What Could Be the Reasons Behind a Baby Not Gaining Weight? Mithila is looking at the smiling, healthy baby on the diaper packet, wondering how her newborn could achieve such health! Her baby currently weighs less than at birth, causing great concern for Mithila and her family.
Before new mothers like Mithila become alarmed, it’s important to know that a healthy, full-term breastfed newborn typically loses 7 to 8 percent (or a little more) of their birth weight in the first few days. By the time they reach 2 weeks of age, most newborns have regained their birth weight. By the end of the first year, their weight will normally triple. Sometimes, a Baby Not Gaining Weight as expected. In today’s article, we will discuss why a baby’s weight might not be increasing and how to address the issue.
Reasons Why a Baby Not Gaining Weight
Feeding the newborn every few hours, changing diapers, and enduring sleepless nights, you suddenly realize that a couple of weeks have passed, and your baby’s weight is not increasing. To help your baby gain weight, they must consume more calories than their body needs. Three reasons why a baby’s weight might not be increasing are:
- The baby is not consuming enough calories.
- The baby’s body is not absorbing the calories consumed.
- The baby’s body is burning calories at a higher rate.
Not Consuming Enough Calories
Healthy, full-term, breastfed babies typically nurse every 2 to 3 hours. Formula-fed babies need 1.5 to 2 ounces of formula every 3 hours. As their stomachs grow, the feeding times extend, but some babies may not get the necessary calories. You might wonder why this happens.
Sleeping Baby
Newborns may sleep deeply, so if you try to wake them or keep them awake, they may resist, become cranky, kick off blankets, or ease the swaddle or diaper for comfort. Sometimes, infants may not intake sufficient calories due to sleeping, which can be a concern.
Baby Not Gaining Weight Learning Effort
It’s important for children to learn feeding, breathing, and swallowing. Some may take a little more time than others to grasp these skills. Make sure they feel deeply connected with you during feeding times, especially when breastfeeding, as it’s crucial for their well-being.
Starting Solid Foods is Difficult
Pediatricians recommend starting solid foods after 6 months of age. Even after starting solid foods, most of their calories should come from breast milk or formula during the first year. Sometimes, weight gain may slow down when introducing solid foods. Ensure that your baby continues to breastfeed or consume formula frequently while also eating other foods regularly.
Read More: Top 5 Nutrient- Foods to Supporting Healthy Weight Gain in Children
The baby’s body not absorbing the calories consumed
Research has shown that this can happen due to the following reasons:
Food Allergies and Sensitivities
A small number of children have food allergies or intolerances. If you suspect your child has an allergy, seek medical advice immediately. Foods like gluten and dairy products can be difficult to digest for food-sensitive children and may irritate their intestines, leading to diarrhea. If you are breastfeeding and your child has sensitivities, you might want to change your diet to see if it stops the diarrhea. If the baby is formula-fed, consider trying a different formula.
Jaundice
Research has shown that children with severe jaundice are more likely to lose weight. Some children require additional calories because they metabolize the calories they consume quickly.
Premature Babies
Babies born before 37 weeks require more calories than full-term babies.
Breathing Problems
Children experiencing respiratory issues often require additional calories due to the extra effort they expend to breathe and the need for tissue repair.
Heart Disease
Research shows that children with heart disease expend 40% more energy. If they are starving, they struggle to gain weight.
Concerns About Healthy Weight Gain
Trying to determine whether your child is gaining enough weight can be a cause of concern for you. As a parent of a newborn, you have plenty of options each day to think about without stress regarding each feed. The first step to relieve this worry is to take your child for regular check-ups with a healthcare provider.
Breathing Problems
In monitoring a child’s normal growth, pediatricians use growth charts. The weight gain of a healthy breastfed boy or girl varies at different rates. Breastfed babies typically gain weight more gradually in comparison to formula-fed infants during their first year of life.
If you are feeding your child breast milk, it’s recommended to measure their growth against the World Health Organization’s (WHO) growth standards chart because these charts reflect the growth patterns of breastfed infants accurately. Pediatricians also inform mothers that if a child urinates six or more times within a 24-hour period, it indicates they are in good health.
Success in Failure
When babies don’t gain enough weight, their overall growth and development suffer. In this case, they may not grow as tall as they should and may be delayed in acquiring skills such as walking. Their growth may be similarly affected.
How to help your Baby Gain Weight
The first step is to eliminate the problem that is preventing your baby from getting the calories he needs. If your child has difficulty swallowing, vomits between meals, or appears to have food allergies, reflux, or diarrhea, contact a pediatrician.
Also, if you think the baby isn’t getting enough breast milk, don’t worry; there are tricks to increase it. Keep the baby close to you, breastfeed every hour or two and rest. Take enough food and drink yourself. It will increase milk production.
Remember, before stressing about the baby’s weight, check if the baby is healthy. If the children are healthy and growing at a certain pace, you don’t need to worry about whether they are fat and tall. The child is moving at the right pace. May all children smile in their mother’s arms.
