# Is 15 lbs for a 6th month old REALLY in the 5th percentile?



## Snapdragon (Aug 30, 2007)

this doesn't seem right to me. At my baby's 6 month appointment he weighed 15 lbs. (he was 27 inches tall) They said this is the 5% for weight. This seems wrong to me some how! Is 15 lbs really so small for 6 months? He doesn't look skinny at all- he looks just perfect and eats (
and nurses mostly) plenty, and is absolutely not hungry or having issues with nursing or eating.
So did they give me the wrong figure- because the fifth percentile for weight seems like a really low figure and I would think a baby in that percentile would look noticeably skinnny, and mine does not at all. He looks just right ( according to me, and to everyone we know- no one has ever thought he is skinny) even the pediatrician said he didn't look too skinny. So I am confused!


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

My baby boy was 15 lbs. at two months, so yeah, that seems small to me at 6 months.


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## Snapdragon (Aug 30, 2007)

oh- really? maybe they were right.


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## Knitting Mama (Jan 24, 2010)

Well, I think it differs for the genders, but my daughter is 13 lbs 12 oz at 6 months old, and she has been steadily in the 10-20th percentiles since birth. So 5th does seem a little low to me.


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## prothyraia (Feb 12, 2007)

5% seems off to me.


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## jenfl (Oct 20, 2007)

The WHO charts are available here: http://www.who.int/entity/childgrowt.../en/index.html

15 lbs looks to be between the 3rd and 15th percentile.

Your ped may be using another set of charts, but the WHO is the best for breastfed babies.


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## Knitting Mama (Jan 24, 2010)

According to that chart, it looks like he's in the 10th-15th percentile-- closer to the 15th. I agree that your ped might be using the CDC charts, rather than WHO.


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## Snapdragon (Aug 30, 2007)

That is good to know! (that he may be closer to the 15th %)


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## mom2happy (Sep 19, 2009)

My DD is 5 months and 19 lbs. She has the physique of a sumo wrestler (I mean that in an absolutely gorgeous way though).
Im thinking only a month older and 4 lbs less wouldnt look skinny-probably would look average. Are you and your DP on the smaller side?


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## staceychev (Mar 5, 2005)

I don't think you can judge by appearance. My 6 month old is about 15-16 lbs and is just a peanut. But she's got the most adorable chubby thighs...







I just married into a small family, and my kids are always 15-25th percentile. But, they're short too, so they're not exactly skinny.


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## Ldogg (Aug 20, 2009)

It's funny that everyone gets different numbers! DD just had her 6 month visit, and she was 15 lbs 4 oz - our ped put that in the 31% percentile. Strange!


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## SilverFish (Jan 14, 2010)

boys and girls are on different weight charts. so that would be why a boy and girl that weigh the same are in different percentiles.

by WHO charts, your son is just under the 15th. all it means is that 85% of 6 month old boys are heavier than him... not a statement about his own size or what his body should look like. unless all babies everywhere are going to weigh exactly the same amount to the ounce, someone has to be in the 15th!

fwiw, my 7 month old dd is 15lb5oz, and doesn't look skinny at all... but if she were a boy baby, she wouldn't even be on the charts at her weight.


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## LadyCatherine185 (Aug 12, 2008)

My DS was 21 lbs at 6 months, and in the 90th % and he had lots of rolls/chunk. He was 15 lbs at 2 months old. He was also on the longer side (always in the 75th % for height until after a year old when he stopped growing so fast) so maybe your DS is just shorter and that is why he doesn't look skinny.

Just because he is in the 5th % doesn't mean he is not healthy. As long as he is still gaining and meeting milestones, I wouldn't worry.


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## octobermom (Aug 31, 2005)

I'm not sure which chart my Ped uses but my DD was 15lbs 9oz and 26 inches at her 6 month appointment (where she was actually 6.5 months) she was charted as 24% for weight and 50% for height...

Deanna


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

As long as he stays on his own curve and they don't try to feed you any nonsense about needing to supplement him or something it's all good. I'm surprised they didn't give you one of those little charts showing the percentile curves with his data plotted.


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## staceychev (Mar 5, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sapphire_chan* 
As long as he stays on his own curve











The big concern isn't one percentile ranking at a time, but if at one appointment he suddenly dramatically shot up or dropped down in percentile. So, my babies who are constantly in the 15 to 25th are fine because that's _always_ been where they were. If my sister's sons, who are always in the 90th and above dropped down to the 25th suddenly, it would be a cause for concern.


