Is My 10 Month Old Breastfed Baby Failing to Thrive?

I know this is late but just a quick note....same thing happened to me and when I went to get a second opinion we found out that guess what? They hadn't calibrated the scale at my family Dr.'s office! They were "off" by TWO pounds!! I saw a real lactation consultant and she helped with any concerns that I had. :)

Hi there!
I would definitely get a 2nd opinion!!!
My son was a micropreemie who has GERD and a ton of other things going on and those tests are NOT pleasant...If he isnt showing other signs I would be reluctant to put him through all that. His height and weight seem WELL within the normal range and most babies do slow down their gains as they become more active. I would just keep feeding him the table foods and make them "fatty" (try avacadoes, butter or eggs).
Please feel free to PM me.

I would agree that a second opinion could be warranted. My son was around 18 lbs at 10 mo also. He was breastfed until 6 mo, then in formula and "real" food. He didn't like babyfood either. You may try the Zantac. It has almost no side effects for children and is highly effective. My son was on it for 6 mo and it really helped with reflux, spitting up, etc. You could also try more people food. My son was totally off baby food by 10 mo and just ate tiny bites of what we had. At 3 he's no a pretty good eater.

If you'd like a second opinion I would HIGHLY recommend my pediatrician! They are very low-key and experts in breast-feeding (all docs are lactation consultants!) Email me for more info.

Good luck!

I personally would get a 2nd and possibly 3rd opinion and go with the best out of 3.

I back everyone else up when they tell you to get a second opinion. You son is gaining weight, not losing it. N=Babies growth gradually slows, and especially if he is trying to crawl, etc, getting more physically active!

Just as a side note...My daughter hated baby food--she NEVER ate it. She went straight to table foods (she also nursed for 14.5 months). By the time she was your son's age, I gave her everything we ate, just chopped very small. He's definitely allowed to skip baby food. It's not a requirement. I though my daughter was going to be a picky eater when she hated baby food, but she eats almost everything---she just didn't like the "fake" stuff.

Good luck to you. It really sounds like Mommy knows best in this situation!

I would seek a 2nd opinion. Bottom line is there is no harm in asking for a different point of view. I too am hesitant about prematurely medicating a child without researching its necessity first. I took my oldest daughter in to the doctors for a horrible cough she had. Doctor did a quick exam and insisted it asthma. She gave me a prescription, with side effects that I didn't want to subject my daughter to (especially since she couldn't tell me when she wasn't feeling well). Turns out, that she was having a reaction to cheap bedding I bought from Walmart. Got rid of that and she was instantly better.

See what another doctor says. If both concur, then I guess it wouldn't hurt to have the xray study done, just to be sure it isn't something more serious going on. Just remember, that all kids are different...some eat all the time and are chunkier than others, and some hardly eat at all and are stick thin, and other find a happy medium somewhere in between. If your son is eating, gaining weight (albeit slowly), happy and appearing healthy otherwise, I wouldn't hit the panic button yet. Good luck to you.

Dear Jennifer,
Congratulations on breast feeding this long. Your baby has a really good start in life because of it. I am sorry you are going through this. I did not take my healthy babies to the doctor for that very reason. Sometimes well meaning doctors end up torturing you and your baby with blood tests, x-rays etc... There is a naturalist doctor in Bridgeville (near Pgh). Her name is Denise Happe. She believes in supporting the body with nutrition and healthy lifestyle, which breast feeding ceratinly is. She may be more in line with the way you think about your baby's health and can potentially be a good resource and support for your values in the future. I can give you her number if you are interested.
Good luck,
N

I would get a second opinion. Good luck to you! I probably tend to agree with you that sometimes, while well-intentioned, drs tend to jump the gun on stuff.....maybe you ust haven't found the right ped yet for you & your son. I'm not minimizing your concerns, but he sounds active and that, to me, doesn't sound like failure to thrive!

Get the second opinion! Based on what you've posted, your instinct is telling you to do so. And if your baby seems happy and energetic, he's probably doing fine!

Good luck.

Oh my gosh! I'm sorry, but give me a break! It sounds like your son is doing wonderfully to me! He's a nice size (my 1st was only 16# @ a year & was still barely shy of 20# by 2 yrs! My son is 2 on Wed & is probably only 21 lbs) & is meeting all of his develpmental milestones.

Good for you for realizing that your doctor's likely more familiar w/ formula fed babies. Even the growth charts are largely based on FF babies.

