Guest guest Posted July 8, 2002 Report Share Posted July 8, 2002 My son seems to be shorter than other children and younger children (non-vegetarians) his age (20 months). He's been below the 50th percentile in height since birth. I'm considered tall for a woman (5'9 " ) and my husband is 5'10 " so I expected our child to be a little taller than what he is now. (I was much taller than my child when I was his age.) I was wondering if anyone else who has had this experience with a child vegan from birth, now has a child who has caught up in size with the rest of his peers. - " Sandra Mort " <sandra.mort Wednesday, July 03, 2002 10:15 AM Re: Exhausted > (I was the one who posted) > > Oh absolutely. But if it's clearly a case of not sleeping enough, that's > probably not necessary. > > Thanks anyway! > Sandra, who had a blissful 12 hour sleep on Monday night (interrupted to > nurse, of course, but STILL) and feels like a million bucks! > > > If the person who posted as " exhausted " is a nursing mother, have your > > thyroid checked. Pregnancy does have a tendency to wreck havoc on the > > hormonal system, and thyroid problems are known to hit a few months > > *after* birth. > > > > > For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to http://www.vrg.org/family. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 9, 2002 Report Share Posted July 9, 2002 My daughter is almost 4 and is also small for her age (35 " , 26#). She was average ht & wt at birth and through her first year, but then tapered off to below the 50th percentile for both ht & wt. Our pediatrician put her through a battery of tests a couple of years ago and couldn't come up with anything other than she's going to be short (with the possibility of " catching up " during puberty). She is otherwise healthy, active, developing and learning- so we're trying not to be too concerned. I'd also like to hear from other parents who've been through this. >>> Mon, 8 Jul 2002 11:40:57 -0400 " admartin " <admartin Growth Concerns My son seems to be shorter than other children and younger children (non-vegetarians) his age (20 months). He's been below the 50th percentile in height since birth. I'm considered tall for a woman (5'9 " ) and my husband is 5'10 " so I expected our child to be a little taller than what he is now. (I was much taller than my child when I was his age.) I was wondering if anyone else who has had this experience with a child vegan from birth, now has a child who has caught up in size with the rest of his peers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 9, 2002 Report Share Posted July 9, 2002 I don't think veganism alone can account for growth patterns. My children have been above the 95th percentile in height and at the 90th percentile (son - 5) and 70th percentile (daughter - 7) in weight consistently since birth. The fact that your son has maintained a consistent pattern suggests to me that it is not nutritional in nature. There are other genes at play...those that may have been recessive for both you and your husband. What does your child's doctor say? Are there any health problems? Remember that half of the children of any age, by definition, are below the 50th percentile. Best wishes. Robin McAlexander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 9, 2002 Report Share Posted July 9, 2002 Don't worry about your son being smaller than the rest. He will catch up. My daughter was born 4 pounds 12 ounces. She was always smaller than most and not even on the scale when it came to percentiles. Today she is a healthy 8 1/2 year old. She is taller than many children and not quite as big as others. Your sons genes will work themselves through as he gets older. This should not have anything to do with him being vegan. If there are other health issues then look into it. As long as he is healthy and active and on his age level for development then I would not worry about it. ( people gave me crap about being vegetarian when pregnant and when nursing too and saying that was the cause of her low birth rate and for the reason she was so petite through toddlerhood) - which of course neither was true). On another story - my cousin's son was born premature and he is in first grade now and he has totally caught up. ( His parents were worried too as his father is over 6 feet and his mother is about 5 foot 9 or so). Hi is not vegetarian but hopefully these 2 stories will help ease your fears. Tuesday, July 09, 2002 4:04 AM Digest Number 447 For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to http://www.vrg.org/family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 10, 2002 Report Share Posted July 10, 2002 The Time magazine mentioned a couple who was charged with abuse because they were vegan and raising their child on such a limited diet that at 18 months he/she was only something like 10 pounds. That's a very extreme case