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## HonkyTonka (Nov 18, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *staceychev* 









The big concern isn't one percentile ranking at a time, but if at one appointment he suddenly dramatically shot up or dropped down in percentile. So, my babies who are constantly in the 15 to 25th are fine because that's _always_ been where they were. If my sister's sons, who are always in the 90th and above dropped down to the 25th suddenly, it would be a cause for concern.


this!


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## akind1 (Jul 16, 2009)

my son was 15 lbs 4 oz at 6 months. now at 10 months he is 18 lbs 9 oz or so (he is so wiggly on the scale, it is sometimes hard to get a good reading). He has always been on the lower end of the charts for weight and right in the middle for height.

so your son seems to be right on track to me! our ped just basically said he should double his birth weight by 6 months and triple it by a year, and he seems to be on track to do just that. (he weight 6 lbs 14 oz at birth)


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## Nicole730 (Feb 27, 2009)

I know girls and boys lists are different, but DD was 16lbs 9oz at her 6 month check up and I was told 75th percentile!!

ETA: I thought you said 16lbs...so a 1lb9oz difference is still a huge percentile jump I guess.


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## sosurreal09 (Nov 20, 2009)

DD is one and weighs 19lbs and they said shes in the 25th....


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## Carma (Feb 10, 2006)

According to this : http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/usefu...ercentiles.htm he is at 6% for weight. Not sure which chart they use. BF babies tend to grow faster up to ~6 months and slower after ~6 months compared to FF baby. So a BF baby could appear to fall of her/his curve after ~6 months, which is completely normal.

Carma


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## Adaline'sMama (Apr 16, 2010)

DD was 14.4 at her 6 month and I was told she was "just above" the 25th percentile.


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## busymama77 (Jun 16, 2009)

DS was almost 18lbs at his 6mo check up and that put him in the 60th percentile. I don't see how 3lbs could make up that much of a difference in the percentage factor. And my DS is tall, too. He measured 27 inches at the appt as well! Maybe that has something to do with it and not just the weight?


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## Deir (Aug 19, 2005)

Nora was 13lb 12 oz at 6 month appointment. The doc said she was in 10th.


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## octobermom (Aug 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sapphire_chan* 
As long as he stays on his own curve and they don't try to feed you any nonsense about needing to supplement him or something it's all good. I'm surprised they didn't give you one of those little charts showing the percentile curves with his data plotted.

I agree like I know my LO isn't the biggest kid but she has made a huge progression, shes was below the charts at birth at the 1% at a month up to the 30th by her 4th month and was down a bit to 24% at this one... BUT her height jumped from 25% to 50%... I'm pretty confident in my milk....

Deanna


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## LadyCatherine185 (Aug 12, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *busymama77* 
DS was almost 18lbs at his 6mo check up and that put him in the 60th percentile. I don't see how 3lbs could make up that much of a difference in the percentage factor. And my DS is tall, too. He measured 27 inches at the appt as well! Maybe that has something to do with it and not just the weight?

At that young of an age and low of weight, a few pounds do make a huge difference in percentiles.


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## Peace+Hope (Jul 6, 2009)

just chiming in b/c my little guy is a similar weight....

at his 6-month appointment, he was 15 lbs 9 oz, and my dr. told me 25th%.

don't know which chart she's using!

anyway, another here to say it doesn't matter unless your LO is dropping percentiles dramatically...


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## Addie (Dec 19, 2009)

That does seem small to me, but my perspective is skewed, because my only baby is way at the other end of the spectrum. He was 22.5 lbs at 6 months. To reiterate, there's nothing inherently worrisome with being about being at 5% - someone has to be the fifth percentile, just like someone has to be the ninety-ninth. There are also different charts for boys and girls.


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## Snapdragon (Aug 30, 2007)

thanks for the support.
the weird thing is that the doctor said that I should come back for a follow up appointment a month later. And that if his weight isn't increased ( to a degree they see as appropriate) he wants to do blood work on ds! huh? seems kind of aggressive, y'know- because other than that percentile there are no issues. so I will not do the blood work either way- I hope the doctor is okay with that- I really actually like my pediatrician- he is very kind. He is much more "mainstream" than I am (pro vax, all the norm of a typical doc etc) but he is also a gentle and nice person and he didn't push me on it when I said no vax's. So hopefully it will all be fine. I am not concerned about ds's well being in terms of weight- other than being confused about their concern.


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## angelpie545 (Feb 23, 2005)

Huh, my ds was almost 18lbs the last time we weighed him (at 6 months old, he's almost 7 months now) and he was in the 50% percentile. That was at WIC, and I'm not sure what charts they use.


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