saain: hi dr. my daughter will be 14 months this month and she weighs 8.4kg. im concerned about her weight as she could be under weight.when she was 11 months you have advised to give cheese and butter and all those that have fat in it. i never had any problem feeding her as she loves food. but its been a week since she's been a liitle fussy about food. may be its cox she's having cold.so how can i improve her appetite and make her gain weight? and by the way she's very active too. and all the dr.s say she's taller than most of the children her age. so could this be the reasons for her not gaining weight? should i be much worried about her weight?
Hi Saain. 8.4kg at 14 months is less. If he has been "eating well" and not gaining weight it is quite likely that the food he is getting is less in calories than he needs. This must have been one reason I might have asked you to add oil/butter/cheese to meals. I do not recommend arbitrary use of Vitamin syrups or tonics for increasing appetite. It would only help if there is a Vitamin deficiency status (which in itself is not uncommon). If the weight is not improving and there is a reduced appetite, perhaps there is a need for Vitamin and calorie supplementation. I would suggest that you discuss this with a doctor while you have her assessed. I will not be recommending medications over the internet. I do not think that activity or height is a reason for low weight. Increase in height should be accompanied by growth of body - and so weight should increase. It is not about kids being thin, but being under-weight (they are not always inter-related).
In terms of diet: she needs more quantity and more calories that would translate to body growth. I think the best way forward would be to discuss these very aspects during a consultation.
