Gene testing/bone scans for short toddler
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Topic: Gene testing/bone scans for short toddler
Posted By: Mum_me
Subject: Gene testing/bone scans for short toddler
Date Posted: 16 August 2010 at 12:47pm
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DD (15months) is really short.
She is about 1cm below the bottom 1%ile for height. DH, DS (4) and I are all above average height. This concerns me, but the Paed, GP etc don't seem very concerned about it. She has other health problems (reflux, FTT and food issues) which seem to overshadow it. Both doctors say that it is too hard to get an accurate measurement at this age - but even if Plunket were undermeasuring her by 3-4cms, she would still be below the bottom 3rd%ile. I know that there are tests that can be done - Gene testing, bone scans etc. Just wondering at what point they start to take a lack of height seriously and start doing these tests. Anyone been through this? |
Replies:
Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 16 August 2010 at 1:51pm
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I personally wouldnt start to worry until she is over 2 and still no decent growth, as you might find she has a growth spurt at 2, my DS did, he shot up quite a bit, one day his size 1 pants fit him, were even a bit big and the next they were far too short.
He was always a bit of a shorty and fit size 0-1 pants for ages. |
Posted By: babylove
Date Posted: 16 August 2010 at 6:15pm
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what is her weight like? ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: Mum_me
Date Posted: 16 August 2010 at 10:30pm
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She's also very light - between the 1st & 3rd%iles
She's still wearing size 3-6months stuff (some 000 still fits too!) |
Posted By: babyg
Date Posted: 16 August 2010 at 11:18pm
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I don't know what the professionals do today but I was in this scenario myself as a wee one.
I was a chubby bubba (born just over 8lb) and tracked well above avg for my first six months and then I stopped growing and by 1yr I was under the 3rd percentile for everything. This pattern didn't change. I was placed under Paed care at 2yrs old and by 3yrs I was confirmed to have an unexplained growth retardation which had caused my bone structure to proportionately delay by 2 full years (so I had the bone structure of a 1yr old). I had full body bone scans and annual hormone injections between ages 3 and 6. Although, I was still under the 3rd percentile at age 6 the Paeds decided that I was healthy and growing proportionately so they discharged me and told my mother that I would always be a slight girl but that I would most likely continue growing a couple of years longer than other teens and would eventually be average or there-abouts. They were right ... I have always been healthy, I am slight (thin) but proportionate, continued to grow a little longer than my peers and I am rather boringly average (5ft 4in) now 
Will be interesting to hear how you get on with your DD. Best wishes for the future. ------------- Ev, Mum to: Carys Ruby - 4 October 2007 Spencer James - 2 July 2010 |
Posted By: mummyofprinces
Date Posted: 17 August 2010 at 8:50am
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DS is 2% for weight and 10% for height and our paed said while he is watching the growth he isnt concerned yet...
He is a happy, healthy wee lad who is reaching all his milestones so thats what we are focussing on for now. Still in some 000 and 3-6 month stuff here too! My paed just reminds me that the graphs are just a base for the norm and someone has to be at the top and someone has to be at the bottom... I saw a 4 year old the other day when I was at plunket whom I thought was about 6... the plunket nurse actually told me after the family left that he was 4 but was off the chart and was in the 50% for a 6 year old 
But if your instincts are telling you something isnt right then perhaps a second opinion might put your mind at ease? -------------   
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 17 August 2010 at 12:48pm
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Has she always been short?
My DS was on the 3rd percentile at birth and has now dropped to about the -5th percentile(at 3 he is the size of the average 2 year old), however he dropped then tracked along nicely, just under the chart. He has been tested for thyroid, growth hormone and coeliacs disease (he has other allegy issues to). His thyroid was fine, he is getting retested for the growth hormone as he was right at the low end of normal and the doc would like to check it again (last checked 18 months ago), but said it's unlikely to be an issue as he is actually growing, just is not on the chart, and that he is in proportion for his size. He is being tested for gluten intolerance though, but that is to do with some other issues he has but the doc did say that gluten problems can also cause growth issues but it's normally that they stopped tracking along the same line and as he was born little him still being little isn't really an issue. DH and me are both above average in height and our youngest is on the 50th percentile for everything, but still they don't think it's an issue and neither do I, my mum is barely 5 ft and my FIL is short so I guess the short genes are still in our family. The thyroid and growth hormone can be tested via blood test, as can the coeliacs and the gluten, however getting a blood test for a toddler is not that great an experience and I wouldn't do it unless you think it's totally necessary. |
Posted By: rorylex
Date Posted: 17 August 2010 at 4:29pm
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my kids are also very small for their ages, ds2 and ds4 are especially small ds2 was in 00's at 18mths, ds4 has only put on 500g in over 3mths but they were both on the big side at birth ds2 was 8lb 8oz and ds4 was 9lb 5oz i remember ds2 was still small enough to be in a capsule at 18mths.
ds4 is smaller than most 3mth olds but he seems happy and healthy, we had bloods done when he was 3mths but nothing and paeds werent worried coz he was well hydrated i tried formula thinking it was my milk but it hasnt changed anything so im feeding him again though he is on solids now and chugs it down still not much weight gain. ------------- Mummy to 4 boys Samuel - 18.6.05 Rory - 15.7.06 Mason - 13.06.08 Emmett - 24.01.10 Baby #5 - cooking |