Did/do development "curves" (centiles) ever freak you out?

[charleypops]

Ds's started on the 9th and has dropped to nearly 5th, he's refluxy and doesn't eat as much as he should. I'm worried. All his curves have dropped, head, length and weight.

Have any of you been through this HELL?? Did things improve? How? When?

DS started on 25th, went down to 9th (lots of early problems with bfing and jaundice), then very sicky, then from 4 - 13 months sidled up to 50th centile!

I was told by my HV that it would only be a cause for concern if a child suddenly jumped two lines in the chart. Dropping from 9th to 5th doesn't sound that bad really - but of course talk it through with your GP/HV rather than take my word for it!

Those things are rubbish. I was HUGE - always at the top of the scale in both height and weight. I'm 5ft., 3in. and - aside from pregnancies - have weighed about 8 stone since I was 13.

the one good thing about DS dropping to the 9th centile was it was a very useful thing to quote at relatives concerned he would become overweight as I was overfeeding him by feeding him on demand!

Yes, that's what centiles are for, to freak mums out. Ds2 started very high (91st?) and then around 6mths, stopped putting weight on and then progressed down to 50th for weight, but still 91st for height. Paediatrician not concerned as long as height ok. Now at age 2, his weight remains on 50th, and height now progressing down towards 50th - so new referral to paed imminent!

Not quite the same as you, as ds is considerably older, but same issue of not meeting centiles and worrying about food/milk intake. Things did improve but on and off if you know what I mean, I'm always worrying about whether he's eating enough carbs and fat (if only I had his appetite for low cal food!)

Hope you get lots more appropriate advice!

ds is 5 months, 50th centile at birth, quickly dropped to just under 0.4, but following the curve precisely. he's not chubby (unlike me!) but not skinny either. look at baby not chart is good advice i've been given.

Also the charts haven't been updated for a long time (I think, unless they have done it recently). My two were light at birth and now are tall (dd is off the scale). With older children you need to worry more if they lack energy, but with babies it is really hard not to worry. Hope things work out for you.

the charts are also outdated re:breastfed babies - breastfed babies tend not to put on as much weight at first.

I don't like charts (anyone surprised?!).

DS was born on 75th centile. HV was still pointing to that with a concerned expression when he was one and between 9th and 25th.

However, I had suspected gestational diabetes and DS was 10 days late - I believe he just found his line (after gaining weight very quickly until he was about three months old) - HV kept on about how well I felt bfeeding was going and ignored the chubby baby grinning at her - so he was light, so what?!

did you whip out a copy of the breastfed babies centile chart when she did that HM

No, but I did ask her whether she'd got a copy yet (each time I saw her) - actually, my HV probably thinks I ought to be shot

Those charts haven't been updated since the 70's & were specifically tailored for bottlefed babies. I also requested the bf baby centile charts...still waiting...

DD was around the 50th centile, stayed there for a few weeks, then meandered to the 25th ish, then dipped a bit to the 9th.DD seemed to feed constantly. We went on to 4 hourly feeds ( BF) from about 4mths & her wait crept up a few ozs each week. Had a lot of pressure to wean - I refused, so this was my alternative - which worked very well.

DD is 27mths, tall & strapping, but without an ounce of fat on her - she's about 29lbs

How old is DS ? are you the lady who is requesting info ref cranial oestopathy ? any joy yet ?

Thanks everyone!

It's great to hear how lines can fluctuate without causing any major problems! I didn't know - I've only been told he should stay on the same line!

It's (to use a cliche) a real rollercoaster isn't it? I think tbh it's the head circumference I'm mainly obsessing about. Does this correlate to weight gain?

Bethron - he's been taking Ranitidine for 6 days now and seems to have become more windy which is making him uncomfortable. Dr said give it 10 days, as it it can make refluxy babies worse to begin with so we'll see. How's A?

Mojomummy - yes, it's me! Not booked anything yet, will soon though.

No. After 6 months I refused DS to be weighed or measured. He outghrows his clothes and eats like a horse; that's all I need to know!

