Tiny Girl

Hi Brenda,

I also have a "tiny" girl, she is 27 months and weighs 23 lbs. I too was concerend and took her to the dr., who told me she was fine. Some kids are just small. She eats like a horse, is very happy and active. I was a skinny child too, as was my husband. I would not worry, but I would consider a new pediatrican. We go to Pediatric Specialists. They are wonderful.

Good luck!

;-) H.

I have 2 daughters. My one daughter was always on the low end of the charts for wgt and hgt, while my other daughter was always off the charts on the high end for wgt and hgt (she was born at 10lbs). I was told the only concern would be if their hgt and wgt did not fall on the chart in the same range. I would get a second opinion. Also, it is always better to get the test done then find out later there is something going on.My daughters are teenagers now. The small one takes after her father's side of the family, short and petite and my other daughter takes after my side, tall and thin. The charts are just a guide, every child is different.

Cheryl

I'm a mom of an itty bitty girl. The dr. told me that she isn't concerned with her actual weight but that she is gaining weight consistanly. She said she would not be concerned unless my daughter suddenly lost weight, gained a huge amount or didn't gain weight at all. At one year my daughter weighed 18lbs. Now she is 3 and weighs 31.5lbs. so she did "catch-up" a bit.

Brenda,

As the mother of a 10% in weight baby boy, I understand how you feel. Jacob's doctor (who I trust 100%) asked if he was a good eater - and he's an eating machine. We just gave him very healthy foods and the doctor said that was part of it. She'd "rather that than an overweight baby chowing down on french fries every meal."

I agree with the others that some kids are smaller. BUT, you need to decide if you trust your doctor. Our son had jaundice when he was born which resulted in many blood tests in his first weeks on Earth. He had HORRIBLE colic and fevers at about 2 months that resulted in an ER trip which had more blood tests and urine test (catheter - ouch!). We were even sent to Lutheran General for a possible spinal tap at one point because he was absolutely inconsolable at the doctors office. (Luckily, we didn't need to do that). He had many many ear infections that resulted in tubes in his ears.

What I'm saying is not once did I question anything my doctor wanted to do. And, I'm not a pushover by any means either...trust me. Our doctor had a detailed explanation for everything that we came across and was with us to work through it all. I never felt that she was trying to run unnecessary tests or anything like that.

IF you feel hesitant about your doctors opinions, it's time for a second one. A lot of children are smaller than "average" and doctors don't see an issue with it because there isn't one. But, if you've been taking your child to the same doctor her whole life, the doctor may have other reasons for wanting tests. You know what I mean? If you're not sure, take her elsewhere to get looked at.

There are a lot of good peditricians out there, but there are some questionable ones, too. I'M NOT SAYING YOUR DOCTOR IS, but if your "Mom Instincts" are on alert...maybe that's something to think about?

Best of luck.

T.

Start giving her a "milkshake" , every morning, and every night, ( at night,because that is when the wight will start to increase). You want to take 4-6 ounces of WHOLE MILK, and 4-6 ounce jar of GERBER's Fruit-not the chunky fruit, the creamy baby food(fruit),and then you can add allitle peanut butter (no more than a tablespoon), or baby cereal, like oatmeal, just adding enough to thicken. Put ingrediants in a blender, or something that you can shake intensely. There is nothing wrong with making mashed potatoes, with whole milk, and real butter. Children are active, and I agree that you can try increasing the calorie intake, before letting the doctor's draw blood. Although, there is going to be a time or two, that the doctor will have to draw blood, and no parent or child enjoys that, but, it is life, and give your child a dose of tylenol, 20 minutes before the visit,which helps. The Best to You!!

Hi Brenda,

It's so hard to see your baby put through things such as shots and tests but I really think you should allow them to do the blood work. What if something were going on and your daughter's health were compromised? I know you'd feel terrible for not finding out sooner rather then later. Your/her doctor has nothing but her best interest in mind and I know he wouldn't want to stick her if he didn't have to. Put everyone's mind at ease and get the testing done. If it turns out to be nothing GREAT but if something is wrong and your daughter needs treatment I know you'd want to get that done right away. Good luck! I don't envy you, I know from experience how hard it is to sit there and watch them hurt your baby.

