You may be concerned if your child is on the small side for children her age or if she stops gaining weight as rapidly as she once did. Talking to a pediatrician about your child's ideal weight range should help you determine whether your child is actually underweight before you take any steps to help her gain some.
Weight Variations
If your child is at a low weight, it doesn't necessarily mean that he has a health problem. If he has always been on the small side or if you and your partner are small, he may just be genetically predisposed to small stature, notes BabyCenter.com. Your child may also just be going through a slowed period of growth. However, the pediatrician may express concerns about your child's weight if your child has always been larger and he has stopped gaining weight altogether or if he has started to lose some weight.
Underweight
The pediatrician should regularly weigh your child and measure your child's height. She will use a formula called body mass index, or BMI, then plot the numbers on a chart to get an idea of whether your child is in a healthy body mass range for a child of her age and gender. If her BMI is under the 5th percentile, she is technically considered underweight, but further assessments such as taking a family history, asking about diet and exercise and measuring skinfold thickness will help the doctor determine whether your child's weight is unhealthy.
Failure to Thrive
Your child may be diagnosed with "failure to thrive," or FTT, if his weight doesn't match expectations based on growth charts. If his weight is below the 3rd percentile on growth charts, or if it is 20 percent under the ideal range for his height, he is at increased risk for delayed milestones, delayed social skills, delayed mental skills and -- if he is a teen -- delayed secondary sexual characteristics, according to MedlinePlus.
Causes
Doctors can't always pinpoint a cause of low weight in children, but some causes are more prevalent than others. One reason a child might be underweight is that her parents are restricting her caloric intake, because she is restricting her own intake or because her parents can't afford enough food to sustain her growth. According to KidsHealth.org, other causes include: gastrointestinal conditions such as chronic diarrhea and celiac disease; medical disorders such as premature birth or a cleft lip; infections such as urinary tract infections and parasites; and metabolic disorders.
Treatment
One way to treat problematic low weight is to remedy the underlying cause. If your child's low weight is due to a calorie-restricted diet, the doctor is likely to recommend upping your child's caloric intake through healthy sources of fat such as avocados, high-calorie dairy products or nuts and vegetable oils, notes the American Academy of Family Physicians. That process isn't always cut-and-dry, as it may involve recruiting other professionals such as a social worker, psychologist, dietitian or a health team of several professionals, depending on the reason why your child isn't getting enough to eat. If your child's low weight is due to a health problem, the doctor will take steps to treat that.
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