1Year Old Only 17Lbs. & 12 Oz

My daughter was only 16 pounds 8 oz at 12 months. She's now 7 and she's only 44 pounds and just starting to wear size 6 clothing. She's small, has always been small and will probably always be on the small side. As someone once said to me, some children have to be on the lower side of the growth chart or there wouldn't be 5% or 3% markings. As long as he's hitting his other milestones and is eating and is active, I wouldn't worry about it.

Try giving him some peanut butter , you may have to thin it out but it will help him grow. Also different kinds of nut butters (like almond butter) or Sunbutter (sold at Target) are nutritional powerhouses with lots of fat.

On another note, have you thought about looking for a daycare where you could work and have him in the same place?

My son weighed 28 pounds at 2 years old and 29 pounds at 3 years old. I never got overly concerned because I know he eats. He started going again at 3 and is not 29 and normal size 5 ft. 10 inches 170 pounds.

I wouldnt' worry much, as long as you know he eats.

As a baby, I was smaller than usual, my husband was smaller than usual and as a result, my daughter is smaller than usual! There is nothign wrondg with her, she surpasses other kids her age mentally, emotionally and has always been an agile little person. A good doctor will take you & yous husband's size at that age in consideration. I did allow the doctors to atke thyroid tests for my daughter, jsut to rule it out. Right now, she is 4 years old and just barely into size 3T and MIGHT possibly weigh 30 lbs, but I doubt it. I still have to alter some fashions to fit her. As long as your child is developing normally in all areas, just accept that he may be smaller than most for awhile. My husband has turned out to be a manly man at almost 6 ft, whereas I stayed stuck at just under 5'2" :) I stayed 97 lbs until I was like 23! (not the case anymore).
I made a deal with my daughter's doctors and they agreed. Once the thyroid test came back and we got the results, then we would leave my child alone if it came back normal. My suggestion is to NOT allow your doctors to poke and prod your child just because they think he should be bigger or weigh more. Everyone grows in their own time, give him his. We have a GREAT pediatrician office here in Lexington, KY. If you would like the name, email me and I'll give it. They are a great set of peds and take everything into consideration.
Also, your son is learning to walk and move around too, he will burn calories like there is no tomorrow for the next 4 years, his weight may never be what the docs want to see, but this doesn't mean failure to thrive either.

I know you've had many responses and I admit I have not read through them all.

I was born with LGH which is Low Growth Hormone, typically found in dwarves. I was 5lbs and 18.25 inches when I was born at 41 weeks. I was never on the curve as a child... in fact, I had my own chart. My ped did not compare me to other children - she compared my growth against my previous measurements to make sure I was growing, even though it was at a slow rate. I was a little over two feet tall and weighed around 22lbs when I started kindergarten. Over the years, I was always significantly smaller than my classmates.

However, though as an adult I am still small statured at a petite 5'0", but I am over an inch taller than my sister who was born with normal levels of growth hormone and who was 5.5lbs and 19.5 inches at birth. I was tiny until I hit puberty, which came late because of the low growth hormone. Our parents were not overly petite - mom is about 5'2-5'3 and dad was about 5'9-5'10.

My own son, who is now eight, was born at 9lbs and 21.25inches long. he is now the smallest kid in his class (go figure). He's shorter than most of his classmates and also very thin. His father is 5'11 and was the same way as a kid... very lanky.

If the tests rule out things like issues with gluten, thyroid diseases, and growth hormone anomalties, and your son is consistently growing (even at a slow rate), then I wouldn't worry about it too much right now. If he is otherwise healthy and thriving, and meeting his milestones, then he may just be small statured.

Also, make sure he is getting a balanced diet - proteins, fruits, vegetables, etc. At this age, he should be eating mostly solid foods, so make sure he is getting enough. Especially since the daycare he was at wasnt feeding him.
I hope you reported them.... they should not be in business.

If you still know in your heart something isn't right and you arent getting answers from your current doc, get a new doctor for your son.

