health visitors in westbury, wilts

[concernedfather]

wasn't sure where to post this - my DD is very underweight when seen by a different HV in another county i was told to be worried, but by her mothers HV in westbury she is told everything is fine, dont worry etc etc, just wondering if anyone had had any dealings with them and weather i could get some advice on what to do.
thank you

How old is she and how heavy is she? Have you checked her against the graphs in your red book?

Kids can move up and down the scale quite quickly. My DS was born exactly on the 50th percentile but dropped to below the 2nd percentile within six weeks and then back up to 50% in another eight weeks. He had all the food he wanted, he just didn't want it.

weight in bottom of 2nd centile just on the line of the 0.4, height on bottom of 25th.
and she is 17months.
the health visitor i saw with her said i should be very concerned because there is nothing wrong with her for her to be that underweight she is close to be malnourished. but this goes against everything the westbury health visitor said

The whole point of the percentile things is that 0.4% of children will naturally be that weight and be completely healthy so it is possible it isn't a problem but unlikely.

What does your daughter eat? When she's with you does she eat well, is she interested in food? Does she drink full fat milk or formula? At that age my DS was eating things like warm pita bread and pea dip or fishfingers and baked beans plus a bottle of milk. And jaffa cakes for a special treat.

If you're worried why don't you take her to the GP? Do you only see her a weekends?

not aloud to see her now apparently, after i told her mother what my HV said i was accused of trying to find fault and take her away. her weights dropped dramatically since her mothers lived alone with her she was in the 25th when born dropping slightly to the top of the 9th then within 3months of living alone she had hit the 0.4 line.

when shes at home i have no idea as if i ask i get told everything is fine but no details, was hoping to hear from my HV that i was just a bit over anxious.

at my house she has a healthy balanced diet lots of fruit, veg, meat and carbs. but it was hard to get her eating anything with flavour before i put it down to baby food now im beginning to wonder.

Does she look underweight/malnourished? I guess if the other HV has pronounced her fine at least you know she has been seen by a professional, sometimes HVs do have differing opinions but you would hope one would identify a malnourished child.

Are you and her mum tall and thin? If you are both slight then your DD probably will be as well.

I guess if you are concerned you need to seek further advice about this.

Weight can plateau at around 14-18 months when most children master walking and get more active, also I suppose the split must have been unsettling for her which could be a factor as well.

It sounds like you are just concerned though, can you speak to your ex and explain you don't want to take your DD away from her, you are just concerned for her welfare. It seems a bit extreme to remove contact unless she is worried you are going to take her and never give her back or something! Try to keep things neutral and remember to focus it on your DD - ie it's not fair to stop your DD seeing her father and you wouldn't want to take her away from her familiar home permanently either. I am sure you both want what is best for her.

But overall if your ex has taken your DD to her health visitor and her HV is not concerned then I wouldn't worry.

we have never been together since before she was born, yes she looks very thin ribs and spine poking out :( that was what caught my attention tbh.
im very tall and the correct weight and her mother is short and obese, the weight dropped off when she was between 4 and 6 months and she hasn't been gaining well since.
i would have thought looking at her charts and her body she was ill, no colour, very bony, hair very white (compared to a light ginger when born), but i don't know the signs in a baby if she was an adult with an eating disorder wouldn't they all be symptoms )

I think you need to resolve the matter of access to your DD as a priority.

However, if that cannot be resolved for any reason and you are seriously worried, then I think you should contact the HV centre close to her home, explain who you are and your concerns and try to confirm that your DD has actually been seen by a health visitor and that the health visitor is happy with her weight.

If for some reason, they are not willing to talk to you, then at least put your concerns calmly in writing by registered post so that they have to be acted on.

But if they come back and say your daughter is fine, I think you have to accept the opinion of a healthcare professional.