| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 199.1 | some info on FTT | MEMIT::GIUNTA | | Mon Jun 29 1992 12:56 | 31 |
| Failure to thrive is the inability to grow including gaining any weight or
adding height. To give you a little perspective, my son weighed in at 2 pounds
5 ounces when he was born and his twin sister weighed in at 2 pounds 3 1/2
ounces. Jessica ate, digested, and grew. Brad required major calories just
to breathe due to his premature lung disease, plus had reflux, so he ate, spit
it up, ate, spit it up...and did not grow. At 10 weeks, Jessica was about 5
pounds, and 2 weeks later she was better than 7 pounds. At the same time, Brad
was around 4 pounds. At 17 weeks, he was around 5 pounds, and went back down
to 4 and change by 19 weeks. He did not start to gain weight til he had some
major surgery (to re-connect his bowel), and still is not a stellar gainer. He
requires so many calories to breathe that there's not much left over for growth
and weight gain. He is still around the 5th percentile where Jessica is well
over the 95th, but there's only about 4 pounds between them, although she is a
good 2-3 inches taller (they're 14 months old).
At some point, he will start to sprout, so I'm not too worried about it, but I
know why he is slow in growing. If your son has been steadily growing, though
slowly, and your pedi isn't worried about it, I wouldn't worry either. He may
just be a small child. I have friends with a 3 year old who is still in a size
2T. She's just very petite.
If you are concerned about eating, you might cut back on the juice and offer
food instead, especially now that there's so much fresh fruit around. My kids
love peaches, nectarines, plums, melon...all of which contain lots of liquid.
And my kids eat all day long. They seldom go more than 2 hours without a snack
of some sort, and are very good eaters. In fact, Brad actually eats more than
Jessica. I have the opposite problem that you do in that they don't like to
drink much, and I'm lucky if they have 4 glasses of something a day. I
figure as long as they are healthy, that's what counts.
Cathy
|
| 199.2 | | SUPER::WTHOMAS | | Mon Jun 29 1992 13:20 | 28 |
|
I was considered a failure to thrive baby. Six months after I was
born my father died after fighting a very long battle with cancer.
Apparently, people were too busy for a little baby (my mother had 3
other small children) and it is *possible* that I did not get enough
food.
In any event, I was always the smallest kid in my classes in grade
school and at one point the Doctor even told my mother that I would
never grow over 5 feet tall. Although I ate food (in that I was not a
picky eater except for lima bean, liver and eggs) I have memories of
not eating or drinking very much at a time. (I couldn't drink an entire
can of soda at one time until I was in high school, it was always too
much)
Today I am 5.6 and doing very well (a little too well if you know
what I mean) in the weight department. I started growing in junior
high school and if not for some orthopedic surgery am quite sure that I
would have been even taller.
The failure to thrive may have been related to food, it may have
been related to lack of attention or it may have just been the way I
was. Guess I'll never know the answer to that except that if it was a
genetic trait of mine, my son certainly does not have the genes for it
:-)
Wendy
|
| 199.3 | Diabetes??? | SELL3::MACFAWN | Training to be tall and blonde | Mon Jun 29 1992 18:06 | 22 |
| Lila,
Just a question...Does Diabetes run in your family? Has your son been
checked for it?
I was diagnosed with Diabetes when I was 6 years old. The main
symptoms that I went through were excessive thirst, frequent urination,
weight loss and loss of appetite.
When I was diagnosed, the doctor told my mother that I probably had the
disease for about 3 months before they caught it. I got so bad that I
was up all night throwing up (extremely high blood sugar levels will
make you sick eventually).
I just thought I would ask. I am constantly checking my daughters
urine just to be on the safe side. They claim diabetes skips
generations, but you can never be too sure.
