Would you be concerned if a 10yo girl was very skinny?

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My DSD (10) is very very skinny - she seems to eat well when she is with us, though is a bit picky.

She is very active, so obviously burns a lot of it off, but every other one of her friends has a little bit of flesh round their arms, legs and tummies.

I'm not talking fat kids, just normal kids with a normal amount of pinchable skin .

DSD has nothing - literally skin and bone and fits into clothes for age 5-6.

Is this ok or is it anything to worry about? DH seems a bit concerned, but she appears to be quite happy, although suffers a lot of colds and mouth ulcers.

Is her weight following one of the centiles on the growth charts? If so, I wouldn't worry too much , though the colds and ulcers maybe point to a lack of vitamin C.

But if she has dropped away from the graph, it maybe needs looked into.

FWIW DS is very slim (frankly skinny) and had no spare flesh at all at that age. But he'd been on that same growth pattern since about 2, and has the same build as my dad and brother when they were young, so it was never a worry.

If this is a change for her, then it may be that she's limiting her food and it's better to spot it before it gets too much of an ingrained pattern.

It's normal for childre pre puberty to be very skinny, but it't getting rarer and rarer these days because children are getting heavier and take less exercise.

I used to get loads of mouth ulcers as a child, they cleared up when I changed toothpastes. Agree re. the vitamin C.

My 10 year old is also very skinny. The doctor is not at all concerned - she has had blood tests to rule out coeliac disease and other nasties. She is slightly anaemic and takes a multivitamin tablet with iron in, but other than that she is fine.

She was weighed a couple of weeks ago and is on the 9th centile for weight and 75th for height.

My other concern now is the struggle to find school trousers that don't fall down. The manufacturers are making larger sizes because there are a lot more tubby children around, but judging from the number of posts I have read on a number of different parenting forums, I still think there is a market for trousers for long and lean children.

My 10yo DD is very, very skinny too and although I sometimes look at her and think that she's just too thin I also know that she is actually healthy (she looks well with sparkling eyes, shiny hair, is always fit and active, eats a balanced diet etc).

Has your DSD always followed the same line on the centile charts? In the case of my DD she's always been around the 5th centile(? I think thats the one, just above the bottom shaded area so borderline 'underweight'?) but as shes always been that from newborn I think its just the way she is.

I was a teeny tiny 10 year old. My mum eventually took me to see a paediatrician re: growth issues when I was about 11/12, had my bone age looked at via x-rays etc, he made predictions about my probable eventual height and size, all pof which I exceeded by the time I was about 14.

If she eats properly and has enough energy etc, just keep feeding her up and maybe give her a decent vit supplement.

Until I hit about 30, I could NOT put on weight, even if I tried.

Sadly not the case now (regards little gut that refuses to go anywhere....).

I too had bulbous knees, and dd looks to be the same as me.

Sorry I meant to add that re: mouth ulcers and colds, does she eat a balanced diet, get lots of fresh fruit and veg etc?

My DD is 13 and very skinny. Its very difficult these days with trousers as elasticated waists seem to have disappeared in this age group.

She also weighs a lot, I think its all due to the genes. Were you quite slim as a girl ?

dd1 (12) is very very skinny too. Healthy and eats loads (as much if not more than me) but just very thin. She was weighted this year at school and she's below the 2nd centile, but she's been on that line since she was a few months old, so we're not worried!

We've found Debenhams boys school trousers with elastic wasit come up thinnest. Others might be narrow enough when adjusted on the waist, but are uncomfortable as there's so much bunched up fabric at the back.

Thanks for the replies.

She lives with her mum, so I don't have a clue about the centile charts, but she has always been slim. I also don't know about her eating at home, but when she is with us she has a varied diet including fresh fruit, veg, carbs, etc.

She does appear to be healthy, apart from the mouth ulcers etc.

It is difficult for DH as he worries about her, but doesn't get allowed to have much of an input into her life .

It's reassuring for us that it seems quite normal though .

I do recommend changing her toothpaste, as that is a known cause of mouth ulcers. Zendium is a good toothpaste.

I would only be worried if she appeared to have digestive problems, be pale or lethargic, unhappy, concerned about her weight or food intake (eg avoiding 'fattening' foods), etc.

The mouth ulcers can happen for no real reason in susceptible people, or might be a lack of zinc/vitamin C. Giving her a multivitamin probably wouldn't hurt at all and might help if you'd both be happy to do that.

Perhaps keep a casual food diary for her over a few days without her knowing - that way you can get a bit of a picture what she takes in during the day and possibly find ways to boost her calories/provide things she likes and will eat plenty of.

To be honest though, thinness is very common at her age as she is probably just using loads of energy to grow and play, and not much to put on weight! Many children don't gain puppy fat at all during puberty and it's no reason to be concerned sounds like she's just little... My friend was rather underweight throughout our childhood and teens (ate like a horse!) and is now 5'8 and a size 12 and the picture of health!

Well she is very pale, and often irritable.

But I would have thought that was pretty normal in a pre-pubescent girl?

I think her mum encourages her not to eat unhealthy foods such as chocolate, crisps etc, but I don't suppose that's such a bad thing? We allow her to eat them here though in moderation with a varied diet.

I know what you mean about the puppy fat - my best friend was like a rake until she went to university - then it all changed!

I would only be concerned if she wasn't eating properly or wasn't running around like kids are supposed to and burning it off.

There are ways to add hidden calories to a childs diet. none of which i can remember right now (useful hey!)

The mouth ulcers may be caused by a number of things, lack of Vit C which has already been mentioned, could be toothpaste, could be a puberty thing and hormonal.

At around that age don't lots of young girkls do several upwards growth spurts and then fill out slowly as thei biody changes?

If she is very pale then maybe she is a bit anaemic - it's really common, especially if she doesn't like red meat/beans/green? Is she tired often or weak?
I've not used it personally, but have heard that floradix is very good as a tonic and for boosting iron levels. Would her Mum be willing to give her this? It's all natural and very gentle on the system Failing that a children's multivitamin and mineral from boots/supermarket is good. Obviously a little check up at the drs first might be an idea, if you're up for that?

And the irritability.. well unfortanely I think that is normal