EVERY baby is different & as long as yours is growing SOME (it really doesn't need to be a lot) and is energetic & meeting developmental milestones more/less on time (remembering that boys are often "behind") then all is well.

As for the pickiness, I can't blame him. Most baby foods are so over processed that I wouldn't want to eat them either! There's nothing wrong with him eating nutritious non-baby-food. Some babies just take longer to sleep through the night than others too. Jeesh! My son STILL doesn't sleep through the night most of the time! There's nothing wrong with that. He probably just misses you & wants to be close to you.

If you live anywhere close to Easton or Allentown, I know of 2 good doctors in both locations that are breastfeeding friendly. I'd be happy to give you the names if you like.

I think that if he truly had GERD that he'd be PROJECTILE vomiting & screaming all the time. I sincerely doubt that that's the case & seeing as though all medication carries risks & side effects, if it were ME, I wouldn't be comfortable with it either. It sounds ridiculous to me to be giving him Zantac when, from what you've discribed, it sounds like he has no symptoms of GERD at all.

I'm so glad that you're taking the time to question this & look into it further! Good for you!!!!!!!!!!

Hang in there, Jennifer & enjoy that chunky little monkey of yours! He sounds happy & healthy to me! ;-)

I would get a second opinion AND call a lactation consultant. My son has had GERD since birth, due to hiatal hernia; he's 14mos+ and Children's Hospital still won't due any invasive testing (like the barium swallow), even tho he got worse at 1yr (they want to try other things, waiting until he's 2yo before going in); Zantac didn't work for him, but Axid did, so if you go the medicine route, be prepared to switch around, as many families we know had to try 2-3 diff kinds.

I would also talk to a lactation consultant. Your milk quality could be changing. This happened to a friend (even though she was a great eater herself, her milk was like skim milk all the time), who's son stopped gaining in weight/height around 9mos - she tried other things for 2mos (with peed supervision), but after no change in her son, she put him on whole milk and away he sprouted (along with become much less fussy, stopped feeding so much thru the night and other good things). Could you possibly pump milk thru the day to confirm that its the thick creamy kind that he needs?

Good luck!!!!!

My daughter is also 10 months old and is 17 lbs 11 oz. She also hates baby food, but does eat table foods - but is pretty picky at that. This is my fourth, and if the doctor had said the things you've been told, I would be finding a second opinion. Breastfeeding is always best, teething and moving both slow down growth at least for a little while. My oldest had GERD and we definitely knew it! She went on Zantac with great results - but she was screaming all the time before. There was no doubt something was wrong.

Go with your instinct!

Hi Jennifer - I breastfed both of my children. I was lucky enough not to have any weight/eating problems with mine. I would definitely go for a second opinion especially with so many tests involved and he's not having alot of other symptoms. Since your son is a picky eater I would find what he likes and feed him that along with the breastmilk. Even if it is not baby food. Which I fed my children "real" or "table" food and breastmilk. I did not like the baby food...have you ever tasted it? I started making my own baby food. As long as the food is healthy and they are getting all of their nutrients. Think like the old days when there was no baby food...and we all survived:) I know this may not be too appealing (since he's 10mths)but if you're able to increase the breastmilk I would also try that. Even if you can pump and give it to him in a bottle/cup during the day. Breastmilk is always best. I hope this helps and good luck!

Hi Jennifer,

Congrats on still nursing your son. As a parent with a FTT child, I can give you some info, but I would definitely get a second opinion.

My son is now 20 months and was also extrememly active, but has several underlying issues - mainly lots of respiratory infections. Anyway, what I found out was the definition of FTT is very individual.

My son was only 17 pounds at a year, but what the doctors were more concerned about was his lack of weight gain from 6 months to a year and his own personal growth curve. I breastfed him until 14 months and had him on a high fat diet since 6 months, but he went from the 30 percentile in weight to the .45 percentile and kept dropping off. He was happy and relatively healthy (although he has some respiratory issues as I mentioned) though and was classified as severe failure to thrive by several doctors. The biggest issue is that if something is going on, the weight drops off, then the height, then the brain growth (which was honestly my biggest concern after awhile) because they need so much good nutrition for their brains to develop at this stage. Ask to get a copy of his growth chart and take that for your second opinion.

