Is it her fault her baby doesn't gain weight?

Q: My friend has a 10 month old that weighs 16 pounds. he's been 16 pounds for months now. She is always talking about how she likes him so small and tiny. And every time she comes from the doctor she braggs about his small size. Is this normal? I have heard of a condition where the mother intentionally keeps the baby from gaining weight. Has any one else heard of this and know what its called? She says 16 pounds is the 2nd percentile

A: She may be bragging out of embarrassment, to try and cover up the fact that she is really stressed out about it. There is also such condition, Munchhausen By Proxy, where a parent will intentionally create a health problem for their child, or fabricate one, in order to get attention. Or, there's a chance that it's just good ol' genetics in play, and the baby was biologically predispositioned to be small. Are the parents tiny-framed, is th baby breast-fed or bottle-fed, is the baby otherwise healthy and happy are all factors to take into consideration. Weight charts are used to measure a large volumes of infant's health, and are poor indicators of individual health. My son had a weight gain issue in early infancy, and I was worried sick. I also did everything I could to remedy it, and certainly wasn't bragging. The opposite was true, and if someone said something about my baby being small I would cry. He did overcome it, and I've learned a lot since then. In any case, the best thing you can do is remain a supportive friend who is willing to listen. If you have no reason to suspect this baby is in poor health other than it's small size, chances are, the baby is fine. In the event that mom does want to talk and voice concerns she might have previously been denying, perhaps you can be that person she opens up to. Good luck. Healthy babies come in all sizes.

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