Ms. Mary Silva
Specializing in feeding and nutrition.
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 Ask Mary Silva
Tiny Infant Slow to Gain Weight | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Ms. Silva,
My grandson was born two weeks early weighing just 4 pounds 5 ounces. At four months old, he now weighs 5 pounds 12 ounces. What could be the cause of such a tiny baby? He takes about two hours to drink four ounces of formula. My daughter won't take him for an evaluation and I am worried his is starving. Please advise. Thanks.— Brogram in Seattle | | | ANSWER |
November 28, 2001 | | | Dear Brogram,
I am very glad that you asked this question. You are right to be concerned about your grandson's weight and his slow eating. By the age of four months, he should have gained much more weight and be able to take four ounces in just a few minutes. Infants who don't gain weight well do so for a variety of medical and nutritional reasons. As you indicated, a thorough evaluation will be necessary to find out exactly what is going on in your grandson's case. Once the cause is known, the proper treatment can be started. In some cases, depending on the cause of the problem, the baby may start to "catch up" quite rapidly.
Your daughter may be reluctant to take him to a pediatrician because she fears he has a serious medical condition. Although I wish I could tell you that this is probably only something minor, unfortunately, I don't know enough about your grandchild's problem to be able to provide such reassurance. However, I can tell you that even if he does turn out to have a serious problem, there may well be effective treatment available that will help him grow up to be completely healthy.
Your excellent question also brings up another point. It is important that all babies, even those who are gaining weight well, be seen by their healthcare providers regularly for well-baby checkups. These visits not only provide an opportunity to have the baby's physical health checked, but they also give the parents a chance to ask questions, and afford an essential opportunity to protect the baby with routine childhood immunizations. In addition, they give the parents a chance to get to know their baby's provider so that when concerns arise, they can feel comfortable seeking help.
Please feel free to share this answer with your daughter. Also, perhaps it would help her if you were to offer to call and arrange for your grandson to be evaluated, or to go to the pediatrician's office with her.— by Mary Silva, M.S., R.D. |
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