Children's health is a crucial moment in the life of every parent. The weight of the newborn plays a huge role. In the first years of life, the baby must eat well (however, as in the rest of the time, older children are just not treated as carefully) in order to develop fully. There are even generally accepted standards for weight gain. What if the child does not meet them? Or more precisely, if he weighs less and gains practically nothing? What could be the reasons for this phenomenon? Should I panic if my baby isn't gaining weight?
Feeding mode
Children can have many problems with gaining kilograms. Therefore, it is important to determine the cause of deviations from the norm. In infants, the most common cause is a violation of the feeding regime.
The thing is that mothers themselves choose how and when to feed their children. Some do this on demand, others according to a specific schedule. Often in the second case, children simply remain hungry. And therefore it turns out that the child does not gain weight. That is, he absorbs little food.
This reason is not too dangerous. It's easy to fix. It is recommended to switch to demand feeding mode. This way the child will eat as much as he needs for growth and development. In the case of infants, this phenomenon may not be very convenient for the mother, especially at night. But for children, feeding on demand is most suitable.
Why is your baby gaining weight poorly?
Usually, the reason why your baby is not gaining weight well is quite easy to eliminate. But first you need to find out how much a child should weigh at his age, whether his weight is beyond the lower limit of the norm, and only after that should you look for why the baby is growing so slowly.
There can be quite a few reasons why a baby is gaining weight poorly. Among the main pediatricians, the following are identified:
- violation of feeding technique,
- violation of feeding regime,
- heredity,
- metabolic disorders, anemia,
- helminth infection,
- stress or pathology of the central nervous system.
To make sure that your baby is feeding correctly, you should monitor the following signs of proper attachment to the breast:
- the mother should not experience discomfort or pain,
- the child's lower lip protrudes,
- the baby's chin is pressed to the chest, and the mouth captures most of the areola,
- in addition to the sound of sips, there are extraneous sounds such as slurping, whistling, etc. missing,
- The baby lets go of the breast after he has had enough.
The current feeding schedule may not suit your baby. Then the doctor may advise putting the baby to the breast not on an hourly basis, but on demand, and increasing the number of night feedings.
Quite often, with breastfeeding, the baby gains weight slowly due to hereditary factors: if one of the parents or grandparents has a thin build, then the child may experience minimal weight gain. In order to relieve anxiety, you can additionally consult an endocrinologist.
Child's life after birth and development week by week for first-time parents
In the case of a metabolic disorder in a baby, underweight will certainly be accompanied by additional symptoms, such as poor health, changes in blood composition. This problem is quite serious and will require thorough diagnosis and further treatment.
Lack of milk
Is your baby a month old? Having trouble gaining weight? The problem may lie in a lack of milk. As you might guess, it is observed only in those children who are exclusively breastfed.
Lack of milk is especially common in first-time mothers. There can be many reasons for this problem - stress, long adaptation of the body, and so on. But the fact remains: the baby does not have enough milk.
In this case, we can recommend several techniques. It all depends on whether the mother wants to continue breastfeeding the baby or not. If the baby is not gaining weight due to a lack of milk, you just need to put him to the breast more often or stimulate the breast with a breast pump. Usually, problems with milk production are observed in the first month after childbirth.
The second option to solve the problem is to switch to artificial feeding. This way you can feed your baby and know for sure that he has enough food for proper development. But this is far from the best solution. Some claim that there is nothing more beneficial for a baby than breast milk.
Causes of the problem and solutions
If the baby is not eating well, the most important thing for the mother is not to panic, but to calmly understand the situation and, together with the pediatrician, find the optimal and safe solution to the problem.
There are several reasons why a baby does not eat well in the first year of life.
1. Problems associated with breastfeeding.
In this case, difficulties with feeding the newborn will arise already in the maternity hospital. Unfortunately, not everywhere mothers are shown and explained how to properly attach their baby to the breast, but you can always seek help from a doctor or nurse.
2. Problems with milk production and quantity.
- Lack of milk. The baby attaches to the breast, but is still restless and capricious because the amount of milk is not enough. In this situation, it is especially important to restore lactation. The mother needs to drink tea that promotes the formation of milk, express herself after each feeding of the baby, and drink plenty of fluids. No less important is the psychological and emotional contact between the child in the first year and the mother. The baby should be held and talked to frequently.
Advice: if the milk has disappeared, it is necessary to supplement the newborn with formula. Feeding occurs in this way: first the child eats from each breast and only then the formula. Before feeding your baby milk, it is better to consult your pediatrician.