What they are probably testing for is celiac disease, the body's inability to process gluten, a protein found naturally in wheat, rye, oats and barley. In children they often suspect this when they see a child as 'failure to thrive'. Often children with celiac disease are short in stature, underweight, may have thin arms & legs but big belly, diarrhea (although constipation is possible), mucusy stools, sometimes bad teeth (no enamel). If these things are ruled out, then you may just have a small child, but you need to know for sure.

Celiac disease, left untreated, causes the villi in the small intestines to get worn down and the body does not absorb nutrients from the food, in fact often undigested food is passed out of the body. This leads to all manners of issues. Once you remove the gluten, by sticking to a gluten free diet, the intestines will begin to heal. Often those with Celiac are also lactose intolerant, as lactose is absorbed through the tips of the villi, which are not there. But generally within a year of a gluten free diet, you can reintroduce milk.

This is a lifetime change as there currently is not cure for celiac or any medications to be taken, it's strictly a diet change.

It is best to rule this in or out now before they are old enough to really remember what 'normal' food tastes like. We didn't discover our family had it until our now 19yodd was 17. Now I have a 10yods that I suspect has it, have put him on the diet, and it has not been as easy with him.

I pray you find answers.

My first thought is get a new daycare... I think you did? Your center should be a place where questions are asked, concerns are brought up, and new things are explored. Your son should have been eating foods by now, or at least eager to try them. Know whats on your school lunch menu, and let his teacher know you want him to be offered the lunch, or part of it. Bring snacks like the baby crackers, fruit, ect to school let the teacher know they're there. Just keep trying new things. If your baby is happy and looks healthy, thats all that matters. Not all babies are equal, and each is different. Keep fiber in the diet, and calcium, and nutrients. Ever tried smoothies for him? Like some Green Goodness juice? I would keep up with the doc visit/test just to make sure, but otherwise, your son will let YOU know when he is ready. Trust your momma instincts.

K.

You are SO RIGHT that he is underweight due to the daycare not giving him bottles during the day. A child grows due to a certain amount of calories eaten per day. SO SORRY to hear the little guy was being starved of his nutrition at this daycare. You really should report them to the proper authorities, as this could be happening to other babies as well.

Listen, my best advice to you is start job searching a daycare that you can work and have your little guy there too. You are so lucky to have the skills as a daycare provider. Take advantage of those skills and bring your baby to work with you.

Mountains are hard to climb, but once you get to the top, it is all smooth sailing at that point. Do the research and take the time to find that daycare!!! Your little guy will be so happy to see mommy during the day. Just think about it...watching him grow and develop...HOW EXCITING! Visualize it. Dream it. Believe it, and it will come true for you. Come on K.....what are you waiting for, it is now or never? Do this for your little guy and he will benefit from it later on in life.

Good luck!

Yes I agree. He needs to eat more.
That day care is not feeding him right.
It would be better for you and him to be together to make sure he get's the right nurishment.
Maybe you need to take a break and be with him for a while.

Vicki W.

The test for the gluten breakdown is a test for Celiac disease---due to your son's not gaining enough weight, the pediatrician is concerned he may have Celiac disease---his ability to digest gluten (products such as bread, cereal, rice, etc.)---my son was tested because he wasn't gaining enough weight and his pediatrician was concerned (my son was in the 1% for his age group). It's scary to think your child may have Celiac disease, because you have to adjust their diet dramatically. When his test results came back negative, the pediatrician told me to give him whole milk with EVERY meal --- NO juice, NO water, NOTHING but MILK (the fat in the milk will help him gain weight).

Do YOU feel like he is thriving?

Does he appear underweight? Or is he just small?

My son was 19 pounds at 15 months. He's just not a big kid. But he is healthy & growing & now at almost 6 has reached 50th percentile. He was 18% height & 9% weight for a long time. Both my kids are really lean, but very healthy.

This is an instinct call on your part.
If he just happens to be a small guy, then he's a small guy & will probably do a little catching up as he gets older.

Use your good mom sense, you know the answer already.