Thinking of you,
Gail
|
| 199.4 | | CSC32::L_WHITMORE | | Mon Jun 29 1992 18:41 | 23 |
| Re .-1 My dad's dad was a diabetic. And I have a cousin on
my mom's side who is, also. I would have never thought about
having Matthew checked for that but will bring it up with our
pediatrician. BTW, I called my mom yesterday and had her check
my baby records and she said that she didn't keep track of me (I
was baby number 2!!) but my older sister weighed only 22 pounds
at 2 years of age and my younger brother was only 18 pounds at
13 months, so it would seem that perhaps being small children
just runs in our family. I also rechecked Matthew's records
and found that I was mistaken about his growth. He has grown
3 inches in height and gained 1 pound since his first birthday
so I guess he is still growing, but slowly. I am still a bit
concerned about his lack of energy, but will take the suggestion
made a couple of replies back about cutting back on his juice and
keeping other things available for Matt to eat throughout the day.
I appreciate the information concerning the FTT syndrome. It
doesn't sound like Matthew really fits that description! Thanks
for the replies, everyone!
Lila
oh also - does diabetes make a person tired??
|
| 199.5 | | SUPER::WTHOMAS | | Mon Jun 29 1992 19:00 | 4 |
|
Yes, diabetes can make a person incredibly tired.
Wendy
|
| 199.6 | our no-eat boy | HPSRAD::RENE | no static at all.. | Mon Jun 29 1992 19:02 | 14 |
| Boy, does this sound familiar...
My son is 22 months and wieghs in at a whopping 20lbs. He was
3.5lbs at birth (FULL TERM). My wife and I are normal size and there is
no history of REALLY small people. The doctors still don't know what
happened.
He is very thin, and hates to eat. He was never a good nurser
either. The only thing I can say differently is that he is a ball of
fire and energy. He is on the GO constantly ALL DAY.
His pedi is not worried, however. He is growing at his rate. We've
stopped worrying about his eating habits. The funny thing is, he'll eat
most anything! Just not a good amount of anything!
Frank
|
| 199.7 | | CSTEAM::LOBOV | I don't want to tempt you too much baby | Mon Jun 29 1992 19:27 | 5 |
| Sounds like my niece...she will be 3 on Wednesday and she weighs 22
lbs. She is very petite...Dotor says that there is really nothing to
worry about..she is just a small little girl.
Linda
|
| 199.8 | go with your gut feeling | TLE::RANDALL | The Year of Hurricane Bonnie | Mon Jun 29 1992 20:05 | 23 |
| I usually say, "If the doctor isn't worried, then don't worry."
Kat was scrawny when she was a baby -- below the 5th percentile.
She had minor reflux, not serious but enough to keep her from
eating large meals. I got in the habit of letting her "graze" --
giving her something to eat pretty much whenever she wanted it.
And she went through a stage from about 18 months to almost three
years when she'd only eat a few things (cottage cheese, boiled
carrots, mashed potatoes, a few things like that. She was always
healthy and cheerful, and grew up to be a healthy 5'4" dancer and
top student.
But something about your description of Matthew bothers me. Maybe
it's the tiredness. This time I'm going to say, "It's probably
nothing, but if you think something is wrong, go with your gut
feeling. Get a second opinion or something. Don't let it rest if
you don't feel comfortable with the answers you've got."
We parents are the ones who see our kids every day. We don't
have the training to make a diagnosis, but we are the ones who are
in a position to know that something's wrong.
--bonnie
|
| 199.9 | Same Growth Curve? | ICS::SIMMONS | | Tue Jun 30 1992 12:47 | 61 |
| Well Lila, here is a note near and dear to my heart, since I was the one that
entered note number 193!
My son has been diagnosed, by several doctors, with failure to thrive. He is
currently 21 months old and at last weigh-in 2 weeks ago, he weighed 22lbs 11
ounces, which put him at about the 5th percentile for weight. This weight is
down from 23lbs 4 weeks previous. I'm not sure exactly what his height is but
at his 18 month check up he was over the 50th percentile for height.
The Doctor's have said that the reason they have classified him as failure to
thrive is that he did not stay on the same growth curve. Most of the people
who have replied here started small and just stayed small ... same growth curve
close to the same percentile all along. Cameron was 8lbs 6ounces at birth.
