To not go to GP despite getting y6 dd being deemed underweight?

[Farewelltoarms]

Hello has anyone else got one of those National Child Measurement Programme letters telling them their child is underweight? I know there's always sadface poses in the tabloids with kids dubbed overweight but I don't often hear of the opposite problem (in part because the range is 2-90 for a healthy weight so there's far fewer in the former category).

I don't know whether to do something about it or not. I'm really loathe to start pathologising anything to do with weight with a daughter on the cusp of puberty but I don't know if I'm being irresponsible.

She has always been skinny, all my children are but they've usually fallen just within healthy range. She is the only of one of them to eat really well, she tries everything, loves new flavours, I cook pretty well most of the time, all fresh etc. She is sporty but more than that she's one of those fidgety fretful people who seem to metabolise more than the rest of us. I'm not one of those people.

Watching with interest. DD2, aged 9 is probably too skinny, but for the same reasons as you, I'm not sure whether to take her to the doctor as I don't want to give the message that weight or body size is an issue.
We talk to her about her health, and try not to say "skinny".
Unlike your dd, mine does not eat well, has a very limited range of what she eats, and doesn't eat large amounts even of the things she likes.
We fill her up as much as we can with milk and yoghurt and bananas, but I don't know if we should do something more. It will be interesting to see how she comes out when she is weighed in Yr6 - glad you reminded me about that.

My understanding is the primary thing to be concerned about with children and being underweight is if they start losing weight or don't gain any over time.

Although I'm not in anyway an expert. Was her height taken into account?

If she was underweight and not eating, then I would say yes, go to GP. But if she is really eating plenty - and healthily - then just keep an eye on her. If she's already a little fretful then it may do more damage than good, telling her that her weight is a concern. I was a REALLY skinny kid: I ate everything put in front of me and DM cooked from scratch so it was good stuff … I just didn't put on weight. I know there wasn't an issue with children's weight so much back then (70s) but no nurse or doctor ever seemed perturbed by my weight (or lack of it). Once I got through puberty everything filled out as it should. I think you may do more harm than good by drawing your DD's attention to it.

If you want some advice you could speak to the school nurse or visit the gp alone so your dd wasn’t aware?

YANBU.
All 5 of children have at some point been slightly underweight and then never went past the at the low end of a healthy weight.
I have never taken them to the GP, there just skinner than some children.
As long as shes eating and still able to run around then shes fine, just like some children will be fine being just slightly overweight.

Thank you so much for reinforcing my initial thoughts. And responding to a thread where the title doesn't make sense (the 'getting' was going to be about the letter from the NHS).

I do wonder whether I need to give them bigger portions or something. They get bored easily so they end up leaving the table rather than having seconds.

It's quite hard to get your head around upping calorific intake. I wish they liked peanut butter, nuts etc. All other parents I know are always sighing about how their children 'eat them out of house and home' while mine were on child portions until really recently, sometimes even sharing them. This supposed underweight child was the one I didn't worry about as she ate so well (avocados, hummus, fruit, fish etc).

It seems impossible to get right...

PS yes Trumpet they take height into consideration - she's 150cm tall (just under five foot) and just under 32kg in weight.

How old is your DD? I was always the skinny child in primary school, a thin teenager and grew into a slim adult. If she's eating properly and seems otherwise healthy ie: not tired or rundown or ill etc, then I wouldn't worry too much.

I've been thin all my life while eating normally. My BMI was 17 which is quite low but I've never had any eating disorders or health problems. My metabolism has changed with the menopause now though and I have to be more careful what I eat.

Having said that, you could talk to the GP first and see what he/she says. A set of blood tests to check thyroid etc might be a good idea and you don't need to tell you DD anything about weight concerns.

Hilda, she's 11.

I wonder about her hormones, thyroid etc. For the last three or four years she's been proper smelly (teenage armpit smell) despite not showing any other signs of puberty. It's only very recently that she's got that very early breast development (can't use the word 'budding'!). I have a very very thin friend who said she was and is the same, it's like the burn off all the eat. Would be useless post apocalypse.

Maybe blood tests in order.

Blood tests couldn't hurt. It sounds like you're a bit concerned, even if it's not about her size per se.

If you're concerned about other health issues, take her to the GP, but I wouldn't worry if it's just the weight. It sounds like she eats well and there isn't any reason to suspect an eating disorder or anything else concerning. Sometimes people are just thin.