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Children's health

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Original poster

Child 0 percentile for weight

12 replies

Dramaqueen18 · 20/07/2018 20:05

I have for a while thought my child seemed a bit on the small side. I’ve just done the measurements and put them in the nhs bmi tool and he’s on the 0 percentile for weight. Is this always a concern? He seems healthy enough, however he as a toddler and younger child seemed significantly chunkier. Would I be unreasonable to ask a GP for their opinion? Maybe for a dietician referral. I don’t want to make him feel conscious of his weight. He’s 7 years old.

OP posts:

Ihuntmonsters · 20/07/2018 20:17

If you think that he's lost weight then getting some advice might be a good idea. My ds was on the 6th centile for BMI for most of his childhood, and he really was bones, muscles and skin, no fat at all. However he also ate lots, was very active and never ill. The only issue he had is that he got cold easily. Looking at family photos lots of my male relatives were very slight as children/ young men. I think ds took that genetic heritage and added to it an inability to sit still and so burned calories at a very high rate. He's bulked out a little bit now he's coming up to his twenties but is still very slight.

You only mention your son's weight, how tall is he? If he is relatively short then he may have an average BMI. My ds is tall I suspect if I had just put in his weight and age he'd not have registered as particularly underweight.

jaimebravo · 20/07/2018 20:19

My 8 year old DS is on the 8th percentile for weight and height and has been referred to a gastroenterologist because of it. We are currently waiting on an appointment. He used to be in the 13th but is slipping down the charts.
I would definitely bring him to the GP and get his bloods and stool culture done in case anything shows up.

Original poster

Dramaqueen18 · 20/07/2018 20:22

Hi his height is 118.5 cm and his weight is 2stone 12. I put both weight and height in the bmi tool. I think I worry more as he does have some delays in some area like gross motor and learning.
He is an active little boy and doesn’t like to sit still so maybe that’s a factor, may just be how he is. He was always on an average percentile before this last year though. And he looks markedly different.

OP posts:

Ginmakesitallok · 20/07/2018 20:23

What age is he?

Nsbgsyebebdnd · 20/07/2018 20:27

I would check for coeliac disease too- gp an organise a blood test

Original poster

Dramaqueen18 · 20/07/2018 20:28

He is 7

OP posts:

ElyElyOy · 20/07/2018 20:28

Contact your GP in the first instance. If they don’t help contact the Child Growth Foundation; dropping centiles needs to be looked in to. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong, but it needs checking and properly monitoring.

AngkorWaat · 20/07/2018 20:28

If hus weight has dramatically changed in the last year then yes, I’d get him to the GP to get checked over.

Ginmakesitallok · 20/07/2018 20:28

Sorry just saw he's 7. Centile charts here might help? www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/uk-world-health-organisation-growth-charts-2-18-years

Sirzy · 21/07/2018 13:07

No harm asking the gp to monitor things.

How does he eat? Can you fortify foods with things like cream?

Wackadoodle84 · 21/07/2018 16:15

The fact he's on a lower centile wouldn't be massively concerning if he is thriving, as in eating, drinking, playing as normal.

If however he is dropping centiles, losing weight that would warrant investigation. If you are at all worried you should get him checked. Always better to be safe.

My own dd is on the 0.4th percentile for weight. Something that used to concern me massively. Her paediatrician has monitored her growth since birth and while she is on the small side, she has maintained her position on the growth chart. She is now 8 and is just a petite girl. Her non id twin is on 50th centile

triballeader · 22/07/2018 08:13

My youngest was born symetricaly well under the 0.4th, dropped well under the 0.4th had severe failure to thrive no matter what supplements she had and stayed there till Jnr's when she finally caught up with the 0.4th again. She was under BCH, had endless tests [Silver-Russel was the one they suspected most and kept testing for] Her growth was monitored by pead's for years 'just in case'.
Like Ihuntmonsters my daughter really felt the cold [still does!] and has always needed extra layers to wear compared with her peers. Her primary school kept a close eye on her so she did not get bullied or hurt as she looked like a dainty doll compared to all the other children. She was prescribed a very high calorie diet by a pead' dietician just so she could grow and even now she still eats a high calorie diet just to maintain her weight. In the end there was no sinister genetic reason for her being below the 0.4th for everything. Elly just happened to be very, very small.
If you are concerned about your child's weight do go and have a chat with your GP.

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