The Size of My Daughter

My 5-year old son was 17 lbs at one year and 21 lbs at 2. He didn't make it on the weight chart until he was nearly 3 years old.

Good thing about these little ones- you don't go through clothes as fast, he is easier to pick up, and they are physically fine. He is nearly 6 and he is 45 lbs. Last week he wore a pair of shorts that were 3T and they still fit!

When I met his father, he was 6 2 and weighed 155 lbs! My son just has his daddy's ectomorph body type.

Enjoy it.

both of my kids were small babies. my daughter is 10 months, and 15 pounds. we just saw her pediatrician who has no concerns, as every other clue to a healthy happy baby is present. don't worry! I have some friends with GIANT babies, and I count myself lucky : )

My friend has twins who are almost 6 years old and at 1 year the boy weighed 15 pounds and the girl only weighed 13. They are both perfect, healthy and active children who are still a little smaller than their peers, but not even that noticeable. It sounds like she is just on the small side.

Good luck!

Hello ~ Hopefully this will help ease your mind. My fourth child who is a girl (and now a healthy 15 year old) was only 17 pounds (and very tall) when she was TWO years old. Strangers and various family members commented frequently with their "cute" remarks about "mama needs to feed you more" or "you sure are a skinny one", etc. I too was very concerned as she was born at 5 pounds 12 ounces and she hadn't gained a lot of weight. The doctor told me that she was developing wonderfully and that some children are just "lighter" than others (I wish I had that problem - lol). If the doctor sees no reason for concern, I would try not to worry. I hope this helps in some small way. Take care and good luck.

dont' feel bad. my girls have the same body type. my 1st was the same size as yours at that age and my 2nd, who's 2 is still able to wear some of her 12 month clothes.

Hi E.,

My daughter was and still is very petite, like me and my mother. My daughter weighed about 14 pounds at 10-14 months old also. She would have a little belly for a short while and then grow in length.She was usally between the 5-10% and is still 28 pounds at 3 1/2 years old. As long as she is growing, energetic, and eats, then she is ok. She just may not fall into the weight range for most babies her age. It's ok. She is just petite, like you, I assume. If the docter isn't worried about, then you don't need to be. Hope this eases your concerns.

Hi E.,
Your daughter does sound small...I mean pettite! ;-) My daughter was also quite pettite! We figured two things that made her lack of weight gain make sense: 1) her high metabolism & 2) she was/is tall. All her calories that weren't burned up right away went toward her height! Is your daughter pretty tall (above average)? If so, that might be why your doctor doesn't seem as concerned. If not & you are still concerned, maybe seek out a second opinion?
My daughter is still pettite but seems to have made some gains in the weight department...she will be 3 in August

Hi E.
Was your daughter a preemie? Mine was, so at almost 8 months she weighs 14.6 pnds and the Dr. says this is normal. Remember all kids grow at different levels. If the doc is not concerned I'd say don't worry. My daughter is just now fitting into 6 months clothes and some very large 3 month clothes she still wears as well.
Blessings,
L.

My daughter was/is pretty small too, although the past few months I have noticed a growth spurt (she'll be 3 at the end of June). She's a twin so she was only 4 lbs 3 oz at birth while her brother was a lot bigger at 5 lbs 14 oz. She was not even on the growth chart until she was 6 mos old when she finally showed up in about the 5th percentile. When she was a year old, she was STILL wearing 6-9 month old clothing. If your doc isn't concerned, then I wouldn't be either. If you or your husband or both are on the shorter side or your parents/grandparents are, she just may be taking after that, or it could be that she's hasn't experienced a good growth spurt yet. My daugher is finally wearing 2T pants at age 3, but she is wearing 2T-3T on top, so she's catching up:). Take care!

My daughter who is two-well growing up she was always at the 90th or 75th percentile. She is now two and she has been in the 5% since she was about one. Her doctor was never concerned. As long as she keeps going up-he says she is on her own scale. She has not fallen under, but she hasn't really gotten above that 5th percentile. So really all babies grow at their own rate. You cannot measure them to anyone else. If I did that in my family I would be in trouble. Most of my bros are 6'5 and over. My older sister is 6'. That is the same height as my husband-haha. So don't worry. As long as she keeps moving up on her scale she will be fine.

