Little baby - any reason to worry?

I wouldn't worry. She will change her eating/drinking habits monthly if not more. Babies know what they want and she may just not want milk right now. Try some diluted juice and water with meals. She might just need something else to go with food for a while. Imagine drinking milk all the time. It would get old. As long as she is growing don't worry- growing slowly still counts. At his 12 month apt mine only weighed 18 lbs (15th percentile) but doc siad it is normal for him. Also all I can get him to eat the last 2 weeks is lunchmeat and cheese sandwiches . I figure 3 out of 4 food groups will do. lol. He will go back to eating other stuff when he's ready.

Something im very interested in is primordial dwarfism, and why this most likley is not the case because of how rare this condition is...it would still be good to read on and check it out... ill

give you a list of symptoms I found.primordial babies are small while in the womb, as well as after unlike other dwarfs who are born at regular sizes.

from about.com : The first symptom of primordial dwarfism is the failure of the fetus to grow normally in the womb, a condition called intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). The pregnant woman notices that her belly is not getting much bigger over time. At birth, the infant with primordial dwarfism very small, usually weighing less than 3 pounds (1.4 kg) and is less than 16 inches in length. Often, the infant is born prematurely at about 35 weeks’ gestation. He or she is fully formed and proportional, but very tiny. But they are not always born premature.

After birth, the child grows extremely slowly, and remains far behind his/her age mates in weight and height. The child develops:

Change in body proportions - the head grows more slowly than the rest of the body (microcephaly) and bones of the arms and legs shorten
loose joints with occasional dislocation or subluxation of the knees, elbows or hips
characteristic facial features associated with the particular syndrome; in MOPD II, prominent nose and eyes, abnormally small or missing teeth, and a high squeaky voice
spine problems such as curvature (scoliosis)

Okay...its me again: Since this condition is VERY RARE its COMMON to get the WRONG diagnosis! Things such as poor nutrition, a metabolic disorder, or a digestive disorder may be diagnosed instead, and the right diagnosis might not be made until more times passes and it becomes more noticable. X-rays will show changes in bones also, such as thinning or widening.

There are no treatments for this condition and still no one knows why this happens!

you can get more info @: www.primordialdwarfism.com , which has profiles of primordial children. Or, go to www.littlekenadie.com (kenadie is my favorite primordial! her story inspires me) good luck...your in my prayers.

Jodi, my melissa weighed 5lbs 4oz when she was born, when she was 8 she was the size of an average 5 year old, now she is 5' 4" and 135 lbs at 17, I wouldn't worry, if her doctor isn't worried. Some babies are just petite, and that isn't all that unusal. My Mechaela didn't crawl till she was 9 months old, my others were walking by then, I worried, her doctor didn't, and other than late crawling she has been right on track for everything else. And mom is right about the eating habits, they will not starve themselves, so just keeping offering lots of nutritious foods. If you are really worried, make and appointment and let your pediatrician reassure you. ;=)

I have seen your little girl and she is not a primordial dwarf and she doesn't have any type of dwarfism. So don't freak out. If she had those you would know by now.

Yes...i didnt meant to freak you out with my answer if it did...

its a very rare condition...very rare....theres an estimated 400 primordial dwarfs in the WORLD. i looked at your pic just now and your baby does not have the charachteristics of this condition...all primordial dwarfs tend to look the same... if id looked at the pic before i wouldnt have commented that...but i guess its good to be aware of this stuff anyways. {your babys adorable}

good luck

I was 5lbs 3ozs when i as born and...well lets just say that only lasted until i was about 10...then my family genes kicked in and i blew up! unless you see that your baby has been gettin sick or throwing up the food she has eaten you should not worry. my first son was premature(only by a few weeks) and he was slow at doing things...he didn't sit up on his own until he was 8 months old...then gradually he began doing other things that other kids his age were doing. he is now 4 years old and doctors tell me he is very intelligent for a child his age. he hasn't started school and yet he knows more things than children who do...maybe its just something you will have to wait out. if she does have problems keeping food down you should let a pediatrician know, but only if she has lost weight or her skin has gone pale. you are her mother, so only you can know if she needs medical care...trust your motherly instincts. no one can know your baby better than you. trust your gut...there are many times when doctors can't diagnose anything because they have never seen anything like that...or the symtoms you describe may be also symtoms of being a baby. don't let anyone tell you that there is nothing wrong if you gut tells you otherwise. if she is sick you should take her to a specialist...someone who was not reffered to you by your current doctor. this is your baby...do what you need to do to take care of her. don't be afraid if people think your crazy...things happen like this all the time.

Jodi, I wouldn't worry that she only drinks 4 ozs. at a time. My four year old never did drink 8 ozs. of formula. She is in the high end of the average for her height and middle range for her weight. Her pediatrician wasn't concerned and neither was I, because she ate when she was hungry. She was not on a set schedule for feedings but she would eat every 2-3 hours. I have a granddaughter is 1 1/2 years older than my 3 1/2 year old. When my 3 1/2 year old was a year old she was as big as my granddaughter who was 2 1/2 at that time. They are now the same size. Yes, she is big for her age and my granddaughter is small for her age. But developmentally my granddaughter was walking by herself at 9 1/2 months(she looked so funny being so small and walking) and pottie trained by the time she was a year and a half. Then again she has an older sibling. It's funny now days pediatricians don't start babies on solid food until they are 6 months old. When I had my first child 33 years ago they were started on cereal by 6-8 weeks on fruit by 3 months, veggies at 6 months, meats at 9 months and by the time they received their measle vaccine they had to be introduced to eggs to be sure they didn't have an allergy to eggs because the vaccine was grown in eggs. It sure was an eye opener when I had my last child at 45. Needless to say I never waited till my children were a 6 months to start them on solid foods, I started my 3 1/2 year old when she was 3 months, I felt she wasn't getting enough just with formula alone because she wasn't drinking but 3-4 ozs. By the way none of my children have any type of allergies or digestive problems. I think that was the reasoning for waiting till a child was at least 6 months before introducing solid foods. Just as long as she is growing gaining weight,don't worry. If there was a problem I am sure your pediatrician would have alerted you. For her height she weighs what she should. She is just petite like my granddaughter.

Genetics has alot ot do with it. If she is happy and healthy you have nothing to worry about. If she eats solid foods along with her bottle she is getting the nutrition she needs.

Our kids were very petite. My daughter gained exactly one pound between the ages of 5 and 6, could still wear her toddler swim suit when she was 5. She's finally gaining some weight (almost 10) but still petite, just the way it is I guess.

Being a guy, I know I need help with raising kids, this guide has helped: http://www.c00lstuff.com/1133/Do_s_and_don_ts_with_babies/

LOL @ PrimeTime - why don't that hand THAT out in parenting classes! If you have done 5 or more of those things does that make you a bad parent - jk!