3 1/2 yr old that doesn't gain weight...

likeitlikethat

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I have a granddaughter that is 3 1/2 yrs old that I am concerned about w/ her size and weight. She has always been a tiny baby, but she is the size of a normal 1 - 1 1/2 yr old, she eats constantly no matter what it is, she loves all veggies, fruits, anything....but, she doesn't seem to grow or gain weight much. Her waist is of a 12 month old...She doesn't look odd or anything, but I am concerned because of her appetite is constant but yet there are times for no reason she will complain of tummy hurts....At first I thought maybe because of her food intake, but watched carefully and for no reason will complain....Is there a way to determine if it could be a tape worm or something like that?

I know how kids can get bored and want to eat, but even if she is in the middle of something she will say she is hungry...so it's a constant hunger but yet her complaints of tummy aches....I'm kind of baffled, Is this normal?
 
dolejaly

Please don't be too upset. Some people (children or adults) sometimes has a higher metabolism that burns up calories faster than others.

I was always tiny (aka petite, small, little) etc.
I was 26 years old, working full time, was 5'3" tall and weighed 88 lbs. I ate like a horse, having two hot entrees in work sometimes. I was known to eat Lasagna and then have a grilled cheese sandwich, etc. I couldn't gain weight if I tried. I drank nutrient drinks, a product called weight-on, etc. Nada nothing. Because I was always hungry, my mother would over-make patotoes. She'd fill the old TV dinner trays with potatoes in each area of the tray, wrap it and freeze them -- I would pop one in the oven and heat it up, eating it before I went to bed so I could sleep through the nights. I also snacked on salami sandwiches and almost always had to have a bowl of cereal at nighttime as well. I was always hungry.

I purchased my work wardrobe from a children's store -- size 16 kids. I have a cousin whose shoe size is a children's 4 and she's under 100 lbs. My aunts and mother were all under a 100 lbs when they got married.

I was 28 years old when I was married, ordered a dress in a size 1 and had to have it taken in. I was 94 lbs on my wedding day and my husband was 294 lbs. My father said from the back we looked like a perfect '10'.

I had my daughter -- she never gained pounds, she gained ounces. She was put in the hospital under 'infant failure to thrive syndrome'. This is where they think a parent may be concentrating on other kids in the house and ignoring bonding with the baby by holding, cuddling, and truly giving it good feedings.

I had my daughter in 1987, she was born at 7 lb 1 oz. At 12 months she was only about 10 lbs. At 2 1/2 she was 22 lbs and stayed there for awhile. She ate picky and wasn't great with food. She liked peanut butter and jelly and ate it 7 times a day. Then it was the oatmeal kick and ate that all day long. then it was spaghetti. She's now 22 years old, weighs 112-115 lbs, eats everything incuding sushi.

I am now 54 and weigh 159 and considered overweight, I should be about 125/135 range. I gained the weight due to gall bladder removal and my daughter's pregnancy. When I was pregnant with my son, I started the pregancy in 1984 at 97 lbs gained 25 more and loss 22 of it on the delivery table. When I had my pregnancy with my daughter, I started at 96 pounds, told to gain 20-35 and never loss a pound of it EVER

So as long as she's eating, classified healthy by a doctor, then let it go. I didn't allow my daughter to eat chocolate, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. She had to eat food and I had plenty of fruit in the house.

As I said, as long as the doctor doesn't think there's an issue, then let it go.
her metabolism just is burning off more calories than she can intake

I'm glad the term anorexic wasn't around when I was growing up!, it would've made me labeled and made my life more difficult. For most of my childhood, people could actually see my ribs!, I was referred to as a radiator (ribs, get it?) and I was told not to drink tomato juice because I was called a thermometer!, etc.

So smile. Love her.

CaringSister54
 
Thank You CARINGSISTER54....Yes, I understand the petite size and family traits, which the dad was a small child, actually my biggest child out of 4 weighed in at 6lbs and 12oz....The rest, 5 lb babies...I myself never weighed much either, well at least until about a year ago and I swelled up like I was 6 months pregnant..LOL...so my granddaughters side at least her fathers isn't real big, and as far as her moms side, they are not real big either, both grandparents are short and weight is not a issue, but I don't know about there earlier lives, my daughter in law says she was chunky as a child and her sister is a little chunky, but not something you could even consider close to over weight....So maybe it is hereditary....but...

The concern came in when the parents also brought it to my attention of her constant eating, her size and the tummy aches.....My son asked me about a tape worm, but I don't have any idea of the symptoms of that. I do know she eats a variety of things, from healthy to sugar buzz city..LOL...She does get sick a lot and has went through a issue of upset stomach and had gotten up in the middle of the night and gotten sick w/ no other symptoms on a few different occasions...

So that's where the concern really started becoming a worry....The doctor hasn't ever run any test, always says she looks fine and is healthy, but she does look healthy, just a tiny little petite little girl w/ a million dollar smile, its the underneath all that is what is worrying us...
 
the belly aches are probably from hunger pains. Just keep giving small meals throughout the day and leave plenty of good quality snacks around.

As I said, i couldn't sleep through the night without eating a meal before bedtime.

BUT tape worms are not as common as people think so get that out of your mind. I will say one thing to consider:

Has she been on any medication lately, Over-the-counter, or otherwise? for anything? Allergies, sinus, etc. Sometimes medicine on empty stomachs causes acid to build and she could have a start of an ulcer.

My daughter complained a good amount of time during her 3-6 grade years. it was related to stress as we found she was learning impaired slightly and we didn't know it but it made her feel stupid. Also we were heavy into baseball with our son which meant not having quality family meals but fast-food on the road meals. Lots of grease, etc. Doctor said 'no more fast food' and viola, stomach issues resolved.

Kids do feel stress so if there's anything going on it could contribute to it.

Also she may start complaining again close to the time of puberty. I know she's only 3 1/2 but I wanted to alert you to the fact that it could pop up again in a few years.

Right now, I'm safe to say and recall in myself -- she's just either hungry or she's eating things that don't agree with her for whatever reason.

CaringSister54
 
However,

There are pin worms and such that can get picked up from the ground just by sitting in sand boxes....I know as my sons did that in our back yard and I was mortified! My house was CLEAN I tell you!

I can understand your concern with the tummy ache issue though. Tapeworns do exist, but she would be losing weight in addition to eating all the time. Just for your peace of mind I would ask the doctor for a referral to a good peds gastro and have a work-up done if their own pediatrician can't do one in the office. Better to be safe than sorru.

but here is what you need to do in advance. Keep a list of what she eats and her schedule and how she reacts. When she has the pains and for how long. Try to do this for a week before you go into the doctor so that you have some ammonition to give the doctor.If you have something to show him then he will have something to go on rather than her tummy hurts and she eats alot. He needs paperwork that he can look at to see if there is a pattern to follow. Then you have some credibility. That is what I would try first.

Good luck and keep us posted, 'k?
 
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