The 21st century society is obsessed about physical appearance and fitting in. It’s not surprising that parents would be concerned if their baby was growing or losing weight, especially if it’s a very skinny baby.
But not all Skinny Baby are necessarily malnourished
Some babies are genetically slim and have a rapid metabolism. Their body mass index will not rise regardless of how much they are fed.
It’s just how nature works sometimes. Some children don’t get that chubby look as young, but it doesn’t make them unhealthy.
If both the physical and genetic conditions look almost identical, how can you tell if your afford baby is genetically skinny or lean?
Continue reading to learn the differences between them and how you can remedy the situation.
Are You a Skinny Baby Mom?
There are many reasons why a child may be a little too small around the waist.
It is easiest to find out the reason by taking your child to the doctor to check if the growth curve matches the official growth charts.
The World Health Organization (WHO), created these growth charts to help parents track their babysitting jobs growth.
They are so well documented, even the Center for Disease Control (CDC), recommends that they be used for a correct diagnosis.
These charts can be used from newborns to two-year-olds
These statistics are determined by taking your baby’s weight and age (on a monthly basis) into consideration, placing them on an axis, and then figuring out where they meet.
This will give you the baby’s weight percentile, which you can use to determine if it is over or below the norm.
Because they have different growth rates, there are two charts: one for boys and one for girls.
This is especially important if you have both a boy or a girl.
Children under 2 years old should not use the BMI (body mass index) to determine if your baby is healthy.?
How to determine if your little one is underweight or not?
A pediatrician can help you determine if your baby girl or boy is healthy in terms of weight.
There are many online resources that provide WHO charts information, but a visit to a pediatrician and your family doctor will help determine more than the weight of your child.
A general physical can be done to ensure everything is in order and to determine if there are any underlying medical issues.
There are many factors that influence a child’s weight in the first two years
1. Genetics
- Like every individual, genetics plays a major role in our growth.
- A baby can be skinny muscle or chunky depending on its parents.
This is something that is out of the control of parents. It’s mostly the combination of genes that create a beautiful little person. These genes will determine his metabolism.
Sometimes, even with regular formula-feeding or breastfeeding, your child may end up processing breast milk or formula at a slower rate than another child.
2. What is the difference between formula-fed and breastfed babies?
- Your baby’s diet could play a significant role in whether they are overweight or obese.
- Breastfeeding can lead to a slight underweight in children. This is due to issues such as an imbalanced foremilk/hindmilk, issues with the supply of milk, and the mother’s diet.
- The risk of infantile lactose intolerance can also be a concern that could complicate weight gain.
- A baby who is bottle-fed with baby clothes formula will be able to maintain a consistent eating pattern.
- It is possible for your baby to gain more weight due to the consistency of their eating habits and the formula’s ingredients.
3. Low birth weight
The child’s birth weight is a guideline for his weight in the future.
If your child was born with a low birthweight and there weren’t any other complications, such as premature delivery or anything else, it will usually stay that way for a while.
This may seem to be a common problem, but it can also happen in some cases. Your doctor will best be able to diagnose the problem so that you can correct it before more complications occur.
Helping a Skinny Baby Lose Weight
This is a common problem, but there are some simple solutions to help a baby who is a little underweight. These are some of these options that your doctor may suggest:
1. Increase the frequency of your feeds
- This is the most popular solution.
- If your baby isn’t losing enough weight, it could be that he isn’t eating enough.
- The solution to this problem is to feed your baby more often, if you can, to replenish the nutrients.
- A few drops of baby formula can be helpful for moms who breastfeed often but don’t have enough to meet the demand.
- Formula-fed babies will be able to use formula even if they have a potential lactose intolerance.
2. Variety is better
Your child has reached the age of at least one year and is now eating solid food. The problem may lie in the food you are offering.
- You might find your baby doesn’t like the taste or texture of certain foods. Your baby may gain weight slowly as a result.
- Doctors will often recommend that you introduce more variety to your baby’s diet.
- This will give you a wider selection of foods and allow you to choose the best for your baby.
- They might also suggest that children eat more nutritious foods in smaller quantities. This trick will allow them to entice their brains into thinking they are eating less.
- Active and engaging feeding times, such as the choo choo train or the plane tactic, are also helpful.
Always remember that your doctor is your best friend
- A baby who is chubby or thin could be a sign that there is a serious health problem.
- Many serious conditions can be prevented if you seek the right medical attention at the right time.
- It is important that you always trust your child’s pediatrician with these types of issues. They are the ones most likely to have the solution.
- A live diagnosis can be performed for your baby bags boy/girl to pinpoint the cause and determine how best to treat it.
- It doesn’t necessarily mean that every advice available online will work for your child.
- The majority of advice that you will find online is general in nature and won’t work for every case.
You might be a little exception to the rule Skinny Baby
- Doctors are trained to assess and treat your child.
- You should treat any information you find on the internet as a guideline, not the absolute truth.