Tiny 8 Month Old Girl

What we all need in our life is more fear...no, wait a minute. That's not right.

Gack. So while it's PROBABLY just her own genetics have her being little...It's time to go to the doctor.

In my family about 3/4th of us are born with near adult sized intestines (slightly smaller, and then they don't get any bigger). The OTHER 1/4 have normal sized intestines that develop a "twist" in them. It typically takes about a year for the effects to be really noticeable...but it's the same thing you describe...baby is alert and happy...but getting thinner and thinner. The twisted intestines eventually twist shut. So while it had been difficult for the babies body BEFORE to absorb the nutrients it becomes a crisis, because now the food can't exit. Which in the old days would have equalled a ruptured intestine, and death, and now is a trip to the local children's hospital for surgery. Hurray for modern medicine!!!

Does your daughter have a twisted intestine? Probably not. Does she have one of the 6 or 7 things I can think of (from an autoimmune thing to worms)? Probably not.

The tests to find these things out are expensive...and since Every. Baby. Actually. Is. Different....it's pretty silly to run them all, if someone is just a little pixie by nature. That said. She's dropped significantly, and you've moved from concerned to worried. See your ped. If they blow you off, see another one.

If neither is concerned, take a deep breath and relax. You've probably just got a little pixie. AND people just HAVE to comment on babies. They'll stare and smile until they find something "special" about yours if something isn't immediately apparent. I think it may be a race-trait. Something that has survived since the dawn of time. Because no matter how annoying it it to new mum's you ALWAYS hear it, and once you get annoyed by it you catch yourself doing it! Big, tiny, strong, good lungs, looooong eyelashes, short little fingers, what a pretty smile....whatever it is. Most people are probably saying how tiny she is, because that's their "tag" for your wee one. Or because they've got toddlers (who go from teensy one second, to lumbering giants the next, as soon as their mum sees a real baby, and her heart catches in her throat).

R

I wanted to make sure that I responded to your message. I also have a daughter (7 months old)that gets the comment all the time that she is too small/ so small. she is presently 13.9 lbs. and 25 to 26 inches long and in the 2nd percentile. however, she is a great eater, is meeting all of her developmental milestones and is getting longer, along with average head growth. It may just be her build. the important thing is that she is getting longer and her head is growing bigger in proportion to her body. People focus too much on the the "norms" and percentiles. she sounds perfectly healthy. however, some foods that are known to pack on the pounds are avacado (she might like it plain, but if she doesn't you can blend it with banana- really good); adding cereal to her baby foods and increasing her intake per meal, as she allows you. otherwise, i have learned to not let her size worry me as long as she continues to be the very happy, energetic and proportionate. hope this helps. wish you well.

p.s. just to give you more of an idea of how similar our situations are... she was born at 7.2 lbs. (didn't get to the 10 lb. mark until month 4-5), i weigh 155-160 at 5'5 and my husband is 240 at 6 even. you are not alone...

My son is also on the small side and I do get concerned as well. He's 16 months old and weighs 21 lbs. He's in the 5%. He eats all the time and is still breast fed as well. I do give him Pediasure which provides all his nutritional needs. I was beating myself up about it but soon realized that this chart is pretty ridiculous. I have a friend with a 7 month old son who weighs 28 pounds but only falls in the 90%. That seems crazy to me so I don't as badly anymore. Some kids are small but grow into themselves eventually. My son is active and really advanced for his age according to his doctor. Try no to worry too much and keep in mind that all children develop differently. I try to do my best and ignore that silly chart. In the meantime, try Pediasure and his doctor also recommended milk shakes. Good luck and cheers on a healthy beautiful child!!!

