10 month old not gaining weight

[francohoops]

Hi
Our 10 month old (who was a 9lb 6 baby) is struggling to put weight on. He was b/fed for 6 months and we are now feeding him 3 meals a day plus formula (x2). He loves eating and is not at all fussy.
He’s generally very happy, is very active (crawling, cruising, standing and nearly walking), plus he sleeps through at night.
He’s been around 17lb for the past 2 months and has dropped slightly (he’s in the 15th percentile).
Doctor said a month ago to keep an eye on his weight – went to get him weighed today and he’s lost a little bit more.
We’re going to take him back to the doctors later this week – but what could be causing this? Does he need more food, or could there be another reason – the HV mentioned UTI – but he’s no other signs.
Any advice appreciated
Thanks
F

[ilovepowerhoop]

do you mean the centile has dropped or his weight has dropped?

[francohoops]

Both, he's dropped from 25th to 15th and lost an ounce in last month

[mrsmalcolmreynolds]

I would think an ounce is neither here nor there TBH - it could be the difference from having done a wee more recently this time! He's presumably got a lot more active over the past month or two? If so and he's eating well and happy in himself I'd be inclined to view it as one of those things personally.

My DD went all round the houses on percentiles bedore settling on the 50th - born on 91st, was as low as 15th at one point and I tortured myself about it. However in hindsight it was just a combination of "catching down" from an out of kilter birth weight and sporadic growth - I believe this is the norm and as they get older they don't necessarily follow smooth curves.

So I would say worth seeing the doc, but try not to wind yourself up to much (or let hcps do it to you either! ).

[mrsmalcolmreynolds]

too much, even - wretched phone.

[PacificDogwood]

He may be doing one of those awkward stretch-a-little then put-on-a-little things.
A lot of babies' weight is quite stagnant once they become more physically active. He does not sound like an unwell child and a UTI is easily enough ruled out.

Feed to appetite - don't try and do a Mrs Whatername from Father Ted: "Gawn, gawn, gawn", but you can try to add some calories to what he has anyway: butter or cream in everything basically.

[joanna0211marie]

Try another milk feed, it has more calories x

[hettienne]

They eat such small amounts at this age that it's important you make it all count calorie-wise - fat and protein rather than lots of fruit/veg and carbs. How much milk does he have? 2 bottles doesn't sound like lots, they still need about 20oz formula until a year.

[minipie]

Honestly if he's happy and active and sleeps through I doubt he's hungry. It is quite normal for weight gain to drop rapidly once they gain weight. How big are his bottles of formula? He could maybe have another one sometime in the day, or a high calorie snack like raisins and cheese sticks. But really I wouldn't worry all that much. keep an eye yes, worry no.

[Davesmum]

My ds also didn't gain much weight after 6 months. He was 19lbs from 8 months to 11 months. He was bf 6x a day and was on 3 meals and 1 snack but he finally accepted formula at 11 months and gained 2lbs in 3 weeks. He was 21lbs and 8oz at 1. He also got taller.

Anyway what am trying to say is, formula has more calories than solid so give him more formula. Even if it means that he will have less solid meals. My ds is now 13 months and close to 23lbs. He is still on formula 3x a day and 3 meals ( packed with calories) and 2 snacks.

[FTMF30]

Is his length at a similar centile to his weight?

[ElyElyOy]

I think an extra bottle wouldn’t hurt but I wouldn’t worry: your baby isn’t underweight and is well. Weight is often static as they get older/taller/more movement.

I do think though that more milk would be better: more calories and vitamins in milk than food!

[wintertravel1980]

Thinking that milk has more calories than solids is a common mistake.

It is true that breastmilk and formula has got more calories than a majority of first weaning foods. 1oz of milk contains about 22 calories. Calorific intake of fruit and vegetable purees generally ranges between 10 and 20 calories. There are some calorific first weaning foods (e.g. avocado, banana, potato, sweet potato) but the list is limited.

However once you compare milk to food suitable for a 10 month old, it becomes clear that solids have got many more calories than milk. Meat or chicken casserole is 45+ calories/oz, beans on toast is 35-40 calories/oz, cheese is 100+ calories/oz, etc. If a baby is not gaining weight at 10 months, I would focus on solids rather than milk.

[ElyElyOy]

Yes but it’s a common mistake to think that more fat/calories per oz in solids mean it’s better. A baby may eat 2oz of casserole or they can drink 8oz of milk.

(My son is under the Dietitian due to low weight and had detailed advice/plans, and 2 bottles a day in an under 12 month baby isn’t really enough).

[wintertravel1980]

2 bottles a day in an under 12 month baby isn’t really enough.

2 bottles a day (400 mls) is a standard recommendation for a 10 to 12 month baby fully established on solids and having a balanced diet:

www.cwt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Eating-Well-First-Year-of-Life-Web.pdf

Page 78:

"What should 10-12 month olds eat and drink?

By 10-12 months of age, a baby should be eating a range of minced and chopped foods and be eating two meals a day and aiming for three meals a day by 12 months of age. The quantity of breast or formula milk a baby has will differ depending on their age and stage of development and will usually be around 400ml a day."

First Nutrition Trust guidelines for 10-12 month olds are very similar - 400ml (2 bottles) a day.

Of course, guidelines for individual babies (e.g. those who are slow to taking solids or have specific allergies or intolerances) may be different but if I had been in the OP's position with the baby who "loves eating and not at all fussy", I would focus on solids.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

What does he usually eat in a day OP? Is he getting plenty of protein? Has he been checked for anaemia as that can sometimes slow weight gain.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Only just realised this is a ZOMBIE thread. The D.C. in question will be almost 6 now.