- Too much milk. In this case, it hits with a strong stream, and the baby cannot eat. Experts recommend expressing a little milk before feeding, thereby reducing the force of the stream.
— Unusual taste of milk. If the mother has eaten a product that is new to the baby, the baby will immediately feel it and may refuse milk. To avoid such situations, it is necessary to consult with your pediatrician about which foods are acceptable during breastfeeding.
3. Congenital pathologies.
The presence of such pathologies is determined immediately in the maternity hospital and specialists take appropriate measures to eliminate them.
4. Tummy hurts.
- If the baby starts to eat, but after a while he drops the breast and screams loudly, while arching strongly, most likely the reason is colic. This is due to the fact that the digestive system of a baby under the age of one year is still imperfect. When a large amount of food accumulates in the intestines, the child feels an attack of pain.
Advice: every mother should remember that the first colic can appear as early as two weeks after the baby is born. It is necessary to take preventive measures aimed at eliminating colic: do not eat foods that promote gas formation, do not smoke, use the correct technique for feeding the baby, do not overfeed the baby, place the baby on his tummy before eating, and then keep him upright. Massage also helps to cope with colic. In the case of artificial feeding, the cause of colic, as a rule, is an incorrectly selected formula.
— Poor appetite and slow weight gain can be caused by dysbacteriosis. The diagnosis must be confirmed or refuted by appropriate tests. Most often, the disease occurs if the mother, for some reason, had to undergo a course of antibiotic therapy. Symptoms of the disease manifest themselves in the form of discolored stools with the presence of mucus.
5. Headache.
A phenomenon called weather sensitivity can be observed in tiny babies in the first year if relatives are also dependent on weather changes. The newborn refuses to eat and screams; if the fontanelle pulsates, it is better to immediately visit a specialist.
6. Curiosity.
At approximately four months, the baby is already interested in surrounding objects, distracted by people passing by, sounds, and bright colors. Pediatricians recommend feeding your baby in silence and in an empty room.
7. Illness.
— If the baby starts to eat, but quickly drops the breast and screams loudly, you need to check whether he is breathing freely through his nose. If you hear characteristic snoring, you should clean your nasal passages.
Tip: for this it is better to use cotton wool, a bulb or an aspirator. The drug "Aquamaris" is suitable for babies in the second year of life. You cannot clean your baby's nose with a cotton swab.
— If a child has ear pain, the process of sucking and swallowing milk will cause severe discomfort. You can try expressing some milk and offering your baby to drink it from a spoon. To check whether your baby's ears are really bothering you, you need to gently press on the protruding part of the ear located towards the cheek. If the baby is restless and screams, you need to call a doctor.
- Thrush or stomatitis. If white spots are found in the baby's mouth, treatment should be started as soon as possible. The disease is complex and is associated with pain. This explains the refusal to eat. The main reason for the development of stomatitis and thrush is infection in the mouth. To avoid infecting the baby, the mother should wash her breasts well before each feeding and do not allow the newborn to put dirty toys in his mouth. To relieve symptoms, after each feeding the baby’s mouth can be wiped with a swab dipped in a solution of baking soda (a teaspoon of soda is dissolved in a glass of boiled water, cooled to +22 degrees).
8. Teeth are being cut.
The appearance of teeth is accompanied by unpleasant pain in the gums, which is why the baby refuses to eat. Before feeding, the baby's gums can be lubricated with special cooling gels. Your pediatrician will help you choose the right drug.
9. Little girl.
If the baby is active, cheerful, and does not have any physical or mental abnormalities, but eats little, then he is a toddler. Such a child will continue to eat little in the future and gain weight slowly. Parents should not worry and the main thing is not to force feed the baby.
10. Emotional state.
- The baby is in a bad mood. It is necessary to try to immediately pick up the baby in your arms after sleep so that the baby quickly calms down, takes the breast and begins to eat. If your newborn is crying loudly, you can first offer him a pacifier and only after a few minutes start feeding him.
- Mom's stress. In the first year of life, a child reacts very sharply to the emotional state of his mother. If she is excited, upset about something, or experiencing stress, the baby will probably eat restlessly, often abandoning the breast.
Advice: if the mother is in a good mood and calm, she will always have a sufficient amount of milk and the baby will eat it with pleasure. In a stressful situation, hormones prevent milk production, which deprives the baby of tasty food. Before feeding, the mother should calm down, tune in to a positive emotional wave and begin feeding the baby in a peaceful state.
