DS9 underweight

[racmac]

DS9 has always been little for his age but i have just realised how skinny he has got.

HE has only put on 9lbs in 2.5 years and im a bit worried.

Should i see the Dr? or just try to fatten him up myself? He does have a fairly good appetite but is very very active.

Can children have protein shakes ? Is there any point seeing GP

Where does he fall on the percentile graphs in his red book for weight and height? Rememeber that it is fine for them to be two percentitle bands different btw height and weight, actually my son is three percentile bands lower for weight than height, but he is fine. I wouldn't panic and start giving him protein shakes. I would write down his typical daily food intake and go and see the gp, not a health visitor. If the gp thinks he is under weight enough for it to be a concern then ask for a referral to a paediatrician and a dietition who specialises in children. Hope that helps, try not to worry.

Firstly, no to the protein shakes - they aren't too balanced and may strain his kidneys as you have to just pee out the excess by products of unnecessary protein... plus they aren't even that calorie dense compared to normal wholemilk or milkshakes

Secondly, like Sparkle said it's best to see how his growth compares to his normal curve and maybe keep a 3 day food diary, work out the rough calorie intake and go from there. If you're concerned, and you have a right to be, it's definately worth getting it checked out and ruling out anything underlying. How is he generally?
If he's very active it might just be that he needs lots and lots of food and a little boost of calories? You could maybe try adding a bit more fat in the form of healthy oils and nuts etc to his food, and getting him to drink more milk and juice, take more snacks and even a few more packets of crisps here and there x