P

Our son was growing very quickly and then really slowed down around 18 months. He was thin anyway - usually around 25% on the charts. He dropped to like 1%. My husband is tall and very thin - has a very high metabolism - can't even put on weight. Even knowing this, the doctors gave us a bit of a hard time about it. My son is a good eater - not picky at all, and he was healthy (and even had a double chin - normal "baby fat"). He was just thin. I think sometimes the doctors forget that those are AVERAGES and that not all babies are average! (I have a friend who went through this too with all of her children - her husband is also thin). One thing I did to try to pack on the weight was feed him whole milk yogurt. Believe it or not, my son loves it - even plain (in fact, that's his favorite). He's three now and we still go through about 2 quarts a week sometimes! If your son likes that, it might be a good way to help him put some more weight on. If he's not so fond of that, maybe cheese would work for him (however, cheese is constipating, so you have to be a little careful with that).

I read also that you want to stay home with your son. Have you thought about providing child care at home? Since you are already a pre-school teacher, I'm sure you'd be great at it. Depending on the area you live in, it can be fairly easy to get started. If you want to do that and need some advice on how to get that up and running, just send me a private message. God bless you.

He's fine, alil petite, he'll grow more with solid foods. I have a 13yr. old and A 7month old. My 7month old weighs in at 23 lbs.He has A healthy appetite. When my 13yr. old was that age he weighed about 17 lbs. your baby will gain some with more solid foods, I bet he's adoreable! M.

Hi K.,

I've read a lot of good responses but I wanted to add a little to them. First of all, a perfect food for perfect fat and nutrition is avocado. Most kids love it. Milk fat can exacerbate the problem of Celiac disease that some of the mom's have mentioned. Celiac is preventable and curable with a low residue diet (Milk has residue) and a lot of fiber. I grew up with something similar and I was mistreated by doctors and had to learn in my adulthood that it could have been prevented instead of "managed."

Fiber allows the body to keep the intestinal tract clean so that nutrients CAN be absorbed properly and other dangerous conditions prevented as well. This will also help him gain weight.

God bless!

M.
www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk

Boy can I relate. My son has always been thin. He was born two weeks early and did not weigh seven pounds. His doctor at the time was not concerned with his weight because he was growing in length. If your son is getting taller then try not to worry. My son has been off the weight charts as well but has always been healthy. He is now almost 16, six feet tall and only weighs 133. He eats very healthily and is almost never sick.

Take care,
L. D

Hello,

I think it wise to get the tests done, just in case, but that doesn't necessarily mean there is anything "wrong" with your child. A good indication is what you and his father looked like as kids. My children (now 10- and 13) were never quite that low, but were always considered "too skinny" for their height. However, we finally saw a pediatrician who asked about us as kids. We were tall and skinny, too. He told us not to worry about it. Keep feeding him. I would ask them to give you an example of how much he should be eating in a day and compare it to his actual diet. If it matches, fine. If he doesn't eat enough, try to figure out why. If he eats a lot more than that and still doesn't gain weight, that's a problem. I think you're doing all of the right things. Get the tests to reassure everyone and do the best you can to raise your child. As long as everyone is happy and healthy, the weight will work itself out. Good luck! L.

I eally don't have any advice but wanted you to know your not alone. My daughter is 17 months old and barely weighs 20 lbs. Our pediatrician does not seem to be to concerned since she is growing and reaching all of her milestones. My daughter has always been in the 25th % for her weight. We think she just has a fast metabolism since she does eat just not alot at once. She sometimes snacks all day. A couple bites here and there. We've even tried Pedisure to make sure she is getting all the vitamins she needs. She is great about drinking her milk so that has never been a problem. Don't worry about the weight as long as you don't have any concerns about his development. If he is happy and healthy all is fine. Good luck

Hi, I am on the otehr side of this. My daugther was over eight pounds when she was born. She has always been a large baby. I have people come up to me in stores and tell me what a large baby I have. I get upset when the doctor tells me that my little girl needs to be more active. Have you ever meet a teo year old not active. Anyways, its was hard but I had to learn to stop comparing my girl to others and to stop wondering what other people were thinking about my baby. My little girl is now twenty eight months old also most three feet tall and weights thrity five pounds. And I olve ever bit of her. I understand how hard it is not too compare one child to another but you wouldn't be feel of this what is wrong with my baby until you do. I bet you baby it just fine and beautiful.

Good Luck!
R.

