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A child age 2.5 was since birth been from 85th to 90th percentile in height, but a bit thin, so arould 50th percentile. He has no major medical issues. He went to live with his aunt at age 2.5. The aunt said he had all kinds of allergies, milk, cheese, sugar, so shouldn't eat a lot of things he had been eating. The mother never noted such issues. This aunt insisted to the mother not to give him milk, cheese, soda, or candy, because it had terrible effects on him. So she didn't, until a couple months ago. While under the aunts care for 8 months the childs growth greatly slowed. His height percentile dropped from around 87th to about 55th. And after the mother cared for the child, returning him to milk, cheese, candy, etc, his height shot up. My friend was in an accident and could not care for her child and gave funds for her sister to do this, but it doesn't seem it worked out. I am wondering if it is normal at all for a childs growth to fall so much.
Is it normal? Sure, if they aren't eating properly, they won't grow properly...google Failure to Thrive.
Sounds like that Aunt has control issues and was using food to control the child. Unless that child was diagnosed by their doctor as having an allergies/issues to these foods, there's not reason they shouldn't eating them.
I agree that a child this age shouldn't be eating candy and drinking soda, but it has nothing to do with allergies and everything to do with their teeth and sugar consumption.
If the mother was smart she'd keep this aunt away from her child and would continue to feed him/her a well balanced diet. If, God forbid, she finds herself in that position again, she needs not to seek out the Aunt. Maybe you could help her??
Thanks for your anwer. I agree with you Kim in Fl. Soy milk was supposedly substituted, but the boy was a big fan of cows milk, so I could imagine that he wouldn't be likely to use it as a substitue for milk in nearly the same volume.
The slowing of height and weight was a hard thing to pick up on as it was happening, because of how his routine check ups were scheduled. There was a gap of 4 or 5 months between appointments, so that the large drop in percentile wasn't recorded till a couple weeks before he stopped being under the aunts care.
The boy is a big eater. He will ask for at least 6 meals a day and will get that from his mom, but I don't know about the aunt.
Anyway, he's going to the doctor in a few days to get a medical opinion on this and to see if any allergies can be tested for or put on record that he does not have certain allergies.
I can remember years back when a child could not digest cow's milk, goat milk was used. SOY is the worst for anyone. My grandson drank a lot of milk and still does but his mother buys organic milk and this 17 yr old is 6 4" and a tournament vollyball player. This boy has always been a picky eater, but changing as he becomes more and more social and exposed to all kinds of friends and foods. Some parents are very into raw milk and there is tons of info on raw milk and raw dairy products. It takes work.
Jaminhealth, I remember about goat milk too being in grocery stores. The boy isn't actually allergic to cows milk though, I'm pretty certain. I'll do some research on milk. He's now drinking whole cows milk instead of 2% to help put on some weight.
I'm watching him this morning and afternoon. He's had 2 bowls of cereal, toast, a pear, a bowl of grapes, chicken nuggets and a glass of milk in 6 hours. He asks for something to eat about every hour. I guess he's going though a growth spurt, but he eats like that at least half of the time.
Adolescents NEED the nutrients and fats in milk and unless there is some kind of intolerance, they need to drink it on a regular basis. We are mammals and by definition adolescent mammals need milk. Make sure it is whole milk and not any reduced fat milk.
The first years of children's lives will make a big difference later on so this is important.
I wouldn't worry too much about a child's height at this age. Some kids don't start growing till the teen years or even later till the age of 21 but if they don't get proper nutrition this will never happen.
Adolescents NEED the nutrients and fats in milk and unless there is some kind of intolerance, they need to drink it on a regular basis. We are mammals and by definition adolescent mammals need milk. Make sure it is whole milk and not any reduced fat milk.
The first years of children's lives will make a big difference later on so this is important.
I wouldn't worry too much about a child's height at this age. Some kids don't start growing till the teen years or even later till the age of 21 but if they don't get proper nutrition this will never happen.
No, we do not 'need' milk beyond a certain age (birth to weaning off of breast milk) and certainly do not 'need' cows milk.
Human milk is totally different...that is a milk that is designed for human consumption. Cows milk is designed for cows and we don't 'need' it....we drink it because we like it. We are the only mammals that drink 'milk' beyond weaning age...and it's a choice, not a necessity.
Adolescents NEED the nutrients and fats in milk and unless there is some kind of intolerance, they need to drink it on a regular basis. We are mammals and by definition adolescent mammals need milk..
I see it both ways on dairy, past age 2. I don't want to compare people to other mamals. As for myself, I loved milk and cheese as a child and ate/drank a lot of it. I have had only one cavity in my adult teeth and I am taller than my siblings. I'm the only child in my family who had a lot of dairy growing up. There are substitues, but for a young child who loves cows milk,they aren't going to consume nearly enough soy milk to make up for the cows milk they loved to drink. I have never poured myself a tall glass of soy milk, but all through my adulthood, I'd drink a glass or two of cows milk in a day if I had it on hand. You could argue that soy milk or other substitutes are as good or better than cows milk, but a kid is not going to drink them if they want cows milk. So we are arguing theory vs. the actual consumption.
Back to real life. The boy has been drinking cows milk for the last 2 months, with cereal and in a glass 3-4 times a day and eats cheese too. He put on 4 pounds since his last doctors appointment 3 months ago. That's more weight than he gained in the entire year before that.
No, we do not 'need' milk beyond a certain age (birth to weaning off of breast milk) and certainly do not 'need' cows milk.
Human milk is totally different...that is a milk that is designed for human consumption. Cows milk is designed for cows and we don't 'need' it....we drink it because we like it. We are the only mammals that drink 'milk' beyond weaning age...and it's a choice, not a necessity.
My daughter was average size when she was born, and her percentiles declined after birth. I nursed her until she was almost 2. Family constantly said she looked like a Plucked Chicken and to give her Formula and more food. That was back in the day when infants were given solid food at 4 months old. Her Pediatrician said to me to look in the Mirror when I told him what family as saying. I was 5'1" and barely 100 lbs.
Contrast this to my Grandsons who were both very big Newborns and had high percentile ranges. Their percentiles decreased after birth. Lack of Cows Milk (breastfed) and Food? Parents not feeding them right? How about TWO short and thin parents? They are becoming what their genes meant them to be, not malnutrition. If all the other vital signs are fine and they are healthy, FORGET these percentiles.
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My daughter was average size when she was born, and her percentiles declined after birth. I nursed her until she was almost 2. Family constantly said she looked like a Plucked Chicken and to give her Formula and more food. That was back in the day when infants were given solid food at 4 months old. Her Pediatrician said to me to look in the Mirror when I told him what family as saying. I was 5'1" and barely 100 lbs.
