baby below 0.4 percentile

[Mummy1234567890]

Has anyone's baby dropped blow 0.4 percentile. My little one is now 18 weeks and only 8lb 13oz, born at 3lb 10oz at 34+5. Just wondering if anyone else been in this situation and when do babies catch up? Was born between 2nd and 0.4 percentile so dropped down percentiles but always been very low. Any advice would be appreciated feel like only person in this situation? Thanks x

My DD was born at 30weeks and was below the 0.4th. She stayed below the 0.4th way beyond being 2yrs and just followed her own line. She is almost 11yr old now and is on the 3rd centile so has moved up a little.

She eats plenty, is active and is just naturally slim.

Ds2 is 11 and has been on the 0.2 percentile since he was about 6 weeks old. He was seen at the growth clinic for a while but as he kept on the same line was discharged. He is just small.

Is that the adjusted centile?

My baby was born at 34 weeks and below the 0.4th centile at birth. It took her a while to catch up. I can't remember exactly how long but I do recall meeting up with other babies the same age and it looking like they could eat her for a snack! She was so tiny against normal sized babies. She found the 25th centile at some point and has stuck there. That's roughly where her measurements were at the 20 week scan (before things started to go wrong with my pregnancy). My husband is quite slight so I guess she has his build and that is where she is supposed to be.

Are you getting your baby's weight recorded by the HV? What do they have to say?

DD fell off the 0.4 centile line and was referred to hospital paediatrician who were brilliant and very reassuring. She'd been born at 36.5 but I had pre-eclampsia and she only weighed 5.5lb and lost a lot of weight early on.

DD is still small (at 8) but paediatrician just said she takes after me and grandparents.

If you can try and get referred to paediatrician rather than HV as I found HV far less knowledgeable.

Hi. Thanks for the replies. I get her weighed weekly to keep close eye on weight, health visitor actually plotted weighed wrong so was doctor at hospital (another story) who spotted her had fallen off the chart. Health visitors doesnt seem to have any ideas, she referred me to a dietician and after taking my little one to doctors regarding feeding and weight am currently waiting hospital referral. Sometimes just feel so alone as she so small so thanks again for the messages. Xx

My DS was born at 29 weeks due to PE - he had stopped growing at 25 weeks & weighed 720g. He came home on oxygen & struggled to gain weight, so switched to Infatrini then Paedisure plus. He also had reflux & was a terrible eater.

It was only at 3ish, when the reflux resolved & he begs in to eat.

He is nearly 10 now & above the 25ty centile . I never thought I would see the day. He is a good eater now, but these first few years were HARD. I think the high calorie milk from the dietitian helped, and just slogging away.

Good luck with your wee one; it can be really tough when they are so small & not gaining weight.

Thanks for the reply. She's now 4 months so I've been told to start weaning. Ive only given her bits of fruit and veg so far convinced most is spat out though so not sure it will help with weight again. It is such a worry she's still like a newborn really at 4 months but like your son will hopefully catch up in time.

@Maummy1234567890 how is your little one doing now? My baby wasn't premature but has very sluggish weight gain. Born between 2nd and the 9th but has currently dropped to 0.4th.

DD was just about on the 1st centile when born (full term, but diddy). She was on that for ages and ages. Still diddy at 8y now, but on the 25th. So it all will be ok.

Hi, my baby wasn’t prem but born at 37 weeks - I was induced as they were worried she wasn’t growing but in the end decided she was just small rather than it being anything to do with my placenta, but I’m not sure what the reason was. Anyway, she was 5lb but dropped to 4.5 and now at nearly 12 weeks she is only 7lb 3 - so also well below the 0.4 percentile and following her own little line! She’s a really healthy and happy baby so I try not to worry but I do know exactly how you feel - she’s still the size of a small newborn and is half the size of some other babies her age! But I’m sure they will catch up eventually and end up where they are meant to be. It’s nice to know there’s others out there who understand the frustration of seeing different HVs every week and how significant those gains are, no matter how big or small!

@corilee2806 ah, yes very similar situations. Very reassuring that some babies are just super small....and that's ok! Our babies our happy and healthy and that is all that matters xx

Hi

I’ve just seen your old thread? Just wondering how your little one is getting on now and what was the outcome of the hospital referral. Both my children are incredibly low on the centile chart and my three month old has just dropped to 0.4 centile. It’s such a worry.

