I think my toddler is underweight. What should I do?
Medically reviewed by Dr Pankaj Vohra, Paediatric gastroenterologist
Written by Diane Rai
First you need to find out whether your toddler is actually underweight or whether you just think he should weigh more or feel like he hardly eats.
Ask your paediatrician to measure your toddler's height and weight. She can use the measurements to confirm whether your toddler is a healthy weight or not.
The doctor will take into account your toddler's previous growth pattern, his weight at birth and his height. She will plot your child's measurements on a growth chart to check that he is growing well over time. If your child is growing along his growth curve, your doctor will probably tell you there is no cause for concern.
If your doctor does say that your child is underweight, there is no real risk to his health or development, unless there is an underlying illness that is causing him to lose weight. If your doctor notices a change in your child's growth pattern, she might want to investigate further to understand what might be causing it. Your doctor will need to maintain and plot your child's growth chart regularly, so ask how often she needs to see your child for growth check-ups.
Most doctors also recommend that preschoolers take deworming medicine once a year to prevent a worm infection. A worm infection can lead to loss of weight if not treated in time.
Your child may also lose weight if he's been ill, perhaps from a tummy bug or other illness. Having diarrhoea may mean your toddler doesn't absorb the nutrients he needs into his bloodstream, so he loses weight. If this is the case, your toddler will get back to his normal weight within a couple of weeks of getting better.
Other illnesses can lead to weightloss but often they are associated with symptoms that will help the doctor to diagnose and treat the illness.Unexplained, sudden weightloss will need further investigation.
Your doctor will check your child's diet as well. Toddlers have small tummies and are really active but their appetite usually meets the needs of the body.
You can discuss your toddler's feeding concerns with your doctor. Many mums feel that their child doesn't eat enough. Instead of worrying about the quantity of food your child eats, focus on the quality. Give your child a variety of fruits, vegetables, cereals and good sources of protein and iron.
Also ensure he gets between 350 and 400 ml of milk per day. If you give your child a balanced and varied diet, even if he doesn't eat much, he is likely to be getting the nutrients he needs.
Toddlers tend to be notoriously fussy eaters so your doctor might prescribe a multivitamin supplement that ensures he gets the nutrients he needs to develop well. Or she might just prescribe an iron supplement if your toddler is vegetarian.
Only give supplements if your doctor has advised you to. Supplementing with iron when you don't need to can cause problems. For example, too much iron can interfere with how your toddler's body absorbs other minerals. Excess iron can also cause constipation, which may put your toddler off eating, making the problem worse.
You can help your toddler to enjoy food and eat well by encouraging him to feel relaxed at mealtimes. Try not to put pressure on him to eat. It's more likely to put him off than encourage him.
Try to have regular mealtimes and snack times. Whenever you can, eat at a table, as a family. Remove any distractions by turning off the TV, putting away phones, video games or tablets. Limit meal times to about 30 minutes and if your child doesn't want to eat any more, remove the food and give it again at the next meal.
If your child hasn't eaten much at one meal, he will compensate by eating more the next. But don't give him desserts or foods he likes that are low in nutrition just to fill him up if he hasn't eaten much. This will encourage fussiness
A good way of keeping a track of the foods your child eats and ensuring he is getting a good variety of foods is to use a meal plan. You can follow our toddler meal plans or create one of your own.
Read more on:
Ask your paediatrician to measure your toddler's height and weight. She can use the measurements to confirm whether your toddler is a healthy weight or not.
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If your doctor does say that your child is underweight, there is no real risk to his health or development, unless there is an underlying illness that is causing him to lose weight. If your doctor notices a change in your child's growth pattern, she might want to investigate further to understand what might be causing it. Your doctor will need to maintain and plot your child's growth chart regularly, so ask how often she needs to see your child for growth check-ups.
Most doctors also recommend that preschoolers take deworming medicine once a year to prevent a worm infection. A worm infection can lead to loss of weight if not treated in time.
Your child may also lose weight if he's been ill, perhaps from a tummy bug or other illness. Having diarrhoea may mean your toddler doesn't absorb the nutrients he needs into his bloodstream, so he loses weight. If this is the case, your toddler will get back to his normal weight within a couple of weeks of getting better.
Your doctor will check your child's diet as well. Toddlers have small tummies and are really active but their appetite usually meets the needs of the body.
You can discuss your toddler's feeding concerns with your doctor. Many mums feel that their child doesn't eat enough. Instead of worrying about the quantity of food your child eats, focus on the quality. Give your child a variety of fruits, vegetables, cereals and good sources of protein and iron.
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Toddlers tend to be notoriously fussy eaters so your doctor might prescribe a multivitamin supplement that ensures he gets the nutrients he needs to develop well. Or she might just prescribe an iron supplement if your toddler is vegetarian.
Only give supplements if your doctor has advised you to. Supplementing with iron when you don't need to can cause problems. For example, too much iron can interfere with how your toddler's body absorbs other minerals. Excess iron can also cause constipation, which may put your toddler off eating, making the problem worse.
You can help your toddler to enjoy food and eat well by encouraging him to feel relaxed at mealtimes. Try not to put pressure on him to eat. It's more likely to put him off than encourage him.
Try to have regular mealtimes and snack times. Whenever you can, eat at a table, as a family. Remove any distractions by turning off the TV, putting away phones, video games or tablets. Limit meal times to about 30 minutes and if your child doesn't want to eat any more, remove the food and give it again at the next meal.
Advertisement | page continues below
A good way of keeping a track of the foods your child eats and ensuring he is getting a good variety of foods is to use a meal plan. You can follow our toddler meal plans or create one of your own.
Read more on:
- Dealing with a sweet tooth
- Your child's timeline: when milestones happen.
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