For his first 6 months he was over the 90th percentile. He has been steadily
dropping with every visit since 6 months. It is funny that the timing
coincides with his first allergic reaction to a milk based formula! He has
gone as low as the 3rd percentile for weight. His height has never dropped
below the 50th percentile. My family doctor was always concerned but not
alarmed at Cameron's weight. Now that he is starting to drop weight, he is
raising his level of concern. His allergist was alarmed, but then she is an
extremist anyway. There is no "inbetween" with her, it's either black or
white. The Gastroenterologist (?) was concerned and she is the one that placed
Cameron on the Vivonex TEN. She said that if he could gain weight on this
stuff that it was strictly a calories issue, versus if he doesn't gain, it
might be an absorbtion problem. He gains wonderfully on the Vivonex.
Someone mentioned developmental delays, I'm not sure if it was in this note or
note 193. As far as Cameron's development is concerned ... his physical and
verbal skills are well beyond his age. He talks quite clearly, small
sentences, can do some counting, and knows quite a few of his ABC's on sight.
He climbs like a little monkey and has to be watched constantly. He is
extremely energetic but still takes a good nap and sleeps well at night. No
developmental delays here!
Now for food. I will tell you what several nutritionists have recommended to
us. As another noter mentioned give many small meals, rather than 3 big meals.
Add corn oil or margerine, a teaspoon or two, to each meal. This is strictly
for the additional calories (Cameron also needs the fats because of no Eggs,
Milk products, peanut products). We had to take away some of the juice that he
was drinking and replace it with the Vivonex TEN. This stuff is over the
counter, but I would check with your Pedi before giving it to your child. It
is also extremly expensive. Cameron did have a problem with vomiting at one
time, once we got his asthma medication straightened away he has had no problem
since. One thing that you might want to check into as well, is allergies.
There are some allergies that manifest themselves as an inability to add
weight/absorb nutrition. This is one of the things we are going to be checking
into. If you are going to be taking your son into the Doctors soon, I suggest
you keep a diary, for at least three days, of every little thing that goes into
your sons mouth. That means everything, the salt you add to his food, the
margerine you put on his veggies, how many ounces of juice he drinks,
everything! Also, make notes if your son is ill during those days, if it was a
normal days eating, excessivly tired or thirsty! All of this are helpful to
the Doctor in diagnosing whether or not your son has a problem.
All in all, if your child has stayed on the same growth curve, I wouldn't be
too alarmed. It's when they start to drop off that the doctors get concerned.
I wish you the best of luck. I will be following this note to see if anyone
else has some useful information to share. This notes file is great!
Joyce
|
| 199.10 | idea I got from a neighbor, for what it's worth | TLE::RANDALL | The Year of Hurricane Bonnie | Wed Jul 01 1992 12:44 | 8 |
| Joyce, is Cameron allergic to other kinds of nuts, or just
peanuts? I found out my neighbor's child is allergic to peanuts,
so she makes walnut butter in her blender as a substitute for
peanut butter. She thins it with vegetable oil and Matt just
loves it. And it's just about pure calories, plus protien and
other nutty type vitamins.
--bonnie
|
| 199.11 | Legumes vs. Nuts | ICS::SIMMONS | | Wed Jul 01 1992 13:22 | 21 |
| Bonnie, I have not tried Cameron on any kind of nuts. I am allergic to
nuts, so my allergist had suggested that since I am allergic
that I may want to keep Cameron away from them, especially til his
weight is stablized. Allergic reactions seem to set him back.
Peanuts, however are not nuts. They are legumes. That's why I also
have to watch him with any kind of legume (peas, beans, and especially
soy) they are all very closely related. So far he does not seem to
react to any of the ones I mentioned, with the exception of a mild
reacton to a soy formula when he was an infant. The Dr. said that it
could have been to something else in the formula besides the soy
though.
I do plan on trying walnut butter as well as sesame butter (tahini?)
and cashew butter. All are excellent sources of protein and high in
calories.
Thank you for the suggestion.
Joyce
|
| 199.12 | | NEURON::REEVES | | Wed Jul 01 1992 18:47 | 14 |
| Lila,
I agree with Gail in .3 I would check out the possibility of
diabetes also.
Shayne was diagnosed when he was 5 months old. Before that the
doctors were also concerned because he was not growing as expected.