Try to make his food "nutrient dense", which means adding calories (especially fat) wherever you can, such as butter in his oatmeal, on toast, grits, etc. Use half and half or cream in his oatmeal/cereal, and give him foods that are easy to eat (for instance: not raw vegetables that take a lot of time and chewing and hardly have any calories). Mashed sweet potatoes with lots of butter would be very good. I had a friend whose little daughter was underweight and the doctor recommended pediasure daily - there are generics of it. It's kind of like a milk shake, or you could make your own milk shakes for him. One really good one, that seems odd at first, is to put avocado and sugar in milk. It's very tasty, and has lots of good fats. These little guys are still laying down nerve tissue, which requires lots of fat, so the fat is not going to hurt at all, and is the most efficient way to get lots of calories in, without throwing off his hormones with too much sugar. Good luck to you!

K., try not to worry too much. Does he drink milk and then doesn't want to eat? Both of my daughters did this and they have always been thin. Once they started school, they decided to start eating, much more active. My son was born with heart problems and had a big issue with eating. His pacemaker sits on his stomach so he has always eaten just a little bit several times a day. He has always been below the 5% but now is 4 yrs old and as tall as his "friends" in school. Chances are if the daycare was not giving him his milk then that is certainly something to consider. Babies need the fat content for their brains and bodies to develop and grow. Listen to your doctors, and check his wt yourself. You can always go in for a wt check each month since he isn't needing to see the doctor again until his 18month checkup. Oh, by the way, my son just went over 30 pounds this past month! Did I mention he'll be 5 in April?? None of his doctors are concerned, well, maybe his new one, but the others had to listen to mom who's a nurse, teehee! Don't worry, as long as he drinks his milk and eats what you offer him, he'll be fine. I was reading your question and trying to figure out what the problem was! Take care and I hope this helps! Oh, and be sure to offer him veggies and fruits, cut up very small, he needs the variety! I just didn't see you mention it but I'm sure you're already doing that.

Both of my daughters were still only 20 pounds at three. My youngest son hit the 17-18 pound mark by the time he was 6 or 7 months old. My docs were concerned and had the girls on whole milk forever but they did grow although they stayed under the 5% mark, my 11 yo still is in weight. Both the paternal grandmas are 4'11" amd 5'1". Both my girls are taller than their great grandma's.
I would keep giving him a variety of foods and watch that he is progressing in all of his cognitive and motor developements and be happy you don't have a moose to carry around.

hi, i am a mom of 7 and all my babies were now more then 7 lbs 8 oz. at birth . most 6 something. hey very quickly got very big. they were off the chart, however the 2 girls ar an the chuncky side. not abese. but all m huge boys are tall and lanky. theyoutgrew there litle fat selfs. if he is healthy and active don't worry about it. my heaviest boy is 27 and 189. but heis 6ft.3 1/2in. tall. take care. R.

when my son went for his 1 year old checkup he was only 18 pounds (5th percentile) my pediatrician just said that his genes were kicking in. i'm not a large person, so he may just be a little bit smaller. he's growing really well. we have received a LOT of comments about how small he is, so i know where you are coming from. just ignore them. whenever someone comments i just remember what a tiny kid i was and that he eats really well, and is growing.
i'm sure there is nothing to worry about if he is eating well. and it sounds like he eats good for you. keep up the good work, you are doing a great job.

first of all, I am shocked a day care did not feed him solids at 6 months. ( I thought that was regulated!) Is there any chance he can go to the same day care with you? Watch his diet, keep a detailed log of what he is eating and see if he is getting enough calories. YOu can keep track of his caloric intake at www.healthyliving.com for free. 2nd are you or dad small stature, or small as babies? Could be just genetics. He may be small stature but as long as his growth curve continues to go up and not straight across or down, he just grows slow.