As far as GERD, my son has been treated for GERD since he was about 6 weeks old. He very obviously had it though (in my opinion), but baby Zantac is the mildest prescription they can prescribe, just an FYI.

Best of luck and remember, doctors don't know everything. I have learned in our last several years of constant medical treatment for my baby that as the mom, you need to speak up and do your research and make sure you are comfortable with the doctors above anything else.

Feel free to email me if you want any more info:).

Hi Jennifer! I truly think you would do well to get a second opinion. "Failing to thrive" cannot be defined only in terms of weight gain/height. As you said each baby is unique, and, true, formula fed babies do grow quite differently than breastfed.
I totally agree that this particular diagnosis for GERD is very premature, and I would by no means jump to using Zantac for an infant, there are other options to help treat GERD before using medication (i.e. a sleeping wedge). Children who are breastfed on cue (it sounds like your son is), tend to wake in the night, even into the 2nd year. Our children gradually dropped their night waking sometime after weaning (about 1yr and 1.5yrs). If he is not very upset and coughing/gagging/gulping when he wakes (as our daugher did with GERD - she wouldn't sleep for more that a few minutes, despite being in an elevated-upper body position, that is, until she was about 4 mos old), then I wouldn't think that it's GERD. That's just me, from my experience, and other mother's stories.
When our son was 10 mos old, he also thinned down dramatically. He too had just started walking (a big difference in calorie usage), and our doctor at the time, was a little concerned, but he simply had us monitor our son's wet/dirty diapers, his activity level and his demeanor - which were all just swell - and our son has turned out well - very well.
If you are not familiar with it already, you may want to check out "The Baby Book" Dr. William Sears. That has a lot of helpful information that may help guide you in the decisions you two need to make. They are strong advocates for "attatchment parenting", but the book is about far more than their thoughts/opinions on that aspect of parenting. We have taken so much from it, and found it extrememly valuable to have on hand. Best wishes to you! Hope you found this helpful. :) H.

Hi

I would see a gastrologist at CHOP for a second opinion before you start any meds...could be totally nothing. FYI, barium study is no big deal. We see Dr. Liacouras at CHOP. Very knowledgeable but not the warmest/fuzziest doctor around. Also, maybe see a nutrionist to see how you can increase calories - drink supplement? Been through many tests - my son has eosinophilic esophagitis and he is 5. Been to Dupont also, but CHOP is superior when it comes to this field.

Hi Jennifer!

I had similar concerns with my youngest who is now just over 1 year old and weighing in at 18 lbs. He was a breastfed baby up to 11.5 months old, but we had to supplement his diet with other foods when he was 4 months old because he was actually losing weight! He has only gained 1 pound in the past 3 months, but is walking, talking, and being a normal (although highly energetic) kid. My son has only gained 11 lbs since he has been born. Every child is unique, and we were lucky to find doctors that understand that and aren't quick to put our kids on drugs.

Be vigilant and follow your gut. I'd also recommend getting a second opinion, and perhaps a new pediatrician. One that has the same philosophy about medicine as you.

Good luck!

My son weighed about 18 pounds at one year. My doctor had him come in for weight checks that summer, as well. He was growing some though, so I guess they weren't concerned. He was in the 25th percentile up until around 7 or 8 months and then slipped down into the 5th percentile. He is just a small guy. He is very healthy, but a more petite fellow. He always ate well, and was breastfed until around 14 months (and ate baby food or adult food). He's 2 years old now and we no longer worry about his weight. He is currently 25 or 26 pounds (small for 2 years). Maybe your son does not eat enough during the day, but I would still be hesitant to do the meds, too. Maybe there are things you can work on with his meals instead. Get a second opinion. Some docs are quick with meds, others aren't. Hope you find peace in this situation!

You have gotten a lot of responses already and it seems to me that most are in agreement that he seems to be just fine! He is growing, and you haven't noticed and issues, so follow your Mama gut! I did just want to say that my son has been on Zantac for many months for GERD- he was constantly throwing up and showed sign of discomfort, but he was still a big boy anyway- he hasbeen fine with theZantac. He had an upper GI as well at CHOP and they were excellent and he did just fine. He was mad that he was held in position, but really it went well! So, if for some reason you decide to follow your pediatrician's recommendation, try not to worry too much about it!

Hi Jennifer,

Does your baby have thrush? Consult a La Leche League representative in your area at:

www.llli.org

Thrush looks like a milk coating on the baby's tongue or/and in the roof of his mouth.

