My two year old daughter is a former 28 week premature baby. She has had many issues with feeding but over the past two years, we since have not figured out what is causing it. She recently (in March) got off her g-tube and now is eating okay and taking pedisure about 30-35 ounces a day. but no matter how many calories you make her take she does gain well. We just got her weight on tuesday and she's now 22pounds and 7ounces. She only gained 12 ounces in the past three months. The doctor's and specialist are giving up saying it's just her, she petite but I still think there is more to it. I'm so confused and at the end of my rope. Does anyone have any advice? Please Help!!

Hi, I just checked a few sites and it says that your age child should generally gain about 5 pounds per year. I dont know how to work out pounds (from australia)were metric over here (kilos). :) So if you take her weight gain for three months and times it by 4 is that 5 pounds? I know with my own children, my son had terrible weight gain, he was still in size 0 clothing until he was about 2.5 yrs old! His problem was a milk allergy (and many other allergys). If you feel uncomfortable about your daughters weight gain, ask a health nurse or another doctor. You are her mum, and you need to be reasured, dont be afraid to push a little, these doctors sometimes are so blase! Take care Cindy

You may want to check my post regarding the Childrens GI clinic at Milwaukee childrens hospital. They specialize in treating constipation and GI disorders in children. http://www.chw.org/jhome.asp
This is their home site and from there just click on programs and services then constipation clinic and you should be able to find an address or phone # to call and they may be able to tell you more. Good Luck

Your child was about 4 months premature. If she had been born at full term [40-42 weeks], she'd now be only 20 months old. Her current weight isn't too far off for a 20 month old.

Most children grow in spurts. As long as she continues gaining weight, is active, appears happy and healthy otherwise, don't worry.

[This message has been edited by Jay Tor (edited 08-26-2002).]

My daughter was also born premature, at 25 wks. She is two now, and only 20 lbs. At one point she had lost so much she had went back down to 16 lbs. She has a g-tube and will not eat by mouth. I am as distraught. I cannot stand when people assume they know what to do by offering advice like, "you shouldn't be worried, talk to you doctor." As though you haven't yet talked to her physician, or you as her parent you shouldn't be worried about the littlest thing. It is a hard road, I am actually devising a diet myself to help my daughter get more calories, and help her to grow. I am praying that this works. And I pray that you have better luck also.

My son was born at 36 weeks at 8 lbs 4 ozs. I automatically thought he would continue on with this high weight. Nope. He is 2 and 1/2 years old and still wears 18 months.

I know this may not apply, but if the child ceases to grow or gain weight. Look into obstructive sleep apnea for children. Failure to thrive and grow is a big sign. If the child has any or all of these symptoms:
1) doesn't sleep through the night by age two.
2) snores or mouth breathes
3) sleep talks/walks
4) grinds their teeth
5) insomnia (OSA)
6) unwillingness to wake or sleeps all the time and still tired (hypopnea)
7) hyperactivity/poor concentration and behavior
8) failure to thrive (gain in weight or size in a 3-6 month period)
9) Chronic respiratory ills (sinus, ear, bronchial, or strep infections)

My son went a year and through four or five pediatricians.. all saying it is just a phase he just has bad allergies. It took my own diagnosis of sleep apnea.. and then me getting my husband diagnosed.. my son having an adnoidectomy and ear tubes.. then a tonsillectomy and since he still snored and had respiratory issues.. the ENT finally recommended looking into a sleep study.

Well my son had severe obstructive sleep apnea like me and hypopnea like his father.. out of ten hours of sleep a night he was only had fours hour of productive sleep. He stopped breathing 14 times and hour and had another 14 incidents of deepressed breathing an hour. This was not as bad as my stopping breathing 60x and hour, but it scared me more. My baby was ceasing to breathe in his sleep!

There are five phases of sleep the first three most can achieve.
Stage one is that semi-conscious light sleep where anything can wake you.

Stage two is the transition to deep sleep and REM sleep

Stage three and four deep sleep stages - necesssary for muscle, bone, and joint repair and growth; metabolization of food and minerals and activation and restoration of the immune system. Poor 4 and 5 sleep stages are when some children experience bedwetting, night terrors, or sleepwalking. The bedwetting is normally something to consider after the age of 2, when a child should be capable of staying dry the whole night through.

Stage five REM sleep - dreams, active sleep stage

Thus if you can not find an answer you might check to see if the tonsils and adnoids are enlarged causing breathing obstruction and sleep interference. OSA and hyponea interrupt and prevent the last three stages of sleep (3-5) thus causing the failure to thrive and increased illness susceptibility. Get your child looked at by an ENT and or a ABSM (American Board of Sleep Medicine certified) Sleep specialist if you have any doubt, a normal pediatrician is not qualified to diagnose sleep apnea. Engorged tonsils are the main cause of pediatric sleep apnea. A simple tonsillectomy often fixes the problem. My son has a structural sinus issue that made the T&A insufficient tocure his sleep apnea, so he has a CPAP like mommy and daddy now. Since getting his own CPAP (constant positive air pressure) machine, he has grown two and a half inches and is achieving the sleep he needs. I have more posted in the parenting issues and ADD board on sleep disorders in children.

Once again I am not saying this is your issue, but if it is a possibility you should get it checked out.

Sincerely,
MG

I wouldn't worry too much. My two year old is only 21lbs and has been for the last 8 months. She is very active, never sits still and eats very well. She usually has a slice of toast with ham for breakfast and some milk. For lunch she has rice with veggies mixed in, macaroni, veggie burgers or fries and dinner is anything we have. She eats small amounts but is willing to try anything. I limit her sugar for health reasons but I do bake cakes and cookies for her which she loves.
My ped. told me to give her pediasure but she wanted nothing to do with it so I didn't force her.
I never force her to eat otherwise she will hate food. I put snacks out on her little table and she snacks whenever she wants to.
Don't worry your little one will catch up. Put snacks out so she can eat, somewhere within her reach. Try different fruits and veggies with different textures so she can try.
But never force food, never. Good luck