Does a small baby mean they'll always be 'small'??

[Mama2Mia]

I'm just curious...our DD2 was only 2.5kg at birth and it seems like she's alot smaller than other babies her age (6mths)...I didn't do anything different to my first pregnancy and our DD1 was 3.5kg and was a nice chubby bubba....looked her age if that makes sense

I'm just wondering if DD2 will remain small?

She's gaining weight consistently and is perfectly proportioned for her height and age (25th percentile) but she looks so much smaller than others her age....

Has anyone had a baby around 2.5kg but has 'caught up' in size later on? If so what age was this???

[Roxy76]

my little girl was only 2.17kg and 42cm, born at 38 weeks by caesar..no one could tell me why she was so small!

She will be 2 in a few months and I often get told she is little in comparison. I am not sure what age she will 'catch up', so will be interested in the replies.

Like yours, she is growing on a steady curve and doing well, just small!

[Misheycat]

My DD is only 10 (ALMOST 11) months old, however she was born 2.64kg and is now almost 10kgs and to me looks like other babies her age size wise. :yes: She was born at 38-weeks also and I wasn't given a reason why she was so small either?

I'm sure your DD will catch up, or she was just destined to be petite, as long as she's healthy I wouldn't worry!

[sweetseven]

I got told by a paediatrician that the size a baby is when it is born is due to the efficiency of the placenta, and somewhere between 4 months - 9 months (IIRC, and my memory is vague) the baby's size adjust to the size dictated by the baby's genetics.

(This was when we were sent to a paed because my daughter dropped off the bottom of the height/weight chart. The paed did tests, and said that she was fine, but just meant to be small, gave me the above explanation and said that he sees a lots of bubs due to that reason.)

[Misheycat]

I got told by a paediatrician that the size a baby is when it is born is due to the efficiency of the placenta, and somewhere between 4 months - 9 months (IIRC, and my memory is vague) the baby's size adjust to the size dictated by the baby's genetics.

Actually know that you mention it, the MW when showing me the placenta said "though the placenta is quite small it is intact".

[chameleon]

DD1 was premmie and was 1.3 kg's BUT she was also a low birth weight. I don't know when it happened but you would never tell now. She caught up very quickly. When she was one she was SO chubby.

[crazymuma]

My sisters little girl was 7 weeks early and weighed around 2kg - she is now 2 and is really big for her age - didn't take too long for her to catch up and overtake other kids.

I don't think their birth size has too much to do with their eventual size. My kids were both 6 pounds and are about average for their ages. Yet my best friend had 2 9 pound babies and one is now 4 and seriously underweight (has been since around 6 months - docs can't seem to fix it) and the other is 1 and classed as obese - go figure

[Mama2Mia]

I know its ok because she's healthy but thanks so much for the replies because for some reason i was getting a little worried that she'd always be 'small' IYKWIM?

So there is every good chance she will catch up :yelclap:

I feel better now!

[NonnyMouse]

My DD was born 2.49kg and was always on the bottom 3% curve for weight, but hovered around 25% for height. By age 2 she was 10kg, still under the "average". By age 3 she was *still* 10kg. Now, at age 10, she's around 27kg... still built like a greyhound, still the skinniest kid in her class, but her physique is wiry and strong and her upper body strength rivals her bigger classmates.

She has a similar build to me as a kid, (I was around 6.6lb though, so a little bigger) and if she follows her genetics, then by 30 she'll finally discover the joys of having hips and a bum!

[Butterfliez]

My DD was 6 pd 5oz when she was born (2 1/2 weeks early), but after about 6 months (maybe more, can't remember) she grew heaps and has since stayed at the 90th percentile :laughing:

[LolliLips]

My daughter was 2.5kg at birth. She's now 3.5yrs, taller than most her age and is 16kgs.

[~Candy~]

3 out of 4 of my babies where all born early and all tiny.

They have all grown up to be no diff to their friends and other kids their age :)

[becca022]

Dd was 2.5 kilos at birth, so was quite tiny, but now at 8 months she's on the 25th percentile for length & 75th for weight. She's chubby, but short. Dp & I are short too.

[Mama2Mia]

thanks so much everyone!

i'm feeling ALOT better :yes:

[quaver]

nope. my husband was tiny and grew to be a 6 foot 7 man!
i also taught a boy at school who was just as big. his mum cried to me on the last day of year 12 and said to me, my big boy i cant believe it- he was born premi the size of a can of coke.

[Kayangel]

My DS was 5 pounds 10ozs born full term and has always stayed along the 25th percentile at 12 mths he weighted 9.2kgs, 13 mths he was 9.5kgs and at 14 mths his not yet touching the 10kg mark.

Weather he will remain small all his life im not sure.

[c2p08]

i dunno, but my DD was 3.5kg when she was born and looked tiny, she has always looked really small even though she is right on track with her size/weight etc.

my niece's who are 8mths and 16mths older then DD are all similar weights at the same ages yet the oldest one looks really small and the middle one looks MASSIVE for her age. even though, they are the same weights...

if ure little one is hitting the right milestones etc i wouldnt worry too much..

[UmmInayah]

I got told by a paediatrician that the size a baby is when it is born is due to the efficiency of the placenta, and somewhere between 4 months - 9 months (IIRC, and my memory is vague) the baby's size adjust to the size dictated by the baby's genetics.



Okay so an inefficient placenta produces smaller babies? I don't buy that at ALL (except in the case of IUGR etc). Babies are the size they are because of genetics, at any stage in their life. It is EXTREMELY rare you will find a baby who is huge in comparison to the mum and father. How many petite pregnant women have we met that carry 10+lbs babies (presumably there would be a lot of them considering efficient placentas create large babies)??

[MissMetal]

:wave: My DS was born at 37 weeks at 2128g or 4.8lbs
he is now 4.5 months & weighs 4.9kg, he is tiny but he was born IUGR and has never even made it onto the charts :no:
he has always sat around minus - 2 or 3 if that makes sense..
not sure if he will always be tiny or if he will one day catch up, i guess that one thing you just dont know :confused:
he is still in 0000 at almost 5 months :laughing:

[cja]

Okay so an inefficient placenta produces smaller babies? I don't buy that at ALL (except in the case of IUGR etc). Babies are the size they are because of genetics, at any stage in their life. It is EXTREMELY rare you will find a baby who is huge in comparison to the mum and father. How many petite pregnant women have we met that carry 10+lbs babies (presumably there would be a lot of them considering efficient placentas create large babies)??

:iagree:

My first bub was born just over 9pd and my second 9pd10. I think it is because I am tall and on the chubby side myself, as is my DH. So with both starting out on the 97th percentile for weight both have dropped back and followed the 80th percentile for height and weight since they were about 3mths old.

[mum2bubba]

Not always. Hayley was small but now shes one of the tallest in her kinder class. Also my niece was quite chubby as a baby and now is quite skinny, shes almost 10 years old though.

[naiwen]

DS was born IUGR at 845g or 1lb14oz, he was off the charts for weight and height and he still is sadly.

He is still underweight and so we will be doing genetic and growth hormone testing soon as his weight is going no where fast.

But my placenta was failing and he was severely compromised, if there was a healthy placenta and bubs was just SGA then you should see some catch up growth.