Growth worries

[chocolatepuff]

I have a 16month old dd, born on the 25th centile and since dropped to between 2nd and 9th. Shes never been a big eater (how im envious of friends who mock moan about their dc's hoovering up anything and everything! if only!) Doctor and HV have not been worried about her weight so far.
Recently I've noticed how much smaller she looks compared to others her age. As shes been eating even less the last few days (due to a cold) I went to the doctor again just to check it out. Weight wise shes ok, but height wise she's slowed right down, and dropped a centile on the length chart (doctor didnt give me any advice about this other than to keep an eye on it (confused)

was just wondering if anyone else had been through similar? I guess I'm looking for reassurance that she'll be ok and catch up!

My daughter weighs 9.2kg at 20 months. At one point we had the health visitor and gp wanting my daughter to be refered as she was on the 0.4th centile. She had been on the 50th centile. At one point we had the health visitor coming out to weigh my little girl every month. In fact the hv wants to visit us when my little girl is two. This is in an area where hvs are as rare as hen's teeth.

It is hard not to worry as my daughter has to wear cruisers as her feet as so small and she really could do with proper walking shoes as she has been walking for 6 months. We are using last winter's clothes as well.

Between the 2nd and 9th centile is respectable. Also growth charts vary. My daughter weight looked bad on our orginal chart. we now got one for breastfed babies and she looks far more respectable. (ie. 2nd centile instead of 0.4th)

Thanks reallytired, and well done for sticking to your guns about the referral -it is a worry but i understand you dont want to make an issue of it do you? im also reluctant (the doc implied if things stay this way in a couple of months to see a specialist)
why do you think your dd dropped on the growth charts if you dont mind me asking? with us i think its a combination of me having problems feeding and recurring mastitis, and a lengthy stomach bug in dd. also (most importantly?) shes probably meant to be petite!

Are you using a breastfed baby chart? Breastfed babies tend to be lighter than their bottlefed couterpart.

I have no idea why my dd has dropped through the centiles. I think its just the way she is.

She is developing well and her height is in proportion to her weight. 0.4% of healthy children are on the 0.4th centile. Some health professionals do not understand statistics.

No i havent seen a brestfed babbies chart, would be interesting to see how it looks there. dd is still bfed unlike most other similar age toddlers i know which may also explain why she is smaller.. i guess what i was worried about was that her height growth has slowed and dropped a centile. doctor said that this could be indicative of not eating enough. on the other hand i know that GP's dont know alot about child development!

www.rcpch.ac.uk/Research/UK-WHO-Growth-Charts

My dd is breastfeed although she is reducing her feeds rapidly at 20 months.

These charts are wonderful, they stopped the GP and health visitor breathing down my neck.

thanks for that link the WHO guidelines are much more reassuring!

both mine did this and are just off the bottom of the percentile chart now. They were healthy and happy though so nobody worried. I have great HV's who know when it's silly to make a fuss .