My daughter is almost 9 months and at her last weight check at 8 months was 13 pounds 3 ounces which is underweight. She has been going in every month to be weighed since 4 months. Her height and head have stayed steady in the 15th percentile but her eight is just low. Her doctor has decided to watch her closely meaning monthly weight checks and thourough exams but says that as long as her height and head stay steady and she hits her milestones with language, motor skils, etc.. she is not going to worry. SHe comented that the biggest problem was going to be age apropriate expectations as she looks like she is 4 months old even though she'll be nine months last week. I too have a 2 year old and what is funny is he is in the 95th persentile for weight and height but my hubby is 6'4" and I am 5'3" so our kids could end up anywhere. my oldest 2 ages 5 and almost 7 are more middle of the road.

Do not worry about your pint sized gem. My 2nd daughter has never gone past the 5th percentile in growth since birth. She is now 16 months old and weighed in at 17 lbs at her 15 month appt. She is barely on the charts. She is petite framed but huge on personality. Her growth in all other areas (motor skills, speech) are well beyond her age. As long as your little one is eating well (mine doesn't stop eating) you should not worry.

I think some children are just smaller. My youngest son is 6 and he is not even on the chart anymore size wise :/ He weighs like 40 pounds. He's fairly tall for his age too which makes him look even smaller than he is. As long as she's getting enough to eat I wouldn't worry too much. My pediatrician just told me to push more calories on my son so I have been trying to push more snacks and such along with his regular meals. He refuses to eat any meat, and only wants fruits and veggies which are good for him, but low in calories.

Also...My son was born almost 9 pounds, as were all 3 of my boys.. Big babies. But they just have so much energy now they run if all off.

Your daughter is just fine, especially if you are small. When I was a child, my pediatrician was T. Berry Brazelton (look him up, or read one of his books). At a year, I only weighed 12 pounds (two pounds less than your daughter!) My mother asked him about it, and he looked at me running around the office and told her not to worry. As long as she is healthy, her weight is fine. The big plus on this is that her clothes will last a LOT longer.

Take care.

Like you, my daughter was and still is in the lower percetiles with height and weight. (she was born at the 75th percentile and dropped down to the 5th percentile!). She was the same size as yours when she was that age. My best advice is don't worry or stress about it until your doctor says there is a problem. As long as your daughter is gaining weight and eating well she should be fine. My daughter is now 15 months and is gaining in the percentages. She is just extremely active and never sits still. Just keep in mind that every baby develops differently!

My DD was 14lbs at 8m. Now at 2 1/2 years she's 25lbs. She's always been on the 3rd-5th percentile, sometimes falling off the chart for a month before she catchs up. My pedi was never concerned and always reassured me that as long as they are always on the low curve (and not jumping from 70th% to 3rd%) then they are fine! My DD is very healthy, very happy, bright toddler...she's just tiny!

she might be a little petite, but it doesn't sound like she's so small that you should be concerned. My granddaughter was a VERY petite baby but she has caught up and is just as big as any other normal-sized six year old now. Don't worry. Some people are big and some are not!

My son is also just 8 months and is still in his 3-6 month clothing. I think he is around 16 lbs. My doctor said while he was small and in the 5th percentile, as long as he was growing and his percentile wasn't going down it was okay. He is healthy and happy and seems to be developing at a normal rate so I'm not as worried. His first few months I was panicked that something was wrong with him.

My son was 17 pounds at a year old. He's still smaller than kids his age (he's 3 now). He's only about 30 pounds now, but he's very active and eats like a horse. My doctor told us his metabolism is just very high. i wouldn't worry about it unless she stops eating or acts considerably lethargic. She's fine, just petite =). I kept looking at the bright side for my son - he wears his clothes longer so I don't have to buy as many =). Good luck!

Hi E.,

My son was like that, too. His development otherwise was always right on or ahead of the curve, so I wasn't worried. Now he's 4 1/2. Still small and still smart and healthy!

Best,
E.

My kids were both smaller, in fact at their 9 month appointment they were in the 0 percentile range for weight and about the 5th percentile for height. The doctor said he wasn't concernend because they were growing at a steady rate, healthy, active, and eating (they were both breastfed babies which tend to be a little smaller than those fed with formula). My husband & I looked back at our baby books and we were both smaller too, but once my kids hit 2 years they were at the 50th percentile for height and weight. If your child isn't growing at a steady rate I'd press my doctor more on the issue.

Always consult your daughters doctor for concerns. You state the doc states she is in the 5% on the chart with no other reaction. Always ask questions to the doctor - never stop asking questions. Even if they you think they are the silliest type questions. It is okay!

My youngest of 6 children was 16 lbs at 12 months old, very tiny. She was wearing size 6 in the 3rd grade, and today she is 19 and is 4'11" and size "0" and 95 lbs. All genetics - Do you have any petite size family members?

If your baby is developing like any other 8 month old I truly would not make this a worry.

I had the same experience with all three of my girls who are now 6yrs, 4yrs and 9 months. My oldest daughter only weighed 18 lbs at a year old. To this day she is petite. As long as your daughter is getting everything she needs and is growing what is noraml for her I wouldn't worry about it. Besides think of how lilttle you will have to buy clothes :)

Hi,
I have a 17 year old daughter who is very average in height and weight now but she weighed 17 pounds at 1 year. She was average size at birth. The doc was never concerned because she was always gaining-just very slowly, and was very active-the little peanut walked at 10 months. She was always below the 50th percentile until she hit about 6 years old and has been consistently at the 50-60th percentile. Have fun with your little ones-time goes way too fast!!!
M.

If your doctor isn't concerned you have nothing to worry about. Are you or your husband "petite"? Or were you as children?

Hi E.,
I read most of the responses and agree with them that you have nothing to worry about. My daughter too was small now at 10.5 months she is 18 pds and 29 3/4 inches and has moved up from the low end of the percentile to the middle for weight and is still above average in height. The dr. has always told me as long as she is growing or gaining he is not concerned even if its a little gain. She had a big weight gain (maybe 2-3 pounds in a few weeks) when I switched her from soy to regular formula. I dont know what your baby is eating, but when Fiona was a few months we had problems with her holding down her food and becomming very gassy. Soy and gripe water were our saviour, about a month and a half ago we switched her milk based formula which she is doing wonderful on. Hope this helps....
M.

Hi E.,
Both of my kids are grown. I have a daughter and son, both were in the bottom 5-10% growing up. My daughter is now 5'5. My son was told his whole life, you will never be taller than 5'2. When entering high school he was 72lbs and only 4'7. It always bothered me because he is an athlete, however size never bothered him. He is now 20, still playing sports, however he is now 6'1 and 170lbs. Please don't worry about it. I am sure everything will be fine.

My daughter is also patiete she is 8 months and is 15 lb and 26in long my doctor also says that she is fine because she is not loosing wait and she gains some every time we go in so I would not worry!

My daughter is just like your daughter. My daughter approximately 10% for weight and 75% for height at her 6 month check up. I was told that all children have different growth curves and as long as your daughter is still on that curve then they are not concerned. So as long as she is still growing then I will not worry unless they tell me something is wrong... easier said then done, I know. My daughter eats a ton so I am surprised that she is still so tiny in comparision to other children her age.

Hope that helps to know that you are not alone.

Jen

E.,
My son will be 3 years old this month. He still fits in 18-24 month clothes. He is just about 30 lbs. He was and has been in the 5th percentile for weight since birth. Our pedi. says he is just fine. On the other hand, our friend's daughter is a month older and wears a 5T and is about 45-50 lbs. She is also very tall.
So, as long as your daughter is healthy and seems to be growing, she'll be fine!
T.

My daughter was small like that and still is. She is 3 yrs old and only weighs in at 26 lbs. She can still wear 12 months in shorts. Her peditrician tells me just as long as she doesn't loose any weight we are ok. But if your daughter is gaining and growing consistantly I wouldn't worry about it.

My son was a month preemie & was behind my friends younger babies for the first 2 years. He didn't fit in newborn clothes until 3 months. Now, at 3-1/2 he is taller than many of his friends but still thinner. I learned to not look at the other babies around him or those damn growth charts & compare because it was just stressing me out & my son didn't seem to mind being smaller. Every baby is different in every way - we get so competitive as moms & it's just nature.
My son now eats a ton and is super active and finally had a growth spurt this past year - when the baby books say they should slow down a little he grew so fast he has shoes that fit him for only a month.
Don't worry until your Pedi tells you to - just enjoy your babies - they grow up too fast.
A.

I thought I would respond to you because my daughter was born at 9lbs 6.8 ounce, 19 3/8 inches long. She is a very tiny and petite. So even when they are born big doesn't mean they will be big from what I have learned. She is now 22 months old and 2 weeks. She still can fit 12 months and 18 months. She can't fit 24 months at all yet. Pants are two long, skirts are too big. She has the tiniest waste also. Doctor says everything great with her. She is probably now about 23 to 24 pounds about 32 or 33 inches long. Not sure she hasn't been weighed since March. My friends children that are younger or even older weigh so much more than my daughter and are so much taller than her also. As long as the doctor is okay you should be okay. It is quite normal.

A Little About me: I am mom to a beautiful 22 month old daughter. She is my world. I have been married to my husband for 3 year this August. We have been together since 1999. We are also starting to try for another baby. I work full time but thankfully my mother is my babysitter to my daughter.

R.

Hi there. Your daughter sounds like she is on the small side- because she is in the 5th percentile. However, this is totally normal! If your doctor isn't concerned and she keeps eating and growing- that is what is important - not what percentile. What would be slightly more worrisome is if she was in the 60th percentile for example and then suddenly started dropping lower and lower in the percentiles for no reason. Don't worry what the number is- more important is the consistency and listening to what you health practitioner has to say. I hope this helps.

J. Stevens, L.Ac.
www.yourwholefamilywellness.com

don't worry, if she is happy & eating/drinking, meeting her milestones, she's fine. I have 1 year old g/g twins & they only weigh 17lbs & 19.8 lbs. One has always been between 2-5th percentile.

Hi E.-

I'm going to be a contrarian. My daughter too was small and I was concerned (15 pounds at a year). The doctor kept reassuring us that she was ok. I'm 5'2 and 115 lbs and my husband is 5'11 and 190 lbs.

We did go in to the doctor for routine height and weight checks every 6 weeks starting at 6 months as her growth rate really started to stall at 6 months. Then at 18 months they gave us a failure to thrive diagnosis and chalked it up to insufficent caloric intake (no other tests were performed to support this diagnosis). They had us working with a nutritionist and it really didn't help so I changed doctors.

This March my daughter was diagnosed with bilateral Grade IV VU reflux (a condition that signficantly increases your chances of getting urinary tract infections).

So it turns out my daughter had been getting UTI's for who knows how long that went undiagnosed. Now my daughter has permanent kidney damage. I would recommend getting a simple blood test to to rule out anything amiss. Statistically your daughter is most likely ok but on the off chance she isn't a simple blood test can get you on the path of an early diagnosis and avoid irreversible harm.

We learned this hard way and it's too late to help our daughter but hopeuflly someone can learn from our situation.

well the percentile tells you she is much smaller then most kids her age. so she wont be too tall and probably on the petitie side. Are you and your husband tall people? My son was always in the 95th percentile and he seems like he will be a monster in size. my frined had a daughter who is 2 years old and weighed like 18 lbs and still in her infant car seat, so dont think you have anything to worry abou tyou will have a shorter child and she wont grow threw her clothes so fast, kind of a benefit :)

J.

Hi E.,

Don't worry. Every baby is different. My daughter was very tiny. She was born at 6lbs 7ozs but then grew very slowly. She was never even on the charts until her 3-year checkup. She is five now and is about average for her class. She has always been healthy and is doing wonderfully, although she's never been the best eater. Her doctor was never worried. He said she was just petite, which she still is.

I also have a son who weighed just slightly more at birth. He is only two and he is already pushing the limits of his 3T clothes. He wears a size 10 shoe; my daughter wears a 10 1/2. He also only weighs 3lbs less than my 5yr old daughter. They have the same father, so go figure. You just never know.

As long as your daughter is healthy and your doctor has no concerns, I wouldn't worry about it. She will grow at her own pace. And you never know, she may pass everyone else up one day!!

Hi E.,
My daughter is 10 months old and is 16.5 lbs. When she was 8 months she weighed 15 lbs. She's super healthy and our pediatrician mentioned that parents get concerned if their kids aren't chubby. She said though quite the contrary and that our little one is great. She's bright, happy, has pink in her cheeks and is just great so I would not worry at all. As a side note, before I had her (and I am 36) I was always very slender (size 0-2) but tall. Her dad is also very slender so she's got it in her genes. Might your daughter be the same? Do well.
H.

I would not be concerned, as long as she seems healthy and active. My daughter, now 1 and only 18.5 lbs, has always been small. But she is a good eater, looks heathly, is happy, and is meeting all the milestone markers. I do not remember how much she weighed at 8 mo, but do know that at 9 mo I finally just started putting her in 6-12 mo cloths, even though 3-6 still fit, because I had a bunch of winter stuff I wanted her to get a chance to wear.

Hi E., Your daughter is fine. My 3 year old weighed in at 18 pounds at her 1 year old check up and was also 5th percentile. She has now grown to 50th percentile! It's totally normal...some babies are naturally small!

Hi E.,

If your daughter has been growing and gaining weight,and she hasn't lost weight on her own growth chart, I wouldn't worry too much. But if you are really concerned, get a second opinion just to ease your mind. Take care~

Molly

If you're concerned you can make an appt. with an endocrinologist to ease your mind. My son is very small, well below the 5th percentile/below the bottom of the growth chart since month 9, and meeting with an endocrinologist eased my mind. He ran some tests to rule out hormonal and metabolic issues... then made some recommendations of healthy ways of increasing my son's calorie intake. He finally hit 20 pounds at 18 months. We check back with the endo every 3-6 months until he reaches 3 years of age, at which point they can pretty accurately predict his potential height/ideal weight. If they are on the very low side (which we don't expect them to be), we would then have the opportunity to discuss our options. If you are still concerned despite your ped's reassurance I'd recommend making an appt with a specialist.

