This May Sound Stupid....

As long she is growing consistently without too many unexplained fluctuations in her weight and height she is fine. My daughter was born at 8lbs and since then she is always been in the 5th-15th percentile for weight. The percentile system is based on the "average" babies in USA - but every baby is different.

You have a lot of responses, as well as some peace concerning the subject, apparently, but here's one more.
(I didn't read any of the others BTW)
My daughter was a year and a half old before she cleared the 20 lb mark. Some babies are just little and that's all there is to it. Apparently small babies are the norm for my husbands side of the family, and since my father-in-law is a doctor and says there's nothing to worry about, I take his advice :)

remember that percentiles are based on averages, and in order to have averages there HAVE to be some on either end of the spectrum. but as long as you're IN the spectrum, you're still okay. the only time to worry is if you're off the chart.
isn't it funny how it's only when we're babies that being huge is considered 'good'?
:D
khairete
S.

I have two daughters that were extremely small as infants. My oldest was 6 lbs 9ozs at birth and was at the bottom of the chart for 3 or 4 years. I worried to death until i wrote down everything she ate in a two week period. I shared it with my pediatrician at the time and he was amazed. She was eating normally but stayed at the bottom of the curve. She is now a beautiful 14 year old young lady and in the 50th percentile for both height and weight. My second was born 8 lbs 10 ozs but stayed below the curve for a while. We had a bone scan done and found that in her physical development, she is about 1.5 to 2 years behind but that is the only thing. she is just extremely small. She is 10, weighs 54 lbs, wears a size 7 slim pants, is at the top of her class and a phenomenal gymnast. The point? As long as your daughter is growing, eating, drinking, hitting milestones etc, don't worry about the other kids. As long as the doctor isn't concerned, then enjoy your unique daughter!!

My daughter is the same way. At her 18th month check up in October she was 33 inches but only 22lbs. My doctor was not concerned at all. Just like your child she is reaching her milestones right on time if not early but she is sometimes the smallest child when we go her classes. I'm petite so I'm just assuming that she will take after me in the regards. She eats and drinks normally and as long as that continues I'm comfortable about her being a little small:)

AW! I feel your pain. My daughter was 7lbs 1 oz and 19 " at birth. And, then she steadily fell off the chart. She wasn't just in the 15th percentile...she was leterally not even on the chart. But, what the doctors said was that she was on her own chart, meeting the milestones, and a happy child. She is almost five now...and still very tiny...Probably still not on the chart. She weighs just about 30 pounds and is 39 inches tall.

My son was 7lbs 12 oz at birth. Although he was on the chart...he was not progressing steadily...and he was CRANKY and miserable all the time. They diagnosed him with Failure to Thrive at nine months. (although he was bigger than my daughter at comparable times). At one, he was diagnosed with mutiple food allergies. He is now (2 1/2) doing well and has surpassed his sister in weight.

All that being said, it just really depends on the child. Some children are little because they are little. Some are little because something is wrong. I have one of each. Perhaps you can express your concern to your doctor and s/he can explain to you why s/he isn't concerned.

Hope this helps!!

Enjoy your "peanut"--as everyone calls mine. She's 60% in height but 2% in weight. She eats a lot. The pediatrician says she'll be a famous runway model one day. This is what I tell people who say she's so skinny!
: )
Enjoy!

My 2nd was born at 8lb 2 oz and he then went all of the way down the growth chart the the 3-5% . HE was more than a year before he was 20lb. He is still in 3-5% and he is 11 1/2yr. He is bright happy and well adjusted. Just small for his age. People assume he is younger than he is when they see him we tell him that his behavior should keep people from being surprised when they find out how old he is. His father and I are not very tall. There are random tall people in our families so our kids(6 total) are all over the place on the growth chart. It sounds like you have a wonderful yet petite daughter. Enjoy her

Both my children were and are in the 5% or lower growing up. My son, who is now 8, was always tall and skinny and still is. He's still only about 50 pounds. My daughter who is 19 months old now is about 20ish pounds and in the 4-5% for weight. Our pediatrician is not concerned as long as she continues to gain on "her curve". And I am not concerned either because both of them are happy and healthy just skinny. They eat like little piggies but don't gain much... they have higher metabolisms. I gave my son Boost or Pediasure for a couple years just to supplement incase he wasn't getting enough, but that didn't put any weight on him. I think they are just genetically thin kids. I wouldn't worry about it especially if your pediatrician isn't either. Hope this helps... you're not alone.

I have 4 children. All were born on the bigger side (7# 14 oz. to 9 pounds). They all slowly dropped down on the charts (especially once I stopped nursing). The boys have managed to stay around the 40-50 percentile for height and weight. The girls, on the other hand, have dropped down below the 5th percentile. My current pediatrician hasn't said anything about my 5-year-old yet. She is the tiniest in her class. When my now 12-year-old was preschool age the pediatrician we had then ran several tests including a bone-age. He said he wasn't really concerned, but it was his job to question these things (why she was small). During this time I happened to see another child at a birthday party who also wasn't growing as expected. This child was not only small and thin, but very listless. This made me aware of what the doctors were concerned about. The bottom line was that my daughters are eating well (though picky) and full of energy, so they are fine, just small. Hope this helps you not to worry.