Just wanted to respond. My older daughter will be 9 next month and weighs 45lbs. She is small for her age, but she eats good and is very healthy. My niece is the same age, she also is small like my daughter. She went through every test imaginable and no cause was found.

My twins just turned 5 and weigh less then 30lbs. They are healthy and eat good. There is no right or wrong weight as long as they are eating good and are healthy.

Maybe check with the doctor to add some food or drinks that will give her more calories.

Hi Brenda,

I am a mother of a tiny girl also. She does have down syndrome but healthy other wise. She is 19 months and weighs just under 20 lbs. The doctor wanted to do her normal blood work at 1 year and they had trouble in the doctors office getting any blood due to her tiny veins. So I just put it off until 15 month visit (Doctor wasn't real pleased that I waited) and they were able to complete the test. I was relieved that everything was OK. I would advise you to go ahead and get the test done so you can put it out of your mind. You can have the blood drawn at Childrens Memorial since they are use to taking blood from babies. Thats what I was going to do if the office could not complete the test. Good Luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

P.

My daughter weighed 19 lbs at 15 months and the doc was never concerned. He said she was small, 5th percentile for weight, but she had been since she was 4 mos old (7 lbs at birth) so he wasn't concerned b/c she was consistent. He emphasized that we should push milk, butter and oil on the foods she'd eat, cheese, etc. Stuff with high fat for her brain development, but not to worry unless her pattern changed. Do you know what they watned to check her blood for? Maybe if he explained it to you you'd feel better about having it checked, or not having it checked whatever you decide. Don't think it could hurt to talk more with the doc, but it doesn't sound like you need to be all that concerned.

I tend to go w/ the mom intuition w/ this -- and i would change pediatrician quick! Not sure where you are located but Dr. Morris out of DuPage Medical Group is AWESOME. My daughter is also tiny, she's 16 months and 18 lbs, and as much as i worry about her size, she too has her good and bad eating days but is healthy and happy and is just a small person. I am not saying that is the same for your daughter, but Dr. Morris recognizes that some children are very small while some are quite the behemoths. I'd say if you feel your daughter is eating well, if you have a family of even one small person (under 5'4"), it doesn't even matter if you and/or your husband are taller or larger or whatever, it's all genetically predisposed at conception. I did and still do worry a bit about my daugher -- we were at Yorktown mall a couple Fridays ago and everyone just stared at her tiny self, some commenting about how adorably small she is, and others just w/ mouth agape (annoying but understandable since i still stare at her tiny body roving around the toys, running back and forth, jut being a normal little person) -- anyway i worry more when i see other reactions to her, but know she is just 100% fine and normal. Plus Dr. Morris is just so great and not one of those alarmists types, nor would he ever express frustration or anger if you went w/ your feelings on a matter. Who is your pediatrician so I can warn others :)

Brenda,

I don't understand why the doctor was angry. The doctor so obviously did not spend enough time with you explaining the reason for his concerns and also didn't listen to your concerns. You are the parent and you have to make the big decisions regarding your child's health. It sounded like the blood test at the time was bad timing because your child was probably upset from the shots. Some babies are smaller but when the arms are really thin, it could be an indication that she is not getting enough calories and/or nutrients. To be on the safe side I would have a blood test taken at some point soon. Maybe also get a second opinion. This is just too important to take a chance on.

Diana

We have twins and it's torture when they take the blood ... for both me, my husand and my kids. My kids are only 8 months and they are on the smaller side (6 weeks early). I believe my next visit they will need blood work again to check their iron again AND their 9 month shots. So a lot of pain... but they'll be o-k. :) It's just something that needs to be done.

Ask your doctor what tests are being run to decide whether or not it's something you want done. To me, you need to trust your pediatrician and it doesn't sound like you do. Maybe they are drawing blood to be sure everything is functioning okay. If the pediatrician states just that I personally would do it to be sure. :) Good luck.

Like the last person said, I would get the blood test done for peace of mind since they do sound so concerned and it would be REALLY hard to find out later something they could have learned sooner IF there were to be any kind of issue. I would also ask what the blood test may determine also for peace of mind. You're the parent...you have a right to ask question after question. :) Like others alluded to also, there shouldn't be an alarm if she's ALWAYS been small...HER NORMAL could just be small. I didn't go through this, but I did go through something similar...my firstborn being small (5 weeks early) and losing too much weight just after he was born due to jaundice. And it WAS so TERRIBLY hard to watch them draw blood every day for the first week for jaundice. In fact, I couldn't take it after the first couple of times and sent my husband to take him to the hospital alone because it IS so hard to watch your son or daughter to be pricked and poked at. I empathize with you. Best wishes and try to remind yourself that it is for the best.

