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Infant Has Not Gained Weight In Months, Has Cereals, Vegetables. Tips To Increase Weight?
Hello Doctor, my son is 6 months and 2 weeks old. he weight just 6.9 kgs. he was born 3.3kgs and upto 3 months his weight increased 1 kg per month. after 3 months, he has not gained much weight. he eats cereals 2 times and veg s 2 times. he is not fond of fruits, and dosn t like to eat them. kindly suggest some food tips to increase his weight. Thanks in advance.
Mon, 15 Oct 2012
Hi Bhargavi,
To increase weight you have to give something that has high calorie and high protein in a growing child.
You can give fresh fruit juices like orange,mashed potato,boiled apple,idly,banana,the kanji mix powder of all cereals available in markets in south India,kichadi,etc.
But remember that as the child grows the rate of weight gain will become less because the baby starts to move and spend his energy!
To increase weight you have to give something that has high calorie and high protein in a growing child.
You can give fresh fruit juices like orange,mashed potato,boiled apple,idly,banana,the kanji mix powder of all cereals available in markets in south India,kichadi,etc.
But remember that as the child grows the rate of weight gain will become less because the baby starts to move and spend his energy!
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good evening , for a boy child at 6 months of age weighing 6.9 kgs is ok, he is well within the growth curves and percentile. do not worry. give him food in small quantities more frequently. try with multigrains and cereals mixture prepared naturally at home, avoid packed foods. try including slight amounts of ghee in his cereals. thank you.
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User's Response
Dr. Dhivya Ananth,
Pediatrician's Response
Pediatrician's Response
Hi there,
Thanks for your query.
The average weight for a baby of this age is about 7.5 kgs. So let me first reassure you that your baby is almost normal weight for his age.Secondly the rate of growth and weight gain keeps changing and one should not compare the weight gain each month. Also minor illnesses will slow weight gain temporarily till the child recovers. From 6 months of age, cereal given should be supplemented with iron. Ensure your child is not anemic by seeing your pediatrician.
You seem to be on the right track as far as his feed are concerned. Ensure that you give him cereal which contains iron as it prevents anemia and increases appetite and weight gain.Gradually add mashed potatoes, mashed peas and carrots to his diet. Also vary the cereals to make it more interesting. Babies of this age may not like raw fruits. Try boiled and pureed apples without skin, and ripe bananas. Gradually introduce yogurt by 8 months along with mashed rice, followed by rice and dhal for protein, Keep introducing your child gradually to different tastes and you will find him to be less and less fussy. By the age of 1 year, the child should be able to eat all that the parents eat at the table.
I'm sure your child is going to be a healthy eater.
Happy Parenting. Bye
Thanks for your query.
The average weight for a baby of this age is about 7.5 kgs. So let me first reassure you that your baby is almost normal weight for his age.Secondly the rate of growth and weight gain keeps changing and one should not compare the weight gain each month. Also minor illnesses will slow weight gain temporarily till the child recovers. From 6 months of age, cereal given should be supplemented with iron. Ensure your child is not anemic by seeing your pediatrician.
You seem to be on the right track as far as his feed are concerned. Ensure that you give him cereal which contains iron as it prevents anemia and increases appetite and weight gain.Gradually add mashed potatoes, mashed peas and carrots to his diet. Also vary the cereals to make it more interesting. Babies of this age may not like raw fruits. Try boiled and pureed apples without skin, and ripe bananas. Gradually introduce yogurt by 8 months along with mashed rice, followed by rice and dhal for protein, Keep introducing your child gradually to different tastes and you will find him to be less and less fussy. By the age of 1 year, the child should be able to eat all that the parents eat at the table.
I'm sure your child is going to be a healthy eater.
Happy Parenting. Bye
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Hello there,
Your baby's weight gain was adequate for the first 3 months, ie around 1 kg per month. Thereafter for the next 6 months, babies gain around 600 grams per month. Keeping that in mind, your baby should ideally have been 7.5 kg plus. However I feel he is not lagging behind much in terms of weight gain. You have not mentioned whether you are giving breast feeds or formula feeds and the frequency and quantity of the same. Since your baby is 6 months old, dont be in a hurry to introduce too many different types of food items. Always vouch for home made foods like mashed potatoes which are rich in carbohydrates and will provide high calories to your baby. You can give khichri or dal and slowly introduce some fruits like banana in paste like form. Lastly monitor his weight on a monthly basis to assess his progress. Do not panic if he is not gaining much. Some babies just take their time.
Take care.
Your baby's weight gain was adequate for the first 3 months, ie around 1 kg per month. Thereafter for the next 6 months, babies gain around 600 grams per month. Keeping that in mind, your baby should ideally have been 7.5 kg plus. However I feel he is not lagging behind much in terms of weight gain. You have not mentioned whether you are giving breast feeds or formula feeds and the frequency and quantity of the same. Since your baby is 6 months old, dont be in a hurry to introduce too many different types of food items. Always vouch for home made foods like mashed potatoes which are rich in carbohydrates and will provide high calories to your baby. You can give khichri or dal and slowly introduce some fruits like banana in paste like form. Lastly monitor his weight on a monthly basis to assess his progress. Do not panic if he is not gaining much. Some babies just take their time.
Take care.
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Hello
As age increases the rate of increase in weight decreases. Although weight gain in last 3 months has been decreased, his weight is twice of birth weight that is normal.
At this age feeding should be started in a step wise manner. You are giving cereals and veg twice that is appropriate. Add proteins ( dal) after few days and then egg, fish and meat ( if non vegetarian). Adding new feeds one by one helps in early notice of allergy to a particular item if any. Keep continuing breast feed. Add fat( butter,ghee,cheese) in each feed to increase the calorie intake.
With regards
As age increases the rate of increase in weight decreases. Although weight gain in last 3 months has been decreased, his weight is twice of birth weight that is normal.
At this age feeding should be started in a step wise manner. You are giving cereals and veg twice that is appropriate. Add proteins ( dal) after few days and then egg, fish and meat ( if non vegetarian). Adding new feeds one by one helps in early notice of allergy to a particular item if any. Keep continuing breast feed. Add fat( butter,ghee,cheese) in each feed to increase the calorie intake.
With regards
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