2 year old quite small

[Tvscreen]

Hello

My DS is 26 months old and is very small for his age. I have measured his height recently and he’s just under 2nd centile according to the red book. At the 1 year check he was above the 9th centile.

Developmentally he seems ok - great community, runs but doesn’t jump. Isn’t that great at puzzles or fine motor skills.

I haven’t heard at all from my HV since the 1 year check so I have emailed them to arrange an appointment but is his lack of growth something I should worry about? He’s so much smaller than his peers and some younger children. When we were at the park the other day this child who was 4 months younger than him referred to him as a baby.

He’s quite slight in terms of his weight but he always eats well and I give him loads of high calorie healthy snacks like peanut butter on rice cakes and put nut butters in his porridge.

I’ll see what the health visitor says but honestly my experience with them has been awful. Any advice much appreciated.

Thank you

Great communication (not community!)

Are you and/or dh small? I think it's always a bit of a concern if they drop centiles. I would keep a careful record of height and weight and flag it with the GP especially if he drops any more or if any developmental concerns arise x

Thank you for your response. I am 5”6 and my DH is 5”9 so we are both quite small but I just checked the red book and he was actually in 25th centile in the red book so I will call my GP tomorrow!

Yeh I'd say that's grounds for looking into things. It might well be nothing but he essentially has faltering growth now and you and husband whilst not giants are not tiny either. They're all different but I'd want it investigating a bit x

You and DH are definitely not small. I think you are right to bring this up with your GPbit don't be fobbed off, try to insist on a referral or at least a follow up appointment.

I've been in the same situation with my dd for 18mths or so, she was 50th centile then 25th, then 20th, now at 9th centile. The GP referred us to a dietician and we had some blood tests done but they were apparently all normal so we've been left to our own devices for about a year and its starting to worry me that dd will always be tiny. She's nearly 3 but still in 18-24m clothes and looks way younger than her peers at nursery. Its a niggling worry that there's something wrong so if I were you I'd follow up with GP but be prepared to have to fight for any help.

My son had some blood tests done when he was two as he was under 2nd centile - turned out he was coeliac which we hadn’t had a clue about. Since changing his diet he has shot up, is much less pale and is generally healthier. He had got really run down with the wrong diet. Always worth getting blood tests done to see if they can spot anything.

Thank you all. How were your little ones with the blood tests? My biggest worry is subjecting him to something like this when he is so small and hates being interfered with (big struggle to cut nails/hair etc)

I can’t really remember the tests to be honest. But this was only a few months after nine days of him being hospitalised and hooked up to various drips, a heart operation, a week of IV antibiotics and three months of daily antibiotics... in the scheme of things, a blood test didn’t really register by then. I’m sure he didn’t enjoy it but in terms of helping his health the short term pain it was so worth it.

@Bringallthebiscuits oh how scary and horrible for you all. Poor sweetheart. Hope your DS is ok now x

Mine was OK with the blood test. The nurses were brilliant, really calm and reassuring and although it was obviously a bit of a shock with the needle going in it was all over in 60 seconds. I had taken jelly babies and stickers with me to distract her afterwards and we went to the park on the way home so she was fine. No worse than getting their vaccinations when they were babies

Thanks @TVscreen - yes doing so much better now since going gluten free :)

My ds is smallish. Hes 3.5 and 96cm so about 9th to 25th centile. I think is estimated height is 5 ft 7 or 8 which to me isnt tiny.
With your heights I would expect your boy to be closer to the 50th ie average of 5ft 10 once grown.
How much does he weigh?