Breastfed Children Growth Charts

Today, we went to the pediatrician. We barely ever need to go there but wanted to check in on e's weight gain merely to avoid having a CPS report filed on me for failure to comply with a follow up visit. The last time we went, the doctor was concerned about her status on the CDC charts. Now, i am aware that the CDC chart is not based on exclusively breastfed children. And, it's not based on children who eat a healthy vegan diet. Therefore, it's going to have heavier weight averages for children that do not really apply to my family. But, hey i am a mama bear and worry nonetheless...even when i know better!

Well, today, i was frustrated by a few things, mainly what the pediatrician said and did. I do not like her general disposition or the way she "handles" my children even. The nurse was kind to e and even gave her a sticker to hold while she was being weighed so she could keep her hands together instead of leaning on the table beside the scale. I did notice that she rounded down a bit for e's weight which pissed me off b/c we were there specifically to show that she had gained weight and i wanted every ounce to count! She asked if we had any concerns about her weight and i said that she is doing well. i spelled it out and said that we're careful how we talk about it in front of her. The nurse understood and said, "does she like to eat?" "well, then i wouldn't worry a bit about it!"

We prepped e that she would have her eyes and ears checked and her heart listened to. When brave e said, "are you going to check my ears?" with little patience or kindness, the ped responded with, "i already did. don't you remember?" she was not gentle when she had e stand up against the door to have her height taken. ugh!!! e was so brave and respectful of this person, even though she was not deserving of it in my opinion. on that walk into the other room for a height check, the ped saw two babes and exclaimed, "hola! wow! muy grande. muy grande!" in a praising sort of tone.

So, she gets her CDC chart out and plots e on it. e has gained almost 2 pounds since her last visit which was about 2 months ago. e was born early and tiny then. she is still slender like her family. i could go on and on about all the things that ticked me off but let me just say one that is breaking my heart for our babe. We don't let e eat lots of sweets usually but we became more lax about it when the ped encouraged us to let her eat cake and ice cream, etc. So, we did let her indulge in these things more often. When the ped looked into her mouth, she said, I think she has three cavities. Now, the bottomw rigth one has been there for a while and i know about it and talk with e about it, even. there is a little bit of one on the top right...maybe. and, on the bottom left a tiny potential of a cavity crept up over the last week! But, duh!!! She's eating way more sweets and juices! i am just kicking myself. Great that she has gained some weight but at the expense of getting more cavities? Is this worth it? and, now that e has experienced the yumminess of chocolate cake, how do we go back to avoiding it and denying her like we once did? we'll strive for moderation.

so, i have been doing some reserach partially to put my mind at rest but also for all those other parents out there and perhaps to send some research to the peds. When i mentioned that the CDC charts are not based on breastfed babies, she replied that she has seen some chunky breastfed babies. uhm, okay, yeah...look to your right at my youngest! she's probably in the 25% on those charts, even and is totally breastfed! as we were walking out, i asked exactly what percentile e falls in. as she showed me the chart, i noticed that all along the right hand side it are lists of FORMULA types/brands!!! ON THE ACTUAL CHART! When i pointed this out to her, she replied, "the forms are free. believe me, it's nice to have!" WOW. Really missing the point aren't you?

Here is the link to a reserach article comparing the actual differences between the CDC and the WHO charts. WHO Charts for baby girls up to 6 months and other info here. If you want the entire document that has the percentiles, charts and everything else, it is in the Multicentre Growth Reference Study found on this page. Please contact me if there is any way you think that I can help you with this information. I am no longer a research assistant but this information is easy enough to understand that there is a clear difference between the two charts!