Babies eat well but have always been in the 15th percentile or less. They are both under the 5th percentile now at 11 months. At their 9 month check up, they were 10th or 4th percentile.
They are healthy otherwise. I wonder if the dr will suggest pedisure or something since they are taking less formula these days.
nectarine / 2951 posts
I wouldn't worry if your pediatrician isn't worried. Weren't they preemies? Are you and your husband smaller?
apricot / 399 posts
If they seem healthy and your pediatrician isn't worried, I wouldn't worry. My older daughter has always hovered around the 5th percentile and even dropped off the chart at one appointment (9 months, maybe?). But she was very clearly healthy--growing steadily and quite chunky, despite her low weight--so no one was worried. She's just small.
grapefruit / 4584 posts
DD1 was under the fifth percentile for a long time. She was not a true preemie, but was born weighing about 5.5 lbs. Around 8 or 10 months, we tried supplementing with a high calorie formula at the suggestion of our pediatrician, and it really didn't help her gain weight - she just ate less solids, so we dropped it since I felt real food was better for her.. She's now four and fluctuates from the 5th to 10th percentile, and has always been very healthy and happy - she doesn't even look scrawny the way she did for awhile as a baby, just lean.. I think the general rule is you don't need to worry unless they continue to to drop percentiles, but I know that's easier said than done, especially if they also look really skinny.
pomelo / 5866 posts
I worried! My doc reassured us. LO is fine and active and still on the very petite end of the growth curve. MY husband and I are on the long and thin side for part Asians so genetics play a part. I still worry every time I see LO's ribs if she is lying on her back. 
I used to hate it when people would say Oh you are so skinny to me as I was growing up!! (*I never hear that anymore!) But now I have to stop and catch myself saying that aloud to LO. I try not to but I do.
ETA LO percentile dropped sharply around I think 6-10 months (can't remember). She started off as a chubby baby.
honeydew / 7230 posts
When they were brand new and not gaining weight, we all worried. We supplemented with high calorie formula to get them onto the growth charts. By 6 months we were able to stop the high cal and they were both on the charts and were even a little chunky! But DD started walking really early (between 9 and 10 months) and started to slim down. Once we stopped formula altogether at 1, she continued to slim down. She's just not a very big eater and is very active. At 2 she was back down to 4%. Our ped wasn't really worried, saying her curve was boosted up by the supplementation her first year, and this might just be her natural curve. DH and I are both short. He's naturally petite and I was really thin until after college, so it might just be DD's genetics. We are keeping her on whole milk, though, and trying to encourage eating as much food as possible. As we cut back nursing, she is eating more, so I hope she's gone up in weight percentiles a little.
GOLD / wonderful olive / 19030 posts
Nope, my 16 month old has always been in the 2% range (weight/height/head) and they just laugh and say "she's petite." She's hit all her milestones and I think overall she's just going to be small for her age (her dad was too.)
pomelo / 5573 posts
My son was under the 5th percentile until 18 months, and he's still under 10. I figure as long as he's eating, drinking, and hitting his milestones he's fine. Somebody has to be on the bottom.
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
I did for my oldest - he's always been around the 3rd percentile. But in hindsight I shouldn't have worried. He is constitutionally small, eats well, and is totally healthy. It's hard not to worry though, until they can really communicate their wants/needs with you!
blogger / nectarine / 2043 posts
Unless the weight dropped radically between check-ups, I wouldn't worry at all. My daughter has never even made it to the 5th percentile, and she's perfectly happy and healthy. She was born small (4 lb 6 oz) and basically stayed small the whole time and ate less than the usual "average" but she grew on the curve, just at the bottom of it. She's 3 now, 27 lbs (not even in the low percentiles LOL) and perfectly fine. If your doc isn't worried, I wouldn't.
squash / 13764 posts
Nope wouldn't worry. My son dropped from 40th percentile at birth until he was 9th percentile at 1 year. He stayed around 10/15th, and is still around there at almost 4. My DD is now 15th percentile at 9 months (from 60 something at birth, gradual decline as well). My kids are just not chubby babies and they are constantly moving!