I wouldn't worry. Our daughter is small. We were told even when she was inside me she was small they would say she has a small head, she's so small but we're not worried yet she's growing consistently. After she was born the doctors would say "Gosh she's small but she's hitter her mile stones and growing consistently i can't see anything wrong." Well now she's 6yrs old and the weight of an average 2yr old. She's 35lb. But the doctors say "Small isn't always bad" She's growing and is very active and is doing great otherwise. She's pretty tall but still very light. She's 3ft 10in. but 35lb at 6yrs old...lol Don't worry unless the doctors are worried.

Really you have nothing to be concerned about. If it makes you feel better, my 21 month old is 18 lbs. Granted she's underweight and we manage her diet and see a nutritionist to make sure she is getting enough calories, but the Doctors can't find anything wrong with her at all.

Hey.
I say dont worry about it... my daughter is also very small even compared to the child that i watch that is 5 months younger. but shes developing just fine and her doctor isnt concerned. shes just gonna be small. no worries

From the responses I read, I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet. But I just looked at the growth chart I have from the CDC for girls ages birth-36 months...and according to it, your daughter is in the 50th percentile if she is 18 pounds at 8 months old. I'm not sure if the dr told you she's in the 15th percentile or if you saw it someplace, but I'd encourage you to check out the chart again. That being said, my daughter has always been on the small side. She wasn't even 20 pounds at a year old. Her pediatrician said as long as she's growing consistently (hasn't stopped growing, etc) and doesn't have any other medical concerns, she's fine. I remember I worried more about it when she was an infant, but now that she's a toddler it doesn't even phase me (she's almost 2 and not quite 25 pounds). It sounds like your daughter is perfectly fine =)

This is not a stupid question at all. I am in the same boat. My daughter weighed in at 6lbs 9oz at birth and now at 14 months old she is only 20lbs, in the 5th% and so small and cute! The doctor is not concerned. She is just going to be small. As long as she is hitting all of her milestones and is growing on 'her' chart, there is nothing to worry about.

My little one is so smart and I'm thankful she is going to be little, since I'm not! I have chosen to not worry and just be thankful that she is healthy!

Hi there. Not to worry (at all). My daughters, now 6 and 8, are usually the smallest in any group. My oldest did not get near the chart (way below 0%) until she was 5. She was in her infant carrier, rear-facing, til she was 2 - - when she was still just 19lbs. Both daughters are healthy (well baby check-ups only for most of their lives), and growing fine. They're just petite. My 8 yr old wears a size 6 and my 6 yr old just grew into size 5 jeans!.

As long as she is grow proportionally (that's the important marker), all is good! But, obviously keep up with your pediatrician check-ups.

- T.

I have a 3.5 year old girl who has never made it past the 10th percentile in weight. People still comment on how tiny she is. I would not worry too much about it unless your doctor is concerned.

My oldest was born 5lbs, 8oz. He stayed small until he was two. Then he hit into the upper 10 percentile. He was not premature and was as healthy as could be. Just one of the crazy things about kids. I am small (5'2"0 but his father is 6'2" so it just took a while. I am goig thru the same thing again with my youngest but his weight is well within the healthy range (his father is 6'4") I wouldn't worry unless your doctor brings it up or she has not made any changes for a few months.

Ejoy the cheaper clothes while you can!! ;)

My son was 7 lbs 12 oz at birth. He lost 1 lb in the first week and at 3 wks still wasn't up to his birth weight. At 2 months he began with severe acid reflux (so bad he was in the hospital) and was not even 1 lb over his birth weight. At 5 months he finally made it onto the growth chart in the 5th percentile (the very bottom).

Cody will be 8 months on the 16th and is right around 17 lbs. Developmentally he's great - sitting, crawling, pulling up, cruising, talking, etc. He loves to eat! He eats 3 meals a day, including table food, and drinks 18-20 oz of formula a day. He is in 6-9 mos tops because he's L. but only in 0-3 month pants because he's skinny (and they are just now fitting him in the waist).

Cody is small compared to other kids is age (and a bit younger). We no longer worry and neither does the dr!

She's going to be petite, it sounds like. As long as she is growing at a consistent rate, and, as you say, hitting all her milestones on schedule, I wouldn't worry about it. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your little girl. :-)

I would not worry about it at all as long as she is growing. Some children are just had a small build as long as she is other wise healthy I would rest easy.

I wouldn't worry about it. Every child is different. If she is growing okay and your pediatrician isn't worried, there is no sense in stressing over a non-issue. My grandson is 2 now and has a little buddy who is two weeks older than him, but weighs about six pounds less. Again, just as adults are different in size and stature, so are little ones.

