I'm a bit worried about my multi-allergy toddler being small

[Squidmission]

He's on the lowest percentile for height and weight and at 2 years old, he's still wearing 12-18month clothes (which are still slightly baggy and long)

He's allergic to loads of food but I think he eats a healthy diet within the limitations.

He otherwise seems healthy.

The hv did agree he was on the small size and has referred me to a dietician just to ensure he's getting the right foods etc.

Anyone else in similar situation?

I am!

Ds2 was also referred to a Dietician - he was also on the lowest line on the charts. The dietician gave us supplements to put in his drinks to make sure he was getting enough calories plus a calcium supplement as he was allergic to dairy.

He is still very small but incredibly healthy so I'm not worrying about it.

Yes my dd is also multi allergic and is now 1. She was on the 9th centile and had dropped from the 90th so they were going to diagnose her with failure to thrive.

We had been seeing a dietitian from the beginning though so she reassured us that our daughter was getting enough nutritionally. She also prescribed something called Duocal which is a build up powder.

She has now gone up and is inbetween the 'right' size for her age and the previous one.

Is he your only child? Are the others little too? Some children are just small/slight.

Def worth seeing dietitian though ours has been a Godsend.

To be honest, I didn't think a dietician would be very helpful but the supplement sounds good. I'll definitely see one.

I have another ds too and he's been on the 50th or above for height and weight.

When my DS dropped from the 25th and started to follow the lowest centile, I did question it with the HVs who weren't very concerned. I then saw the GP for something else and mentioned it and I was immediately referred to a Gastroenterologist Consultant for an assessment. If a baby drops 2 centiles it is protocol for an immediate GP referral- I later found this out from the HV!!!???

My DS is now one and is under review. They have conducted tests and given him medication which has increased his apetite and weight. As he is on a restricted diet (due to allergies), he also sees a dietician regularly. He will also see a Paediatrician for further allergy testa.
I hope this helps.

My ds2 dropped from the 9th centile at birth to the 0.4th centile at 23 weeks (with 8 weeks of no weight gain). He is allergic to dairy and something in homous (I suspect the chickpeas as ds1 is allergic to all beans and pulses), I also suspect a fish allergy.

We had to wait 13 weeks for a referal to a paediatrician and only got a referral to a dietician at the same time after lots of foot stamping!

He is now 16 months and still tiny (under 9kg), but the lack of support we get from the so-called health care "professionals" is awful. We gave up on the HV as to say she has the intelligence of an amoeba is slightly insulting to the amoeba.

Our dietician also hasn't been much help, but I'm sure there are better ones out there.

Sorry, I probably seem very negative - I'm just a bit down as ds2 has just spent the last few weeks vomitting several times per day (again no help from the medics), but which has hindered his weight gain further....

with any child who is small it's worth considering if they could have a problem absorbing nutrients as a result of gluten intolerance. They could have a blood test or you could try excluding all gluten. Blood tests can be traumatic for young children but being gluten free is quite difficult and not something to do for long without dietician advice.

Another possibility is to give digestive enzymes like Peptizyde. These are expensive but so are gluten free diets.

Those who have problems with fish need omega 3 fatty acids from another source, perhaps flaxseed oil or the special eggs you can buy.

oh dear.

dd4 has multiple allergies and has actually started to gin weight after diagnosis. she was born between 91-98th percentil line and at 22weeks had dropped to below the 25th. not a big drop as some, but i could see she was slowly dipping down and didnt have a clue what was wrong. once we knew what she was allergic to, and cut it out of mine and her diet, she has started to gain again. she is now back to the 50th percentile on the breastfedbaby chart. she is 11months, and has just moved into 6-9month age stuff. she is not small, but solid.

i know its different to what you're going through, but kinda understand. am just keeping an eye on dd4 weight, and its hard.

Tatt surely there would be other signs if ds2 had a gluten intolerance. I would seriously cry if he was gluten intolerant as he is fine only with bread, meat, veg, fruit, rice and pasta. He absolutely loves toast. I buy the calcium enriched one.

He actually eats really well and often eats more than his older brother. Although he is small, he is sturdy and solid.

I think I'll make an appointment to see the dr too.

We use the Haliorange omega 3 for babies, where the source is some micro-algae or other. Seems to be one of the few readily bioavailable omega-3's which is not fish-derived.

