Tall but underweight toddler (2nd percentile), need advice!

[poppingin1]

I recently saw my GP as my DD has had a tummy bug and he asked me if she had always been skinny as she looks a little underweight. He looked concerned and in all honesty it has been a concern of mine for a few months now.

She is 17 months old and weighs 8Kg. I have recently had a row with my DM because she has been hounding me about my daughter looking malnourished and it has made me feel even worse.

I exclusively breastfed my daughter on demand until she started eating solids but it has been a big struggle to get her to eat more solids and she still prefers breastfeeding to actual meals. I know she is hungry but she pushes aside or plays with her meals and then comes to me for milk.

She is allergic to dairy so I want to breastfeed until she is two and I give her oatmilk whenever I can, but getting her to actually eat her food is very difficult.

I was reading some information on Kellymom which states that this is quite normal in breastfeeding toddlers but I am struggling to get my daughter to eat three meals a day. Today she hasn't even had one actual meal! She threw most of her food on the floor and then would come to me for milk instead. Even sliced cucumber went on the floor

Her dad and I were both very skinny but tall children and my MIL says that she looks like her dad at that age but I am still worried. She is 86cm tall which I think is quite tall but I am so worried as she was always bang on the 50th percentile as an infant when it came to her weight.

Any advice? I am so worried and quite upset at the thought that my daughter may be malnourished.

Just wanted to add that she is developing well in every other way and is a very strong little thing. She talks, sings, dances, walks and has a temper like her DD.

It is just the weight which is really concerning me.

Thanks in advance!

It sounds like she is built how her genes mean her to be built.

Does she have any vitamin or mineral supplements? If so, and you have no other worries I doubt very much that there is a problem.

Could you get a paediatrician referral just to reassure yourself?

Thanks for the quick reply!

I give her a vitamin supplement because I'm prone to low iron levels anyway.

I was going to take her to the local drop in tomorrow morning but I don't trust their advice very much after a couple of bad experiences with health visitors. I will try and get a referral for a pediatrician instead.

I'm very against force feeding and try to give her filling foods with pasta and potatoes so I thought I was doing OK. Thank you for the reassurance, it has been a little stressful as more and more people are pointing out how skinny she is.

ds2 was on 2nd centile for weight and 75th for height when he was 18 months. He's 17 now - 6' 1" and 10 stone 10. His brother who was on 75th for height and 50th for weight is 6' 2" and 13 stone. It's just the shape that they are.

As long as she gains weight over a period of time I wouldn't worry.

ps don't forget that centile charts are just that - an average of all kids' weights... in a nation where 30% of ten year olds are overweight or obese.

I'm very against force feeding

Too right! That is one battle that you will never win. The only thing a parent who tries this will ever achieve is making their child eat even less.

You need to keep being relaxed, offering food and taking it away without comment. Never bribe her to eat or punish her for not eating.

You could ask to see a dietitian. You'd keep a food diary for a week or two and they could analyse what she has had and let you know if there is anything important missing. They did this for DD1 and her slightly odd, restricted diet actually contained everything she needed. They also gave her vitamin and mineral supplements on prescription just in case so I knew they were the right ones.

If the GP has expressed concern they should be very willing to make a referral just to put your mind at ease. This could be to a paed or a dietician.