I have been right where you are! My youngest daughter and son are both "tiny". My daughter was on the small side of the growth chart her first year. By the time she hit 1, she was not 20 lbs nor was she on the growth chart anymore. My son was born when she was 3. She was still wearing size 18mo-2T clothes. He was average until about the same time. At 9 months he was 16lbs. At 12 months he was 16lbs, 9oz. And that was only because the appointment was after lunch. By 15 months, he was at 17lbs. Neither child was anywhere close to the growth curve. They both ate good amounts of healthy food, but they were not growing. The doctor diagnosed both of them with "failure to thrive" which is a very scary term to hear, but she did that so that insurance would cover the necessary PediaSure supliments. They drank 3 cans a day for over a year. Eventually they did grow some. But what we have figured out through many tests, they are just small. Nothing is wrong with it. My daughter finally broke 30 lbs on her 6 year old check up. She is 9 now and can not get to 50lbs so she is still in her carseat. My son is 6 and has not reached 40lbs, so he is still in his 5 point harness carseat. (that is how my kids measure their size, what carseat they are in.) Be sure to have his thyroid tested. Monitor his intake / output if you are concerned he is not getting enough nourishment. You are his mom, you know him best.

Dear K. R,

It seems that I am just adding my voice to the choir here, but you are not alone. My son was (is) also small.

He was 5th percentile for a long time, despite the fact that his Dad is tall (and lean). He has finally gotten near the 25th-50th percentiles in height and weight. He is 3 and 1/2. It takes a while for some kids. He does not eat well now, and did not eat well then. Our pediatrician always said whole milk+vitamin if he wouldn't get anything else down.

And that is what we did (I think they have to be a little older for chewable viatmins: check with your ped). At one point we even considered GH! But he never stopped growing, he just was small.

Hang in there. Get him to drink milk. Get vitamins, and keep up with your pediatrician. NAd get him in a good daycare (we had troubles here with 2 previous daycares-it can be hard, but there are good ones out there) It will all work out.

K. R

Try not to worry. I say this as my now almost 20 yr old was only 15lbs and I don't know how many ounces when he was 12 months old. He WAS growing... meaning his head was growing, his feet, he was meeting his milestones... etc... he didn't even get on the CURVE until he was 3, YES, 3 years old. He was a picky eater and I also nursed him till he was 14 months old. Oh and by the way, he didn't drink cows milk until he was 2!
He didn't like it.

As long as the child is growing there should not be any problems, and actually a child doens't need to have any other foods believe it or not until they are ONE (1 yr old)
Some people can nurse their child with no solids until they are 12 months old.

With all of the Obesity today, I wonder why your pedi is making a fuss?????

It is a good thing that he is having his tests, that is a proactive doctor but if he continues this over the next 6 months then... there might be reason for concern. You also don't mention how tall you and his dad are.... that plays a lot in factoring in a childs weight and height.

I would definitely keep a food diary and such and have him checked in 6 months.
If he needs to take milk make sure it is WHOLE milk as it has the most fat in it and will help him gain weight.
When my DD was going from nursing to cows milk we added Vanilla to it to help flavor it a bit. The two are quite distinctive in taste the cows milk and the formula.

Talk to your Pedi and see what he suggests, you can always go for a 2nd opinion at another Pedi....

Remember to do what is BEST for YOU and YOUR family.

dont worry about it. my daughter was only 16 lbs at her first birthday. shes just a tiny person (like i used to be!) if you or hubby was little then dont worry about it. enjoy him being tiny its a lot easier on the back!

Hang in there and allow the drs to do the tests needed. He could have a serious medical problem that does not allow him to get the calories he needs from the foods he is eating. The reason the drs are so concerned is that weight is a reflection of brain growth in most children. They want to give you child the best chance he has to grow brain cells, which occurs during the first years of life. You keep doing your best and pray. God will help you through this. My son has had eating issues his whole life. He is now 7 and we are still battling it. I know how frustrating it can be and how you feel singled out. The drs are really on you and your son's team.
Hope this helps,
L.