He drank like crazy and I couldn't change the wet diapers fast enough.
I took him into the doctor because he was so lethargic (sp?) his
daycare mom and I couldn't wake him up except to drink.
Also, when Shayne was 14 months old he lost 3 lbs in 3 weeks,
this turned out to be an underactive thyroid.
It's worth running by your doctor.
FWIW,
Malinda
|
| 199.13 | | CSC32::L_WHITMORE | | Sat Jul 04 1992 16:42 | 20 |
| Hi folks. I work the weekend shift so that's why I haven't responded
to the replies! Anyway, I did take Matthew to his doctor on Tuesday.
They checked his iron level and that was ok. I also asked about
diabetes and the doctor said that unless we see more specific symptoms
(like weight loss) there isn't cause to be concerned about that. He
checked Matthew over and said everything seemed fine (of course Matt
was a REALLY energetic at the doctors office). Something that the
doctor made me realize while we were talking is that Matthew doesn't
act tired when we're out and about doing things, only when we're at
home and I'm trying to catch up on housework, etc. He thought perhaps
Matt was just showing signs of boredom! He suggested I just watch
him closely for any changes. Also, I mentioned the failure to thrive
to him and he said the same as everyone else in this note - he's
growing - slowly but steadily - and not to worry unless he starts
losing weight or stops growing alltogether. So - I plan to start
paying closer attention to what he eats and when he acts tired and
see if I can come to some conclusions! Thanks everyone for your
replies. Lila
|
| 199.14 | | CSC32::M_EVANS | no more becky bells | Mon Jul 20 1992 16:04 | 19 |
| Lila,
having also had an elf, I can understand your concerns when you see
all the larger children that seem to inhabit the earth. Carrie was a
"whooping" 23 pounds at two years, but she just followed her own growth
curve.
She would also be extremely active until she completely ran down and
then would crash, sometime for hours, sometime for days at a time.
However most of the time she was and is still wound on a tight enough
clock that if you don't stop her to eat and keep her attention on
eating, she will completely blow off the food and take off on another
activity, until she really crashes.
As for the small size, dont worry they catch up and then some later on.
Lolita was also a small child and now is 5'6" and 125 pounds at the age
of 18. The NP at the Dr's office took a look at her history and
carrie's and just said that at least weight control shouldn't be a
major problem for them as they get older.
|
| 199.15 | We've got one too. | DNEAST::CARMICHAEL_S | | Tue Aug 04 1992 13:44 | 16 |
| 199.16 | Toddler size=small?! | SALEM::WHITNEY_A | | Thu Jan 14 1993 13:18 | 21 |
| This isn't about a 'newborn' but I have been wondering about
the size of my daughter....She is very small for her age
and hasn't even gained a full pound since her 9 months check-up -
She is very healthy and smart, she has great color and a great
appetite...
Probably sounds strange but I wonder when I take her to the
doctors office and the nine month olds tower over her by inches.
Everywhere I go everyone tells me how petite and small she is
----so cute and "petite" ---
I'm starting to wonder if she'll ever grow???? The doctor said
that she is doing just fine...
So - this note is probably silly - just had to get it off my chest -
Like I said - I'm just starting to wonder if she'll ever grow..
Thanks for listening...
Andrea
|
| 199.17 | p.s | SALEM::WHITNEY_A | | Thu Jan 14 1993 13:18 | 2 |
| p.s...she's 13 months olds....19 1/4 pounds and about 24 inches long..
|
| 199.18 | Growth history? | SPICE::LUPIEN | | Thu Jan 14 1993 15:46 | 12 |
| If your are concerned you should have her checked out. My cousin's
daughter has something (I don't remember the name) but she didn't grow
for the longest time. She is 9 now and is on medication for whatever
she has and is going fine. Maybe your daughter is just overdue for
a growth spurt.... My daughter is 7 mohths and just under 19 lbs and
from what I'm told - she's good size but not huge....(was under 7 lbs
at birth). Take a look at her growth pattern over the last 13 months
and see how her weight has changed, maybe it's just her pattern to
grow slowly, were you or her Dad small also at that age...??