CONSTANTLY!!! DS has been falling through the centiles since he went onto solids and now at 1yr drs are all in a fuss about what is happening and looks like we will have to have all sorts of tests (again) to see what is happening. On the other hand he is doing so well lately, has come a huge step forward developmentally, is eating, is sleeping and is coping with life in general better...I wish the b* centiles didnt exist but maybe there really is something wrong causing his weight issues, just wish I felt safe enough to tell them to give him more time to see what he does on his own.

they would have if Id ever looked to see which ones my children were on.

I've never been told what centile dd was on so I dont know where she started or where she is now!! I've also heard people talking about a Red Book they have but dont have one of them either (I live in Scotland - does that make a difference?)

Dd has also not been weighed at the clinic since she was 8 months old (now 22 months) but she does like playing on our electronic scale so she can see the 'nummers' - was born 7lb 11oz and is now roughly 26lbs 8oz - dont know if thats good/bad or otherwise, but she is a happy little chatterbox and I dont need a centile chart to work that one out!!

I wish to god I didn't have that little red book!! Just been to see that paed and he needs more tests

No, amino acids bethron. worried

Seona1973 - I'm in Scoltand too (Glasgow) and have a "Red Book".

For the record, my ds was born on 91st, dropped down to just underneath the growth ccharts at aobout 6 weeks and then gradually moved up to the 25th by about 4 months - at which point I stopped having him weighed.

He's now 5, and in his last few "formal" checkups with th HV he's been fairly consistently on the 5oth.

He was checked by the consultant paediatrician follwojg his drop thru' the centiles as he also wasn't feeding well - but his view was that he was manifestly a happy, healthy and alert child and that I should stop the "faff" of giving him extra EBM.

After that I stopped bothering - but I did keep away from HVs except for the formal check-ups, as I didn't want any ignorant comments about b/f. I just used the b/f support group at the maternity hospital. I fed him untl he was 13 months.

Sorry for the short post earlier Bethron - screaming over stimulated child and freshly done in head! Discovered today that in 10 days ds has put on 9 oz, so his eating does seem to be improving - hopefully the Ranitidine is sorting him out.

I really hope Aaron's seizures go completely soon.

Doc and HV both say his head is in proportion, but when I look at that damn chart all I see is length:25th, weight:5th, head:2nd, down from the 25th at birth (although it was swollen a bit from the ventouse) and I need to see that his head's ok because of what happened.

Yawningmonster - poor you - "Hell Curves" is how I'm referring to them at the moment! I'm dreading weaning him - which is going to be in a couple of weeks - a whole new can of worms I bet. Hope some of the posts here help put your mind at ease

Seona - how strange that you don't have a red book (you lucky thing!) It's the first thing everyone asks for at the clinics/doctors/HV's etc.

Prettybird - Ds is as you describe yours - happy, and alert and would seem to me to be entirely healthy, and if I didn't have the charts to worry over, I'd be edging towards actually being able to fully enjoy my baby by now. Apart from the test he had to have today of course.

BFing (well, my failure to establish it) seems so insignificant to me these days.

Hyia Charley,
As you know we have been worrying a bit about DD lack of growth. She has only put a kg from 2 to 3 years old! But after being iagnosed as failure to thrive by one paed, we went yesteray to see the endocrinologist who said: - What exactly are you worried about? She put one kg since last month when we saw the pead, and now is perfectly back in the 9th centile! So yes, these are curves to make mummys worry! Now, seriously, they are there for reference, but you need to look on the long term. Changes from a month to other means very little.
By the way, DD was 95% for lenght, 50% forweight and 9% for HC. Now she is 25%, 9% and 9%.
With the head thing we were worried about the other way around, as fastgrowing heads can sometimes be associatedwith autism. So if you look too much there is worry eitherway!
I think you are doing the rightthing and checking him out, better safe than sorry. But try not to worry to much, if possible . Hugs to you.

no these things never bothered me because I just ignored them!