Many parents worry about their kid’s weight, whether they’re new to parenting or have multiple children.
For most, weight gain is a marker of healthy growth, development and nutrition. On the other hand, about 5-10% of children will have trouble gaining or maintaining a healthy weight.
When To Be Concerned About Your Child’s Weight
When kids don’t gain weight, it is often for simple, non-medical reasons. They may get up too late to eat breakfast, not like the food at school, forget to pack lunch, or simply forget to eat.
It’s important to differentiate between typical changes in weight and appetite and signs that could suggest a problem. These are the warning signs parents should look for:
Lack of weight gain or weight loss
Numbers on the scale are not the best marker, as they can vary even in the same day! Look for other signs, such as:
- Clothes suddenly fit too loose.
- Staying the same size for too long.
Changes in eating habits
Look for notable and sudden changes in eating habits that could be a sign of a gastrointestinal problem, food allergy, aversion, or feeding issue. Such as, your child has always been a good eater and is now refusing to eat certain types of foods or textures.
Symptoms during or after eating
Are they avoiding certain foods or eating in general? The following symptoms could impact their desire to eat if they happen during or after eating:
- Stomach pain
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
Other general symptoms
Are there other symptoms happening throughout the day, along with having less of an appetite? While rare, the following symptoms could be a sign of something more serious:
- Being very tired
- Blood in their stools
- Excessive thirst
- Frequent urination
What’s Considered Normal?
Doctors use body mass index (BMI) and standard growth chart percentiles to help track kids’ weight and height over time. ‘Over time’ is key here because kids’ weight may go up and down but staying on a steady growth pattern is what’s important.
For example, if your child has always been in the 10th percentile for weight, it would not be concerning if she remained there over time. However, your doctor may be concerned about your child if they were consistently at the 40th percentile and then suddenly dropped to the 10th.
Further, there is a wide range of normal! Weight for any given age varies and every kid grows differently. Try not to compare your child to other kids their age or even to their siblings.
What to Do When Your Child’s Not Gaining Weight
Keep up with doctor appointments
Keep their well-child appointments, even if they are not due for vaccines! These checkups monitor growth and development over time. If there is concern, we will discuss and devise a plan together. This could include taking nutritional supplements, closer monitoring, further testing, or seeing a specialist.
Keep Your Mealtime Routines
Having a clear schedule and routine for mealtimes is incredibly beneficial for all of your kids! Make sure they eat at least three meals and 2-3 snacks per day. Give them enough time to eat and keep an eye on how much they’re consuming.
Try increasing calories
If there are concerns about growth, you may want to try increasing calories in their diet. Your doctor can provide you with ideas for how to do this, as well as registered dietitians at Cincinnati Children’s. Myplate.gov is also a great resource for dietary guidelines and tips.
Schedule in-between appointments when worried
Your pediatrician is your medical home. If you’re worried, don’t wait for the next checkup!
