My daughter is 10 1/2 months old, and only weights 14 lbs 10 oz. I can't get her to gain weight.?
What could I do to put more weight on her. I have tried the mashed potatoes and rice but again she is just small. Overall she is fine, but doctors have issues why she isn't gaining weight. Help, any ideas, since drs are stooped.
2008-07-08T13:21:33Z
She is on Similac Alimentum and has gastro reflux. but stupid doctors think I am not feeding her because she is soo smal. She was 7lb 12 oz at birth. Now she is 14 .10, but she is only 27 inch tall.
2008-07-08T13:23:45Z
My daughter saw nothing but military drs until last week.
2008-07-08T13:39:35Z
they have done some testing genetic,found nothing, genetic there are some people in my family, but they just ignore it.. She eats baby cereal, proportionally I think she looks good but drs have a different opinion. They don't believe that all babies are different;
Anonymous2008-07-08T13:31:33Z
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Rice won't make her gain weight -it will slow weight gain because it is deficient in zinc, protein, and fat.
She needs nutrition -not empty calories.
Why not cereal?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9646449/page... Take rice cereal, for example. Under conventional American wisdom, it's the best first food. But Butte says iron-rich meat — often one of the last foods American parents introduce — would be a better choice.
Dr. David Ludwig of Children's Hospital Boston, a specialist in pediatric nutrition, says some studies suggest rice and other highly processed grain cereals actually could be among the worst foods for infants.
"These foods are in a certain sense no different from adding sugar to formula. They digest very rapidly in the body into sugar, raising blood sugar and insulin levels" and could contribute to later health problems, including obesity, he says.
The lack of variety in the American approach also could be a problem. Exposing infants to more foods may help them adapt to different foods later, which Ludwig says may be key to getting older children to eat healthier.
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids... Cereal is not at all necessary, particularly the baby cereals. Regular (whole grain) oatmeal is more nutritious for your baby.
http://www.askdrsears.com/faq/ci2.asp The truth is, there is nothing special about these foods that makes them better to start out with. Babies don't actually even need rice cereal
http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVDec... Meat provides additional protein, zinc, B-vitamins, and other nutrients which may be in short supply when the decrease in breast milk occurs. A recent study from Sweden suggests that when infants are given substantial amounts of cereal, it may lead to low concentrations of zinc and reduced calcium absorption (Persson 1998). Dr. Nancy Krebs has shared preliminary results from a large infant growth study suggesting that breastfed infants who received pureed or strained meat as a primary weaning food beginning at four to five months, grow at a slightly faster rate. Dr. Krebs' premise is that inadequate protein or zinc from complementary foods may limit the growth of some breastfed infants during the weaning period. Both protein and zinc levels were consistently higher in the diets of the infants who received meat (Krebs 1998). Thus the custom of providing large amounts of cereal products and excluding meat products before seven months of age may not meet the nutritional needs of all breastfed infants. Meat has also been recommended as an excellent source of iron in infancy. Heme iron (the form of iron found in meat) is better absorbed than iron from plant sources. In addition, the protein in meat helps the baby more easily absorb the iron from other foods. Two recent studies (Makrides 1998; Engelmann 1998) have examined iron status in breastfed infants who received meat earlier in the weaning period. These studies indicate that while there is not a measurable change in breastfed babies' iron stores when they receive an increased amount of meat (or iron), the levels of hemoglobin circulating in the blood stream do increase when babies receive meat as one of their first foods.
http://www.westonaprice.org/children/nou... Finally, respect the tiny, still-developing digestive system of your infant. Babies have limited enzyme production, which is necessary for the digestion of foods. In fact, it takes up to 28 months, just around the time when molar teeth are fully developed, for the big-gun carbohydrate enzymes (namely amylase) to fully kick into gear. Foods like cereals, grains and breads are very challenging for little ones to digest. Thus, these foods should be some of the last to be introduced. (One carbohydrate enzyme a baby's small intestine does produce is lactase, for the digestion of lactose in milk.1)
[...]
Babies do produce functional enzymes (pepsin and proteolytic enzymes) and digestive juices (hydrochloric acid in the stomach) that work on proteins and fats.12 This makes perfect sense since the milk from a healthy mother has 50-60 percent of its energy as fat, which is critical for growth, energy and development.13 In addition, the cholesterol in human milk supplies an infant with close to six times the amount most adults consume from food.13 In some cultures, a new mother is encouraged to eat six to ten eggs a day and almost ten ounces of chicken and pork for at least a month after birth. This fat-rich diet ensures her breast milk will contain adequate healthy fats.14 Thus, a baby's earliest solid foods should be mostly animal foods since his digestive system, although immature, is better equipped to supply enzymes for digestion of fats and proteins rather than carbohydrates.1 This explains why current research is pointing to meat (including nutrient-dense organ meat) as being a nourishing early weaning food.
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content... The results indicate that in a group of healthy, well growing 12-month-old Swedish infants one-quarter is iron-depleted, although iron deficiency anaemia is rare, and one-third may be zinc-depleted. The high cereal intake of Swedish infants from 6 months of age may have limited the bioavailability of both iron and zinc from the diet.
http://www.jpgn.org/pt/re/jpgn/abstract.... Conclusions: These results confirm that meat as a complementary food for breast-fed infants can provide a rich source of dietary zinc that is well absorbed. The significant positive correlation between zinc intake and exchangeable zinc pool size suggests that increasing zinc intake positively affects metabolically available zinc.
I have a four year old son who is just barely 30 lbs. They have tested him for everything under the sun and he is fine. He eats like a horse (as much as or more than his twin who is 10 pounds heavier) and is in constant motion during the day. His physical and intellectual development are right on track (even advanced in some instances) so the doctors have never been concerned about his weight/height. He is proportioned appropriately and is steadily growing...just slower than other kids his age.
Go to a pediatrician if you haven't already. Try to find one who specializes in developmental issues. Ask them to run any tests they think might be needed. Ask for a referral to a nutritionist who might be able to help you come up with foods that her daughter likes which can help put weight on her.
I wouldn't worry too much about it. She may just be petite. I have 4 kids. My oldest son was a plump ole fella (he's now 9) and he's now skinny as a toothpick. My second oldest (she's now 7) was always small and still is. My 3rd (4 yrs) was a chunker and is still a chunker. My 4th is 9 months and I don't recall any weight gain at her last appointment. I'm starting to think she will be petite as well.
But she's 10 almost 11 months now, try giving her more table foods than just rice and mashed potatoes. How much is her breastmilk or formula intake? Maybe you could try increasing that!
My niece is VERY thin - she just turned a year old and weighs only about 16 pounds. She is VERY active & social, walking and running around (she began walking at 9 months old.) Recently her doctor recommended give her Nestle Instant Breakfast shakes in the morning (made with whole milk and they make is thinner for her so that it is easier to drink.) Since she has been drinking it, she has gained some weight. She is still VERY thin but is hopefully on the road to gaining more weight. Obviously, your baby isn't ready for this yet, but it maybe something to consider with your doctor later. I would keep your doctor updated and keep expressing your concerns.
Go see a different doctor in a different city. Get a second option. I also would be concerned about how little she weighs. Have the doctors tried doing any blood tests? Any genetic issues in your family genes/history? thyroid is the first thing that comes to mine. But if she's happy and healthy, she could simply just be naturally small.