Slow down in length

[Anonymous]

Hi - my pediatrician isn’t worried about this, and I’m trying not to be, but no one wants to go to their infant well checks and feel like their baby isn’t growing.

Baby was at 50th-60th percentile for height first three months, always 10-20th for weight. Then at 4 and 5 month check up, weight stayed same but length really decreased - down to 15-20th percentile. Still grew, but that seems like a big change in percentiles. Anyone else experienced this when their kids were infants.

My older kids stayed on their height percentiles until they were older. This baby seems significantly smaller than my older ones Which is fine as long as he’s growing and healthy!

Just a worried mama ....

[Anonymous]

In my experience, getting an accurate length measurement on an infant is a crapshoot. I wouldn’t worry about it, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my experience, getting an accurate length measurement on an infant is a crapshoot. I wouldn’t worry about it, OP.

+1. Some nurses pull the legs. Some might measure the toes. My nurse put her down on the paper which was crumbled, drew lines at the top and bottom, then when she measured it wasn't crumbled. If you do a calculator, the difference in 1 inch for a baby can be 50% (so 20% or 70%). Don't worry about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my experience, getting an accurate length measurement on an infant is a crapshoot. I wouldn’t worry about it, OP.

+1. Some nurses pull the legs. Some might measure the toes. My nurse put her down on the paper which was crumbled, drew lines at the top and bottom, then when she measured it wasn't crumbled. If you do a calculator, the difference in 1 inch for a baby can be 50% (so 20% or 70%). Don't worry about it.

+2 Our ped often wondered out loud if the length measurement was correct for this reason

[Anonymous]

Once my infant “shrank” from one appointment to the next.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once my infant “shrank” from one appointment to the next.

this made me lol

[Anonymous]

My Dad is a pediatrician and he says length is extremely hard to measure because you have to stretch out the legs and it can upset the baby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once my infant “shrank” from one appointment to the next.

Thai is OP. Thanks all for calming me

I assume your infant that shrank didn’t continue to do so ?

I will say the nurse measured twice at both appointments to make sure she was getting the length correct bc she bought it was a little strange he didn’t grow as much. And it’s always the same nurse at my dr. So they got a fairly accurate measure. He only grew 1/2 from 3-5 months whereas my older kids grew 1.5” at that same age.

But I’ll try not to worry!!

[Anonymous]

Every med tech or nurse measures infants differently and it is almost impossible to actually get an extremely accurate result. Once my pediatrician had the tech remeasure after she came in the room and was surprised by my DS magically growing 3 inches between his initial appointment and follow up one week later… That said, your baby may not stay on the curve
for height, and it’s typically not something pediatricians worry about unless he or she has no length growth over a duration of several appointments or a suspected stature disorder.

[jsmith123]

Anonymous wrote:Once my infant “shrank” from one appointment to the next.

Same! Except it was his head that shrank

[Anonymous]

jsmith123 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once my infant “shrank” from one appointment to the next.

Same! Except it was his head that shrank

Same to both of these examples in different visits. I think it is theater more than anything if there aren’t other signs the baby isn’t developing and meeting milestones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my experience, getting an accurate length measurement on an infant is a crapshoot. I wouldn’t worry about it, OP.

+1. Some nurses pull the legs. Some might measure the toes. My nurse put her down on the paper which was crumbled, drew lines at the top and bottom, then when she measured it wasn't crumbled. If you do a calculator, the difference in 1 inch for a baby can be 50% (so 20% or 70%). Don't worry about it.

+2 weight is the only really reliable metric, and even that has variance based on whether your kid just ate or just had a full diaper etc.

[Anonymous]

Op, the specific percentiles mean nothing. It’s the growth curve that matters.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/theconversation.com/amp/our-obsession-with-infant-growth-charts-may-be-fuelling-childhood-obesity-86841