Failure to thrive?

We haven't got an official diagnoses yet, but they are keeping a close eye on Tristan. At 7 months old he is 5990 grams. Born 3090 grams at 34 weeks on the 25th %ile for actual age, he has dropped well off the bottom of the chart for both corrected and actual ages. He gained weight really well in his first month and then starting tapering and dropping off.
Brendan weighed more at 7 months than Tristan does...

He's been on solids for about a month now, upped to two a day now. He is the happiest of babies, and in no way underfed. He is still breastfed and loving it.

Anyway just wondering if anyone else has been through poor weight gain - FTT? Brendan had FTT but picked up after formula was introduced (his was an environmental thing, my supply was poor and I had no support, he also had terrible reflux) But Tristan is otherwise healthy. I'm thinking either he is just going to be small OR there is an underlying issue, which hasn't fully surfaced yet. I'm thinking about getting a paediatrician's opinion. My supply is excellent and I'm eating well, I have all the faith in the world in my milk.

What's your thoughts?

DD was fullterm and 3790g
at 5 months she was 5850g
@ 7 months 6200g ish
@ 9 months 6900g ish
Now at 29 months she is just over 10kg (still under 3rd percentile but not off the charts)

so you can see she was big then little(well she is still little) but from 8 months she was under a pead for suspected FTT, he didnt end up diagnosing that as he got us to increase her fat content in her solids. Lots of butter and cream at 14 months he was happy with her growth and weight gain. All her development was normal(except language was massively infront) she was a happy healthy baby although she Hated sleep.

what size are you and your DP? that has to come into it to. i think aslong as developmentally they are still growing then there shouldnt be to much of an issue. when/if you do go to a pead be firm that formula isnt an option as you know that your BM is perfect for him.

Thanks, Brendan's food has always been full of fat and we've never restricted his eating to anything at all. He spent a long time of 'super milk' (formula and cows milk combined) I was really hoping to avoid this all again though...

Developmentally Tristan is doing well, he's rolling and cooing and is generally a happy baby. DP and I are both tall, but as young kids we weren't small. Our mums have always described as both as being 'average' kids.

I guess I'm in two minds.. A) just plod along like we are, which we are doing well, I know that. or B) get a check up from a paediatrician just to be sure there's no other factor (medical).

The issue I have with these options is, I've been at this point for many many things for my boys and every time I've chosen to wait it out and we've always ended up down the second path anyway with a bigger problem.

Have a friend who's little boy fell off the charts too. He also took a long time to drink a bottle.
They ended up in ED for a flu he had and they decided to do further investigations and found he had enlarged tonsils and adenoids so they removed them and he put on heaps of weight and drank and ate in what would be considered a normal time. He has other issues as well, it doesn't impact on his size though just his development which you don't have a problem with.



Or it could be that you just have small kids..my DS1 was and still is always on the 5% and is still small, eats more than I do! His Da was always the smallest kid, the one who holds the sign up in the photo's then at 16 he had his growth spurt and is 6ft!

My DS had weight gain issues. FTT was thrown around but no one actually diagnosed him with it. At 3 months of age, he weighed 3.47kg! He was born at 36w6d weighing 3.195kg. He lost 11% of his birthweight at day 3 and his gains the first three months were very little. Then he started losing weight and that's when I had to start the comp feeding.

At 7 months he was just on 7kg which put him just in between the 3rd and 10th percentiles on the charts. Now at 20 months he's about 10.5kg (haven't weighed him in a long time) and he's still on the small side, but he eats me out of house and home and is happy and healthy.

From what you say, it sounds like Tristan is doing well but if it's going to help put your mind at ease, then perhaps talk to the paed. Either something will be picked up or it will all turn out to be fine.

Oh, also my nephew is 20 months also and is just on 7kg, he eats, drinks, poops, sleeps, is developmentally up with his age. My sister has gone through all sorts of testing and paeds to work out why he's so small and they came back with nothing - he's just a very small kid.

Tristan may just be a small bubba, he may have a massive growth spurt down the track, who knows but as you say you are confident in your supply and his eating habits etc so trust your instincts! I think you are doing a great job :hug:

Thankyou xxx

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I guess I'm in two minds.. A) just plod along like we are, which we are doing well, I know that. or B) get a check up from a paediatrician just to be sure there's no other factor (medical).

The issue I have with these options is, I've been at this point for many many things for my boys and every time I've chosen to wait it out and we've always ended up down the second path anyway with a bigger problem.

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Do you have a good paed? If so go and see them if you are concerned. It may just be that Tristan is goiing to be a petite kid, but if its worrying you then waiting it out might not be the best course of action for you to take. I may be reading it wrong, but given your comments above it sounds like you'd feel better in yourself getting it checked out.

I'm sure all is fine Sally, he looks plenty happy & healthy to me! But for your own piece of mind you can get him checked over. If your paed/gp is pro breast feeding, definetely, but just remember they might try to convince you that he's past 6 months now...FF is what he needs... :rolleyes:
Good luck hun xx

I have not been through this myself but a girlfriend of mine has. Her daughter was really small and not gaining weight at all. After extensive testing they found she has a severe wheat allergy and after removing all wheat products from their house she is finally growing and gaining weight. I hope you find some answers soon and that your little guy starts to gain weight and thrive.

Thanks everyone. It'll take at least a few weeks to get into the paed, so I might get the referral and try to get in, but Tristan will probably have his 8 month check before then LOL, and I can always cancel it to.