but it does make me wonder if a strict vegan diet doesn't interfere with growth? I know that Dr. Spock recommended a vegan diet for everybody but he said everybody over 2. I don't know if you're still nursing, but that would be the most ideal source of nutrition for kids under 2. Are you opposed to supplements like calcium fortified orange juice? The article mentioned that some vegans are, but I rely on those to make sure my kids get enough calcium, vitamins, etc. I'm pretty anal about adding up the numbers just about every day (mentally) to make sure they're getting enough calcium and protein especially. I'd recommend really taking a look at what he's eating in a typical day and comparing it to what toddlers need. This article has a section on toddlers with tips on foods that are ideal for what they need: http://www.vegsource.com/parent/growing_vegans.htm My kids are short but I'm very short and so is my side of the family, so it's pretty predictable. The fact that you and your husband are both tall does seem like a reason to investigate, though it could just be that he's going to be smaller. I'd really pay attention to his intake just to be sure that he's getting everything he needs, though. Obviously we want to live according to our values but this is a crucial time for his growth and it's really important to be especially conscious. I wasn't raised vegetarian but my mother supported us while putting herself through school and we lived on mainly vegetables because that's all she could afford. It definitely stunted my growth. I'm 4'11 " and my family is short but the women are around 5'3 " and nobody is as short as I am. That may be one reason that I'm especially concerned about the subject. I don't want to worry you, but knowledge is power. It would be a good idea to talk it over with your doctor, too. She could rule out other problems and might give you some ideas. -- Alicia A Magical Childhood http://www.magicalchildhood.com " The best way to make children good is to make them happy. " - Oscar Wilde Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 11, 2002 Report Share Posted July 11, 2002 In a message dated 7/11/2002 5:56:38 AM Pacific Daylight Time, abayer writes: > That's a > very extreme case but it does make me wonder if a strict vegan diet > doesn't interfere with growth? They weren't vegans, the article stated that they fed their daughter cod liver oil, that is far from being vegan. Sara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2002 Report Share Posted July 12, 2002 I have two children (boy 11 and girl 7) both vegetarian since birth and now vegan for the last 2 years (by their own choice). My daughter has always been " normal " in size and weight (visually) with her peers. She has a good appetite. My son on the other hand has always appeared small (granted he has a November birthdate so he is younger than all his classmates). He doesn't eat much. He's very picky. It's always a challenge getting protein foods into him. Especially with our extremely busy lifestyle. Anyway, I'm planning to write a detailed post about him at a later date. Even though he is extremely active (plays competitive soccer and practices or has games almost everyday) he doesn't really eat much. There have been times when his appetite has picked up, but it's rare. It's been an almost constant battle since he was 13 months old, to get him to eat. He seems to get low blood sugar when he doesn't eat enough, and that's another story for another posting! Anyway, I don't think it (his small stature) has to do with him being vegan or vegetarian. It has to do with the amount, or lack thereof of food that he consumes. On any given day, his sister could easily out eat him! She has also out grown him. She is taller than he was at every given age that we've measured. (of course he is taller than she is! He's 4 1/2 years older!) I do believe that once he gets an appetite, he'll be growing by leaps and bounds, so I haven't taken him to a Dr. about his growth rate. Should I? What could they do? They can't make him eat meat and they can't make him eat anymore tofu and peanut butter than he already does! Oh and he definitely does grow. Just at a slow rate (but the rate is getting faster as he nears puberty). By the way, I'm nearly 5'9'' and my husband is 6'2''! Thanks for any advice that you may have, and I'm sorry if I'm depressing the original poster! Tracy - " admartin " <admartin Monday, July 08, 2002 8:40 AM Growth Concerns > My son seems to be shorter than other children and younger children > (non-vegetarians) his age (20 months). He's been below the 50th percentile > in height since birth. I'm considered tall for a woman (5'9 " ) and my > husband is 5'10 " so I expected our child to be a little taller than what he > is now. (I was much taller than my child when I was his age.) I was > wondering if anyone else who has had this