Regards, Sandy
|
| 199.19 | small is okay | MRKTNG::POEGEL | | Thu Jan 14 1993 16:16 | 11 |
|
Andrea
If it makes you feel any better, my next door neighbor who is
17 months is around 20lbs. She is healthy and all, her parents
just refer her to as 'their little peanut'. I think my 4 month
old has as big feet as she does! The parents just say that she's
a girl, and girls can be petite. BTW...mom is small and dad is
not that big of a guy either...about 5'6".
Lynne
|
| 199.20 | | CSC32::M_EVANS | hate is STILL not a family value | Thu Jan 14 1993 20:17 | 20 |
| Andrea,
she sounds just like my carrie. (18 Pounds at 1 year) at 6 she is
still only 45 pounds and about 47 inches tall, but whe is catching up
rapidly. Lolita was the same way, but at almost 19 she is now 5'7" and
about 127 pounds. Not exactly tiny.
Some kids are just meant to be small. Enjoy the advantages. You will
be able to carry her easily when she gets tired up through the age of
5. When she is potty-trained you will be able to get all of those
great overalls and pants that don't snap up the inseam that people
whose kids are still in diapers hate and send to thrift stores almost
unworn. People will treat her as extremely bright, because they can't
believe anyone that small is her age. If heavy honesty isn't a
criteria, you will be able to pass her off as under three for quite a
bit longer than other people with giant-economy sized kids can.
Enjoy the size. She will grow out of it eventually.
Meg
|
| 199.21 | | CSC32::M_EVANS | hate is STILL not a family value | Thu Jan 14 1993 20:17 | 3 |
| Oops. Air brainess. Carrie is now 7.
Meg
|
| 199.22 | I also had a little boy | TANNAY::BETTELS | Cheryl, DTN 821-4022, Management Systems Research | Fri Jan 15 1993 07:08 | 19 |
| 199.23 | Small is OK! | SALEM::WHITNEY_A | | Fri Jan 15 1993 16:26 | 14 |
| I have asked the doctor before if he thought Samantha was going
to be a midget --- He giggled a little - and told me that they would
know by now...I ask them about her size every time we go in and
they always say she's just small...Very healthy and don't worry!
I think I just get a little consious (sp) because everywhere I
go someone says..."Oh boy is she small", "My grandaughter is
bigger than her and she's only six months", "She doesn't look
big enough to walk"......etc and so on...
Thanks for all the replies - I think I just needed to hear that
small is OK!
Andrea
|
| 199.24 | prize heifer? | TNPUBS::STEINHART | Laura | Fri Jan 15 1993 16:29 | 10 |
| Dear Andrea,
Next time some inconsiderate buffoon makes a thoughtless comment just
say, "Well, since they don't have a category for babies at the 4-H
fair, I don't mind if she IS small."
:-) :-) Thanks to my Mom for that excellent crack!
L
|
| 199.25 | Growth Spurt? | NETWKS::COZZENS | | Tue Jun 01 1993 15:11 | 16 |
| My question deals with growth spurts in infants. My daughter is eight
months old and has been sleeping through the night since she was 10 weeks
old. This past weekend she started waking up one to three times per
night to eat. She is still eating the same amount of food during the day
but is waking during night. Last night she went to bed at 7:00 after taking
a six ounce bottle. She woke up at 10:30 and took another 6 ounce bottle and
again at 12:30 and took a 4 ounce bottle. She then slept the rest of the
night. From the time she went to bed until 12:30 she was also very
restless, not necessarily fussy but seemed to be agitated.
Now, is she going through a growth spurt or did she just not eat enough
during the day? I'm open to any thoughts on this. How often do babies go
through growth spurts?
Thanks for any help,
Lisa Cozzens
|
| 199.26 | "Real food or ear infections" | WMOIS::TILLERY | | Tue Jun 01 1993 15:55 | 11 |
|
Is she on regular food? My daughter (10 months) would wake up at 5 am
until I realized she needed more regular food. At the time she was
eating 'real' food for all her meals, except dinner. When I switched
her dinner meals to what we were eating she was fine.