If so, write me back.

Good luck. D.

If you have insurance, then by all means get a second opinion but personally I would get the extra tests his doctor recommended as well. What do you have to lose?

Have you tried making you own baby food? That may help too. My son loves the baby food I make him.
Best of luck.

I know so many have already answered but I would say definitely get a second opinion before the medication. My son just turned 1 year and according to the dr's records at the 10 month visit, he didn't grow at all from the 6 month visit. I thought this was crazy because his clothes were getting smaller (something to consider). My dr wasn't too concerned, he thought it was possible the nurse messed up the measurement so he just had us come back for an 11 month visit where he grew only a little bit but it made the dr happy. My son is still small in the 10th percentile but my dr isn't concerned because he is meeting all the milestones like you mentioned. Oh and he was solely breastfed till about 6 months and he only just started table foods two weeks ago. He just turned 1 yr and he still nurses through the night. Every child is different, you might want to find a different dr because if medication is his first option at this young age, it will only bring you problems in the future.

GOOD intuition, go with it, and I salute you! Get a second professional opinion, find out what Zantac really does, research it, and in regards to "treatment" of your baby, when in doubt - DON'T.
Doctors are only human, and they DO make mistakes, except now you can't press malpractice charges if something goes wrong due to a doctor's incompetence and bad handling anymore, you can only do it if you can prove deliberate malicious intent. :P
Double kudos to you for taking charge instead of being lead like a sheep! ;D
P.S. Another Double kudos on continuing to nurse. Brava, bravissima! You champion us all! :)

YES - second opinion! From what you describe, you ahave a healthy, petite child.

My 16 month old is still nursing at night, as did my daughter, and they are perfectly healthy. the peds that I have had have always said solids before the first birthday are just so that the baby gets used to eating solid food and that they are getting the bulk of their nutritional needs from breast milk (or formula). I have breast fed both my children, my daughter has been consistently at the 10-25% on the growth chart, and my son on the 75-95% of the hart. And I've fed them the same!

If you want a recommendation for a doctor, feel free to contact me. My doc is in Paoli.

definitely get a second opinion before doing meds (I would get one before the test too).
General info...most kids double their birth weight by 6 months & triple their birth weight by one year. But not all do & that's ok too. My son doubled his birth weight by 4 months, but didn't triple it until 18 months. I have a friend whose daughter was 7lbs at birth. She is almost 2 now and only weighs 19lbs. She is in the 5th percentile for height & the 2nd percentile for weight. Her doctor says that its nothing to worry about b/c she is happy, healthy & active & is meeting all of her milestones. She was breast fed & is also very picky about what (or how much) she eats. Every child is different. Though if your son is meeeting all his milestones & is not experiencing pain during or after eating. I would think he is probably ok, so I would definitely get another opinion.

Breastfed babies grow differently then most doc's charts. Docs generally have charts for formula fed babies or for a mix of breastfed and formula fed. Also breastfed babies have natural periods where their weight slows down. Generally between 6-9 months they have major slowing because they are starting to move alot more. You should watch for him to meet his milestones, and to be going thru 6-8 diapers a day. Regardless of what is in the diaper. Also, you breastmilk has more calories then any solids will have. Solids are simply to get him used to the texture at this age, and should always be given AFTER nursing. Never before. A breastfed baby does not actually NEED solids for the first year. Your milk changes as your baby gets older to adjust to what his body needs.

My son is 9 months, 17lbs 11oz, and 26.5 inches long. My doc (who is a huge supporter of breastfeeding herself)says that my son is doing great.

I would really reccomend getting a new doc, or educating your doc on the growth on breastfed babies(check out kellymom.com for some great info and charts to print out and give him).

Overall, remember you are the parent, and you should go with you gut. If it says not to give the meds, then get another opinion. They don't call it 'Mom's intuition' for nothing.

Hi Jennifer. Both of my kids had GERD, my daughter most severe (constant vomiting). Both were on zantac with no issues, only that their uncomfortable symtoms disappeared. Does your baby appear to be in any discomfort after meals? If so, GERD maybe a possibility. Or maybe your baby has associated eating with discomfort?

I didn't read all the responses so this may be a repeat...

Congrats on keeping up the breast feeding it is no small feed so be proud!!! Our son tolerated some jar baby food but loved what his Papa made homemade - if yu have the time to go to the market, you have the time to make delightful baby food - the big winners were acorn squash and apples but we also food processed soups and casseroles to round out nutrients - if you want some more detail - let me know!