I have a friend whose son is very tiny. He is 4 and he weighs about 28 pounds! But he is also on the petite short side. My doctor and her doctor both have said that as long as their height percentile and weight percentile are close then they are fine!! For example if she is in the 5th percentile for weight but in the 50th percentile for height then they may be concerned. Another of my friends sons was considered very skinny and his doctor had his mom give him Pediasure shakes daily. One month later the SAME doctor said he was too heavy for his frame and needed to lose weight!!! You know your child better than anyone!! Keep a log of what she is eating for a week. Then you can take a look and see if she is eating a lot and her metabolism is just high or if she is not eating enough. What is her activity level? Is she very active where she may be burning everything off? Just some things to think about. Good Luck!!

I know you have already gotten a lot of replies, but I am just now seeing this post. My daughter is 18 months old and has always been really small. She just hit 20 lbs at her 18 month check. At 15 months she was just over 18 pounds. She has always been in 3-5%tile. Her doctor has never requested bloodwork, and has never really been worried. He just tells us every visit she is just a petite little girl. I don't think I would have done the bloodwork either. Unless your daughter just recently lost weight, or gained no weight between visits I don't think there should be cause for concern. I have never been worried about my daughter, she eats healthy, and at times out eats my 3 year old. I know there is nothing wrong, she is just petite.

You can google CDC growth charts to find where your child "should" be for their age. My daughter at 30 months weighed 20 pounds. She is now 35 months and just had a growth spurt and is tipping the scales at 24 pounds. Some kids are just small. There is nothing wrong with my kids- my husband and I were small as kids and so are they. By the way my daughter was 8'11" at birth so I have been through all kinds of grief about her relatively small size since then.

I would find a new doctor. If your doctor relies only on blood tests without really explaining anything and doesn't offer any kind of nutritional info and gets "mad" at you for making decisions doesn't sound like a great doctor to me. Remember that your doctor is paid to work for you.

My daughter is also 18 months and just peaked at 20 lbs 2 oz. She was 17 lbs at her 15 mo appointment.

Doctor just wanted to be sure we were giving her all the food she wanted (we were) and full-fat milk (we were). My daughter is REALLY active, running all the time.

If your daughter's always been on the 3-5% ranking, it's fine. When it drops is when you and the doctor may want to look into the cause.

You should seriously consider having blood tests done on your little girl to rule out any illnesses or allergies that are preventing her body from utilizing the calories she is taking in. Also, if her weight and height are significantly below that of other children her age, you should talk with your doctor about failure to thrive syndrome which could result in developmental delays if not addressed appropriately. Good luck.

Hi Brenda,
Maybe you should get a 2nd opinion. My daughter is a little over 2 years old and she only weighs 22 lbs. She is tall (36 inches). Her pediatrician said she is normal and not to worry. All kids have good and bad eating days - it is part of childhood. I would definitely find a doc that you are comfortable with. I am not sure where you live but I take my daughter to Dr. Marc Nudelman. He is associated with Alexian Brothers. Please feel free to email me with any questions at: ____@____.com
Good Luck,
R.

Them doing blood with not hurt her :) Just to make sure nothing is wrong, you should do blood work. I'm sure She is fine but then you can double check. Sometimes it bothers you more than the child :)

Hi brenda, I am just now seeing this post as well and I will tell you, I have a small little girl too and I worried the whole first year if she was underweight. Of course they used the chart and said she was in the bottom percentile and we did let our doctor do blood work to see if anything was wrong and to see if she may have had any hidden illnesses and they all came back fine. We even went so far as to have an upper GI test done to make sure her esophogas wasn't blocked because she would throw up her food more often than not and that test came back fine.

If your daughter is eating well, three square meals a day and she's drinking milk or taking vitamins then I would not worry about it. Now if you take her back and they say she is not gaining weight or is losing weight then I would let them do the blood work because it's possible there are things going on with her that aren't visible to the eye.

