[lou0728]

We are trying to decide what to do to put some weight on our girl....The dr. wasn't really worried. I think Essie is just petite, but her earlier malnourished state makes us wonder..... She is on Nido +1 now since she just came home....We are trying to decide if we should swap her to a different formula. Nido +1 is a formula....it's not normal powdered milk. ANyone else's baby have this issue? Essie is 15 months old, so she would need a follow up formula...... What would you guys do? She weighed 19 lbs.......

[HopeB1]

I wouldn't worry too much. Kaia Grace is 25 months old and only weighs 22 lbs. She has always been in the lower 5% for height and at some points not even on the charts for weight. She is still a very healthy child, and the doctors don't seem to be concerned. I hope this helps.

Hope

[TXTennis]

I think our DD was around the same weight but in the 25% percentile. 19 lbs at 15 months doesn't seem like it is that low. Our DD was around 15 months old when we turned the car seat the other direction because of her weight. Have you tried those pediasure drinks?

Today she went for her 2 year check up and she is in 50% for weight - she is 27 lbs and 36 inches tall. She gained 5 pounds in 6 months and grew almost 4 inches.
She loves cheese!

[mommyto2guatboys]

I too don't think that 19 lbs at 15 months old is all that small. I dont' think my son his 20 lbs until he was 15 months. I think many of our kids tend to be small. He is now 3.5 years old and still really small about 28 lbs, we are no longer on any height or weight charts. Doctor says not to worry, he is making his own chart, as long as he is growing and gaining weight. I believe they usually say the AVERAGE 1 year old is 20 lbs so she isn't all that far behind!

Magen
My family!

[SKL]

One of my daughters was below the 3%ile at 16 mos (20 lbs). She was a very good eater and very energetic and active - still is. She's now 22 mos and only 21 or 22 lbs.

I am not worried (nor was the doc). She is very healthy in every way other than the fact that she's slim. Her birth mom was slim too. I feel it's her natural figure and I would rather not try to manipulate it.

[angel_bayou]

Lou, My bio daughter literally fell off the growth charts at five months old!! She couldn't even been charted and she was put on Pediasure to help her gain weight and because she refuses to eat table foods! Well it worked even though she stil won't eat but maybe you could give it a try!! She can have one 8oz. bottle a day along with her formula is what I was told. She's now 23 months old and 23 pounds. Good luck!

[thevelvethammer]

Our daughter, who we fostered in Guate, is really big and healthy (she is 2, is 3 feet 4 inches and just under 40 pounds) and our son is kind of small and healthy (16 months, 22.5 pounds, 31 inches). So we are off the charts nearly in BOTH directions, but both are healthy.

We do give our son some supplementation with Enfamil Lipil--he likes it and was on Nido as well as our daughter. He came home 5 months ago and gained 4.5 pounds since--he likes his pasta, and meatballs, and anything...

I am a "lurker", but I am glad tosee you are home!

[meg1]

If the pediatrician feels that additional calories from formula would be good then a nutritionist can recommend a couple of good choices.
If the doc and nutritionist feel she needs it medically, many health plans will help pay for it. I would discuss a referral to a nutritionist who can get you started.

[AngelQT]

Lou

I wouldn't worry so much... Angelena was the same way... and still is... Currently Angelena is 29 months old, 23 lbs... She is a tiny thing...

What you do have to watch though, is if she gets sick with a virus, what little fat they have on them goes quick... So, I tend to keep Angelena on lots of nutional food, along with a chewable vit.

I actually think Angelena is going to be a Vegetarian when she gets older... She already tries it now. It is harder the heck to get those carbs in her... I have to be tricky when I do... As for the Potien... She loves beans... Good for her... (bad for us... She toots ALOT!) Why do you think her nick name is Stinky!

HUGS
ellie

[redru2004]

Lucas was in the the 3% when he came home at 10 1/2 months old. Fast forward to his 2 yr check up last month and he was in the 50% for weight. The doctors were never concerned because he continued to grow at a steady rate. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[connorsmommy1999]

my bio son (now 9yrs old) was 3rd percentile for a long time and then around age 1 he dropped off the chart.

The Dr's werent worried UNTIL he dropped down. At that point they prescribed pediasure - 2 cans/day then when he gained enough to be back at 3rd% it was switched to one day a day and he did that until he was about 4. It worked really well but at the point he dropped off the chart I had to take him in each month to get weighed and consult which was a major pain.

If it happened to me again with another child I would go with pediasure once a day from the beginning, to get him/her at least up to the 5th%, because the Dr's told me "dont worry" over and over and then all the sudden it was switched to "we're concered, we need to run some tests and watch this very closely"....but there ARE things you can do to put weight on them to prevent them from falling off the charts.

[maccafan]

Daniel is also quite small by U.S. standards. He's in the 3rd percentile for height, and not even on the chart for weight. (At 17 months, he's 19 pounds.) But his pediatrician isn't concerned, because his rate of growth has been pretty consistent. He figures, probably correctly, that Daniel's birthparents are small, and that this is just normal for his genetics. I will say that Daniel has hit a growth spurt. At his 15 month checkup, he had only gained one pound in 3 months, which the doctor said was on the low side of normal. But he's gained an additional 2 pounds in the last 2 months! He's taller, too. It does seem that Daniel's weight increase has coincided with his eating more table foods (and less baby food), but I don't know if that's just a cooincidence.

I don't have any advice on the formula, but I thought most peds have parents switch to whole milk at 1 year? Our ped told us due to Daniel's small size, we should give him less milk (i.e. if the recommended amount is 12-24 oz. a day, give him 12-15 oz.). This is to encourage him to fill up on actual food.

I understand Essie has some special issues because of being malnourished before, so your ped may have you do things a little differently. If after Essie is home a little while and you're still concerned about her size, especially if she doesn't seem to be growing at all or seems otherwise not quite right, you might want to go to an IA doctor. But right now, it sounds like Essie is just small, but healthy.

I'm just so glad you've got her home!!!

[amymole36]

I haven't read the other posts, but Tessa is 15 months and only weighs 20lbs...which the Dr.s and I aren't worried about. She is just a peanut!

[AdoptAmiga]

Don't worry! My two, boy age 6 and girl age 5 are still in the 3rd percentile for height/weight. They are healthy, smart, thriving and small.! Surprisingly, they are not the littlest/shortest ones in their classrooms either.

[cjrogers]

My son teeters between 19 and 20 lbs and is going on 15 months old. He's still at or just under the 5% and when we brought him home he was off the charts.

Our docs and EI say not to worry as long as they continue to gain and NOT lose, eat well and are making progress in other areas.