I would also go for a second opinion if it is doable - - - doctors do not want to "miss" something and wind up with a lawsuit down the road so by design they take many extra precautions. If your gut says this is notthe problem - - - find a pediatrician who better understands breast fed babies. Our ped is at the CHOP Faculty Practice and so far everyone we have seen there is excellent.

Good lucj, hang in there and again, congrats on the breast feeding!
- J. :)

I would recommend that you definitely get another opinion. My daughter is also 10 months and she is breastfed also. She's always been on the charts at 20% only. She also hated babyfood. Since we've given her real food, she likes to eat much, much better. My daughter doesn't have any teeth yet so it seems like my daughter is even further behind your son. At our last appointment, the doctor did not seemed concerned with her weight.. eventhough I always am. She's crawling, standing and babbling/laughing like crazy. My doctor just recommened that we give her real food but she did not seemed concerned.

My cousin also breastfed and she said her kids were always falling off the charts.

I think it is a breastfeeding thing. (Maybe they need a chart to compare breastfed babies to formula fed and then lets see where our kids rank!)

Zantac really helped my baby to put on weight, and we had no side effects from it. I would get a second opinion, but the new growth charts take into account breastfed babies (if he's using the WHO/CDC ones) and growth at this age is fairly well understood and predictable. The doctors at the Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh are all Lactation Consultants as well, and I would highly recommend you contact them for a second opinion. They will totally support your breastfeeding goals as well as make sure the baby is getting what he needs. For us, that involved some additonal formula and A LOT of food. By 10 months, food should be a big part of a kid's diet, and you may not be making as much/rich enough milk as an active kid needs. Their phone number is ###-###-####. Good luck, and don't mess around with this FTT stuff-- this is CRITICAL brain growth time, and you don't want to be shorting your baby the nutrition he needs.

It sounds like your baby is doing fine to me. I'm no Dr. but my ds is also and extremely picky eater and at 15 months still eats few solids. His Dr. has not been concerned to this point as he is meeting all of the physical milestones and is a very pleasant and healthy little guy. He does have reflux and was on Zantac for most of his first year but he was also having major projectile vomiting and actually lost weight for a couple of weeks around 2 months because of it. My ds still nurses through the night at 15 months but we also co-sleep so I'm not sure if it is because of the closeness, the reflux or that he is hungry because he eats so little solids for me.

The growth charts they use are based on formula fed babies and not exclusively breastfed ones and formula fed babies grow more quickly. What was his birth weight. I believe the standard is they like them to double birth weight by 6 months and triple by a year although mine still hasn't tripled and our DR. is not concerned at all. It is totally normal for their growth to slow down in the second half of the first year.

I myself would probably refuse the barium swallow but you have to decide if it's worth arguing with the doctor about it.

A.

i'm in the same boat.

our 10mo old only weighs 17lbs but is at 50% for height and head circumference. we're getting a sweat chloride test thursday to rule out cystic fibrosis.

growth charts are indeed averages for american babies. lots of kids hang off the charts until a few years and then jump right back on. that your doc is being cautious and wanting to order tests to exclude more serious conditions is ok, but if you want a second opinion, think of what it is you want to hear. if want to hear that nothing is wrong, then i would be suspicious of the doctor that tells you that as well.

is your son having difficulty with feeding? does he get fussy when he lies flat? arches his back during feeds? cries? do you feed him many times at night or just once? is it habit or is it a necessity? would he eat more if you withheld his middle of the night feeding? have you tried eliminating dairy? these are the questions i would ask as your doc - hopefully you've investigated them fully. zantac is a perfectly fine option to try because it is diagnostic usually within a week. it would take much longer to achieve the side effects you worry about, if at all. i would think that if you son has some symptoms of gerd and the zantac helps, then problem solved. if his symtoms continue, then moving to another study would be a reasonable next step.

if he is not symptomatic at all, then wondering about the use of the zantac is also reasonable.

unforturnately because of the limitations of communication with babies, we rely on radiographic studies in order to investigate problems with GI system. if you're worried about the test, have an honest conversation with your pediatrician and get his/her take on it. we often just leave the doc's office without disclosing our fears. i do it, and i'm in the biz. go figure.

good luck, and if you'd like to talk further you can message me anytime.