As long as your doctor isn't worried, I would try not to worry too much. Every child is different and metabolisms work in different ways. I have 3 children. My oldest has been in the 100th percentile for height and weight until about 2yrs ago. She's 9 know. Now she is in the 75th% for H and W. My middle daughter hovered around the 30th-50th% for height and weight until she was 18mos. She is almost 3 now and is in the 100th for height but 50th for weight. She's tall and skinny. My son, was smaller at birth. Right around 6lbs. He was 4wks early. At his 9mos check, he weighed 15lbs 7oz and at a year, he weight 17lbs 3oz. He is now 14mos old and weighs roughly 19lbs. He has not been on the charts for his weight since he was 4mos old. He is in the 20th% for height. He is our little guy. He is also always the smallest wherever go and easily outweighed by kids younger than him. I have faith that he'll catch up.

My 3 year old is the same, always has been. She is almost 4, and I see 2 year olds all the time that are bigger than her. I went to ask doc about it, and she is doing great, just a small/petite person! I wouldn't worry about it, as long as she is staying healthy
K.

I haven't read the other responses, but my daughter is also small. I have a son who is almost 4 and she is about 19 months. At all of her check-ups her height and weight were on the low side of the growth curve (15-20%). She hit most of her milestones before my son did and he was always bigger for his age (50-75%). As long as she is growing steadily and not dropping weight I'm sure she is just fine. Also, she may just be petite like someone in your family. I'm only 5'1" 110Lbs (non-pregnant weight:) and my husband's mom and sisters are all my size or smaller. So it makes sense to me that my daughter is small...maybe you or someone in your family is on the petite side too?

At two yrs old, my daughter is also one of the tiniest children in her play gym class but she has stayed in the same percentages for height & weight at every well baby check. She is about 15th for weight & 5th for height. My pediatrician isn't concerned; that's just the curve that my daughter is following. If she had been in the higher percentages & then dropped, then there is cause for concern. And I'm sure its the same for your daughter.

I have two children ages 4 and 2. They have always been on the low weight side, but extremely tall. My son who is the 2 year old has always seemed small compared to other kids. I just get annoyed when I go shopping at Walmart and the clothes for his age are 2 sizes too big. I mean, what is up with that?! It's ok that some children look smaller compared to others their age. It just means that your baby does not have a lot of baby fat which is ok to have or not have. Both my kids are very lean so they look smaller than other kids their age. Hope this helps. God Bless

I had much the same experience with my daughter. She was born at 8 pounds - 11 ozs, and 21 1/2" -- so relatively big. By her 4 month check up she'd fallen off that chart and developed her own in the bottom 10th percentile. By her first birthday she was only 17 lbs. But like your daughter, she hit all her milestones, loved to eat/nurse and was perfectly healthy. So now she's 5 -- is just about 42" and only 35ish lbs. She's just petite and we've never worried much about it. Sometimes I wonder why she was so big at birth rather than why she's so small now.

Hope to help, but yeah I've been through the exact same thing.

Hi, MG - I'm sure your little girl is fine. My youngest was 6 lb. 13 oz., and 18" at birth. She weighed 18 lbs at 1 year! Around age 3 (if I remember correctly), she weighed 32 lbs. and stayed there for what seemed like forever! She wil be 21 next month and she is, and always has been perfectly normal. She is now 5'6" and 125 lbs. Hope this helps. N.

I know how you feel. My daughter will be 3 in February and her doctor says she's in the correct percentile for her age for her height and weight. However, it seems when I look at other kids her age, she seems smaller than they are. Yet, in my eyes (not comparing her to any other child)...she's tall. So, I'm not sure where to go with this...just the fact that you aren't alone. My daughter is beautiful, smart and healthy and that's all that truly matters to me. :-) Good luck!

My son is now 17 months and just made it to 20 lbs. He was 7 lbs at birth and has remained in the small side, not really on the chart for weight, 10th percentile or so for height. He eats like a pig but is EXTREMELY active, walking early and into everything.
Don't fret about her being in the lower percentiles, someone has to be there! I remind myself that my son is much easier for me to carry around without hurting my back than those other big babies! I don't put a lot of weight into the growth charts at the doctor's office, it's more important that she is gaining weight steadily and is hitting milestones.
I just realized this response is months late! I hope you and your daughter are doing well.

We just had our one year check-up and my daughter is ~18.5 pounds. She was 6 pounds at birth. The doctor is not concerned at all. As long as your child is growing and does not "fall off the curve" there is no need to be alarmed. At nine months, she had slipped a bit, but that was when she was drinking too much water. We switched to pumped milk or formula at meals and she made up her loss.

Don't worry about being the smallest baby. There are so many babies that are overnourished. I have seen six month old babies taht are heavier than my child. They just sit there and look like a lump. Mine is running around and climbing all over things. The smaller babies stend to crawl and walk sooner too!

Hugs,

Leslie

My son has always been between the 5-15th percentile in height and weight. He is healthy. He just happens to be half asian. On the asian growth charts he is in the 70th percentile. So as long as she is growing along the same curve don't worry. Your and the fathers heritage has a lot to do with it. Good luck.