Hey, I know exactly what you're going through. My daughter who is now 3 years old and weighed 7 lbs. 14oz. when she was born. After she was born she weighed 7 lbs. 8oz. They didn't like that at all. They were worried that she had a feeding problem, which she didn't. She was around 10 months or a little younger and she seemed to have lost 3 lbs. I remembered at her prior visit she weighed a little more so I thought it was because we were weening her from the bottle a little too soon. She is just a small child. She eats like mad. She would eat at the age of 6-11 months an 8 oz. bottle and half or most of a #3 jar of baby food. No matter what we did, she just wasn't gaining to the doctors expectations. She was never on the curve, she followed it consitantly. She still does. She's never been on the curve. The doctors really never told us what to do to make her gain. That's probably because they know, no matter what you do, you can't make your child gain weight.They just told us to feed her and feed her and feed her. She's going to eat what she wants and that's it. She won't eat until she pops. I don't want her too anyway. Now they understand that she is always going to be small. She is 3 and weighs only 24-26 lbs. She is so active it's not funny. She runs, jumps around, dances, climbs on chairs and the couch. She has a very high metabolism. I have told her doctor this so many times but I didn't know what I was talking about apparently (to the doctor that is). Now she realizes that she may just have a high metablolism. She has seen how active she is. Don't worry about your sons weight. He may have a high metablolism. He may be extremely active. He may be small all of his life and there is nothing wrong with that. Just keep on what you're doing. Feed him when he's hungry and all that he'll eat. Don't worry about what the doctors say. If you know that you're doing all that you can, then that's all you can do. We were sick of all of the doctors comparing her to the average child too. I hope this comforts you some. You're doing everything right. This is one thing I didn't let the doctor get to me about. Take care. Keep up the good work. J. A.

My name is K. and I have 5 children myself. Two of my boys hovered around that lowest 10th percentile, but never below. It's good to do the testing even if all it does is rule things out. My boys ate everything not nailed down and stayed small and thin anyway. Doctors finally decided they just had very high metabolism. I'm a nurse and I recommend you write down a list of questions for your doctor and also ask for referrals for specialists if you don't feel your baby's issues are addressed to your satisfaction. Please tell me you are sueing the pants off of the daycare that didn't feed him. That's at minimum gross neglect. I agree with you that it's possible this has something to do with your current issue. I would be wondering what else they didn't do-or did do. Poor precious baby. Shame on them! Bottom line: You know your baby best. Let them test away for reassurance on both sides. Try keeping a food journal of everything he eats and drinks, no matter what it is. Take this with you to your next appointment. It may help the doctor land on a correct diagnosis and a plan for making him gain weight properly. Never be afraid to ask questions. Never fear questioning any treatment and don't let them hurry you through your appointment because they're behind. You can always pull up stakes and get a new doctor if you feel it is warranted. Good luck to you and your family. I will send up a prayer before I turn in.

its been years since my boys were at a pediatrician but mine were in the below average range on everything they measured them on . My oldest is now 24 and weighs 210,over6ft tall and my youngest is now 19 weighs 165 at 5.6ft. As long as there is nothing on the test they ran I wouldn't worry because they could be slower to grow than what they would estimate them too

My daughter only weighed 17 lbs. when she was one. Granted, I know she's a girl, and you have a boy. But, just wanted to tell you that our doctor has never questioned our daughter's weight. Don't know if the "charts" used to compare are different for boys and girls (assuming they are), but my daughter has always been on the bottom of the charts for height and weight (more so for weight). We couldn't turn her forward facing until she was almost 16 months old (law here is 1 and 20 lbs.). She only weighs 22 lbs. now (she just turned two). She eats, but is just VERY active, and is skinny. My son was chunky when he was a baby (they are almost two years apart), but is now small for his age (height and weight). But, both my kids are just small for their age, but growing fine. I get upset a lot when folks make comments about my kids being small -- and my son is starting to notice it now himself (he's almost 4) because he's the youngest in his preschool class (and shorter by a mile than all the other kids). I think if you try to find things he likes and feed him when he's hungry, he'll be fine. Good luck, and I hope it all works out!

My daughter just turned 3 on the 7th and she just now fits into SOME 2t size clothes. She still mostly wears 24 months. She has always been in the 5th or lower percentile for weight and around 25 for height. People were always saying how small she was and blah blah blah. She doesn't have any food issues or anything health related, she's just little. I just ignore the people that say how little she is, except for friends and family (and they're not being judgmental when they say it).

Try not to let it get to you. One thing you can be glad about is that with him being little, carrying him around is a breeze! I still think that!