You didn't mention if she is losing weight or just has not gained as much as you feel is normal. If she isn't losing weight and she is active & alert I would not worry. My middle son was very small for his age as an infant and is the most healthy of my three kids. I had people all the time tell me I needed to feed him more is he sick so on and so on. He is 15 now 5'9" and only 109lbs but is very strong & healthy. All three of my kids are pettite and my husband weighs almost 300lbs. Do not worry about the charts she is fine. Everyparent worries my kids are too skinny or too heavy they are fine just feed them healthy food they will get what they need to thrive. Good luck :)

When we had weight gain issues with my son, the gastroenterologist had his intake evaluated. Turned out he was only taking in about 850 calories a day and needed to be more around the 1000 mark (he was 15 months at the time). He suggested putting carnation instant breakfast in with his milk and using lots of butter on everything. It hass definitely helped. Around Christmas, my mother was remarking how much she loved egg nog but didn't like to overdue it because of the calories. Lightbulb:) We started to give him eggnog too, without the alcohol of course. He loved it. Can't get it this time of year, but about every other week, we make a batch of our own.
You may want to spend a day or two pumping so you can actually tell how much milk she is getting from you at each feeding.
My little man has always been between the 0 and 5th percentile for weight, but my husband and I are both on the short and thin side.

Hi, R.. You mentioned your daughter's weight, but not height. If both are affected, you may want to talk to your doctor again and have him address your concerns. This website might also help you. Its for parents by parents of children with growth issues.
http://www.magicfoundation.org/www
Good luck.

My son is coming up on 15 months and is only 20 pounds. Do NOT worry... the percentiles are based on all the fat babies. We have enough fat babies. As long as your lil peanut is reaching her milestones and developing just fine... and eating just fine... you have nothing to worry about. :) My son is in the "negatives" as far as their silly little charts go. I just focus on giving him good nutrition and making sure that he's reaching his milestones.
A child will only eat what she wants to.. you can't force her to eat and the LAST thing you want to do is feed her tons of cookies and crappy food like that... trust me... I spent 26 years of my life obese and am glad the weight is off...

R.,

I had the same issue with my 10 month old. She's come a long way and is now almost 17 pounds and over 28 inches tall, but we still get the "oh she's tiny" and "she's so petite" comments.

She began crawling at 5 months and is very active. She burns all the calories I put into her (BTW she is primarily breastfed). I constantly try to nurse and feed her whenever possible. When giving her veggies that are low in calories, I'll mix in cereal or breastmilk. When preparing her cereal, instead of just water I use formula or breastmilk for added calories and fat, although I don't do it all the time since she has an allergy to dairy. Also, I try to feed her advocado whenever possible since it is dense in fats and protein. I feed her about 4 times a day (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of food) until she turns her head away from the spoon. Her last feeding is about 1/4 cup of cereal in the bath at night right before bedtime.

I think nursing her throughout the night has helped too, but that's a hard call since most moms have strong opinions about nursing your baby at night. I ignore them and do it anyway because I know it will help my baby put on the weight. Plus it does not hurt her, it just makes it harder on me since it is more work. I don't mind since this is a brief season in my life and our babies won't be babies for much longer.

Also an important note: make sure that your baby is getting your "HIND MILK" or the milk at the second "let down". This milk contains more fat than the thirst quenching milk in the first let down. This was hard for me to do during the day since my baby would nurse only through the first let down and would then want to crawl off and explore/play. I'm successful in giving her the hind milk by nursing her before her naps and at bedtime and throughout the night.

Anyway, I hope this advice helps in addition to all the other comments you've received. Don't worry too much if your baby is just really tall or your doctor says she's fine. Besides, most babies are overweight and latest research suggests it's unhealthy and leads to obesity.

I also have a baby in the 0 percentile on the charts. It's tough! Ask your Dr. to refer you to a "failure to thrive" clinic at a local children's hospital (or just google it). He may say it's too early to worry about that, but it can't hurt to start on the diet tips that are going to help her retain weight. But before going that route, have you consulted an endocrinologist or geneticist? It may be that your child's small stature is natural for her, if she has some form of dwarfism or other condition that results in small stature, especially since you say you both are not small. Since you say she is developing well and eating well, it may be something to consider. Was she a preemie? If so, the small stature may persist. If you are concerned at all about her development (do you actually know what she should be doing at 8 months?), you can get a free developmental evaluation from your Regional Center. Good luck.

