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Original poster

ds has one week to fatten up, OR ELSE....................

33 replies

froggyfroofroo · 03/09/2008 21:14

...he will have to go for blood tests.

took ds to gp today as he is still not feeding well. i showed GP his little red book and told her he had only gained 6oz in 5 weeks.
she said to get him weighed at clinic next week and if he is on, or under, the 25th centile he will have to go the paediatrician for blood tests.

What are these blood tests? in my worried state of mind i didnt think to ask and the GP didnt say.

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LittlePushka · 03/09/2008 21:24

How odd? How old is he? WHat weight is he?

My DS has consistently dropped centiles and is currently stable on 2nd. I have see the paed several times and has said that only if he dropps elow 2nd will he consider further investigation necessary. This is because 2nd is the lowest level of what are considered normal parameters. Tests he talked to me about were to establish presence or otherwise of relevant growth hormones but also tests to establish that he was corrently absorbing the food he eats.

He is 2 this month and eats well (he is vegetarian) full of life and is developmentaly right on track

Tell me more about your DS...very interested to hear

gigglewitch · 03/09/2008 21:29

also wondered how old he is, and what he's being fed on?
My DD also was (still is) on 2nd centile, having wandered below it regularly...

SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore · 03/09/2008 21:34

ah my dd had them its nothing to worry about they will also do a urine test and a sweat test

its just to check there is nothing pysical causing his slow weght gain. if there isnt you will be refered to pead nutrionist. who will very helpfully tell that sausages, eggs and full fat dairy are calorific

after that you will panick like hell and plead and beg with your ds to eat. you will cry he will cry. you will feel like a failure. you will eventually run out of energy/tears and give up. your ds will start eating and climb back upto where he is meant to be on the charts and you will wonder what all the fuss was about

Original poster
froggyfroofroo · 03/09/2008 21:39

he is 6.5 months and is 17lbs.

he's bottlefed and have been weaning for 6 weeks so he is on 3 meals a day. he has never been a good feeder, ive always struggled to get milk down him but he takes his solids like a dream. GP said not to worry about his milk intake or if he even drops it altogether which i found odd as i thought they needed a minimum of 18oz milk a day.

OP posts:
Ewe · 03/09/2008 21:42

Are his three meals fairly high cal? Can you load his meals with cheese, mix things with formula etc to squeeze in some extra calories?

gigglewitch · 03/09/2008 21:45

have i forgotten or isn't that a perfectly fine weight for a LO? by all means check out if he's got any allergies or anything, but no way use the "Or Else" version of offering you testing
Sounds like yet another HV with Attitude to me. Sorry.

misdee · 03/09/2008 21:45

6.5mnts and 17lb?

dd3 didnt reach that till she was 11montha old.

has he dropped through a lot?

Original poster
froggyfroofroo · 03/09/2008 21:47

not very high cal, its mostly pureed veg still(took weaning slowly) im rubbish at weaning and have no idea what to give him. might just get some jars which have meat and fish and past etc.

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pudding25 · 03/09/2008 21:47

But he is not that small for 6.5mths? I though 17lbs would be a healthy weight?

My dd is nearly 4 mths and has been gaining 4oz each wk. If she continues at this rate, she will only be about 15 lbs by 6.5mths. HV says she is fine?

Original poster
froggyfroofroo · 03/09/2008 21:48

his weight has gone from following 75th to nearly the 25th.

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SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore · 03/09/2008 21:49

he sounds exactly like my dd1! be prepared for it to get worse before it gets better. obv a pead nutritionist wont tell you to feed him sausages that early. that bit will come later. at that age they suggest mixing cream or formula mix with everything! and butter!

i.e. mash potato would be made with extra butter and full fat cream
mashed banana would have formula added

at most they will give you a special powder that is added to their food

soph28 · 03/09/2008 21:49

17lbs is a fine weight for 6.5mths.

My dd was that at about a year old and now at 2 she is about 22.5lbs (between 2nd and 9th centile I think).

No one has ever been remotely concerned about her weight.

Original poster
froggyfroofroo · 03/09/2008 21:52

i think its more that he has stopped gaining at a steady pace more than his actual weight, its sort of plateaud(sp?) and has barely gone up in about 8 weeks or so.

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soph28 · 03/09/2008 21:52

All f mine have started between 50th and 85th centile and ended up below 25th. This is normal pattern for some children.

DD1 didn't eat any solid food till she was 8mths. She now has a healthy appetite and eats pretty well for a toddler but she is still teeny (even though I am 5'8'' and not skinny!)

LittlePushka · 03/09/2008 21:53

LOL SHells!

My DS was over a year old before he went over 19lb. He was never a chubby/fleshy baby and stil is not. He is not a picky eater - he eats three meals a day and has something for supper. Sometimes he is full and sometimes he asks for more. I am not now concerned about his weight as long as it is proportinate to his height ( which it is...he is a real tiddler!).

I would have thought 25th centile, 6.5 mths and 17 lbs was fairly usual? Wonder what anyone else thinks?

lesleyella · 03/09/2008 21:53

My dd is 8months and 15lbs ... has also dropped massively on the chart but no mention of blood tests ... she is tiny but seems very healthy and lively. Guess I think that as long as he seems healthy to you then probably too young to worry too much about it.

Be very interested to hear what happens next for you.

misdee · 03/09/2008 21:53

but babies weight does start to slow down around 6m,onths+. if you notice the lines in the book dont carry on at the same degree of steepness.

soph28 · 03/09/2008 21:55

Didn't get them weighed that regularly so wouldn't really know but they do slow down a lot after about 6mths.

Original poster
froggyfroofroo · 03/09/2008 21:56

hmmm? maybe she is sending him because he doesnt take his bottles well, lots of struggling and screaming and arching.

OP posts:
soph28 · 03/09/2008 21:56

x post misdee!

cargirl · 03/09/2008 21:57

it was probably that he was heavier than he was meant to be because he was formula fed and now he is dropping to the correct weight for him. Mine have all started off heavy 98th Centiles and by a year old varied from 98th to 25th centile, all healthy just different.

SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore · 03/09/2008 21:58

okay things to feed him:
yoghurts
mashed veg should be given with full fat butter and/or cheese
protiens untill they are on finger foods are mainly diary/fish
fish pie made with full fat milk a splash of cream in the white sauce and loads of butter in the mash
cheese pasta sauce made with fullfat milk and cream, topped with full fat cream
mince and mash

soph28 · 03/09/2008 21:58

My 4mth old (19wk) dd is 13.5lbs. I certainly don't expect her to gain another 4lbs in the next 2 months.

LittlePushka · 03/09/2008 21:58

Oh should also say that DS1 started on 50th and dived, DS2 also started on 50th and is now on 93rd.

I will probably worry more about my second son being too fat than my first being too lean.

Also ressuring to hear from others who have little little ones

SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore · 03/09/2008 21:59

btw dd1 was drastically underweight and ate virtually nothing - the above is what i was advised to do, her weight dropped slowly down the chart from birth, she went off the bottom in the end.