Anyone else's child get a bit skinny after starting school?

[Meglet]

DS has visibly shrunk in the last few weeks and he was quite thin to start with. He's only lost 1kg, but his appetite has gone down too.

I'm not sure whether this is because of all the extra running around and walking to and from school or I should be worried. We've got a GP apt at the end of next week just in case he loses any more weight or his appetite doesn't pick up.

This is a child who has never failed to finish a meal before and always crept up the weight charts bit by bit. He didn't even lose weight as a newborn.

Is he just too tired to eat? Has he made friends and is he settled at the new school? Well done for making that appointment, I hope it puts your mind at rest.

He might be actually. Loads of friends, had the whole class at his party the other week . Good parents evening.

Their mid-morning snack is just fruit though, he used to have carbs at nursery. That's a few calories lost for starters.

I'll up the snacks a bit this weekend too.

I think it's part of growing up aswell - ds still looks toddler pudgy in Y1 because of his cheeks, but when you look closely is now quite wiry bodywise - they lose that sticky out toddler tummy look, ifyswim.

It's probably the growing up thing or the walking. It's good you're getting him checked out.
Has he complained of tummy aches at all, or been thirstier/ more week's than usual?
Hope you get your mind it at rest.

Feenie, but Meglet's DS has lost weight, not just redistributed it. Over what period of time and how accurate is the weight loss? Good to hear he's doing well socially. Does he have packed lunches or school dinners?

What's his height and weight? Has he been poorly at all? DS has lost weight too, but haven't weighed him- he's been poorly and I'm sure he'll catch up now he's better, appetite is fine. What are his energy levels like?

Thanks for your replies.

He threw up this morning. I think that might explain the recent loss of appetite, there's been a bug going round school for over a week but he'd missed it until today.

He has school dinners, I don't know how big the portions are or whether he has seconds though. DS always had seconds at nursery.

Just checked his BMI and he's dropped to the 25th centile, he's 111cm tall so a good height but the weight loss makes him look very gangly.

Hopefully he'll perk up in a day or two once the bug is out of his system, might be a blip.

Worth checking the school dinners out eg they may sound ok on paper but portion small or v poor quality food. I know they vary alot. My friend is a school cook who never allowed her kids to have school lunches as they were so poor in our area.

DD's nursery meals used to be excellent - older cook, locally sourced food and very much traditional cooking eg fish pie and sponge and custard.

Probably culmination of everything - more walking, fruit not carb snack, less calories at lunch.

Do you give him snack after school and tea? DS has packed lunch, then eats big snack and big tea. I also wondered if mid morning snack is a bit low for them, but DS gets milk too and eats huge breakfast so think he is doing ok. Yes, worth checking out school dinners- does your DS eat them well? What does he think of them?

Fingers crossed he perks up when his appetite returns after bug. Ds is the same, doesn't take much for him to start looking pretty gangly, but then he is good at catching up when better!!!! (several bowls of cheerios, huge portions of pasta etc etc!!!)

My DD has the opposite problem, she's got plump since starting, in her case adoring dinner ladies giving her second portions of school lunch. In your case it may be worthwhile asking the school if the lunch time staff can check that he is actually eating his lunch. Perhaps he'd eat more if it was sandwiches? My DS so wants to play he regularly leaves his lunch unfinished and rushes off to play. Never any harm asking the GP either, that's a good idea.

Keep an eye on it. Without wishing to be alarmist, ds dropped from 50th to 25th centile gradually over three years, then developed type one diabetes. It had been coming on very slowly, but the consultant didn't manage to click it up as it wasn't always presenting to start with.

I'm not saying its that, its always worth keeping a eye if things are not as you feel they should be.

bramble that's ok. I'm always watching the DC's like a hawk as there's been 2 cases of childhood leukemia in my family on my dads side (Dad's brothers son, my cousin, passed away 20 yrs ago and his sisters grand daughter is going through treatment). Any sign of peakiness has me eyeing them up and imagining the worst.

He's rallied this afternoon though and eaten some marmite spaghetti.

I'll see if I can speak to the school chef / lunchtime superviser and check if he actually finishes his dinner or rushes out to play with it half eaten.

Glad he's rallied. Hopealliswell.