Baby dropping 50 pts in percentile

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 05 2005 Posts: 3505

My baby was 90th percentile when he was born (9 ;bs/4 kilo). At the 6.5 mth tipat chalav/well baby visit ckup he was 50th perc. and today at 7.5 mths in the 40th perc. Crying or Very sad

. He is fine, isn't a hungry boy and I nurse him every two hrs by day when I'm home. nurse said I don't have milk, my baby is hungry all the time and I need to give him chicken and rice every day. I don't mind giving him rice and chkn. but have any of you ever had this where the baby peaked off and started to gain very little weight? I don't think its nice taht she said I'm losing my milk (I don't think I am) but if I give him too many solids just to fatten him up even if he isn't hungry I will lose my milk. does anyone have any ideas on this?
also she said his head/brain/skull didn't grow so much this mth but it could be bec he isn't eating so much- does this make sense Confused

? that his eating effects the growth of his brain/skull Shocked

?
(sorry so long and thanks for reading this far)

Posted: Thu, Mar 23 2006, 8:19 am Post subject:

Yes, I would say that if you are needing to nurse him so often still there might be a problem, not because of his growth (maybe he was just a big newborn, but his growth is leveling off because he'll be an average sized child) but because of the hunger and behaviour. Is there a reason not to introduce baby foods and/or formula now? Most babies are quite ready by this age and some quickly switch to taking mostly baby foods (yogurt, cereal, fruits, meats) and drink from a cup and nursing just a little of the time. Nothing against nursing, it's wonderful, but if it's not working so well for him right now it is probably time to try the food.
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Mommy to 5 bli ayin hara, with medical issues including mental health, brain damage, GI disease, developmental delay

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 05 2005 Posts: 3505

Silver Member Joined: Mar 07 2006 Posts: 573

Does he sleep well at night?
Does he wet and soil his diapers?
Is he meeting his developmental milestones?
Is he an otherwise happy baby?

If your answer to these questions is yes, I would keep doing what you're doing. If there's a no in there, I would investigate further.
I've said elsewhere, I believe the growth charts they use were based on bottlefed babies, and breastfed babies are on a different curve.
I'm "just" a mother; and the above is JMHO.

Gold Member Joined: Jan 28 2006 Posts: 1341

You better consult your physician I wouldbe worried and stop nursing. Are you pregnant?

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 30 2004 Posts: 3194

I would definitely investigate further, if his head circumference isn't growing that could be a problem. The most important person right now is your son and if you have to supplement instead of nursing so much, so be it.

Silver Member Joined: Jan 19 2006 Posts: 537

Re fat:
Fat is a very important component of a baby's diet. During the first two years of life, the neurons in the brain are coated with myelin ( basically, congealed fat). This is critical for appropriate brain function. ( Works sort of like the coating around your electrical wire and is critical so that messages from the brain will be transferred effectively to the rest of the body.) That is why you should never give skim milk to a child under the age of two.

Hind milk ( the breast milk that is extracted at the end of a feeding) is higher in fat than the milk at the beginning of a feeding: and this is nature's way of giving the baby extra fat and calories when necessary.

The birth weight is not always a perfect indicator of the size the baby will be later: ( for example, iif there is gestational diabetes, a chld might be unusually large at birth) but a fifty per cent drop off seem a lot, and a good experienced pediatrician should have reasonable instincts about whether your child is growing properly.

If a doctor you trust suggests that the growth is not appropriate, you should take it seriously and do what is necessary to boost growth. These are critical months in his development.

When my baby was not gaining,my pediatrician suggested the following...after nursing, try to give the baby a bottle of formula. If the baby takes an ounce or two, don't worry about the nursing..he just needs some extra calories. If the baby takes a full bottle, he's not getting enough from nursing at all! My baby took an ounce each time and we also increased solids! That did the trick!

OH MY G-D!!!!!!!

Ladies lets give good adivce!!!!!

First of all you child is not a computor and he grows at his rate!!!!

Second... formula is garbage (but garbage is better than starving in some cases) don't give your child formula just because a nurse says you don't have milk. come on just based on a chart based on FORMULA FED BABIES which your child is not. I feel so sorry for woman told that they have a supply based on this stupid information.

If you have a happy baby then he is growing. Nursing every 2 hours isn't the end of the world...keep doing what your doing and ignore any other advice.

