What Happens If Your Baby Is Underweight?
Parents might think their baby should like the classic Gerber baby: chubby, round cheeks and arms and legs ringed with layers of baby fat. Not all babies will look like this; some will be underweight or diagnosed as a failure to thrive --- children who don't gain weight normally, according to KeepKidsHealthy.com. Though babies being underweight isn't an exact prediction of future health, an underweight child will require medical attention and monitoring. Typically, an underweight diagnosis will require dietary modifications and a thorough medical examination from your child's pediatrician.
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Medical Intervention
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An underweight diagnosis for your baby can be scary, but with proper medical attention, your child can gain weight. If your pediatrician has diagnosed your baby as underweight for her age, he probably will want to see what medical or nutritional problems, if any, are affecting her gaining weight, according to WebMD.com. This will require constant medical supervision, along with testing, diet history, social history and family history to identify why your child is underweight. The pediatrician will try to determine if there are behavioral or genetic reasons.
Your pediatrician will also review your child's growth records. Most doctors require a medical exam to rule out medical issues such as neurological, gastrointestinal, kidney or other metabolic problems that are usually revealed during lab tests.
After The Diagnosis
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The next step is to help your child gain weight with help from medical professionals such as pediatricians and pediatric nutritionists. Generally, an underweight diagnosis might require a nutritionist to develop a healthy eating program and a psychologist to see if stressors are affecting the child's eating habits.
To help your child gain weight, visit your doctor every one to two weeks until your child is eating sufficient calories and gaining weight.
Strategies To Help Your Child Gain Weight
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The main goal is to implement daily strategies to help your child eat more calories and gain weight. Feed your child small meals every two to three hours, which will encourage your child to eat more. Include healthy snacks in the child's daily eating regimen.
Have a regular meal schedule, and make meal time a fun, comfortable experience. Setting up a meal schedule will signify to your child that it is time to eat. Make meal time as enjoyable to your child as possible with a high chair and allowing your child to feed himself. Mealtime shouldn't be a battlefield but a time when you and your child can bond.
Healthy Foods To Gain Weight
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Offer healthy foods. Don't be tempted to offer your child junk food to gain weight. Instead, offer plenty of fruit, vegetables,whole grains and legumes. Healthy weight gain is best. High-protein, high-calorie foods that are high in nutrients are ideal.
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