15month old - 9 kilos

[Manxie]

Hi

My DD is 15 months old. At birth she weight 3.8k and was exclusively b.f until 6 months.

She was a little slow on the uptake with solids but once I realised that she wasnt interested in pureed food and liked everything cold things were a lot easier.

I am worried as today we had her weighed and she has lost some weight and now weighs under 9kilos. She had rotavirus and a urinary tract infection in August and lost a couple of kilos and does not seem to have got back on track.

She is a relatively good eater, will eat most things meat, fish, veg loves fruit, cheese and yoghurt, in fact about the only thing she wont eat are eggs. She really seems to know how much she wants and some days she will have a good intake, others she will hardly touch it. She seems to have gone off breakfast at the moment.

I know that once bubs become more active they loose interest in food and their weight gain slows down but unfortunately hers seems to have stopped.

I will raise this with my g.p. but I just wondered if you had any ideas on what I can give her to fatten her up a bit. She rarely has any processed food, biscuits etc. What should I be giving her for snacks?

Any help greatly appreciated

[the pero clinic]

Dear Manxie,

Now that your little one is 15 months, it is expected that her weight gain will be slower than in her first year, and that she will subsequently eat less. You should expect that she will gain only a couple of kilograms this year – but she shouldn’t be losing any weight.

It is good that you are discussing the matter with your GP, and perhaps you should also consider talking to a dietitian who can provide you with specific nutritional advice for your little one.

In the meantime, consider her current eating routine. Is she still breastfeeding on demand or having 2-3 drinks of full cream milk each day? Are solid meals being offered every 2 -3 hours and before drinks? Is she having meals made with full fat butter / cheese / cream or are you using low-fat alternatives?

Little ones can have very particular appetites. Their hunger can be as fleeting as 5 – 10 minutes. So perhaps it’s just a matter of timing. If possible, try offering breakfast a bit earlier or later.

If she is quite active and easily distracted at mealtimes at the moment, offer her finger foods first, followed by custard / yoghurt / fruit or vegetable puree mix that you give her – to increase the quantity at each meal.

Continue though to let her guide you with when she is hungry or full – it’s not worth pushing for that ‘last mouthful’.

the pero clinic