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The incredible shrinking baby.

2009-04-09 - 4:56 p.m.

�I'm not a baby expert, but I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to shrink.�

-Gregory House on the show House M.D.

So I took the Biscuit for his weigh-in today. While his height is a hair under average, he was down to the 10th percentile for weight at his 9-month well-baby check-up. As a result I�ve made sure I�ve never passed up an opportunity to stuff some calories into the little guy. He wants to feed every hour or two all night long? So be it. We�re out and about and he starts to fuss a little? My boob gets thrust into his mouth automatically; modesty can take a backburner to my guy�s need to feed. Rice cereal automatically gets a little powdered formula mixed into it so it will stick to his ribs a bit more. So, naturally, I wondered if he had gained any ground on the chart.

He�s moved a whopping 3 ounces in weight. Downward.

Yep, at 10 months, he�s actually lighter than he was at 9 months, and has now dropped off the bottom of the weight chart. Out of a hundred randomly-picked babies his age, he�d be lighter than, well, a hundred of them.

The protocol in this situation is a referral to a paediatrician, which my family doc is setting up for us. In the meantime, I�ve gotten three more kinds of formula to try to see if he�ll like any of it. We�re going to continue to try him with solids and hope for some more progress in his acceptance of them � and I�m happy to report that in the last couple of weeks he�s started opening his mouth for a few spoonfuls voluntarily, though progress is slow � but I�ll take anything that�ll bump his calorie intake right now. I�ve also bought some Milupa oatmeal cereal, which looks to be a bit richer than the plain, grain-only stuff so I�m hoping he might take a shine to that.

To be clear, I�m not panicking: he�s a healthy-looking, cheerful, active, friendly child and I don�t believe he�s actually sick. BUT, I do want to plump the little fella up a bit for sure, if for no other reason than when he is sick with something temporary like a cold, he has some fat reserves to tide him through. He�s very active and I think he is getting adequate nutrition in terms of nutrients, so it�s just pure calories I think he�s lacking. His sister went through something similar, though not as dramatic, and the answer was, ultimately, wait until she started catching up with her peers again. She's still a petite kid, but she's well above the 10th percentile she used to be at.

Let�s hope I�m right that this is no big deal. And that Operation Fatten-that-kid-up succeeds somewhat so I don't have to worry about it.

Before - After


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