The only other time she woke up during the night was when she had
ear infections. Eating might just be a soothing way to go back to
sleep.
Sue
|
| 199.27 | could she be teething? | BROKE::NIKIN::BOURQUARD | Deb | Tue Jun 01 1993 16:35 | 5 |
| Noelle (10 months) only seems to wake up during the night when she is
teething or has an ear infection. When she is teething, she can usually
calm herself down by finding one of the 3 pacifiers that I plant in her
crib every night. (Clearly this is not a solution for those parents who
frown on pacifiers.)
|
| 199.28 | cross-reference | TNPUBS::STEINHART | Back in the high life again | Tue Jun 01 1993 16:55 | 14 |
| Please also see the the following related notes:
27 NOTED::DUBOIS 9-APR-1992 203 Sleep Problems --
Theirs and Yours
34 NOTED::DUBOIS 10-APR-1992 110 Weaning from
Breast/Bottle
67 JEREMY::RIVKA 27-APR-1992 80 Baby food-no teeth yet.
74 DEMON::MARRAMA 29-APR-1992 132 Teething
345 SPICE::LUPIEN 6-OCT-1992 17 Why did Baby stop
eating?
Laura
co-mod
|
| 199.29 | Couple more details to .25 | NETWKS::COZZENS | | Tue Jun 01 1993 17:01 | 12 |
| Thank you for the pointers and comments. Just a few added details.
Yes, Lindsey is eating baby food, no people food, she spits it out
whenever I try to give it to her so when I do give it to her it is a
little at a time but she is not keen on it.
As for teething, very possible, she just cut her fifth tooth and I was
told that she has three more trying to come in.
Ear infection, I hope not, she is on amoxicillin for two months for ear
infections, as of last Tuesday, they were clean.
Thanks for the comments, Lisa
|
| 199.30 | How I started on people food | IMTDEV::COOP | It's your Destiny | Tue Jun 01 1993 17:17 | 13 |
| Lisa,
I started my daughter on table "people" food at eight months.
I found that the baby food did not hold her through the night,
and she would wake for a bottle. I started taking what we had for
dinner, ie meatloaf, potato, and carrots, throw it into the food
processor, add a little warm water, and voila! Jaime stopped eating
baby food, she turned her nose up at it. Slowly over two months I
increased the consistancy, gave her finger foods, and she now sleeps
through the night. (she is now 10 months old & has gained 3 & 1/2 lbs)
cj
|
| 199.31 | cross-references (2 more) | TNPUBS::STEINHART | Back in the high life again | Tue Jun 01 1993 17:17 | 8 |
| Two more cross-references, FYI.
74 DEMON::MARRAMA 29-APR-1992 132 Teething
130 MR4DEC::SPERA 21-MAY-1992 53 Ear infections:
curing, medica
Thanks,
Laura
|
| 199.32 | mod note | TNPUBS::STEINHART | Back in the high life again | Tue Jun 01 1993 17:19 | 6 |
| Please continue discussions of eating, teething, weaning, ear
infections, or other topics in the appropriate notes.
Thanks,
Laura
co-mod
|
| 199.33 | | STAR::AWHITNEY | | Tue Jun 01 1993 17:43 | 7 |
| Sometimes I think my daughter grows over night - or in a day. My babysitter
seems to notice this too so maybe they do grow in real spurts. I believe
that there have been studies done that prove that kids grow "overnight".
Anyway - my daughter usually seems to sleep more when I think she's going
through a growth spurt...
|
| 199.34 | This time sinus infection, not growing | NETWKS::COZZENS | | Thu Jun 03 1993 11:17 | 11 |
| Thanks for all the notes. After another sleepless night I decided it
was time for a visit to the doctor. Her ears were fine but she had a
sinus infection. So, more medication. Last night, Wednesday, we
finally got a full night sleep. She did not eat because she felt lousy
but did not wake up until 5:00am, took a bottle and went back to sleep,
where she still is at 7:15am.
Again, thanks for the tips and I'm glad it wasn't a growth spurt,
hopefully if she gets one, she won't be this miserable.
Lisa
|