Rebeka,

Some kids are just tiny and it doesn't matter how big the parents are. If you are really concerned, address the topic with your pediatrician. They do look more at head size and developmental milestones than they do height and weight. My older son has been below the 5th percentile for height and weight since he was 6 months old. I was told at long as he is eating and hitting all of his developmental milestones he's fine.

If your pediatrician doesn't address your concerns to your satisfaction, you can always see a developmental pediatrician. Their evaluation is much more comprehensive and may include a genetics test if they think it may be needed.

Good luck,
T.

My younger son was born early and weighed 5lb 13 oz. He gained weight slowly and my family practitioner wanted me to stop breasfeeding him. I took him to a pediatrician for a second opinion, who said he had a "slow weight gain curve" that was probably normal for him. My son remained slim as he grew and is a grown up now. He weighs 180 at 6 foot, and is all muscle.

If you feel that your daughter might be unhealthy, get a 2nd opinion and if they find no health issues, stop worrying. It's in the range of human sizes that some are very small just as some are very large.

My pediatricians's recommendation was to supplement with formula during the day. When she sat in her high chair for solid foods, I gave her formula in a cup. Hope she gains weight soon...

It seems to me that this is something you should be talking to the pediatrician about. If there is a medical concern, the packing on the pounds should be supervised/advised by your doctor.
Good luck

Try giving her some cereal at bedtime. These calories won't get burned off in activity. As long as she is developing well I would not be concerned. You may want to ask your pediatrician if vitamin supplements/iron are needed. You may also want to introduce some formula maybe as the mixer for the cereral. Besides she gets to wear the cute clothes for longer. My daughter only gained 10 pounds her first year and grew to by a 5'6' adult. All is well. Her son is only at about 19 pounds at 1 year, but is already walking. Don't let the charts worry you. It all works out in the end.Ü

I had really small kids. My daughter was about 17 lbs at a year and my son was 18. We were consistent on the growth charts though so they didn't seem concerned. If she eats and drinks and is developing I wouldn't be overly alarmed but I might suggest that your breast milk does not have enough fat in it. My mom had the skim milk variety when she breastfed my younger brother and the ped. recommended formula. Maybe you could supplement.

Hi Rebeka,

I read through all the other advice first and agree with the moms who said do not worry. She is active, alert, and developing. I have three and all are high on the height chart and low on the weight chart. I just took the 12 yo boy to the doctor and he asked only a few questions ... does he eat? is he active? does he have friends? These are appropriate for children of all ages. If you can answer yes to all these questions then don't worry. My three year old daughter has weighed in at 27-28 pounds for the past 15 months but she is increasing in height. The 12 year old son is five feet and 74 pounds. The 16 year old daughter is almost 5'5", weighs in at 111, and has a nice slim figure. I have heard all the comments and advice and I thank them for their suggestions and leave it at that.
I do cook from scratch most of the time and I don't skimp on the dairy and olive oils. But, my kids are just built slender.
Love her petite figure and appreciate the fact that for now she will not have to worry about the obese nicknames that are prevalent in our society.
L.

Hi R.,
My neighbors daughter was 1YO when my daughter was born. I remember she was less than double my daughters birth weight (8.4) at a year old. She was tiny. As well, she was a breast fed baby. I am sure the PED is aware of this. Now at 3 & 4, they are both caught up to each other.

Is she nursing alot in between eating. If so she may not be getting enough. Are you feeding her the baby cereal? Is she getting a lot taller? Those could be why she is not putting on a lot of weight. Is your dr. concerned abt her weight?
You may also have to supplement her milk with formula as well as the breast milk. Good Luck!

I can relate. My son was born at 8lbs and by 4 mo he was in the 0%. Look at extended family to see if some of them are petite. My husband and I are Not small but we have 3 under weight kids! I did get WIC for a while and their nutritionist told me to put butter on all of their foods to get some weight on. I asked my ped about it and he said thats what they do for kids but not to worry. Its anoption though. good luck.