experience with a child vegan from > birth, now has a child who has caught up in size with the rest of his peers. > > > - > " Sandra Mort " <sandra.mort > > Wednesday, July 03, 2002 10:15 AM > Re: Exhausted > > > > (I was the one who posted) > > > > Oh absolutely. But if it's clearly a case of not sleeping enough, that's > > probably not necessary. > > > > Thanks anyway! > > Sandra, who had a blissful 12 hour sleep on Monday night (interrupted to > > nurse, of course, but STILL) and feels like a million bucks! > > > > > If the person who posted as " exhausted " is a nursing mother, have your > > > thyroid checked. Pregnancy does have a tendency to wreck havoc on the > > > hormonal system, and thyroid problems are known to hit a few months > > > *after* birth. > > > > > > > > > > For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at > http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to > http://www.vrg.org/family. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2002 Report Share Posted July 12, 2002 On Thu, 11 Jul 2002, Tracy Childs wrote: > I do believe that once he gets an appetite, he'll be growing by leaps and > bounds, so I haven't taken him to a Dr. about his growth rate. Should I? > What could they do? They can't make him eat meat and they can't make him eat > anymore tofu and peanut butter than he already does! Do you take him in for regular check-ups? If so, they are keeping track of his growth already. It may be worth asking about his growth rate the next time you go it, but it doesn't sound like an emergency. Some kids are just going to be smaller than others, and that doesn't mean they are in any way unhealthy. Outside of Lake Wobegone, kids can't all be above average. ---- Patricia Bullington-McGuire <patricia President, The Arlington Cooperative Organization The brilliant Cerebron, attacking the problem analytically, discovered three distinct kinds of dragon: the mythical, the chimerical, and the purely hypothetical. They were all, one might say, nonexistent, but each nonexisted in an entirely different way ... -- Stanislaw Lem, " Cyberiad " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2002 Report Share Posted July 12, 2002 My 21.5-month-old daughter has been vegan since conception, and she's always been OFF the weight charts--way above. She's never been a really big eater; she eats mostly beans, avocado, fruit, corn, etc. She is still nursing. Remember, a vegan diet is the *most healthful* diet you can feed your children. If you're concerned about your child not weighing enough, feed him/her high-fat plant foods like avocado, nuts, coconut, and oils. Sheri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 13, 2002 Report Share Posted July 13, 2002 I don't take him yearly. I haven't found a doctor that we like! They always keep moving away. He did go regularly when he was little. He is generally much healthier than other kids. Flues, colds and fevers are very rare (knock on wood). He does however get headaches now and he complains of being tired this summer. I think it's from all that TV he's watching! (when he's not playing soccer) Tracy - " Patricia Bullington-McGuire " <patricia Friday, July 12, 2002 9:05 AM Re: Growth Concerns > On Thu, 11 Jul 2002, Tracy Childs wrote: > > > I do believe that once he gets an appetite, he'll be growing by leaps and > > bounds, so I haven't taken him to a Dr. about his growth rate. Should I? > > What could they do? They can't make him eat meat and they can't make him eat > > anymore tofu and peanut butter than he already does! > > Do you take him in for regular check-ups? If so, they are keeping track > of his growth already. It may be worth asking about his growth rate the > next time you go it, but it doesn't sound like an emergency. Some kids > are just going to be smaller than others, and that doesn't mean they are > in any way unhealthy. Outside of Lake Wobegone, kids can't all be above > average. > > ---- > Patricia Bullington-McGuire <patricia > President, The Arlington Cooperative Organization > > The brilliant Cerebron, attacking the problem analytically, discovered > three distinct kinds of dragon: the mythical, the chimerical, and the > purely hypothetical. They were all, one might say, nonexistent, but each > nonexisted in an entirely different way ... > -- Stanislaw Lem, " Cyberiad " > > > > > For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to http://www.vrg.org/family. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 15, 2002 Report Share Posted July 15, 2002 --- Tracy Childs <tracychilds wrote: > I don't take him yearly. I haven't found a doctor > that we like! They always > keep moving away. He did go regularly when he was > little. > > He is generally much healthier than other kids. > Flues, colds and fevers are > very rare (knock on wood). He does however get > headaches now and he > complains of being tired this summer. I think it's > from all that TV he's > watching! (when he's not playing soccer) > > Tracy > Tracy, I normally wouldn't worry about growth concerns because I think children grow at their own rate and it is sort of unfair to expect them to follow some chart. I also don't believe it making an issue of food. I pretty much as for children eating what they like (I only keep healthy foods on hand) from what we have. I think a vegan/vegetarian diet can be very healthy and kids can really thrive, but there are unhealthy veg*ns out there too. Not because of the lack of meat, but because of eating highly processed foods, not enough variety, etc. I just want you to know where I come from on this. I think you are the best judge on how your child is doing and if you feel worried you should probably listen to your instincts. What worries me at all about your post was that your son seems tired. This could be a sign of several things that could be easy to remedy and others that could be serious. If he is noticing it enough to mention it I would suggest you check it out. (Of course, it could be a growth spurt, some sort of emotional change in his life, etc.) My son has a congenital heart defect so I've read quite a bit on the subject. He's had no problems with growth (as most CHD babies with his 'defects' do) on a vegan diet and he is a super healthy kid. But, I've read a lot of stories about older children who started showing heart symptoms later in life (after infancy/toddlerhood). One of the big symptoms in lack of energy (this is of course a systom of a lot of different things) and lack of appetite is another big one. I feel awful even mentioning this, but I just know 50% of all kids have heart murmurs (most of course need no medical attention) and it is not something that is talked about a lot. Most peds are not good at detecting heart issues either. I'm sure it is probably not anything with his heart, but I just had to mention it. Good luck and I hope his lack of energy is just the summer heat and too much TV. :-) The fact that he doesn't get sick easily is a really good sign. Kids are truly amazing. Linda PS A great book on raising veg kids from PCRM is out now 'Healthy Eating for Life for Children'. I highly recommend it. Autos - Get free new car price quotes http://autos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2002 Report Share Posted July 23, 2002 Regarding growth concerns, I have a story about my daughter. She has always been a particular eater. Even when I was pregnant, I could hardly eat anything! She and I are vegan, and when she was a baby, she really wanted to breastfeed almost exclusively. When she was 18 months, we went to the pediatrician because of her having tonsillitis, and the doctor got really upset and diagnosed her as " failure to thrive " and wanted me to change our diet. When she was born she was a very healthy 8 pound, 10 apgar score baby, but she did not weigh much when she went to the doctor, or now for that matter. Her head size was normal, so they weren't worried about that too thankfully. She is now 6 years old and 37 pounds, about the middle height of people her age, and full of energy and vitality. At the time, when she was 18 months, I was really upset, and contacted a friend of mine who is a prominent vegan dietician, Brenda Davis (she wrote Becoming Vegetarian and Becoming Vegan). She told me it could be related to a number of things: allergies, acid-reflux, stress, too much fiber, not enough calories. She told me that my breastfeeding her was what had kept her that healthy though. She suggested that I give her organic flax and olive oil, feed her high calorie, concentrated food, use white flour products, let her eat as many sweets as she wanted (not candy, but cake, etc), take DHA, and minimize the fiber intake. A vegetarian pediatrician that I went to see when she was 3 told me that he believed it was due to allergies, and I should give her oil and follow what the dietician had told me. He said not to worry, she would be fine. I now believe that along with her allergies, she has an acid reflux problem in her stomach where she can only eat a small amount of food before it will start coming up to her throat, and she knows when then point is. She just eats small amounts all day long, and I have to get her to eat concentrated food. I continue to keep her on a very healthy diet, and she is a wonder in this area because she is a singer and dancer, and we perform for charities, fundraisers, and care facilities regularly. If anyone has more questions about more specifics, let me know. Take care, and feel good about doing what you feel is right, Victoria Care2 make the world greener! Will antibiotics work in 20 years? End the misuse of Antibiotics: http://www.care2.com/go/z/1425 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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