nectarine / 2243 posts
Mine was 5-15th% until about 12 months, then she jumped to 25% and at 16 months is now 50th. She's always been tall, and her head size is 99% (can you imagine, total bobblehead). She now loves to eat, and despite being super active, she's been gaining more weight as the months pass. I pump her full of healthy fats and lots of dairy (basically I want her diet). I wouldn't worry. My ped said she'd only be concerned if she wasn't hitting milestones or had a majorly huge drop off the charts.
coconut / 8430 posts
I worried when LO had dropped below the 1st percentile around 4 months. We obsessed over giving her high calorie foods for a long time. It did pay off though and she eventually climbed back above the 5th percentile. At 4 years old she's now around the 10th or 15th percentile.
wonderful olive / 19353 posts
DS was an IUGR baby and has always been in the less than 5 percentile. He's 3 now and despite being small still, he's healthy and reaching all milestones like any other kid. Even the pedi wasn't concerned since DS was growing, just in his own way!
eggplant / 11824 posts
Try not to worry unless you have a tested/confirmed reason to worry.
My LO was 8lbs at birth and like 75% until she hit about 18 months, when she dropped to the 20%, then the 6%, then the 3%. She’s always been healthy, on track for all development (and ahead in verbal and other areas) and I didn’t worry. When I was little, according to my mom I was off the chart (on the low end) until I was about 5.
I might have worried some had she been a tiny newborn because we also had some feeding challenges; but I really try to keep everything in perspective. Someone has to be on the small side and someone has to be on the large side. Doesn’t mean anything, unless it’s coupled with a true reason to be concerned.
My pediatrician said he would only recommend Pedisure if LO dropped off the chart completely and wasn’t eating decently. He did have/make us come in for weight checks every month for a bit, but once it was clear she wasn’t dropping weight and this was just her new curve; everything went back to normal.
grapefruit / 4545 posts
I apologize in advance bc I have not read all the comments.
DD1 - 7lbs 2oz at birth, doubled by 4 mos, tripled by a year. Since her year appointment she has pretty much dropped off the chart. She is 3 now and weighs 26lbs. (For reference she is 36" tall)
Our pediatrician and I discuss her eating habits at her appointments. His response has always been "as long as you tell me she eats good and balanced I am not concerned with her weight"...he says if she was not or becomes not a good eater we'll have a different conversation.
DD usually eats 2 good meals a day...1 meal is usually a struggle. She eats balanced though she does favor carbs/fruit which I think is normal.
persimmon / 1101 posts
Unless your pediatrician says to, I wouldn't worry. My LO was on the small side of average when born, dropped, and is still below the 5th percentile at almost three. She looks healthy, though, so I've never been concerned. I am a very thin person naturally, so it would be pretty weird if my kid wasn't. 
pomelo / 5866 posts
Besides going to your foremost expert, your doctor..for when LO gets older, like 3 or 4 years old and is still small, you could look into another condition. Our allergist (who was petite and just added a side suggestion) mentioned I look into Constitutional Growth delay. I am pretty sure this is what is going on with LO because DH and I shot up later in life than our peers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_growth_delay
hostess / wonderful apple seed / 16729 posts
@Alba4: yup, they were preemies. I'm pretty petite and have always been thin-ish. DH is not, though. Don't know what they'll be. I'm thinking they will catch up by 2.
hostess / wonderful apple seed / 16729 posts
Thanks everyone! Early on when they were released from the NICU, they had weekly weight checks at the dr's office. We continued giving them the higher calorie formula (24 cal). I think at 3 months, the dr suggested going down to 22 calories (standard for preemie formula), but after 1-2 weeks, dr suggested going back up to the higher calorie formula. They have been on it since. They are doing well, was off the preemie chart and onto the normal chart at 6 months, I think. Hitting most of the milestones. No health issues.
Their 12 month check up is next month. I don't have any reason to call the dr. I think they are just preemies and just small.
Thanks for easing my worry.
pomegranate / 3192 posts
I wouldn't worry. Sounds like they are just small if they are meeting their milestones. Someone's gotta be the small one, right?
My daughter was 6.5 lbs at birth (40 weeks) and I think around the 20%ile. She's dropped right away and kept dropping till the 3%ile, which is where she has been for about 6 months. She's 13 months and 15 1/2 lbs. Its not easy not to worry but neither my DH or I are big people, and our older son is small too (around 20%ile).
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