Gwen,

Big hugs. I have a fair idea of what you're experiencing. I know where you are coming from but please please remember YOU ARE NOT A BAD MUMMY!!! xx There are so many issues that roll on from a very early start to life that we as mum's cannot have control over. Over the past couple of years I have met a lot of ex-premmies who are chronically underweight for their age. My son,
Gus will be 3 years old on 22 July 2008 and he currently weighs 8.6kg (18.9lbs) and is 84cm (33inches) tall! You may recall I had a tough pregnancy with Gus. He born 12wks early with my waters having broken 6 weeks earlier and his placenta barely functioning.

Gus also suffers from constipation but (so far) hasn't had any problems with accidents now he's toilet trained. Gus doesn't eat or drink at all (literally) and has multiple food protein intolerances so gaining weight is a big challenge for us. Gus has had a gastrostomy feeding tube inserted into his tummy so we can give him his calories that way. (He is fine in every other way - appropriate behaviour for age from a cognitive and motor skill perspective, and for that we are enormously grateful).

But that doesn't change our frustration at the challenges that helping a premmie to overcome their smallness present. We see a myriad of specialists and allied health professionals without anyone really being able to help us work out a solution - other than the elapse of time. We have a Paediatrician, Gastroenterologist, Immunologist, Speech Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Psychologist and Dietician all working to help Gus with his eating/weight gain issues.

From a constipation perspective, our Gastroenterologist has prescribed a liquid laxative for Gus to take twice a day and that helps things a lot. Perhaps you could ask your gp/paediatrician for a referral to a gastroenterologist? I have found ours to be really helpful with our pooping/failure to thrive challenges. Quite a few specialists have told me that we should anticipate it will take 1 year for every week Gus was premature (ie 12 years) until he catches up for his prematurity and reaches his maximum height/weight potential for that age. Seems like a loooooong time to wait, but in some ways I have found knowing that has taken the pressure off tying to "solve" the problem in the short term.

Big hugs. If I were you I'd get Seren thoroughly checked over to eliminate any other possible causes and also to put your mind at ease. Then I guess try to give her a very calorie and fibre dense diet so that what she does eat is giving her the most benefit. xx If I can be of help/support in any way please don't hesitate to email/PM me.