Brad took Elliott back to his regular pediatrician yesterday for a weight check up (and some more vaccinations - btw: does anyone know which of the 12 month shots is the one that hurts really bad?). He is now weighing in at 18 lbs 12.4 oz. I'm sure there are a couple of you out there with 8/9 month-olds reading this in a bit of shock ;) . But his new weight represents a solid 8 ounce gain from a month ago. The doctor reiterated he isn't worried about Elliott, but he does want to continue to monitor him, so we will be back in a month.
He is also going to have us talk to a nutritionist. I feel like Elliott is getting a pretty well-rounded diet, but I welcome the opportunity to learn more and see what we might be able to do differently. If anything, I have a feeling we need to get more fat into his diet.
5 comments:
First off - do I get a quilt or some other gift for this comment? Because if there's nothing in it for me...
Second, since it's for Elliott's good, I'll go ahead and say it anyway.
Has the doc mentioned anything about the possibility of a food allergy? Brad was allergic to wheat as a kid, and I am now, and you have had troubles with it. So, he has the right/wrong genes to have food allergies. And, he has some of the symptoms. I've bolded the ones I remember you mentioning at some point in the past. Of course, you know him and his symptoms way better.
"Even young infants who are exclusively breast-fed can exhibit signs of food allergy. More often than not, these sensitized reactions occur because of exposure in utero or during nursing in a genetically predisposed child. Mom’s diet is causing the allergic reaction. Most likely a factor in these instances are bovine dairy products.
If the child is reacting to something in the mother’s diet, one will probably find that he has a bloated stomach, suffers from chronic or constant gas, spits up frequently and cries incessantly. Some will projectile vomit after eating. Stools may be infrequent, leading to constipation, or, they may be watery, extremely loose and of the wrong colour for a breast-fed baby. The baby may cry upon moving her bowels or passing urine. Many physicians mistake symptoms of allergy for colic and counsel parents to wait for it to pass (usually by 6 months of age), when a simple elimination of dairy from the mother’s diet would produce a much more contented baby.
An infant experiencing allergic reaction may sleep much more than is considered normal for his or her chronological age. Conversely, they may sleep little and seem to be unable to self-calm - needing almost constant attention from the parent. The child may also eat non-stop, mistaking the pains of flatulence, for the pangs of hunger. Other children will refuse to eat at all, resulting in a diagnosis of failure to thrive.
For some children, food allergy causes them to overeat, but the brain can only deal with the toxins by storing them as fat. These children will have huge bellies but emaciated legs and arms. If the reaction is to wheat gluten, they may have a peculiar rash on the buttocks and upper thighs known as DH, or dermatitis herpetiforma.
Signs and symptoms of allergy can be confusing even to the adult sufferer, and, indeed, often seem contradictory. A concerned parent, or one who has a family history of allergy, should consult with a qualified specialist who can advise her on the warning signs of allergy in infancy and who can provide him with some ideas for prevention. "
This was excerpted from this article: http://www.essortment.com/all/allergiesinfant_pdq.htm
You may want to check into an infant allergist before seeing the nutritionist. That way, she/he can help you figure out what to do if you need to eliminate a certain food from his diet.
Oh, and third off - I just looked up his weight and age on the French charts, and he's just barely under the 25th percentile line. Not at all under the 5th percentile. And, just so that you know, all three of my kids tended to hover around that same line and no pediatrician ever thought they were too skinny.
Could it be that American babies are getting fatter and fatter and messing up the growth charts? Those charts are just based on norms. Well, if 3/4 of the population is overweight, what does that do to the norms?
I'm not saying you shouldn't see if there needs to be something done, but the difference in the charts is interesting.
I'm not in shock. ;) We already talked about this, but to reiterate, I think it'll be interesting to see what a nutritionist has to say on this mysterious topic.
Yuck, BTW about more vaccinations. Seriously, when do they stop getting them? Eesh!
Needs more tacos. At least, that made me gain weight when i visited the U.S. last summer...
I love Krista's note about the Norm Charts. Enough said! Elliott is healthy and doing great. You were also on the low end, weight wise and you turned out superb, as he will. Babies grow at their own pace. The important thing is the overall picture and Elliott's is sparkly and clear. Light weights are at an advantage anyway. It will be interesting to see what the Nutritionist has to say.
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