My son is 8 1/2 years old and he only weighs 48 pounds, he is low on his percentile too. He was born premie 5 1/2 weeks and is asthmatic, but he eats fine and development is great. A nutritionist did tell me to give him Nutri Pals and Pedia sure drinks. Ask doctor about that.

Please know that not all children are large. My daughter only weighed 18 pounds when she was 1 year old. She grew up to be 5ft 8 inches tall. So as long as the doctor says she is okay, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I know how hard it is not to worry. I was the same way because my first daughter was 24 pounds at one year. But all children are different and grow at different rates.

I agree stop worrying if she looks happy and healthy then let her be tiny. You have to remember, anything small compared to you and your husband is tiny. You guys are very tall people. My kids came out at 8 pounds but then hardly grew, they were the short and skinny kids, at 1 my son only weighed 18 pounds, we tease him that he'll never be out of a car seat, he's 8 1/2 now and weighs 51 pounds. My girls didn't start gaining wait until they hit 12. They aren't fat but they have filled out to young ladies (skinny with curves). I'm short 5 foot, hubby 5'10. Let her be unless she looks sickly, even junk food doesn't make them gain wait. J.

Hi R.,
I'm in the same boat as you! My daughter did not gain one pound between 9 and 12 months. By her 1st birthday she was only 16 lbs! She is now almost 23 months and still only weighs 21 lbs 12 oz. Our doctor said to start cooking things in olive oil. Give her yogurt, avocadoes and anything that had lots of good fats, and because she was 1 to start giving her peanut butter. We were told that if she didn't gain anything by 15 months that they would intervene. Luckily she did. She dropped off the charts but now she is on her own little curve. No one ever thinks she is almost 2 yo. Hang in there and just let her eat. If your ped isn't worried then I wouldn't be worried.

my little neice is the same way. shes 20 months and is only 19-20lbs. what her dr said to do is a high calorie diet. i know your baby cant have milk yet but maybe dont fully dilutte one or two cups of juice. mix cereals in her baby food. also my niece is getting tested for ciliacs (spelling?) because she has been soo slow to grow (she was born 5lbs 9oz i think). shes in between 12 and 18 month clothes. she needs 18m because of her height shes 31in. my niece also has food allergies so that could be something to look into. my nieces mom gets the oh shes sooo tiny comments too but she lets them roll off. me on the other hand i get the man your daughter is big comments. my daughter is 2 but tall (34 1/4 in) and a little chunky (only 26lbs). most 24m/2t clothes are a little big. some people think shes a small 3yro lol... i hope this helps good luck also talk to your babies dr.

Dear R.,

"Don't Worry" is probably the last thing you can hear right now. My youngest was the smallest thing, until he was about 6 years old. I was a Shaklee Mom ( and still am) and gave him liquid vitamins and the shakes from the diet program, mostly because I knew he would finish it all. At 21 my son is still is the smallest of my offspring but he's the smartest (don't tell the others). I say because he didn't have all that weight clogging his brain.

Continue regular medical checkups and if you find she's easily prone to infections, then do the right thing of course, but most likely she's fine.
All the best.
S. B.
www.shaklee.net/brady

Really? Isn't there enough to worry about? Breastfed babies are smaller than bottle fed babies - generally and if your pediatrician is using the scale based on bottle-fed babies, then she's going to look even smaller.

Every baby is different. She might have a fast metabolism, which will serve her well as a teenager and an adult....especially as a girl.

My 11 month old is 100% breastfed - no solids yet, as she was is not interested and weighs 19.5 pounds. She was 8.5 pounds at birth. She's active and healthy.

My two sons were considerably bigger at 1 year, especially my 2nd son, who is almost 3 and 40 pounds. He's super solid, but he's not even close to being fat!

My nephew will be 2 years old next week and only weighs 22 pounds. He's smart, talks well for his age and is even 100% potty trained, but he's just a light guy. My brother picks up my son who is not even a year older and can't believe how heavy he is.

