disappears is entirely dependent on when those organs move into their proper place. Both of my boys lost theirs around the age of 4 to 4 1/2. One is very lean and shorter for his age while the other one is very tall and thicker/muscular. So height and weight didn't seem to be a determining factor for them.

 

[binny]

my 6 alomost 7 year old still has hers too, she isnt fat at all anywhere else so the doc said it will go away when its ready to. She too is totally active and runs all over the place and does cheerleading. Shes just built that way.

LOL TC mine went away but came back too

 

[lulugirl]

My Dd is 6.5 and still has a buddha belly. She has always been a round, healthy girl. In addition to the round tummy she also has a J-LO booty....so I think it's just how she's built!

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

OT - sorry!

lulugirl: awesome kitty action shot - looks like a little budha belly there!!! One of my kitties has a bigger one - on her I call it a "poochy" belly!!!!

 

[hlbtimes2]

My dd is almost 8 and still has one. She is tall and thin everywhere but her belly. And she can suck it way in- until you can see her rib cage. I think its just posture, organ position, etc., unless of course the child is showing signs of being overweight in other areas.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

My DS was four in May and I love rubbing his belly. He is off the growth chart for height and almost for weight. He's my gentle giant!

We went to a PreK screening for 4 year olds and one mother asked me how old he was. Uhhhhhhhhhhhh, Four.

Lori

 

[SamIAm21]

Well in terms of actual toddler tummy is because the abdominal muscles just aren't very strong yet. So, they go from crawling and being on all fours where your tummy hangs down to actually firming up and and becoming vertical once the little ones spend more time on two feet. Some abdominals shape up really fast and some just hang loose a little longer. Maybe because the organs push on them and as soon as they move, the muscles move too?

Either way, at 4, he's still got some time before he develops his six pack!!

 

[MosMom]

Oh, I'm not concerned about him having a six pack at all....I was actually concerned he might be malnourished since he is a horrible eater and seems small. More than one person has told me he looks like a "little Ethiopian".

 

[lulugirl]

Oh, I'm not concerned about him having a six pack at all....I was actually concerned he might be malnourished since he is a horrible eater and seems small. More than one person has told me he looks like a "little Ethiopian".

Kids come in all different sizes, just like adults. At his next visit w/ the pediatrician I would ask for some suggestions on "fattening" him up.
It's funny, I think we all worry, no matter how big or small our child is. I used to worry that Dd was too chubby!
Will he drink those pediasure drinks? I think they are high in calories.

 

[Alice's Mom]

If your doctor says he is healthy I wouldn't worry.

My daughter is 5 1/2 and still has the belly too. She is normal everywhere else. She tends to need to wear a larger size pant rolled up, but the doctor says she is perfectly healthy so I won't worry about it. She plays her heart out and she eats pretty healthy.

Besides, she is adorable!!

 

[MosMom]

I actually looked at our drug store and Walmart here for those shakes and they didn't have them here. I did buy Carnation Instant Breakfast shakes for him to have with breakfast and he likes those. They seem to be packed with vitamins and minerals with 7g of protein.

I noticed on the Pediasure commercial it says "Talk to your doctor" so I figured I would wait until his well baby in a few weeks to ask about it.