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Original poster

Baby in 98th centile

38 replies

Ficidy · 17/12/2013 22:52

My baby boy is 4 months old and weighs around 19 pounds. He is, however, quite long, so the doctor didn't seem to worried about his weight, but I can't help fretting. I think he looks pudgy, but other people tell me he's fine. Is it really bad that he's in the 98th centile? Neither myself nor my husband are overweight, but my husband is tall.

He has always been a very hungry baby, but now I'm worrying that I made him hungry by possibly feeding him too much!

Anyone else have this issue? Did your baby's weight even out when they started crawling etc? I just hope this isn't going to effect him in the long-term.

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sillyoldfool · 17/12/2013 22:55

being 98th centile is totally normal, someone has to be there, just as someone has to be on the 4th. Every point on the centile chart is perfectly healthy. it would only be a worry if he was 98th for weight and 4th for height, or the other way around.

JingleJohnsJulie · 17/12/2013 22:55

What centiles was he at birth Ficidy?

NaturalBaby · 17/12/2013 22:56

One of my dc's is 90 something centile for height.

How would it affect him long term?

I am tall, my dc will be tall. Your DH is tall, looks like your baby will be tall as well, it's not a problem.

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exexpat · 17/12/2013 22:56

If his height/length is in proportion to his weight, then there is nothing to worry about. And babies are meant to look pudgy! If your DH is tall, then it probably means he is going to be big for his age.

KatOD · 17/12/2013 22:57

It's not an issue stop worrying! It's statistics, someone has to be at the 98th or it wouldn't be on the scale, he's just on the large size of normal. If he's long then he's prob in proportion. My DD has always been about this in weight and length (now height) and is perfectly in proportion - we're both tall so it seems reasonable.

If you're worried just sanity check his height/length and weight and see how in proportion they are. At 4mo he'll just be eating if he's hungry instinctively, just make sure that, when he's older and can understand food more you get him into good habits then.

Seriously it's nothing to worry about.

PrimalLass · 17/12/2013 22:58

My DS was 98th centile all the way to 12 months, at 75th by 2, and now he is very slim and athletic and not that tall.

EssentialCoffee · 17/12/2013 22:59

Babies are supposed to be chubby :) Don't worry I don't think you can over feed a baby, they lose the chub when they start crawling and waking some of it anyway

PrimalLass · 17/12/2013 23:00

He is now 8.

At baby group lots of the mums were panicking because their babies were not gaining weight. I never had to with Mr '8oz in 2weeks'

AntiJamDidi · 17/12/2013 23:00

Both my dds were born on the 98th centile and then they were both off the top of the charts by the time they were about 4 months old. They were also off the top of the charts height-wise so I wasn't bothered in the slightest. I was ebf and didn't quite know how I would go about reducing their food or increasing their activity tbh.

Dd1 is now 14yo, is 5'10" tall and is a size 10/12, which looks quite slender and her bmi is about the middle of the healthy range for her age and height. Dd2 is 3yo and her bmi is near the bottom of the healthy range for her age and height, although her weight is still on about the 95th centile for her age (I only know because she wanted to be measured the other day and she likes to stand on the scales because they tell her she's perfect).

If your ds is tall then his weight will probably be about right in proportion to his height. Somebody has to be at the top of the chart, the same as somebody has to be at the bottom, we can't all be average!! If you are particularly worried, talk to your hv about it, she will know a lot more than we will.

3boys3dogshelp · 17/12/2013 23:01

My family are all tall. All my boys have started around 75th centile at birth, then jumped up in the first few months to between 91st and 99th and stayed there. All exclusively bf babies. They all went through a phase of looking chubby as babies until thry became more mobile. All very fit and active now (and slim). Some boys are just meant to be big.

jammiedonut · 17/12/2013 23:01

Ds is 98th centile, has been from birth (head, height and weight!). He looks completely in proportion, and all doctors have said he is perfectly healthy. As other posters have said, someone has to be up there! Dh is well over six feet tall, and I'm above average too, so can't say we were too surprised.

ChrisMooseMickey · 17/12/2013 23:06

Oh don't panic! DD was 2ft long when she was born. Off the charts :D
Someone has to be there- thats the reason there is a chart.

sweetiepie1979 · 17/12/2013 23:08

You can't overfeed s baby they sick it up if they have had too much. Don't worry

Preciousbane · 17/12/2013 23:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Ficidy · 17/12/2013 23:11

Thanks everyone. I wasn't told which centile he was in at birth (in Ireland and I know we're not given this info as much as in England), but I do know that at 6 weeks he was in 97th centile for weight. He had been bf until then, but it was excruciatingly difficult, so I stopped then.
I think you're all probably right, that it'll all even out. Thanks.

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steppemum · 17/12/2013 23:11

It actually doesn't matter if he is on the 1st or the 99th when it comes to weight or being ''not normal'
It is the height and weight together which shows if something is out. So if he was in the 98th centile for weight but the 10th centile for height, then there is obviously a lack of balance.

They do tend to have evened out by toddler/pre-school age, so large babies become average toddlers and then average adults (I am thinking of height here). dd 1 is like this, or large babies become tall toddlers and then tall adults, like my ds.

lilyaldrin · 17/12/2013 23:11

You can overfeed a baby - overfeeding is a risk with bottle feeding.

However, if your baby is in proportion for height and weight, then they aren't overweight. Maybe get length measured too? If weight is 98th and length is 2nd then there might be an issue.

Original poster

Ficidy · 17/12/2013 23:12

Sorry, forgot to add, he was 7lbs15oz even born.

Thanks for help. I feel relieved now.

OP posts:

lilyaldrin · 17/12/2013 23:16

I think 7lbs 15oz is 3.6kg, which is just over 50th centile. However, birth centile isn't necessarily their "natural" centile - 6 weeks is more accurate. If he was ebf at that point and on the 97th centile, it's likely that that is his natural size (you can't overfeed a breastfed baby).

Junebugjr · 17/12/2013 23:17

Dd2 was born at above average centile about 8lb, then rocketed up to off the charts height and weight within the first months. I was ebf, so she can't have been over feeding. At 2, she is still large and in 4-5 clothes, doctors have looked at her but say there is no cause for concern. I wouldn't worry even if he doesn't lose it, as long as he eats healthily and is active, it should even out when they are older. I'm small so she doesn't get it from me! But all the women in DH side are 5'10 ish.

steppemum · 17/12/2013 23:23

I think birth weight can be misleading, it tends to relate to the mother and her health, dd2 was 10 lbs 7ox, but after the first year, she has balanced to fairly average, just tallish for her age, and she has always been skinny despite the 10lb start

sillyoldfool · 17/12/2013 23:24

birth centile has little to do with where they're meant to be - mine have been all in the high 90s up to totally off the chart (11lb8oz) at birth but all end up around 50-75% I just make over efficient placentas or something!
Go by his percentil at 6weeks, if he was 97% and ebf then, that's where he's meant to be. it's impossible to overfeed an ebf baby.

halestone · 17/12/2013 23:27

My DD was 8.6lb at birth then she consistently put weight on and stayed above the 98th centile line for both height and weight. I really took it to heart and assumed i was doing something wrong. But i need not have worried she is a happy healthy one year old (her birthday was last week).

IThoughtThat · 17/12/2013 23:28

One of my DCs was referred to a paediatrician as he was so big at six months. He was chubby'ish, long and wide . He was totally fine. He was always tall but gradually his classmates caught up.

He is now very slim, broad and a very normal 6'3".

ZombieSquirrel · 18/12/2013 01:22

If he's in proportion, its fine. Some people are tall, some short, just because. Some babies a big, others are teeny.

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