I should also add that although ds2 went down to the 0.4th centile, he is now just below the 9th centile on the new breastfed baby charts, which are more applicable to him than the "old" charts as he was breastfed till 13 months.

With resect to supplements, although these can help, I know that some medics don't like prescribing them as it doesn't necessarily encourage a long-term change in the foods given (and hence stopping the supplements can then result in stopping weight gain again). However, we do lots of stuff like roasting vegetables instead of boiling or steaming and adding a dash of olive oil to lots of ds2's food whch helps bump up the calories. Also keep a close eye on the calorie content of the fod you give, lots of food for younger children can be surprisingly low in calories.

gluten intolerance normally only gets diagnosed when there are other symptoms but quite a few people are not diagnosed for years. There's a discussion by the British Nutrition federation that talks about diagnosis (and mentions short stature in children) here www.nutrition.org.uk/home.asp?siteId=43&sectionId=852&parentSection=403&which=undefined

I don't think it's a likely cause but in a child with food allergies it's worth a mention. It is something that can fairly easily be tested for and can get worse if missed. Of course if you / your OH are both short yourselves he may be absolutely fine as he is.

Even if he did turn out to have a problem with gluten there are plenty of substitutes now. You can get gluten free pasta and bread, even if its not quite the same.

DS is now three and has multiple allergies. I've always been worried about his weight and when you add in the usual toddler pickiness over meals it can turn into an obsession. I admit to consulting the red book chart a bit more than I probably should!

However although he looks very slim he's managed to stay on about the 50th centile even though he never stays still for long enough to eat a full meal. I've found the dieticians rubbish (agree with Academic on the amoeba front)I've had some appalling suggestions from them.

The answer for us seems to be constant snacking to keep up his calorie intake. He won't sit down and eat a big meal so I've had to give in and let him have bits throughout the day. Dove Farm wholemeal digestives, rice cakes, oat bars, sandwiches, fruit. He still has sit down meals as well, just a smaller size portion than a lot of kids. It's not an ideal situation but I think it's helped keep his weight gain up. I do occasionally feel like ahuman tuck shop though .

I think it's a real shame a lot of you have had rubbish dietitians. Ours has turned our lives around.
OP - it's worth a try you may get a good one!

Thanks for all your advice.

Update here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/allergies/829266-In-tears-over-gp-visit

Squid - have the same with DS - he is 2 yesterday and this morning he is wearing age 9-12m jeans!

He is definitely allergic to eggs, cats and peas but recently we have had 2 terrifying attacks of hives over his body to God knows what.

He is tiny and often seems to be distressed when we are eating. He is so picky. I am so confused as to how much is him just being picky and how much is allergies. Going to see HV tomorrow followed by GP just to see whether he is a worry. At the last measuring he practically had his hips dislocated to get him on the centile chart! So wierd as dd is totally allergy free and tall for her age.

Poor you - know how you feel. Maks you so worried.

My almost 2 year old DS will be having his 2 year check soon - he has slipped from almost 50th centile to about 9th I think and weighs 11kg fully clothed with shoes. He eats fairly well somedays but other days nothing. He also wears mostly 9-12 month trousers any larger they hae to be belted and rolled up.... do you think we'll get referred too..... HV already hinted she'll refer us for speech therapy as he doesnt say anything other than oh no! (well he can say oh sh*t but I didnt tell her that!

Lol at sh*t Jerin

I hope you all get the right advice and help you need because it is a worry.
I'm still trying....

Hi Squid - am in similar situation.
DS1 is 2 but still wears lots of 12-18 month clothes. Dropped from 50th centile to 25th and sometimes the 9th. For height he is between 2nd and 9th centiles.
Have seen dietician, gastroenterologist and endocrinologist. May be that he is not absorbing nutrients fully as he does eat generally a good, balanced diet (other than his allergies) but is still low in various vitamins etc. I will try to update you further after our next visit to the specialist.

Naturopath thanks for your post. I'll be really interested in seeing how your ds progresses.
I've just started giving ds2 probiotics. Have you tried that? Are you giving him supplements?
I'm waiting for an appointment for a dietician.

Interesting about the probiotics - I did just buy some for him, although not for that reason - just because I thought it might be good generally.

He takes iron, calcium and mutivitamin supplements, but we'll see after next blood tests if these are actually being absorbed.

I think I may get ds2 tested for gluten intolerance.