Does My Daughter Weigh Enough?

My 4 year old daughter weighs less than 25 pounds. If she's otherwise healthy, leave it alone! When I was 5, I only wore 2T - some people are just small.

Im sure shes fine. My daughter is 3 1/2 and weighs 42 pounds, but shes also on the husky side (10 pounds at birth). If the doctor didnt say anything about it when she was 3, im sure he has no worries. Was she a little baby? how tall is she? she could be petite. I know someone who has a 2yr old, and when my son was 6 mon he was bigger than her. Some kids are just small.

My daughter is only about a month older than yours. She weighs about 35 lbs. I don't think your daughter is too small to be concerned. Not sure about the vomiting though. If she's fine and not sick otherwise, there may be no concern there either.

I just looked up an average weight chart for kids. For a 3 year old it says 30.8 lbs, and for a 4 year old 35.2. I think she is just small for her age. Not a problem, I have been all my life! :)

You could always just call her pediatrician's office & ask if there is any concern to bring her in now, or if she sounds ok. They should be able to tell you over the phone if you need to bring her in, or just have her checked in March.

I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. She does eat, and it sounds as though she is healthy. My now 13 y/o daughter was also very small/light for her age. She was born full term at 6 lb, 2 oz. She only weighed 12 lb by her first birthday. When she started kindergarten, she weighed 26 lbs. She has always been a good eater, and very healthy. Well, to say the least she has more than made up for it. She started filling out in 2nd Grade and now at 13 1/2 y/o, is 5'5" and weighs 140 lbs (rather on the chubby side) and wears a size 10 1/2 shoe. I would never have guessed when she was little that she would ever blossem as she has.

I would however be concerned about her 'yacking'. She seems awfully young for bulemia, but it isn't unheard of. Monitor her diet to see if you can figure out anything that might be triggering her yacking. I think that you are safe to wait until her wellness check to take her to the doctor. By that time, you may have figured out what is causing her 'yacking. I would recommend the book, "Is This Your Child" by Dr. Doris Rapp. She is a pediatric environmental allergist. Many times it is as simple as determining what is the trigger and eliminating it from the diet. Many libraries have the book, and I have seen it at health food stores. I'm sure that it is also available on Amazon.com or Ebay.

I hope that this helps calm your worry about your daughters weight. Have a very Merry and Blessed Christmas!

A little about me: I am a stay at home mom of two daughters, 15 (16 in March) and 13 1/2 y/o. They keep me very busy but I love minute of it. (Most of the time!) My husband is medically retired airline pilot with a TBI, and many days I feel like I'm mom to him too! Believe me, there are rarely dull moments around here.

Have you had her tested for food allergies? I ask because my children and I have a gluten allergy, but were told for years that our vomiting was nothing to worry about. In fact, I couldn't get pregnant as a result of my undiagnosed allergy. Food allergies present differently in different individuals, so it's worth looking into. Don't be discouraged if your GP dismisses your concern. Just go to a reputable allergist and he/she will be able to help you. If you need a recommendation, try Dr. Ebadi (in Lowry). He has been written up in 5280 on multiple occasions and has been wonderful with our boys. Good luck! I hope you find the solution to your sweet girl's little problem. =)

Some kids are small...there is a small end to the weight chart, because some of us are smaller. It just is.

My DS was OFF the weight chart for two years and is now finally at 18%. However, I never measured him, at all. I never dropped him on a scale just to check his weight for the day. Ever. He eats, goes to the bathroom, grows, plays and is healthy, I didn't feel the need to monitor his weight constantly. Just my 2 cents, girls have enough issues to contend with as they grow up, don't make weight obsession one of them.

I would say she's fine. My son is about your daughter's age, and he's 30.2 pounds with clothes and shoes. He has reflux. What you're describing sounds like she could, as well. If she's happy, though, I would just wait until the 4 year checkup. In the meantime, you might keep a food diary and see if there is any food or foods that cause her to have an upset stomach. That will give the doctor more info to work with. If reflux seems to be the issue, there is some info I can pass on. I'd share today, but I'm in the middle of trying something for our son, and don't have an answer right now. The good news is, if it works, it's a medicine free cure. GL!