My friend's daughter just turned 1 and only weighs 17 pounds....but is healthy. Throw out the charts and just enjoy your baby girl....since another friend's baby girl is 20 pounds and 5 months old....and everyone comments at how huge she is. We all have our issues! Too big. Too small. Too this. Too that. Who came up with what is normal? It might not be the norm, but it still can be normal. Don't stress. Sounds like she's perfect and we are the ones with the hang-ups. She is growing taller, right?

Is she actually losing weight or is she just not gaining very quickly? It's normal for the weight gain to slow down as babies become more active (which she probably is around 8 months, yes?). And like others said, if she's growing taller just not gaining weight, then I wouldn't worry too much.

Bottom line? I'd ask your ped what he/she thinks.

Good luck!

Hi R.,

My husband and I are of normal height. 5.6 and 5.9. My husband is the tallest in his family. I'm pretty normal in my family. However, my grandparents and his grandparents are short. Well, my first daughter is taking after them! She is well shorter than the rest. I'm thinking your daughter is just fine since she is active and alert and developing well. You can't base what you guys are, etc. Unless EVERYONE is really tall in your families and their are NO shorties! Now, my 2nd daughter is Tall. Go figure. It is what it is. Both are VERY smart and have developed at their own rate and way. Unless your doctor is concerned, I wouldn't worry. I think worrying is an easy option for parents. But if your daughter is really fine and just small then she is probably just right. Also, kids go through growth spurts. She may be growing fast but not storing the fat. Big deal. Maybe she just won't be a chubby baby! Anyway, don't base it on your height. You will go crazy if you do.

What does your dr say? I know that my daughter, who was born 7 lbs 10 oz, was only 17 lbs at 9 mos.....and then the dr seemed "concerned", but when she was still 17 pounds at her 1 year checkup, the dr said "well, I guess she is just going to be small". So really, as long as she is eating well, pooping, peeing and sleeping well, she is probably just a little girl that will get growth spurts in due time. My daughter, now almost 2 1/2, is still just 27 lbs, but is tall. Try to ignore the comments.....and enjoy! Congrats on your little princess!

You need to see the pediatrician and REALLY voice your concerns. She may have a metabolism imbalance or, as in my friend's case, a food allergy making her not absorb nutrients. Whatever the case, she probably needs more than just an increase in calorie consumption. Good luck

Hi R., both of my children were very little, both breastfed. I did notice right around the time they started crawling/walking it was hard to put on weight. Being active.. teething, sickies, it's just hard. You do need to make sure that your pediatrician is using a bmilk growth chart and not a formula one, formula babies gain more weight. Even so, this is what I gave him.
Lots of Avacado
Coconut Milk (works good in cereal, not so much in the sippy)
Whole Milk Rigotta Cheese on Ritz crackers
If you can't get her to drink a lot of whole milk try a powdered cocoa mix like Kidz Superfood Chocolate (got mine at FreshnEasy). It's way more nutritous than Pediasure and less sugary.
Strawberry/Banana Flaxseed Oil (Bartlets), put it in anything from milk to taste like a smoothie or yoghurt.
Of course don't skimp on the oils, salad dressings to dip vegies, and dairy stuff like cream cheese.

She'll be okay and just remember you are doing the best thing in the world, breastfeeding your little girl. She is still active and still doing great. She's not lethargic... everything is alright. You never know, I have a brother-in-law that was told he needed hormone therapy as a kid to grow and gain weight. Now he's the tallest of three brothers. Hang in there good mommy!

I would, first of all, check with her doctor. Our little grandaughter, Katelyn, is 6 1/2 months old and one ounce under 10 pounds. She has Down's Syndrome and has had heart and digestive problems, so there are reasons for her being so small. Katelyn's physical therapist suggested that my daughter put more formula into the water that she was mixing the formula with (she was not able to tolerate the breast milk after surgery and is just now being reintroduced to the frozen milk which my daughter was able to save). Your doctor would be your best advisor on how to help her to gain and grow safely and successfully. I would not stress too much if she is (as you say) active, alert and developing well. Good luck with your precious child.
K. K. (Mother to 4, grandmother to 5 1/2)

Okay because my son was preemie he was small up until about 9 months old, and it was tough hearing people make comments about how 'small' he was. But, then he swithced and grew and gained weight, even though the docs all said he would probably stay small.

