Is your baby’s weight a concern, and are you wondering, is my baby too skinny?
Parenthood has lots of concerns, from your baby’s health to what they can eat and what toys are safe for them when playing?
Among the many questions parents have about their baby’s weight, whether the baby is skinny tends to top that list.
Your worry could be out of fear of what others think about your baby, or the baby is having a health problem, and you are worried that weight is deteriorating.
Whichever the reason, we will help you figure out the answer to, is my baby too skinny?
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Is My Baby Too Skinny
For many people, babies are supposed to be cute, cuddly, and chubby.
However, this may not necessarily be such a good thing.
Research has shown that larger babies are more prone to having developmental problems and are at risk of suffering from obesity as adults.
A skinny baby is likely to raise some eyebrows and have people asking insensitive questions, like if you feed them enough.
However, this is not the only reason that your baby may be skinny.
Genetics play a huge part in that, and your baby will likely be leaner and weigh less than others of the same age.
It doesn’t mean that they will eat any less than other chubbier babies of the same age.
In fact, they may even eat more while maintaining a lean physique.
Your baby may also be skinny because you are feeding the baby the wrong diet.
It merely means that the food they’re eating doesn’t contain enough nutrients to keep them at a healthy weight.
Some disorders, like down syndrome and cerebral palsy, can also cause affect your child’s weight.
However, this is not usually a problem as long as you work with your baby’s doctor to come up with a special diet for them.
Is my baby too skinny?
When a baby is skinny, it can be quite stressful for the parents, who might not know what to do about it.
You may be tempted to keep weighing your baby all the time so that you can know of any weight gain immediately.
For the most part, a skinny baby is a normal occurrence that needs not cause you sleepless nights.
However, this is how you’ll know that your baby is too skinny and there’s a problem:
- If they are always tired and irritable. It may mean that your baby is underfed or not getting the nutrients they need. An underfed baby will also have an aversion to food after a while, and it will be tough to get them to latch onto a bottle or breast during feeding time.
- A healthy baby’s diapers should regularly be full and wet. They should also have several bowel movements daily and not be constipated. If that’s not the case, that may mean that your baby is not eating right.
- If your baby is not hitting developmental milestones at their age, like sitting and walking.
It is important to involve a doctor if you start worrying is my baby too skinny.
This way, the doctor can examine the baby and diagnose any underlying conditions.
Once the doctor identifies the problem, the doctor will help you develop a solution that works.
For most parents, the trick is just changing the baby’s diet to get the right nutrients and increase feeding times.
At the end of the day, worrying that your baby is too skinny will stress you out for nothing if you don’t involve a pediatrician who will be able to give you a professional opinion.
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Iesha is a loving mother of 2 beautiful children. She’s an active parent who enjoys indoor and outdoor adventures with her family. Her mission is to share practical and realistic parenting advice to help the parenting community becoming stronger.