Relax. Is he healthy? That's all that matters. My 3 1/2 boy barely weighs 30 lbs. Boys are supposed to weigh more but he is healthy and very active. The percentile doesn't mean anything. It is just averages. Our babies are just becoming bugger overtime but don't worry. He is fine :)

Hi J.,
I wouldn't worry too much about your little girl. My 3 year old son outweighs my 5 year old daughter by a couple of pounds even though they generally eat the same amount and get the same exercise. I would monitor the frequency of her "yacks" or check to see how much she's losing. She may just have a bit of a sour stomach which could cause her to "spit" up a bit. You might try some peppermint the next time she yacks as it will coat her tummy. I wouldn't worry too much about the yacking unless it becomes a regular habit and she starts losing weight. Don't be too quick to head to the doctor with her. Often they will only recommend the same thing you will fiugre out on your own. Blessings, L.

My niece is tiny. She was "normal" until about 6 months and then she dropped off the weight charts. Everyone (especially grandma) was freaking out. But nothing they did got her to gain weight faster. She is a very light eater and also quite active, and seems as healthy as any kids. She's almost 8 and still very petite (weighs less than my 6 yo son, but a bit taller). I would wait. Unless she is actually loosing weight or is listless, or has a distended tummy (sometimes a sign of nutrition issues) it's not really urgent. Kids don't gain weight nearly as fast at 3 as they did before. And some kids are just petite.

My two boys 4 and 18 mo are both tiny - one 20% and the other is <1% according to the charts. I have been to so many "weight check" appointments that I've lost count. The main lesson I learned is to pay attention, but trust your instincts. The two things they always ask me are: 1) are they developing normally otherwise? 2) are there any other symptoms? My kids are simply lousy eaters - meaning they could care less if they only ate a small meal once a day, but they're developing just fine. For this reason, the doctor also checks height, b/c if they're not growing taller, that's a sign that they're not getting proper nutrition. Then you can try to add calorie-dense foods to their diet at every opportunity. The one that works well for us is to add cream (not half-n-half) to mac'n' cheese, to their milk (chocolate milk masks any richness they might detect)and in their oatmeal. The doctor can provide you a list of these foods. After that there's not much you can do, which is why I now have stopped going to all the extra appointments and simply monitor them and sneak in pats of butter and dollops of cream wherever and whenever I can. Good luck.

Hello,
My kids were all around that weight - I am not a big person, and they were small, but normal. They are all normal, active, healthy kids now (and my 14-year old is taller than I am now!). Your daughter may be just fine. On the other hand, I don't think it's normal to be vomiting like that. I would call your doctor and ask by phone - they can then tell you if it makes sense to come in earlier or to wait. I think the flu has waned and you won't be in as much danger if you do go in to the office now, compared to a month or two ago.
Good luck, take care, and happy holidays!

I am just wondering if she as always been small or if this is new? Both my daughter have never been above the 5%. Did she have a growth spurt? Some kids shoot upwards and not outwards. My son is so skinny I have to safety pin his elastic pants--perfectly healthy just super skinny. How often does she yack? If it's once a day she could have a food allergy. But, if she only does it every once in awhile I wouldn't worry. Kids fluctuate in weight from day to day just like adults, so I wouldn't weigh her every day. I would definitely take her in if she is vomiting every day or more than once a week, otherwise I think she is probably fine. You might want to keep a journal of when she vomits, and what she has eaten before she does, then you can give it to her doc when you take her in for her 4 year check up, because if she still vomits they will want you to keep a food/activity log.

My daughter turned 4 on the 21st of December. She weighs in at 28lbs....I have no worries for my child at all but you know best. I just wanted you to know that there are little kids out there that are healthy and fine.