PDA

View Full Version : DD's growth - questions



khalloc
11-11-2011, 09:32 AM
My DD has always been on the low end of the growth charts for a period of time as a baby she was maybe around the 3rd percentile. And struggling to stay there. I wasnt worried about it then. She looked pudgy, she was just small. Plus she was only 6lbs 4oz at birth.

Now she is 6. She just went for her yearly checkup the other day. She is 44" and the doc said that was 25%. But she gained 9 pounds this past year! She is now something like 47 pounds I think. The doc said this put her in the 85% for BMI. I forget what it is for just weight. Maybe like 75%?

Anyways, she said for this next year it would be good if she just gained like 4 pounds. Not 9 like this past year. (oops!) She is still quite slim. She wears size 6 pants at Gap Kids. Usually I have to adjust the waist quite small so she isnt showing off her butt. I have noticed that she is filling out though. Things are not falling off her quite as much as they used to. But she is definitely not chubby or overweight (at least to look at her).

I asked doc and she said to maybe cut out juice (the kids do drink too much of it). Which I plan to do. Now we always have it in the house (apple juice) but I think once this bottle runs out I will maybe just let the kids have it once a day or just buy it less often. We do try to water it down when we give it to them. And probably try to cut down on snacks at night unless it is something more healthy like fruit or wheat crackers or something. I was slightly chubby as an older kid and I dont want her to get like that. She plays outside at recess and sometimes daycare afterschool (but its getting darker out now). And she runs in the house alot too. I would say she is pretty active.

Anyways, just wondering if maybe it could also be she is just having a year where she gained more weight and this next year she might end up growing in height more than weight?

Simon
11-11-2011, 09:41 AM
We've never had a jump quite like that, but my kids do tend to gain weight before gaining in height. They will add pounds before having a growth spurt that pushes them up and evens things out again. Maybe your appointment just caught her in between.

Also consider, what she was wearing, did she just eat lunch/breakfast/drink a lot? Did she have a BM yet that day? Although these may seem like small things, if together they added 2-2.5lbs or even more, that would really shrink that BMI and explain the big change. Another possibility, has she added muscle in the last year?

wellyes
11-11-2011, 09:47 AM
I think you're approaching it just as I would - taking the advice in, thinking about things, but not worrying.

We've never had a jump quite like that, but my kids do tend to gain weight before gaining in height. They will add pounds before having a growth spurt that pushes them up and evens things out again. Maybe your appointment just caught her in between.
Mine are the exact same.