Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 16:42     Subject: 9 year old lost three pounds since August
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:3 lbs really isnt concerning, I've seen my kids fluctuate like that with using a different scale at the drs office.


Over the course of an entire year you’d expect some gains. It’s appropriate for the ped to follow up.


Ah—I see it is only 6 months. Less concerning but still worth keeping an eye on.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 16:40     Subject: 9 year old lost three pounds since August
Anonymous wrote:3 lbs really isnt concerning, I've seen my kids fluctuate like that with using a different scale at the drs office.


Over the course of an entire year you’d expect some gains. It’s appropriate for the ped to follow up.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 16:38     Subject: 9 year old lost three pounds since August
My child has always been sub-2% in weight so it’s a little different but one of the things I was told is not to worry too much about “healthy” calories vs calories. Obviously don’t feed the kid a diet of empty calories like soda, but healthy eating for a kid might not look the same as for an adult. It’s most important kids get enough calories.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 16:35     Subject: 9 year old lost three pounds since August
Anonymous wrote:Don't have answers OP, but interested to see what others say and would love for you to report back after your next appointment.

My 8 yr old (and I) got a big lecture from the pediatrician at her last appointment because, while she'd gained weight and height, the doc felt her growth rate for weight was slowing too much. But she eats plenty, has lots of energy, plays sports, and sleeps well. So it's not really clear what we are supposed to *do* about it. We've started offering higher calorie add ons to meals and snacks (mostly in the form of glasses of whole milk, smoothies with protein, etc.) and maybe it's helping?

I don't really know what else to do. Obviously I care about my kid's nutrition, but it doesn't seem like there is anything wrong, so it's baffling.


My pediatrician encouraged us to:
1) Offer both my daughters “fourth meal” before bed, whatever they would eat, usually a yogurt or a piece of toast with honey
2) Add butter and oil wherever we could, like butter on steamed broccoli and not just the plain broccoli; more-than normal butter on toast; oil on top of pasta, then the sauce
3) Whole milk only, even well into middle school

They’re both on track now, just barely, but enough that the pediatrician doesn’t lecture us anymore!
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 16:34     Subject: Re:9 year old lost three pounds since August
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:3 pounds?? And she is proportion for height end weight, and there are no other health concerns? I would not be worried about this at ALL. 3lbs is the difference between the clothing she is wearing, when she had last eaten, normal fluctuation etc. I’m sure this is just a precautionary measure on the ped’s end.


This is not normal PP, keep in mind, she could have been in a simple dress in August and sweatpants/heavy sweater when she went this week, which makes 3 pounds even more concerning. Thinking about you OP.


Oh FFS
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 16:28     Subject: 9 year old lost three pounds since August
Op here. Thanks for all the thoughts. She is very active. She does swim team and practices 3-4 days a week so that could be part of it but we are trying to feed her more calorie dense foods and encourage her to eat more in general.
Anonymous
Post 02/20/2026 11:26     Subject: Re:9 year old lost three pounds since August
My daughter is on the slim side. She plays two sports in the fall and spring and zero in the summer and winter but is active year round. She tends towards underweight. She always gets thin when she’s playing but gains it back afterwards. Is something like that going on? Also, she really only needs 200 extra calories per day to gain.
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 20:51     Subject: 9 year old lost three pounds since August
Anonymous wrote:Of course I’m sure she doesn’t have cancer, but it’s interesting how DCUM blows off a little girl losing weight as no big deal, while a boy who is 30th percentile for height needs growth hormones yesterday or his future earnings and sexual success will be compromised. A skinny daughter isn’t necessarily healthier than a short son but you’d never be able to tell from the breathless posters here.


The boy thing is plain vanity, that’s it. But if she’s in the 60th percentile for height AND weight I have a hard time believing the doctor is concerned. If her weight goes up 3 lbs and her height stays them same, she won’t be as proportionate as she is now.
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 20:48     Subject: 9 year old lost three pounds since August
OP my kid gained 0 lbs from 9 to 11 and grew a ton during those years and we started getting side eye from the doctor about what she was eating and variety, etc. Her eating was great! It was just how her body was built.

Then the next year, she hit puberty and gained 25 lbs (I kid you not) and we got THE OPPOSITE lecture about whether kid was eating healthy foods, too much, nutritionally balanced, etc.

Children are people, not averages. I'd do the check your doctor asks but also trust your gut.

Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 20:42     Subject: 9 year old lost three pounds since August
3 lbs really isnt concerning, I've seen my kids fluctuate like that with using a different scale at the drs office.
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 17:19     Subject: 9 year old lost three pounds since August
Is she stressed? Also I agree check her thyroid.
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 15:09     Subject: 9 year old lost three pounds since August
Anonymous wrote:Of course I’m sure she doesn’t have cancer, but it’s interesting how DCUM blows off a little girl losing weight as no big deal, while a boy who is 30th percentile for height needs growth hormones yesterday or his future earnings and sexual success will be compromised. A skinny daughter isn’t necessarily healthier than a short son but you’d never be able to tell from the breathless posters here.


One response was that it was NBD....
Anonymous
Post 02/19/2026 14:56     Subject: 9 year old lost three pounds since August
I would keep an eye on DD but not jump in with high-calorie foods just yet. It makes sense just to come back in one month (or get weighed at home). Don't make a huge deal of it with DD, but do start paying attention to her eating habits, so that you have more information for the pediatrician in a month.