Poor weight gain?

[laurasnowbird]

Hmmm, wondering if any of you guys have experienced this....

Ethan had his yearly check-up with the pediatric GI specialist. When they weighed him, and he was 30 pounds (again) it struck me that I have been giving the same answer for his weight for AWHILE, but wasn't sure how long. I asked them to check his chart, and he was EXACTLY thirty pounds this time last year. The child has not gained a single ounce in a year. He is three inches taller, but not an ounce heavier. On the DS growth charts, he is in the 25th percentile for weight and the 75th for height.

We are testing for celiac disease again because that can develop after a previously negative anti-body test, and redoing his thyroid work-up and looking for the usual culprits, although hypothyroidism usually causes weight GAIN, not skinny kids, LOL! She is doing a test for pancreatic elastase to make certain he is using the fats in his diet, but if all that comes back negative, what then?

He eats very well, although we are not big snackers and are physically a very active family (I'm running a ten mile race in a couple of weeks). I was very thin as a child, and my daughter who is 8 1/2 is very thin like I was at that age. My oldest son, at 20 is still a slim young man.

Any thoughts? I'm wondering if this is just one of the other 46 chromosomes kicking in ;D......and he is going to be a thin kid.

[momofrussell]

Well, Russell weighed 18 lbs from the time he was 1 until he was around 4. He dipped to 17 lbs in there at times.... and then after 4 he stayed around 20 to 22 lbs forever. We have had 3 different very good Ped GI's tell us not to worry. Now, I can't speak for Nathan but for Russell, the reflux was the culprit. Also... although Nathan has grown 3 inches... he probably is proportioned. Younger kids and toddlers are "square" usually.

My thoughts, after having Russell and being VERY tiny and thin growing up (I too was 18 lbs until 4) and having skinny girls.. I don't worry about it nor think it's anything medical. Our GI docs said that if he is active, happy and eating... it's ok. I also had peds that didn't worry too much about adding weight and that's a good thing.. I am not for that. I just let it be.

A.

[wrblack]

BTDT, actually there again, doing it again. Charlie, of course, being a 30-weeker preemie, started off well below any of the charts, 15 inches long and weighed just under 2 1/2 lbs.
He spent 10 weeks in NICU, would gain some and then give some of it back. Had 2 surgeries during that 10 weeks. The day he hit 4 lbs. they kicked him out.
Since then he's always hung out, making a fairly nice curve, around the 50th percentile on the Ds charts (about 3rd percentile on regular charts) for both height and weight. But he seems to have his 'sticking points.' Was stuck hitting 30 lbs., until he developed hypothyroidism, then he went over 30 lbs. just around age 3; but getting him properly medicated brought him back under 30 lbs.
For last year he's been stuck at just under 40 lbs. Annual checkup just after 7th birthday, pediatrician/neonatologist noted some fall off in weight curve. Said to give him more calories. We said, ok, Charlie, all the ice cream and cookies you want. His endocrinologist also follows his weight pretty closely.
So, all kids with Ds are short and fat, except those who aren't. -- Bob

[CC]

Hey girl soooo glad to see you back posting ;D you have been missed tons.

Chris too had years honestly he did not grow at all or gain one ounce when he was younger. Chris is really not a very big eater never has been and I use to worry but all was fine. It really wasn't till recently he just seem to grow lots and very quickly. Honestly I swear he would go to bed one size and wake up taller, LOL He is 13 now and is 5 feet tall only 2" shorter then me

But I can relate honestly Chris did the same thing with the no weight gain or height from the year before. Why I have nooooo idea but is how it went.

Our ped was never worried bout it but it always good to ask them if something should be checked.

CC

[ALLISA]

Erin definitely plateuas like that, too....she has hovered belowed 30 pounds for what seems like the last 3 years....I'm not really sure....but it's been awhile.....she has grown taller .....but hasn't broken the 30 pound mark yet.....good for you for checking weight and celiac, etc....always best to be sure !!

[Jackie]

You know...if he is healthy...and you are doing all these tests...and they come back negative...I would just thank my lucky stars that I had a thin kid with DS. It sounds like he is predisposed to it genetically from family history.

Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones who does NOT have to battle weight as he grows...but let us know what the tests show.

Jackie mom to Emily 26

[laurasnowbird]

Thanks a bunch you guys. I'm still anxious about the results of the tests, but far less so than before I posted! It was very reassuring to hear that many other kids "plateaued" in their weight.

Jackie, it would be nice if weight were one thing he DIDN'T have to struggle with, LOL! Although even that lovely genetic predisposition to slimness starts to slip in the 30's, and now at 43 I have to work hard at it to stay where I want to be. I HATE running, but I love how I feel when I'm done.......LOL! So we know that we have to teach Ethan to be active from a very young age because that low metabolism of his is most likely going to get him eventually.

[Jodi]

Ryan was in the lower 5th percentile for the first three years on the DS growth charts. His ped. said that "well, someone has to make up that percentage". Good point, however, he had chronic ear infections and we knew there was more to it, so we went to an ENT.

I've posted before about this, so forgive me if I am repeating myself. Ryan had a T&A for sleep apnea, and he THRIVED after surgery. His ENT said he wasn't getting enough oxygen when he was sleeping at night, and that affects development and growth.

We now have a problem with weight gain... sheesh... if it's not one thing

Jodi

[Chris]

Long time, no hear! It's good to see you posting again.

We have the opposite problem with Sarah. She just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Although, her pediatrician isn't worried about her constant weight gain, I worry. She does seem to grow in height at the same rate as gaining weight.

If Ethan is progressing developmentally, I wouldn't worry about his lack of weight gain. It sounds like you just have very slender kids. I have a friend with a little boy with Ds who sounds just like Ethan. He is four (12/01) and is very slim. He is also very active and is making great strides developmentally. Her three typical kids are thin also.

Chris