Toddler's development check-up - below average height

sarkozy

Not sure what to think here. Our toddler (19 mos.) went for his development check-up today. His weight is fine, but his height is 'a little below average'. Recently, he was hospitalised for pneumonia, and it emerged that he was 'slightly' low in iron. He's still breastfeeding, and obviously we got some things wrong with his diet.

I've been googling, but can't find anything definitive as to whether this slight iron deficiency may have affected his neight? Might he go through a spurt and catch up?

(I'm 5'11" and my wife is a good bit shorter than me.)

martinr5232

Dont be worrying about it when i brought my fella for one of those checks i came out panicing because he couldnt do what they expected of him.
Now hes three and he is absolutely flying and brains to burn so dont take too much heed of it.

The Peanut

How much is a little below average? Is he your only child and, if so, is he comparable to his siblings?

I have three kids, 2 boys are 9 and 7. The 7 year old is almost as tall as the 9 yr and that's as a result of a spurt in the last 12mths. 19mths is very young imo to be worrying about slight height issues; they tend to go through spurts at different ages.

Regarding his diet, congratulations to you wife on getting him to breastfeed to 19mth; ours never lasted longer than 6-9mths and we were delighted with that. Perhaps his diet is missing something but I would be surprised if the height issue is related to the iron. Pure opinion based upon my own kids though.

pwurple

If you're above average height, and your wife is below average height, then chances are your child will be close to average. Slightly below average is pretty close to bang on average... and nothing whatsoever to be worried about.

Pneumonia is very scary, and I understand you will be watching everything very closely after a hospital stay.

How Strange

My 4 year old was always very small until the last few months. He always wore trousers for the previous age/size snd this is the first time that he properly fits into trousers for his age group. He's grown about 14cm in the last few months and is now almost the same size as his 4.5 year old friend.

I really wouldn't worry about height at that age. My dad says my brother was always the smallest by far in playschool and junior infants. He's now 6ft tall.

bp

Also average is just that average.....my little one is way above average height wise - I was always below average until my late teens and then shot up. I wouldn't worry.

With regard diet just increase iron rich foods e.g. chick peas or red meat and fair play for bf for so long, I got to six months

Moonbeam

At the health check before my eldest started school I had 2 in the 99th percentile for height and 1 in the 9th.
There is nothing wrong with her and she was not premature but she is just naturally small.

seventeen sheep

Hmmm I really wouldn't think it would be anything to do with a slight iron deficiency, I don't think diet has any real impact on height at all (unless in cases where a child is severely malnourished.) I would think it's just your son's natural build.

By the way, my three brothers were always below average height as kids, and all three of them are all six feet plus now! My parents are both slightly below average height I think. So you can't really predict these things.

I wouldn't be concerned at all to be honest.

LegacyUser

Why do they measure this? What is it supposed to achieve? Is average the target now?!

Fredkruger2014

What else do they look for at this check up?

Fredkruger2014

Bump!

cbyrd

In every check I've ever gone to there has been a shortfall somewhere! Usually weight with mine. My older boy at 18 months and 3 (now 5) was always underweight, he eats like a horse, same with his little brother, they're slight but strong, there was always a big hooha with the phn about it. The same is being said about my new baby, otherwise perfect is only putting on 2-3 ozs per week. i have to have her weighed weekly with the gp,who now sees what i mean, she feeds well, i was told to top her up with formula after every feed, which i did, twice and she puked it up. I then went to a lactation consultant who advised pumping while feeding and giving it to her after every feed, which i did, which she would puke up cos she was already full...!!
They have boxes to tick, anything outside 'the average' gives them such a gleeful rush they immediately have to scare the bejeesus out of you, especially if you're a first time parent.
I had the phn send me to A&E the day before christmas eve with her for blood tests. They all came back negative but they wanted to keep her in anyway, 'For what?' we questioned... for observation, see how she's feeding, so take a healthy baby into hospital over christmas to watch her feed.? who's going to watch her? the nurses? when we could do that at home and bring her in for weighing! eventually they saw sense.. but she still came home with a dirty cold..
Kids don't hit targets at the same rate, for the low Iron levels, floradix, or dark leafy greens can be juiced with other veg for a more natural supplement (kiddy ones often have articficial sweetners like aspartame) I got my own iron levels up from 10.6 to 12.3 in 3 weeks by juicing. (kale, red pepper, orange, apple, pear, broccoli, celery and cucumber.) and you can all have some I wouldn't panic.