Suggestions for under weight baby

seetha · Oct 14, 2006

hi
my baby is 3 months old.her birth weight is 2.8kg.now she is 4.5kg. she is underweight. so my doc advised me to give her rice cerelac twice a day.i gave her past two days. she had loose motion today. Upto 3 months bf only. now only i started cerelac. i think if we introduce new food to baby, they get problem like this. i make a call to my doc, he told me to change to rice nestum. but i wont change bcoz it may also create loose motion.so i am continuing rice cerelac once a day.is it ok?
or i have to stop this?
how to increase my baby weight?
she is very active.
she used to turn her full but she is now trying to lift her head.
she is normal and well but weight is very low.and one more thing i also very lean.
thanks for ur replies in advance
suggest me soon with ur valuable experiences and ideas
regards
seetha

Laxmi · Oct 15, 2006

Hi Seetha

Hi Seetha
I will tell you my experience with my daughter who also had a birth weight of 2.9 kg.
One thing if the baby is below the 3 kg mark during birth then it does tend to be under weight and of course the hereditary factor do also play part. Since you were also lean probably the baby too is little under weight.
Nothing at all to worry as long as the baby is active.
But my paeditrician suggested cerelac only after the baby completed 4 months.
I gave my daughter Ragi kanji only afte she completed 3 months. I guess you must have started little early. It is better to give mother's milk and substitute with Lactogen in case mother's milk is not sufficient.
Please do consult your paeditrician before making a decision. Also when you introduce a new food start in small quantities.
Happy motherhood.

AbhiSing · Oct 16, 2006

Underweight

Dear Seetha

Just a clarification. 2.8 Kg for indian babies is not considered underweight. Literally, those babies below 2.499 Kg are considered underweight or Low Birth Weight(LBW) babies. And the weight gain in 3 months for your baby seems to be fine to me. The rice cerelac will work wonders..however keep in mind that this should not be a substitute for breast milk.

The average birth weight of babies in India is 2.6 kg.

Happy mothering!

Cheers:wave
Vijee

seetha · Oct 16, 2006

thanks for ur replies

hi laxmi and vijee,

now she is fine. after that she had normal motion. but past two days she had constipation. now i am giving cerelac once. thank for ur replies now i feel some what relaxed abt her weight.
thanks for ur opinions
regards
seetha

Ami · Oct 18, 2006

Laxmi is right, Seetha.

Hi Seetha,

Even, my son was 2.4 kg when he was born. Giving other foods when they were young will make them constipate or starts to pass loose stools. That is the reason, the doc use to suggest that mother's milk is the best, and soothing for their stomach and also helps to put on weight & improves their immunization. That too, giving cereal two times in a day, am really surprised.

Have started giving cereal only after 4 month. Until then, i was nursing and giving my kids formula only. As everyone has told, she is perfectly fine with her weight. Go slowly with her when comes to food, ok..Dont rush..It is better if you continue yr nursing until she is 8 or 9 months old for her health sake alongwith the other food.

Take care and bye..

encneha27 · Feb 10, 2013

Hi Seetha,

My daughter is also underweight and I am worrying a lot being a first time mom. She has just completed 3 months and weighs 4 kg only. Her birth weight was 2.75 kg. Activity wise she seems fine, lifts her head when on tummy but does not roll over yet. Can you please tell me how did you manage, what measures did you take to increase your baby's weight. How low weight can impact her? It will be great if you can share your experience. Thanks.

Neha