The thing that used to upset me is that my husband would allow her to go all day without eating because she wanted to play but that wasn't good for her. So just watch your daughters eating habits and the foods that she likes the most, give her more of those if you have to or if you feel like she's not eating as much as she should. Otherwise, she's just a tiny girl. Are you small or is your husband small? Sometimes it runs in the family as well....

i have 3 kids.. 2 of them were always "over" what they were suppose to be.. but my 3rd one.. he was the one that was always under .. he will be 4 in may.. and he only weighs 33lbs.. when i took him to the dr for a check up after we moved here she talked me into blood tests for him.. and it added alot of worry to my mind for nothing!!.. hes never been sick, and he has his good and bad eating days like everyone else.. so i wouldnt add too much worry to it..

Brenda,
We adopted our daughter from Belarus and brought her home at 11 months of age. She only weighed 15 pounds when we brought her home. Our pediatrician did take blood work because it was an international adoption and she wanted to rule out some medical concerns listed on my daughter's paperwork from the orphanage. She was also concerned about her weight (she was in the 3rd percentile for her age) and suggested we started giving her protein drinks at night. So, ever since then, we've given her protein milkshakes at night to make sure she is getting enough calories in the day. She is now 5 and is in the 10th percentile for weight, but you might want to check out starting your daughter on some protein shakes to increase her calorie intake. The doctor is probably concerned about her weight given that the brain development is critical at this juncture in their lives and they need higher caloric intakes to ensure proper development.

Let me know if I can be of any further help!
C. Barduson
____@____.com
http://www.workathomeunited.com/C.

As many other posts have said, I would recommend getting the blood test done. You will feel better having the reassurance that everything is OK, or if there is an issue it is better to know sooner than later.
I know first had how hard it is to take them for tests, my son needed minor surgery when he was 11 months, and the surgeon required blood tests as part of the pre-op. Because of colds we had to reschedule several times and each time we rescheduled they had to do the blood work again. If it is an option for you I found the people at Quest Diagnostics to be great. Better than at the pediatricians office. We went to the location in the Lake Forest Hospital building in Grayslake. They were very thorough when they checked his arms and always got the needle in smoothly on the first try. The man who did it was very gentle with my son and was able to get the blood without even a cry. It was definitly harder on me watching than it was on my son.

This is the link to the location finder on Quest's website
http://www.questdiagnostics.com/hcp/psc/jsp/hcp_psc_index...

Doctors freak out way too much about weight and size. My daughter is almost 18 months old and still doesn't weigh 20 pounds. She has been small since she was born (she was full-term) and her doctor was concerned about it when she was really young, but they never wanted her to have blood tests. Now they say that it's ok for her to be small. People come in all shapes and sizes and as long as she eats well (which my daughter does) she's perfectly healthy. I think you DEFINITELY should find a new pediatrician. Just the fact that the nurse told you that the doctor was angry because you didn't let them draw your daughter's blood is a red flag. That is very unprofessional and if it was me, I wouldn't even think twice about taking my daughter to a new doctor. Good luck with it all.

Always let them do them bloodwork, I know it feels like torture, but it will get easier with time. Make sure she gets as many healthy complex carbs as you can get her to eat. Oatmeal, rice, baked or boiled potatoes. Add Butter/ Margarine. My daughter lost weight at fourteen months simply from eliminating sugar too well. She needs carbs for a healthy liver and nervous system. She's going to do fine! L.

Brenda,
I haven't been in your situaiton, but I totally agree with you not wanting to have a blood test and the shots on the same day. I have a 22-month old and I know how tramatic shots can be. I would go ahead an get a blood test though. it is probably nothing, but at least then you will have the peace of mind from knowing tests have been run. Plus, if you know what is going to happen, you can talk to your daughter about it before the visit. As we Mothers know, our children understand a lot more than we think! :-)

good luck.
A.