Intestinal diseases
Why isn't my baby gaining weight? The cause of this phenomenon may be intestinal diseases. Usually this problem occurs in children who are on mixed or artificial feeding. But in breastfed babies, usually only colic occurs. But they do not affect weight gain in any way, only the general condition of the baby.
What to do in this case? First, find out what intestinal disease occurred in the child. And then cure him. If the cause is artificial mixture, it must be changed. It is advisable to select the next food for the baby with the pediatrician who is observing the newborn. He will definitely help you decide.
Usually, it is worth sounding the alarm and raising suspicions about the presence of intestinal diseases when the child is not gaining weight. But at the same time he must also lose it. This is the symptom that accompanies intestinal diseases in children. Therefore, there is no need to immediately panic. It's not a fact that everything is as serious as it seems.
How much should a child weigh
Having heard a similar question from a mother, any pediatrician will first of all examine the child. If the baby is cheerful and active, has silky pink skin and age-appropriate development, then most likely the worry is in vain. If the child has health problems, then poor weight gain will be just one of the symptoms, along with lethargy, dry skin, low mobility, abnormal blood composition, etc.
Previously, when monitoring the weight gain of infants, regardless of the type of feeding, pediatricians used the standards of the World Health Organization, based on observation of children on artificial nutrition. Of course, many children on breastfeeding lagged behind these norms in their development. But already in 2006, new standards were introduced, developed specifically for babies on breastfeeding, allowing to control weight gain from birth to 5 years of age. In order to find out how much a baby should weigh at his age, the mother needs to check the new table provided by WHO for children on breastfeeding. It indicates the lower and upper limits of mass for both girls and boys. It should be noted that excess weight can also be a symptom of certain health problems in the baby, so you should carefully monitor not only its underweight, but also its excess. It should also be noted that the standards given in the table are advisory in nature. Therefore, doctors can focus on them, taking into account the individual characteristics of the baby.
In many Western countries, doctors do not control the weight gain of infants up to one year at all, but only the general condition and age-related development of the child. If the issue of weight is raised, it is usually in connection with the baby’s tendency to obesity. That is, underweight in a child with normal, age-appropriate development is not considered a problem at all among pediatricians.
In order to make sure that there are no pathologies, the symptoms of which are poor weight gain in a child, you can undergo additional examination by specialists, which will help to identify and promptly eliminate existing deviations.
Heredity
Is your baby not gaining weight well? To be honest, this is not always a reason to panic. In some cases, a deviation from the norm can be considered normal. Yes, modern doctors immediately talk about the baby’s health problems, but in reality this is not the case.
Genetics and heredity also played a role in the formation of the newborn’s body. Thus, underweight can be inherited. That is, if the parents do not have a predisposition to be overweight, moreover, when mom and dad were also underweight, then the child may also encounter this problem.
Usually this situation does not require any additional action. It is unlikely to be adjusted. It is enough to explain to the pediatrician that the deficiency is inherited. Otherwise, you will be intimidated with disappointing diagnoses, and your child will be treated for everything that can cause our current problem.
What is not recommended to do if your child is experiencing poor weight gain?
It is important to take into account that, unlike an adult’s body, a child’s body does not store energy - it should receive the required amount of nutrients for each feeding, otherwise this may negatively affect the baby’s health.
If the weight grows slower than expected, the behavior of the baby plays an important role. A lack of the required grams in an active, vigorous baby with healthy skin and sound sleep indicates that he has enough weight gain for normal development. There is no reason to worry in such situations.
If the baby is active and feels well, the nutrition he receives is enough for him
Otherwise, you need to understand that only a pediatrician can determine the true cause of problem weight. The specialist must decide what actions to take to eliminate deviations from the norm.
In the case when a young mother notices that the toddler has stopped gaining the necessary grams, she should stop listening to experienced grandmothers and relatives. Their advice is not always correct, and instead of being beneficial, it can be harmful to the health of the baby.
A fairly common situation is when caring relatives or friends explain weight loss by saying that mother’s milk is not of very good quality or low-fat, calling it “empty.” By this we mean that it does not contain those nutrients and vitamins that are required for the normal development of the baby. However, breast milk has always been and will be the best option for baby food, because the body of a nursing woman has the ability to determine what the child lacks and to replenish a number of missing components in milk. Artificially improving the properties of milk can harm both the baby and the mother. It is advisable to simply take care of lactation so that the baby does not feel a lack of milk.
Poor appetite and overfeeding
Many mothers and fathers consider poor appetite to be the reason for not getting the desired grams. As a result, parents try to feed the child and force him to eat as much as possible, which is why the child simply spits up more and more (we recommend reading.
