URGENT - just discovered dd2 hasn't put on any weight in a year - help

[angelscomeinthrees]

Obviously I'm a crap mother, but apart from that I'm panicking. Dd2 (aged 3) is due at the hospital today for an outpatient's appointment b/c she doesn't make enough white blood cells. I bfed her for two yrs and she was on the 75th centile. By two she was on the 50th. Last yr she had two meningitis scares and they found she was anaemic - the hospital said she was on the 35th centile but they were happy. Yesterday I had her at the surgery for a tummy upset and I asked if she coudl be weighed. When I got home I looked at her chart and she hasn't put any weight on since her two yr check - she is now on the third centile.

I'm guessing she has a major food allergy and the 'toddler dirrohea' she keeps being diagnosed as having is a symptom. We may have a family history of this as my granddad had a little girl with his first wife who died in the 1930's of 'malnutrition'. My dd2 has a striking resemblence to my granddad's side of the family.

Does anyone have experience of this?

What do I say to the hospital? I am terrified they will think we are neglecting her or have Munchausens or something.

What a shock!

I don't have any experience of this, although my ds (23 months) is on the 2nd centile and I have had a certain amount of grief from doctors and health visitors about that.

It sounds as though your daughter has been through the mill and it is really hardly surprising that her weight has not progressed. Please do not blame yourself or worry that others will. I really think her problems need looking into and I am sure that no on will judge you for this.

Do you have a supportive GP?

I am amazed by what you say that she is even on the chart anymore - persistent diarrohea can make small children lose enormous amounts of weight very quickly and I am sure that when you get to the bottom (no pun intended) of it she will gain weight very quickly again.

Please try not to worry too much about charts. Her overall health is far more important than marks on charts and if you are straight forward with your concerns no one will think this is of your doing.

Good luck. Please let us know how you get on. I really hope it's something simple like a food allergy that can be treated quickly and painlessly for your dd.

SM
x

Remind them of her recent health problems: the meningitis scares, anaemia, diarrhoea. They'll try and rule out medical conditions before accusing you of neglect or Munchausen (RL is not like MN is sometimes!).

Good luck at today's appointment. My DD has put on 1 kg this past year. She 2y4m old.

Thank you both. Our GP is great but is away until next week. Dd2 has grown, she's needed new shoes etc but obviously hasn't gained weight.

Well done for BF your DD for 2 years. That's one of the best things you could have done for her

If your dd has grown, that is a good sign, honest! My ds has been under a hospital all his life (he's just turned 3)and I have been told that children will either grow in height and their weight will remain pretty static or they will gain weight but not height. This is definately true of my ds2, who is 28lb and has been for several months but gained 3cm in 2 months

However, I do think it is worth seeing your gp and ruling out some stuff and perhaps get some allergy testing. My ds had what was diagnosed a couple of times as toddler diarrhoea, turned out he was allergic to wheat, amongst other things. His weight has definately stabilised since his food allergy diagnosis, he's ticking along the 9th centile now for height and weight.

Also, well done for breastfeeding for 2 years! That will have given your daughter a flying start. I just recently stopped myself.

Thank you! Heartmum, glad your ds is doing so well now, and Cristina and signingmum, thanks for sharing your stories and being so supportive.

Well, after a night of heartache and panic, dh blaming me, himself and everyone else, it turned out that the scales at the GP's surgery were out by 2 kilos - just enough to get her back up to above the 25th centile where she's been since stopping bf and where the hospital are more than happy for her to be. I am that dd2 is okay (she has been signed off for her anaemia too and her white blood count was due to infection) but a bit about what we have been through!

Ah well, thanks again!

Might it be worth ruling out coeliacs too?

Hope they're helpful at the hospital.

doh! Just seen your update - sorry!

make sure you tell your gp's about the issue being down to their scales....I thought medical scales had to be tested and serviced now and then ..? Glad all is ok though x

Oxy, dd2 was tested for Coeliacs just recently, so it was a good suggestion!

Apparently scales do need to be calibrated, but put it this way, the consultant wasn't altogether surprised about them being out.

I am really pleased to read your update, what a relief it must be for you. It is disgusting that the scales were out by 2kg (4 1/2 lb) . Having said that, I can guarentee that ds2 weighs different at our local hospital to what he does at Birmingham childrens, which is different still to my own and the HV's calabrated scales. I tend to go by the HV scales as that is where he is weighed most often and consitently.

Good news about the anaemia too!

Thanks !