Remember your baby may be nursing every 2 hours not just because he is hungry but for comfort. I know that for my kids they become nursing fiends around 8-10 months and thats because they get lots and lots of teeth and they are really teething and so they are really nursing more often for comfort.
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Boy 10, Boy 8, Girl 7, Boy 5, Boy 3, Boy 15 months

Platinum Member Joined: May 22 2005 Posts: 13795

My baby was also born at 9 lbs and is now in the 50th percentile, but my pediatrician doesn't see it as a problem. I've had this with a few babies already. I give birth to large babies who then level off to their genetic norm - dh and I are not big people. Also, it seems even the most mainstream pediatrician will tell you if height and weight are similar percentiles (in your case 40th for both), they are fine even if they have dropped off. A baby who is 90th percentile height and 10th percentile weight might have a problem (but again - might not, esp. if the parents are long and thin).

Tipat chlav is NOTORIOUS for HORRIBLE breastfeeding advice. They see nothing beside the chart in front of them, doesn't matter how the child is doing - and the problem is always 'your milk' Rolling Eyes

And the charts themself were calculated on the rate of growth for white (in this case it was predomenantly Irish-American b/c of where the population studied was), middle class babies that were formula fed. Is it any wonder that a Jewish, breastfed baby might not fit that 'norm'?

Your baby is healthy, hitting developmental milestones, active? Those are better indicators of how your baby is doing than the chart! And since I love to link to the kellymom website, here is a link Infant growth.

Good luck!

DO NOT and I mean DO NOT take any notice of the "advice" you get in Tipat Chalav!!! They just rely on their charts (see chavamom's excellent post). They are always telling mothers that their babies are too fat/ too thin/ too tall/ too short/ put on too much weight/ didn't put on enough weight. Did you ever go there and they said everything was just fine???!

If you have a doubt go to your pediatrician. They usually just LOL at what you heard. In fact I now preface my question to my pediatrician something like "You know at Tipat Chalav, I mean I'm sure it's OK, but, well..." On the other hand I always check out anything they say with the doc (and NOT the doc at Tipat Chalav who has about the lowest medical job you can get)just in case they're right this time. My previous pediatrician was the head of pediatrics at a very good hospital and used to tell me that you only go for the vaccinations. The other things you listen with one ear and let straight out through the other ....

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 11 2004 Posts: 19241

whats tipat chalav?

kind of off-topic:
yesterday I called my drs office to ask the ages for introducing different types of foods. I thought I remembered something about not introducing wheat products (breads, crackers, pasta, etc.) until a certain age, so I called to ask just that.
the secretary/nurse gave me a good laugh: Laughing

"dont give challah (shreds) because he can choke! give cheerios and you can give him a pretzel!"

(what I wanted to say: choking on challah shreds? has anyone seen as many babies as I have choking on cheerios??? dont ask me why they call it the first finger food! give him pretzels!!!! are you out of your mind????)

what I said: I buy very soft challah at the bakery, and I give him tiny shreds, he doesnt choke. I even give him rice one at a time, and he does well with it.
(I wasnt even going to bother with the pretzel she thought my almost 7 month old should be eating!)

what she said: no, rice is softer than challah, dont give him challah.

I was so mindboggled by her advice, all I could say was: does the dr say we should wait with wheat products because of an allergy? I think I remember him last time saying I should wait until 9 months.

what she said: no, theres no problem. oh you know whats perfect to start your baby on, especially since Pesach is coming! you can give him yogurt! but not the fruit ones.

I wasnt even going to bother explaining to her that we dont eat yogurt on Pesach, and how was she supposed to know,
so I just said: oh what a good idea! ill give him plain yogurt
(um... maybe in a few months)
what she said: no, dont give him plain, he wont like it, theres no sugar. give him vanilla.

I was desperate to get off the phone so I could laugh my head off, so I just asked, "what does the dr say about when to give ground beef, like meatballs?"
she says: dont give him meat, give him chicken! meat is too hard on the stomach and not easy to digest, chicken is easier.
I said: the meatballs are ground and you can mash them, chicken isnt ground.
(and didnt I just read a few studies that said you can give meat the same time you start fruits, vegetables, baby cereals, etc.???)
she said: no dont give meat, give chicken.

I just couldnt handle it anymore, and ended the conversation.

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 05 2005 Posts: 3505

Thanks so much everyone Very Happy

, that made me feel much better bec my baby is happy and hitting milestones and still gaining weight and definitely nursing for comfort. To be sure I'll bring him to the pediatrician this week and have him check him out.

Platinum Member Joined: May 22 2005 Posts: 13795

Just one more bit on growth charts: