My 3 year old granddaughter's little tummy sticks out and looks quite large for her size. Other family members made little jokes about it when she was younger which I did not like but really just ignored. Just recently when I was changing her clothes my sister-in-law and niece said something about her stomach pooching out so much so now I am wondering if she needs to see her pediatrician. Her father and mother aren't together and I have her much of the time, both think I over react to things. Her mothers reply to me is that her family says her stomach looked that way when she was little,so she show no concern. My husband even thinks she should be checked by the doctor. She doesn't complain of her tummy hurting. I would like to hear from other parents or grandparents who may have seen this same thing in their children.
Is she having regular Bowel Movements? You could add Activia Yogart and Activia Cheese to her diet to get more regular. Add some fruits and veggies to her diet to see if maybe she is constipated. That was happening with my Six Year old.
Good luck!
I remember looking a little like this - I think I was a little older. I went through a phase where I was wearing "6X" clothes. I was always VERY short for my age, so I probably wore "6X" when I was 7 or 8. I don't remember thinking about it much at the time, but when I was teenager, my grandmother was looking through a photo album and pointed it out to me. I think she said "I never saw a kid with such a big tummy as you had!" Sheesh. So, I felt self-concious about it THEN, but by that time I was on a swim team, and was pretty lean and muscular. (I was never fat anywhere else but the tummy, though.)
I don't know what's typical for kids with that physique, but I was never overweight as an adult - I'm still a size 2, even now that 40 is rapidly approaching.
Have you checked her for lactose intolerance? Often, the only symptoms at 3 yrs old are an extended tummy and irritability. Try cutting back on the milk, ice cream, yogurt, etc for a few days and see what happens.
I am a Grandmother to two wonderful children and if I had any concerns or intuition, I would take them to be checked out. It sounds like you are her advocate and I wouldn't care if they thought you over reacted to things, this is your precious granddaughter and you know when something isn't right. And, if it is all okay, at least you have peace of mind. God Bless You and listen to your heart. If they trust you with her, then they should trust you with her concerns.
Many kids have a "big belly". I have 3 daughters and 2 of them had the belly until they started to grow taller. The concern would be if it feels hard. When she is lying down, press on it to feel for any hard spots or lumps, or if her entire belly feels hard there could be something going on in there. I am with you about seeing the doctor. Most of our major organs are in that area. Better safe than sorry with this one. If everything is normal, what's the worst thing you will hear from the doc? "No problem here! Don't worry so much, Grandma." I thinks its worth hearing that. At least you will have peace of mind. Good luck!
Absolutely take her in. Its better to be safe than sorry. I have a dear friend who had the same issue with her daughter and didn't think much of it until she was three and they determined she had a malignant tumor. Not tryng to alarm you at all, cuz there's a 50-50 chance she just has a pooochy tummy like my daughter did and does. But, for the cost of a medical co-pay-its just better to be on the safe side.
My boys seemed to have little belly's until they got taller but just to get piece of mind I'd ask her doctor what they think. I'm sure things are fine but sometimes it's nice to know with the word of a professional. Best wishes to you.
My daughter had a large tummy when she was little. She is 4 and it seems to be going down as she grows taller. I wouldn't worry about it unless she complains about it hurting. As she grows taller it will go down. If in a year or so it is still the same then I would see the dotor. SMILE!
J.,
I would have the pediatrician check her out. Sometimes hernias in kids protrude through their belly. They can tell with a quick exam. It's really a common thing. My son had surgery to fix 2 hernias at 5 months old. Dr. Stovroff has performed 10,000 hernia surgeries (in case that is the diagnosis and you need a surgeon). Good luck!
I think this a no-brainer. Take her to the doctor's and have her checked out; don't wait for pain. And it may be nothing. You MUST stop your family, friends, whoemever from making jokes, comments, laughs, or any response about this child's stomach Know that we have cellular memory and all this is being recorded in her mind. You will end up contaminating her self-cofidence with self-consciousness. She will carry this memry into her teen an adult years and will find a way to express itself in possibly unhealthy ways. J. Gordon
My niece had an ENORMOUS belly... and she was a very tiny framed child. She had it until about 4 years old when she starting going through a small growth spurt. I don't think she needs to get checked. Her physician has probably seen this and is not concerned. It is VERY normal for small children to be ALL belly. It is probably hereditary, and her mother is the best one to know! Don't worry about it! It is very common for children at that ages to have a belly like that!
Hi J.,
My daughter is two and has a big belly. I buy 3t or larger shirts for her because I need the length to cover her tummy. The waist of her pants usually sits below her belly. Katie is not over weight but she has a pooch. She had a hurniated umbilical cord at birth and her belly button use to pop out when she cried. That no longer happens and her pediatrition said she will wind up looking like her brother, he's tall and lean. He never had the tummy or chubby baby legs.
I don't think you have anything to worry about because it sounds just like my Katie but you are concerned so call her doctor. They are not only there for colds, etc. They are also there for guidence and to address your concerns.
Children come in all shapes and sizes. And we love to tickle that belly and Katie laughs and laughs. So if your relatives would like to tickle that cute belly and bring a big smile to your granddaughters face tell them they are more than welcome. Otherwise they can keep their comments to themselves. Unfortunately you can't control what people say but you are a huge part of your granddaughter's life so you can help how she reacts and talk to her about that. She is lucky to have a Grandma be part of her everyday life.
Good luck
Hi J.,
There can be a number of reasons that a tummy distends but there is a very common one today. The processing, the preservatives and the pesticides in our food supply now are causing the distention of stomachs. Weight gain goes straight to the tummy area instead of all over the body. It's considered a form of malnutrition. People with a good, healthy immune system gain weight evenly. Those with a weak immune system gain weight in their just their thighs or just their stomach, etc.
If your granddaughter eats a lot of processed foods or goes to McDonald's or other fast food restaurants often, it could be something that simple. It's not a time-critical concern that you have to worry about, but it is something that should change if that is the issue.
If her mother had it, then she probably had or has a health issue also. Not necessarily something that most people would call serious, however, but something that should be attended to. Many conditions today did not exist 50 years ago, even 20 years ago.
Hope I helped. If you would like more detailed information, I'll be glad to talk. Like I said, it is very common today, and can be remedied quite simply. Let me know.
Regards,
M.
You know, all little kids are different. Some have a flat tummy and some have an almost distended look to their tummies. They don't exactly have toned abs yet -- so this may be a perfectly normal and healthy child. Still, of course, if there's a concern, a visit to the pediatrician will answer your questions. I don't think I'd worry enough to make a special visit to the ped -- but mention it next time she's in the office.
The one thing I would absolutely do, though is to STOP immediately all the other family members' making jokes about her tummy. It is most likely nothing and to plant the seed that there is something wrong or different about her body sets her up to be body-conscious already! So, if anyone makes jokes in front of the child, they need to be aware that little ones "get" a lot more than we give them credit for. Mums the word!
you need to take your grandaughter to the pediatrician. It may be nothing, but it could be a liver problem. My son was born with a birth defect that affected his liver. His stomach was very large in comparison to his limbs before he had his liver transplant last year.
I would take her to the doctor, just in case. You just never know, better late than be sorry.
I suggest you ALWAYS go with your gut instincts. God gave us these for a reason! It is better to be an "overactive" guardian than one who does not pay attention to anything.
Anytime I have taken my two to the doctor (4 & 6 yrs old) there has always been something going on. I too have thought, should I take them or am I being over cautious.
Each and EVERY time there has been something that needed attention. I am always glad I took them to be seen.
It is always better to be safe than sorry, right?!
Good luck to you and bless you for being such a wonderful grandma. Your grandchildren are lucky to have you, especially this little one.
Best wishes,
A.
Could she be constipated which causes bloating?
It wouldn't hurt just to be on the safe side. What will is take? One afternoon or morning of your life? I think its always better to be on the safe side and check. At least you will have peace of mind.
Is the child current with her shots, if so the Doc. would have said something. If she's not current w/shots go with the parent that is responsible for funds for the Doc..
S.
Mother of 3
Grandmother of 2
If her tummy is sticking out at her belly button she could have a hernia, and it should be checked out ASAP by her pediatrician. If you are concernedand she doesn't have a regular doctor, take her to the local health dept. and have the peditrician oncall check her tummy. They will know if she need to see a specialist or if nothing is really wrong. Better safe than sorry. Good Luck!
E.