I've been through this with my DD and now DS is small. As long as he is healthy and his blood work is ok and he is eating dont worry about the %tile . Just make sure he keeps growing even if he stays at 0% or below make sure there is still some sorta curve. My DD at 1YO was only 14lbs9oz and my DS who is almost 11 months is 16lbs 5oz as of yesterday. My DD is almost 4 and only weighs 25lbs she's perfectly healthy and has been through tons of testing cause her ped thought something HAD to be wrong with her. She is just small every human is different some are small some are big. We have small kids nothing wrong with that as long as the kid is healthy and meeting milestones in every other way.

I hate that the docs compare kids. The babys/kids in my family run small. I am 5ft2inchs and my husband is 5ft4inchs. We are not going to have giants. For some reason I get asked the same thing every time we visit the doc for a checkup. The doc has looked at my sons chart and reweighed and measured him because she thought there was no way it was right. He is 4 yrs old has just reached 3 ft and weighs 28 pds. He is in the low percentage of "normal" kids also. We celebrated when he reached 3 ft. My middle child was "underweight/height" for a while but has reached the 25th percentile so they are now not stressing me about her. My oldest daughter that is now 14 did not even register on the chart. It seemed like just one day she bloomed and started growing and gaining weight and now she is "normal" for her age. Lastly I have a cousin with a 10 yr old daughter that just reached 50pds. She is tall and lean like her daddy. I really dont think that when they look at these charts they are taking the parents genetics into consideration. I know they want to make sure you are feeding the child correctly and there is nothing medically wrong but sometimes I think they read too much into it. If you are uncomfortable with your childs weight then I would worry. As for the daycare not feeding your baby...How long did that go on? Did you press charges? Where was this daycare so I know not to take my children there?

Is he alert? Does he walk and try talking? This is probably a more important indicator.

His daycare experience probably has affected him. When he is home, you should encourage him to eat, without being pushy.

Are you and your husband small? We are, and my kids, who were all 8 and 9 pounds at birth, were either off the charts or at the low end by the time they were one. Two of mine, at 19 and 24, are still skinny no matter what they eat.

One of my children, the 19-year old, was a very reluctant eater. When he was 7 or 8 I gave him Pediasure to boost his appetite. This helped. But your little guy is probably too young for that.

The milk should help. Also try giving him cheese. You do want to encourage him, but I know it's hard. Experiment with different foods to see what he likes, and what might help him gain more weight.

All of my kids were "below average" in height and weight all through childhood. At puberty, though, they all caught up. Two of mine are now around 6 feet tall, which is amazing because my husband and I are both only 5'3".

Did you breastfeed? We went through this too. My sister is an obstetric nurse and said the charts they use are for formula-fed babies, which are always heavier. If you breastfed, you can ignore the chart.

If he had trouble with getting fed at the last daycare (that's horrible of them) then he may need time to catch up. Our son was never on the charts but after being on milk and table food for about 6 months he showed up exactly in the middle. We had the thyroid test and several others too that all showed up OK. If the tests are OK, then I don't think you need to worry...hang in there.

I've been going through exactly the same thing. My daughter is 17 1/2 months old and today weighed 19 lbs. We have had the celiac test for gluten sensitivity(negative), sweat test for cystic fibrosis(negative), and many other blood tests that were negative, however the test for thyroid disease did come back slightly abnormal. Today we just had our first appointment with a pediatric endocrinologist, who had more blood tests done. Hopefully these will be negative, and then we won't have anything to worry about, but if not, I'm glad her pediatrician was on top of things and we got these tests done early, so we can start treating anything that we need to treat. Hopefully all of your son's tests will be negative, but I would recommend having all the work up your dr. orders just to be sure there is nothing going on.

I have a 3 year old who's barely 10th percentile and only weighs 28lbs. He's growing steadily, so the doctors just think he's small. His test results are all normal. He is tiny compared to the other kids in his class.

My older child is in the 95th percentile and all I here about is how tall he is. I hear comments on both ends of the spectrum so I know how you feel about your kids being compared to other kids their age.

Keep monitoring your son's growth, keep regular checkups, ask the doctor questions and ignore other people's comments about your son's size.