[pvnew]

At 16 months of age, Hannah now weights 18 lbs 10 ozs. Our pediatrition doesn't have a problem with her weight as she is making her own curve. (She is not on the US weight chart, yet). However, she is concerned if Hannah were to get sick, she would have nothing in reserve. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to feed her. Hannah loves fish. She also eats chicken, but not chicken nugguts, she doesn't like fish stick, just fresh broil/grilled fish. Everyone now and then she gets beef, she doesn't like pork. She also loves rice and rice pudding, mac-n-cheese. She doesn't like hamburger or hot dogs, but she loves meatloaf. Besides what I've mentioned, I'm at a lost as to what to feed her. Any help would be appreciated.

Patty
Gotcha day: 2/19/06

[wanttobe]

Hi I've done medical care for children and this worked great Ensure, the drink. It comes in many flavors, has calcum, vitiams ect!!! There are other brands too that are good. Alvacoto (sp?????) green fruit can make into dips, are very!!! high in calories. So are nuts, depending on her age. If the spelling is crazy so am I since I'm leaving Sept 14. Hope this helps!
dana

[angelkisses0102]

As the mom of two skinny kiddos...first off is she still on toddler formula? I kept my kids on toddler formula (powered mixed with whole milk instead of water ~ lots of fat that way) until about age two (pedi was not thrilled but....) My DS, now 3 still has one to two bottles of pediasure per day. (He is all of 29 pounds.) Foods that worked for us...lots of full fat (you need to look for these items as most today as reduced fat...try organic foods) dairy like~

Cottage cheese (Breakstones)
American cheese
Yogurt & Yogurt drinks (Yo-baby)
Chedder cheese
Cheese in general
Peanut Butter (after making sure they weren't allergic)
French Fries
Pasta with butter and cheese
Bread and butter
Scrambled eggs with cheese in it
Veggies with butter (although my kids prefer then steamed.)
Pudding

When making the things like mac-n-cheese we used full fat milk and butter.

Limit fruit juices..lots of filling empty calories. My kids mainly drank water other than OJ at breakfast and their formula/milk/pedisure bottle.

We still taught healthy eating habits...lots of fruits and veggies...almost no sweets...very limited chips...no soda (DD at age 5 now can get soda if we are out to dinner.)

Also, my kids graze...lots of little meals. I keep the snacks at their eye level in the fridge and pantry and allow them to help themselves. Finally, we do not make eating an issue.

DD finally got out of the 'concern' zone between her 3rd and 4th birthday...she came home at 11 months and was all of 14 pounds at 12 months(not on the charts) and wearing 3/6 month size clothes.

Good luck...

[Happy2Bhere]

My daughter will be 3 in October. We went preschool shopping, and she is still in 18 month clothes! She is at the low 10th percentile of her weight for her age group. She is almost 26 pounds.
Her doctor said no child has ever starved to death when food is available. I can't believe how LITTLE she eats- like a little bird!
So, I can't offer any suggestions, but I'll watch your thread for suggestions for us :-)
Melissa

[Lissa]

Lydia loves dips! Doesn't matter what the dip is, if you dip the food into it, it MUST be good. I've taken Peanut butter and made it into dips, ranch dressing, cheese dips etc. (Lydia too is underweight) When you go out almost all the places we go has 2% milk. I take a thermos along for whole milk consumption only.

[Happy2Bhere]

My daughters doctor said that the weight chart is made up of ALOT of heavily overweight children, as well, so that makes the percentiles change. I go by the size my daughter is, how little she eats, and that she is in the low 10th percentile for her weight, but really, now that she is old enough to say she is hungry, and I offer her 3 meals & 3 healthy snacks, I no longer worry. (She is adopted, and her birthmom is 5'2 & probably 100 pounds- unlike me- 5'8, and HHEEAAAAVVVY) Given the option of having an overweight toddler, or an underweight, or right on track weight child- I would guess that being right on the line must be better. Some days she gets really hungry & eats everything in sight, so I know everything is working right.
If this is the worst thing we have to worry about, we'll be ok :-)

[SofiasMom]

Is your pediatrician using the weight chart for Chinese children? There is/was one on the Families with Children from China website Families with Children from China

[mdaisyq]

Thanks for the food tips. Our son came home last month and weighed 19 pounds at 34 months. So far he has gained over a pound. Other than being anemic, he is healthy and a little dynamo!

I joked with my husband that if I could find a recipe for "Stick of Butter Baked in a Puff Pastry" I'd feed it to our son.

[pvnew]

Wow, thanks for some great ideas. Our pediatrition does want us to give her peanut butter until she is 2. I'll try some of the other ideas. The toughest part of having a skinny child is shopping for pants. The 9 months fit, however they are too short. The 12 months fall off her. If only we all had that problem.

[soontobethree]

We had the same issue with our sons. Our pediatrician told me to never give them a cracker without something on it and never give them a vegetable without butter on it. Although they don't like it now, as toddlers they ate a lot of cream cheese sandwiches.

Melanie

[Couchkat]

Another mom of a skinny kid.
At 5 next month my dd is a whopping 32 lbs (5th percentile). She was off the charts at birth, not even 5 lbs full term. Anyway, I give her whole milk with a couple of spoonfuls of heavy cream. She gets a can of pediasure every day. She loves it. Full fat ice cream is also good. Avocadoes have a lot of fat, but she does not like those, maybe yours will. Cheese on everthing we can, butter on bread etc.

[joyfulme3x]

Our 15-month-old DD weighs 17.5 lbs and even though she's gained 3 pounds since adoption in June, she is still below the U.S. charts. Our doctor is unconcerned. She says DD is healthy and growing so no need to try to "fatten her up." I feed DD as I would feed any other child her age. The doctor did suggest that DD stay on formula for at least a few more months for the extra nutritional insurance.

[odi]

Walmart has a brand "parents choice" which is almost identical to pediasure and is at least $2 less expensive per 6 bottles. Our daughter has been on it for almost two years.
Diana

[britfish]

Our IA Dr. had us put 1/4 teaspoon of oil (I think Canola oil) in her bottles and cereal to help our little girl put on some calories. Like Karen, we also used toddler formula until she turned 2.