Every kiddo is different, and babies are unpredictable when it comes to growth and those silly charts. If you doctor isn't worried and she's not losing weight, then it should be fine.

I made sure my son also took a multivitamin and gave him Pedisure for nutrients to help with weight gain, but only at the Pedi's suggestion.

Today my son is SO tall for his age and it just amazes me that he was ever 3lbs. 4oz. at birth!!

DON'T WORRY!! :) I'm 5'8", my husband is over 6 feet, neither of us is anything resembling thin, and all four of our (well fed!) children were thin and small. (They were all normal birthweight- the heaviest was 10 lbs. at birth.) Two of them started to gain weight rather dramatically at about eight years old, and two of them (now ages 22 and 14) are tall, strong and still rail thin. We got SO SICK of well meaning but rude comments, and I wanted to strangle people who said, "Don't you ever feed those kids?" I wanted to strangle some of those same folks all over again after two of my daughters gained weight and the comments became, "Put her on a diet! Make her exercise!" It was maddening. We are not all made from cookie cutters. We will not all be the same size and shape. If your daughter is happy, alert and developmentally on track, you have nothing to worry about. My youngest was only 17 pounds at 13 months old. (She was 18 months before she left 0% on the weight chart, making it all the way up to 5%.) Her doctor never worried - he'd taken care of all her siblings and knew that there was nothing wrong. With all the hysterics about childhood obesity rates, I'm amazed that our society still wants roly poly infants. It's silly.

As you can tell, it still makes me mad. My baby is now 10 years old (and about 100 lbs.) but I still remember vividly how frustrating the comments were for her first 3 years or so. Relax, enjoy your daughter, and don't worry!!! :)

She is needing medical intervention. She needs a special formula, not breastmilk at this point. She needs doctor care and, his advice followed. I had a premature little boy and his health was constantly monitored by a physician. Also was told to keep away from other kids to prevent illness, so he wouldn't get the flu and loose more weight. Pediatrician immediately.

What does your pediatrician say???

My daughter did the same. She didn't even register on the growth chart for about six months! I was a nervous wreck over it. I hated how people would always say how tiny she was, as if it were my fault. She nursed four times a day and ate solid food. It wasn't until I started pureeing the food we were eating for dinner and giving it to her that she started to gain weight. For instance, whe we would have chicken stir fry I would throw some in the blender with a little chicken broth and she would eat it up. Baby food is just not enough for some kids. I also gave her full fat dairy products like yogurt and cheese. She is still thin now, but she's in the 25th percentile for weight and the 60th for height. An important thing for you to remember is that the growth chart is based on data that has been collected in a small midwestern town for about fifty years (look it up, it's true!) so maybe what is normal for the children there is not the norm for you and your family. Also our pediatrician told us as long as she continued to make steady growth, no matter how little or slow that growth may be then she is fine. Don't worry, with a loving, concerned mom like you she will turn out just fine!

ALL of my children were tiny - below the 10% mark. With my third, I was breastfeeding, and the doctor had me supplement with formula to try and pack some pounds on here. He also did NOT want me feeding her much in the way of water, juice, and solids because these things may not have enough calories and will fill her up faster - he wanted her to get as much milk as possible. None of my K. hit 20 pound before age 1, but it all worked out, so don't worry too much. talk to your doctor

R.,

My daughter was born 6pd 12oz and around 11 months I was also concerned. I was still breastfeeding like you and she was also eating solid foods. She looked like she was losing weight and not getting any bigger. You see I was losing my milk and never even realized it because she seemed to be nursing fine. I was 4 months pregnant at the time. I had to switch to goats milk. It made me really sad to have to stop nursing. Have you taken a test to see if you are pregnant? If you arent, perhaps try pumping every couple hours, even during the night to get your milk up. If your milk was low, she may not know enough to complain. I hope you find your solution.

C.