When a child appears in a family, many parents are faced with the problem of poor weight gain in their baby - a problem that is very relevant for the countries of the former Soviet Union. In other countries with a higher child health index, infant weight is, in principle, not a direct indicator of health status. The only thing they pay attention to in these countries is not lack of weight, but excess weight.
To reassure overly scrupulous parents, we decided to look into the reasons for underweight in infants.
Worms
In some cases, you still have to take tests to find out the true cause of the baby’s underweight. Is your child not gaining weight? Maybe he has worms! This phenomenon is usually observed in older children. In newborns this phenomenon is practically excluded.
In order for weight gain to return to normal, it will be necessary to get rid of parasites in the body. Only after treatment the child will begin to eat normally and gain weight. Therefore, it is necessary first of all to exclude worms from a number of reasons for the baby’s underweight. But don’t panic - everything can be treated, the child will be able to quickly recover after a set of procedures.
Weight gain norms
In what situations should you raise the alarm? How much weight should a child gain? Now you can find a variety of tables with standards for girls and boys. There are even special calculators - they will show how much your baby should gain per month and ultimately weigh. The main advantage of such utilities is that they take into account the baby’s growth and initial data.
However, there are certain norms for weight gain. The main breakthrough should be observed in the first months of the baby’s life. So, in 30 days over the course of six months, a child gains 800-900 grams, and then up to a year - 400. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Small errors are acceptable. But severe deviations usually cause panic and fears for parents.
Calendar for Today
Birthdays: Fairy (40) deva.vita (51) Alesya_K (35) *lapochka* (32) K@TERINK@ (35) Formula (37) Glamorous (38) serhio (40) romawka (44) Australia (34) Stelka (38) Marina2011 (38) julijul (34) FisherMan (30) Gorevuha (9) Slastёna (36) Zina (34) Pilulya (33) Irishkinsun (34) olyalya07 (38) Gri6ka (32) Liaichecose (34) ArizisaImpara ( 33) Alellaryide (32) AcateereeTync (31) derSteada (32) PlasticLilu (29) Depdyday (44) olechka_pk (38) Voicrorgocath (35) hoimmegence (33) esserring (46) eronceabe (43) igroSwap (43) KATERINA-793 ( 41) boaryroibialm88 (42) Tootoruk (37) duaphatit (42) fratabsChooro (45) Lilu-san (40) rubbish (33) frieneundSher (35) nevoterm (41) peeplishiop ( ) Cigegughima (44) kneejumbece (37) agorporalit ( 39) Loyacrapy (41) rchivemant (42) vkysnyasha (29) [email protected] @@ (34) Kalleastprits (41) ObsesG (40 AnoniLerlooge (45) lypeAlkalry (38) frurimefrinly (37) Glircuili (39) DeshaKt (36 ) nadezdaKal (37) Outlic (40) msTeathBe (39) assitaRouth (35) Baphoovewaw (40) wrockwonounty (37) AliesteideorA (37) Incemnacict (41) Blusaunlarm ) Atronlili (32) weefedoculley (42) BuckPoork (37) NewCoewsfaw (39) RITTAWW (37) hoonvelmenobE (37) BestIsolo (44) RetaElext (40) CheeteTrierve (44) Wispprupblori (36) ADeassyspara (40) Fbileissuesy (39) Buggreard (37) mnogonaroda (41) AlexStefar (32) DratTrutt (39) ) Pilinkiz (39) secretvipr (41) Steereoto (34) yalkovskay (33) Nugcoerge (41) nawoffima (39) SerrgusikSt (40) TokImmorbbok 38) erotagree (41) PessRodoRig ( Waiqueassenia (38) Fredericaiers (37) foerloott (40) Batalovii (41) BypeMulp (37) MewwetTeemn (41) Wrorcepek (37) Whesteweect (37) Tarmormkneeda (40) Siliciya (41) Aswaniacon (43) Brilov (42) Znador (45) TepMydayMet (35) elfcialis (37 ) layennyjaws (39) azovtestil (37) Necycaum (36) jessiselype (39) Empapsepask (38) Frombsmerepex (40) hackerpromail (32) Ingegoreite (42) Telnyashka (29) Olga-y (36) Occubartiar (39) DravawedNew (40 ) Lomiimmommats (34) Audiguesixdox (32) Unsureangella (33) Anskeluv (38) Blakeb (33) IgnatMatveev (34) Ellenab (38) Fredb (39) Insusy (37) cragorohode (43) mangusteer (43) bloowlvef (39) Winnieb (37) ElornKicorica (40) Demibyncriree (45) TheapyThept (39) LinsEnent (39) Stosteaposish (43) Doragegc (37) AlleltySynC (36) Delaabsestabs ) addidikeboamp (43) ComEmangE (44) MogyAppom (37) QUIEDGEVE (41 ) Patriciac (41) Sepebiapips (37) Ziscidesype (40) Phydayfeace (38) HodopeeplyZer (38) emolausp (37) Spoommugs (33) polleyfup ( VopHimiWheeme ) ReetteBeitoum (36) assotavew (39) Maydayspeta (32) Butstooxy (36) CadeOrisiorie (38) unfaftitiat (39) marusenka (32) Traulasor (43) vieseecrortut (39) urgellundinue (38) dicyGyclomo (37) lishminna (41) AlesiaK82 (38) RichardEvex (38) lubassof (36) Dekguetsfruff (36) ) Williampex (44) SoarcariHax (38) AntonrimKar (32) ya_ponochka (30) Aborriemi (37) advantjuida (34) trierty (32) unwindy (33) smeantott (33) traulty (34) Chadanins (36) snothetty (39) Thaboodia (36) brainny (33) urimiMili (40) Cilktida (38) Rornecex (45) ronlige (41) WilliamFede (44) MichaelOl (38) pornopauza.com (35) gradoft (33) Ger (33) Lucienmiz (40) GraithJah (34) VincentVam (42) DafDinnaBoite (41) risyninemen (39) Avoinoovalt (40) Charliebabs (43) Braityday (42) Anatolysa (35) AlfredSect (35) WilliamTop (40) Katerinushka V RoskapitalJUG (33) Akyonst (45) Lesterpt (35) ananevst (37) bamigaxef (42) JeffreyOl (45) Ardolab (39) JeremyTymN (44) Matthewmaxy (36) Matthewhazy (34) ACurosmogs (34) Azeddryday (41) AMeallyhemy (39) ASefspeaws (42) OL-CHA -CHA (38) ManOnDus (32) Michaeltest (45) DonaldTofe (38) Sharrongak (33) Albertbof StephenTib (45 Williipago 38 ) Spencerwef (37) Dokijanercity (38) Donaldcam (42) Cerwiqqi (45) ArthyOa (36) CharlesTamb (45) Bobertuh (43) Robertsems (45) AntonioVed (45) Zaqurika (34) HowardOi (44) JarvisHex (44) Chinana (33) PatrickNelm (40) AlfredVax (39) Zazkese (41) RobertBODE (41 ) gufyneton (45) Gloriast (39) KomfortHem (37) Candidanoca (43) Ilon4ik92 (28) MarionClab (36) Brandonmigo (42) Kate.p (29) DuglasbobEl (43) MelvinVer (43) Elizaveta Kabakova (30) PeterJUG ( 42) EasiprtTuh (41) Benitobes (39) AlbertTip (34) Voligesha (37) 201527Pa (38) Dalinkakek (41) Robertjus (34) oyatwPr (45) RonnieNuh (35) Smurfqgo (39) Robertlob (33) vgnbdxOl (32) Charlestamy (36) Harotqgy (34) Milaschot (36) IrishkiSr (36) AngeliNamb (36) Plosqkfi (39) phexplup (38) VitaliymayorovGawn (43) brianoGade (39) WilliamBiom (33) JeyPeds (37) catarina173 (33) Veron1979 ( 41) Elena Warkentin (29) RobertBed (41) [show all]
Forum statistics
1644498 Messages in 24914 Topics from 272307 Users. Last user: brigitteqv69 Last message: “Re: Gazebo MC “Eva”” (Today at 16:50) Latest messages on the forum. [Detailed statistics]
Online users
Currently on the site online: 439 Guests and 1 User. Maximum online today: 652 . All-time maximum: 21257 (08/14/2020 at 11:50).
Lure
Now it is clear exactly how much weight a child should gain by month. But there is still one more reason why problems may arise with this. If the baby was gaining weight well, and then suddenly there was a shortage, starting from 4 months, pay attention to complementary feeding. It may be entered incorrectly. Because of this, food is less digestible. And, as a result, weight problems appear.
To exclude this phenomenon, first put the baby to the breast for a short time (milk improves food absorption), then give complementary foods in small quantities. This is how you can eliminate digestive disorders.
In general, if your baby does not have any intestinal problems, he gets enough milk, but still suffers from underweight, do not panic. It has already been said that this phenomenon can be inherited. Therefore, there is no need to always sound the alarm if the child is not gaining weight.