Also, they worry more about consistenly growing in length at this age than gaining weight.

Hope that helps :)

E.,

How big did your baby start out, alot of times people panic but their baby was fairly small at birth and are right on track. I have 3 kids and both of my boys were on the small side and still are. My 8 year old at the start of 2nd grade was still wearing a size 5/6 and by the end of the school year had jumped up to a size 7/8. This is the same kid who at birth weighed 10 lbs 15 ounces and at a year weighed only 15 lbs. My youngest son is a year and weighs 17 lbs. Both of my boys were born with Bi lateral Cleft Lip & Palate so this contributes some to their weight gain but we have been followed by a doctor.

If your pediatrician is not already doing frequent weight checks I would ask for them and as long as she is not dropping off the chart I wouldn't worry too much.

Make sure her thyroid is active. If not, growth can be stunted and her brain can suffer. If her thinking seems to be sluggish, make sure you go to a different doctor if he doesn't respond to your request.

My granddaughter was born without any thyroid at all. Because of today's technology, a medication she takes every day will keep her growing and she will not become mentally retarded. Isn't that wonderful. Because of medical technology, there will be fewer mentally retarded children and they will grow normally.

I don't say that is the problem, but relieve your worries by having her thyroid checked.

E.

Try not to stress too much over her size. My son is 10 months old and is just now hitting 18 lbs. He also is in the lower percentile. he is happy and healthy. He doesnt look emaciated or unhealthy. Just keep feeding her and in time, she will grow!

Hi E. - Same situation with my second daughter but she definitely caught up over the next 2 years. She is now the 2nd tallest in her class and still growing strong (8 yrs 4'6"). I was told as long as there was regular (increasing) progress in weight and height and the motor skills, recognition, hearing/speech, etc was all normal, it was all good. Relax and enjoy saving a few $ for now on clothes,etc. Plus, means you can hold/carry that much longer.

Hi E. - my son (now 23 mths) only weighs about 22 lbs. At 8 mths he weighed 16 lbs. He has ALWAYS been in the 5% (& under sometimes!) weight percentile. Just a skinny little thing - he's nearly 2 years old & can still fit into a few 6-12 mth items - at least in the waist & the shirts. Some kids are just small - I consider it great because he's still super easy to haul around if I have to hold him for any length of time!

As long as the appetite is "normal" - which can be hard to determine at times - their bowel movements are regular, development in other areas is on track, then try not to worry about it. Kids are so different - like I said, only now is my son starting to "show" some sort of belly. But I still have to put an extra diaper cover on him if he wears disposables because his pants will fall down if I don't! :)

My daughter was the same. She is now 13 months and still fits into some of her 9-month clothes and is only starting to fit into her 12-month clothes. I was concerned, too, when I found out my daughter was in the 5th percentile. Her pediatrician wasn't worried at all because she is growing on a curve. Her pediatrician said as long as she is growing at a constant rate, then there is nothing to worry about. My daughter's small size has to do with my husband (5'7) and I (5'2) being small, according to her pediatrician. She eats 5-6 times a day and drinks about 24 oz. of milk each day.

Dear E.,
I also had a small daughter. She weighed 5 pounds, full term. I'm tall, but very small in bone structure and they were worried if I would be able to have her naturally. But I did. She came out, held her head up, and she was ready to GO! Anyway, she didn't even weigh 14 pounds at a year old, but she was perfectly healthy. They did every test at her check ups, kept a close eye one her. She was so healthy and strong, as a matter of fact, that she was walking at 7 months. I don't mean she took her first steps, I mean she was WALKING. It was the weirdest thing to see. She was the size of a doll, walking around the house...holding my finger, walking in the store. And she ate everything. No baby food for her. She wanted what every one else was having.
She will be 22 in October and she is still small. She is built exactly like my mother...5 feet tall and tiny. And she's still a dynamo. My 12 year old son towers over her and even outweighs me by 25 pounds.
So, if the pediatrician isn't concerned, and your daughter isn't anemic or suffering from "failure to thrive" which is WAY different than just being small, let her eat, help her to reach her "milestones" and just enjoy her. Everyone says my daughter looks exactly like my mother, and I daughter just embraces it. In fact, she says she hopes she's as cute as my mom when SHE is 65.

Enjoy you little one!