Help! My Baby is Not Gaining Weight

Weight gain is never something we like to share, until we have a newborn. Then, you may feel the need to shout out your baby’s weekly weight gains or post it online every time there is a weigh in. After all, a baby that is gaining weight is a baby that is thriving an that is healthy. But what happens if you are doing everything right but your baby is still not putting on weight? This can be an extremely stressful time in your life and often the best way to determine the solution, is to find out the reason why this is happening.

Keep in mind that not all babies will grow exactly how the growth charts depict. In general, as long as your baby remains around their line (or above it), then all is well. For example, your baby may have been born in the 25^th percentile but has now moved up to the 50^th percentile. This is nothing to be concerned about. However, if your baby started on the 25^th percentile and is now in the bottom 5^th  then this could raise some concern.

Confirming the Problem

Most doctors and child health nurses are pretty good at catching babies that are unable to gain weight. It is advisable that you have your baby weighed at least once a week for the first few weeks and then once a month for the first year. If you or your doctor confirms that your baby is not putting on the weight that is desired, then there could be a number of reasons why:

• Breastfeeding troubles- falling asleep before let down, poor sucking reflux, lack of milk production
• Lactose intolerance and milk intolerance
• Diarrhoea
• Reflux
• Cystic fibrosis
• Heart disease
• Celiac disease
• Endocrine disorder

What Can Be Done

If your baby is diagnosed as being ‘underweight’ or with the awful term ‘failure to thrive’, then you can expect a follow-up visit with the doctor. You may need to go through:

• Additional tests blood tests and ultrasounds may confirm a condition or disease that is causing this problem
• Change of Diet your baby may need to switch to a special type of formula and bottle feed. In some instances, if you are breastfeeding you may need to switch to formula for some or all of the feeds to ensure that they are getting enough. You may also need to cut back on your intake of certain foods, such as dairy or soy and see if this makes the difference. After all, what you eat, your baby eats as well.
• Special Foods if your baby has started on solids then some doctors will recommend adding butter to the purees and minced mixtures. That way they are getting extra calories when they eat.
• Extra Feeds you may also need to give your baby more bottles or breastfeeds than they want. For example, if they are feeding only every four hours without a feed through the night, you may have to wake them up during the night to dream feed and feed them every two hours during the day.

The good news is that most of the time, the problem will be due to feeding, food intolerance or an upset stomach. However, if the issue does have something to do with a disease or condition, then it is important to diagnose it early.