Toddler weight loss causes?

[Anonymous]

Toddler is gaining weight slower than they should, by a lot, and fell off their growth curve. They eat well and are very active and high-energy, ahead of the curve on milestones, and literally the only symptoms of anything being wrong are their being skinny and occasional constipation (no diarrhea).

We've trying Pediasure and a calorie-intensive diet and are waiting for lab results on whether they might have Celiac or a thyroid issue. Has anyone had experience with anything like this? The next step is probably a gastroenterologist but I don't even know what questions to be asking or what possible causes might be.

[Anonymous]

Huh, with my nephew it was lactose intolerance but there were gastric symptoms too.

You're doing the right thing by seeing a doctor. Waiting is hard but getting the tests will help.

[Anonymous]

My son supposedly fell of his growth curve, but it turned out the person weighing him at the doctor's office was incompetent. Are you sure you have an accurate scale? It comes down to a few pounds with kids that age. What about height?

[Anonymous]

My toddler went from the 80s to 50s between her 18 and 24 month appointments. I freaked out but the ped said she sees it a lot and it's normal, kids start to thin out and genetics takes over around 2. How is the height curve? Are you and your partner average weight and height? IE are they following your trajectory?

[Anonymous]

OP here. We are talking about falling from 44th percentile weight to 6th percentile weight. Height continues to grow unimpeded along the same curve as always. I certainly hope it's a mistake but I'm not sure it can be a mistake with such a big drop?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My toddler went from the 80s to 50s between her 18 and 24 month appointments. I freaked out but the ped said she sees it a lot and it's normal, kids start to thin out and genetics takes over around 2. How is the height curve? Are you and your partner average weight and height? IE are they following your trajectory?

Partner and I are both tall and average or in my case below average weight. My BMI is naturally around 17, which is classified as a little underweight, but LO's is now 13.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We are talking about falling from 44th percentile weight to 6th percentile weight. Height continues to grow unimpeded along the same curve as always. I certainly hope it's a mistake but I'm not sure it can be a mistake with such a big drop?

Over what period of time? What was the curve like before the fall?

Height that continues on a curve is a very good sign.

How concerned are the medical providers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We are talking about falling from 44th percentile weight to 6th percentile weight. Height continues to grow unimpeded along the same curve as always. I certainly hope it's a mistake but I'm not sure it can be a mistake with such a big drop?

That's concerning. I would definitely want to rule out celiac. It's good he is growing--the kids I've known with celiac or Crohns weren't growing much either.

Is your ped doing bloodwork? I would want that done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My toddler went from the 80s to 50s between her 18 and 24 month appointments. I freaked out but the ped said she sees it a lot and it's normal, kids start to thin out and genetics takes over around 2. How is the height curve? Are you and your partner average weight and height? IE are they following your trajectory?

Partner and I are both tall and average or in my case below average weight. My BMI is naturally around 17, which is classified as a little underweight, but LO's is now 13.

BMI is meaningless for children. What are their weight for length percentiles like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We are talking about falling from 44th percentile weight to 6th percentile weight. Height continues to grow unimpeded along the same curve as always. I certainly hope it's a mistake but I'm not sure it can be a mistake with such a big drop?

At what age?

And yes it could be a mistake. The difference is like two pounds. So if one measurement was one pound high and this is one pound low, it looks worse than it is.

2/3 of my kids “fell off their curve” between age one and two. At age one, they were 90%. At 18 months they were 70%. By age two, they were 50%. They continued to gain height and are fine (now age eight and six). They were just big babies who wanted to be average sized kids. (Third kid is three and stayed 90%.)

Good to do bloodwork, etc, to be sure but I wouldn’t worry.

[Anonymous]

If you’re concerned, I’d take him for a consult at a good children’s hospital, like CHOP in Philly. Even if they end up saying, “He’s fine” you’ll at least have peace of mind.

[Anonymous]

Do bloodwork. DH was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes around age 3 because he just couldn’t put weight on. There was no family history so they didn’t think to test for a long time

[Anonymous]

Thats happened to 2 of my children and they both have allergies that caused it. Dairy, eggs, nuts. It's amazing how many things contain those ingredients in it. Once everything they were allergic to was eliminated from their diet, their weight improved.