@PTC I don't own this thread but I commented and had really similar situation. My baby was born 9th centile but soon dropped to 0.4 and he has pretty much floated along that line since. He is almost 5 now and so slight, much shorter and skinner than all of his piers...but he is ABSOLUTELY fine. He was reviewed at his hospital referral and they were perfectly happy with him...he's just small. We also have seen private dieticians who provided some help and support but equally didn't really change things. I think my obsession with his eating and his size have been pretty detrimental to him and his own relationship with food which I regret daily. I also regret spending so much of his younger years worrying about his size when the reality is...he is fine and following his own little line.

Dropping centiles is always a good thing to get checked out, but more often than not it is nothing to worry about. It is most likely your two are just going to be on the smaller side and I know how impossible it is not to worry about that, but essentially I think unless a health care professional gives you a reason to be concerned then I would try not to. My son, although small, has developed perfectly and is so happy and healthy otherwise. My thoughts are with you honestly , I know it is so hard and so hard not to compare them to others etc but I am now a big believer in kids regulating their own appetites better than we think. Mine has just never had a big appetite, never did for breast milk, or formula or food. I just wish I hadn't tried to control what he ate as much as I did...that, ironically, did the most harm! Xx

My daughter is almost 5 now. She was diagnosed with Cerebral Plasy at 13 months and been tube fed since about 7 months. She's thriving in so many ways and has the right support place. Most people children are healthy just small, but sometimes there are other issues. My daughter isn't overly small now compared to her peers, and even though she has a disability she's doing well and loving life. When she first got the feeding tube as a baby actually ended on the 98th percentile lol!

@Mummy1234567890 thank you so much for your reply- so kind to take the time. Lovely to hear that your little one is happy and loving life. And what a turnaround to get to the 98tn percentile, that’s amazing.

@Hopehope20 thank you so much for taking the time to reply - so kind! Definitely also reassuring that there are other small 0.4 percenters out there. I do think I need to just accept that they are both small and not spend time worrying constantly as much. Lovely to hear your little one is happy and doing well x

@PTC I commented on this thread 5 years ago too.

My DD is now 13 and is an inch shorter than me at 5"2 so I think she may end up a bit taller than me!

I also commented previously too - my son is now 14, taller than me (wouldn't be difficult as I am only 154cm) & is eating me out of house & home!

Hopefully another one to reassure you - my daughter was on the 0.4 centile at 3 months which I posted at the time - she stayed really tiny until later in her first year and jumped up the centiles when she started on solids. Now she’s 4.5, still little and seems to have settled between the 2nd and 9th centile, she’s a fussy eater which has worried me over the years - I feel like except a short period between one and two I’ve always worried about her food intake and size - I have to keep reminding myself to look at the child, she is very happy, super bright and healthy so even if she’s little and living on a very restricted amount of foods, she’s doing ok!

Thanks so much

@Mummy1234567890
Hello lovely. I'm just wondering what happened for little one to get a feeding tube. You don't have to answer if it's too intrusive. My little boy is below the 0.4th and he eats way below what he should for his age and weight. He had a feeding tube at birth for a few weeks as he was premature, I worry he'll need one again. Thank you!

Hi, my baby was born at 31 weeks with 1.01 kg and he was below 0.4 centile. Now he's 37 weeks old With 2 kg and we suppose to be discharged this week from NICU. I am really worried about his weight and future complications

@MalikMustafa My little boy is now 15 months actual and he's 17lbs. Between the 0.4th and the 2nd. He does have a feeding tube again, we got it in November because he caught 4 viruses at the same time, including RSV and dropped well off the chart. He's not got a big appetite and doesn't eat very much, he never has. When my little boy came though I made a friend who also had a 32 weeker, just over 1kg baby and he's a completely different story. Now 15 months, 19lbs and he's jumped centiles! All babies are different. Both of our babies are small but amazing. I hope you get discharged soon and start living a beautiful life with your little bub. ☺️

Hi looking for some advice please. Baby was born at 34 weeks weighing 4lbs. She is 3 weeks now and dropped from 2nd to 0.4th percentile.