My daughter is about the same size as yours...maybe a little smaller actually. She is almost 15 mos too. When I went in for a well care visit about a month ago, my pediatrician was a little concerned and told us to cut back on the soymilk and keep feeding her more of the table food, but he didn't get all crazy and start asking for tests. My daughter is also allergic to dairy and eggs, so he knows it has been a little difficult in figuring out what to feed her. She loves corned beef hash and spagetti and the pediatrician says that these meals will fatten her up a bit. He did ask that we come back in a couple of months so that he can check on her weight status, but he made us feel comfortable about where she stood at that point. Maybe you should switch doctors if you don't like how they treat you and your child. I've been to a couple of practices myself before I found one that I was comfortable with and have stuck with my current pediatrician for the past year. If you are interested in switching, I would recommend Northwestern Children's Practice on Lake Shore Dr. The doc I really love is Dr. Goldstein... really nice and will listen to your concerns.

get a second..or third opinion. Doesn't sound right to me esp. if you and your husband are petite or smaller ppl.....

My daughter just turned 9 in February, and is finally growing out of her size 5 clothes (height only though, her weight is still low, she needs a belt in her size 6 clothes). I wasn't really concerned but her doctor asked about testing "just to be safe" so we went along with it. We had the blood work done and spoke to a nutritionist. Blood work came out fine, but the nutritionist gave us some advice I would NEVER follow. Things like, "Give her milkshakes with dinner." Yeah, right. The kid barely eats now, and we're going to fill her up with milkshakes instead of REAL food? Instead I make sure that her food is packed with a good punch. Things like broccoli that have a lot of different vitamins instead of corn which doesn't have as much.

Every child has their days where they want to eat all day, and those where they will hardly eat at all. It IS normal. What I don't think is normal is your doctor being ANGRY that you didn't allow them to draw blood. For crying out loud, she was already getting shots that day - why not do it another day to reduce her discomfort?

Hi,
My twins just turned 19 months...and at their 18 month appointment they weighed 21lbs. They weren't early...38 weeks...and they are small for their age. They are in the 10th percentile....and that's by the formula weight charts....yes having a baby that is formula fed, will weigh more and that is what the weight charts at the doctor's office are based off of....if you are a breastfeeding mom, then your child will be leaner....and also your and your husband's size will determine the size of your children....I was a small baby/child...and that's why I'm not concerned that my twins are small. As long as your child is eating food, then I wouldn't worry about the weight...doctors have it in their heads that babies need to be fat/chubby...and I don't think that's true....my kids still have some fat on them...but it is in their legs and arms...not their face. go with your gut...and if you think it is unnecessary, then get a second opinion....
if you want to talk...let me know

It looks like you have lots of replies, and I did not read them all thoroughly, but I wanted to say that my daughter is almost 7 and is in the 10th percentile for weight and always has been in the range of 10th-15th percentile. She is just now 38 lbs. She was only about 20 lbs from age 4-6!

I have been told that there is NO cause for concern unless her percentile drops more than 5% and then they will maybe do some testing since she has dropped from 15th to 10th, but until then they will let it go until her next checkup (which is a year from now.)

Is there any other reason they are concerned? Is she anemic maybe? I would call to clarify if you are confused- that is what dr's are there for!!

If you are feeling like you aren't being heard, I would change peds and make sure you get all of her records to the new pediatrician. If you are in Elgin are, we use Dr. Thida Maw in Carpentersville and she is WONDERFUL! She orders testing back to her immediately if she thinks there is anything to be concerned about so you don't have to wait and wonder.

-Amanda

Hi Brenda,
I haven't read all the posts, so I am sorry if I repeat anything. I think your doctor is concerned because your baby is below the 5th percentile. Mine was when she was younger also. It can be so distressing to see them get shots- I still can't watch- but I think it bothers us less than them. That said, I can't belive your doctor was ANGRY! That is not his or her place. She is still your child and it is still your decision. My suggestion would be to begin looking for a new pediatrician and then talk to that doctor about the concerns the previous doctor had. Good luck to you and your daughter!
E.

As much as we hate to see our little ones take blood tests it is better to be sure what is going on with her. I would take her in for the blood test. It might just show she is healthy and she is just going to grow at her own rate but you want to make sure that is what it is. My son has always been to skinny for me but he eats well and is very healthy. I fear he's going to be like his mom and not be able to gain weight when he needs to but it is just his genetics.

Take her to a children's hospital (they have out clinic labs in their buildings) to have these procedures done if you don't want the ped's office doing this. I cannot say enough the quality care you receive at a children's hospitals. The less stress on parents and children is their philosophy.