Re: What warrants a g-tube? - AVG WEIGHT GAINS

[Guest guest]

Yes, all children's growth slows down after 1 year. Here are the

weight gain averages for the general population.

0-4 months 1 1/2lbs/mo

4-10 months 1lb/mo

10-24 months 1/2 lb/month

2-8 yrs 3-4lbs per year

HEIGHT

0-6 months 7-10 inches per year

6-12 months 6-7 inches per year

1-2 yrs 4-5 inches/yr

2-3 yrs 3-4 inches/yr

3-4 yrs 2-3 inches/yr

4-10 yrs 2 inches/yr (unless going into puberty)

There are a number of factors any physician will look at before

considering a tube placement on a child, and these aren't in any

particular order (and aren't all of them). Does the child have some

type of appetite (if yes, increasing calories manually is an option

or Periactin); is the lack of appetite tearing up the family; is the

child in the care of someone during the day that the parent knows is

offering/getting calories into the child consistently every couple

of hours (sometimes kids in some daycare situations, the parents

simply are concerned that they can't be guaranteed that the

caregiver is trying hard enough to get the calories in). Does the

child have other GI complications; what is the child's weight for

height ratio? Are the parents considering GH therapy (in which case

the child will need possibly double the caloric intake at that

time); how stable are the child's blood sugar levels?; how healthy

is the child - is she or he catching every illness around or is he

staying pretty healthy? etc.

Each of these factors must be considered. No physician is going to

rush to put a feeding tube into a child unnecessarily. Speaking

from personal experience, for Dr. H anyway, if she recommends a

feeding tube, she truly believes that it is vital for that child. I

have had many parents (including ourselves) think that our child may

need a tube and Dr. H has said " no. " We were shocked, but it turned

out to be the right thought.

Good luck! Jenn

>

> I was wondering if there are a specific set of criteria that would

> warrant getting a g-tube placed. I know that all of our kids

> struggle with weight gain, but what is the point at which you get

> that tube?

>

> A follow up question to that is whether our kids are expected to

> have slowed down growth after the age of 12 months just like the

> rest of the population of kids. Dalia has only gained 1 lb in the

> last 3 months (since she turned 12 months) and barely grew in

height

> or head. To me and others, she does not look " skinny " or

> undernourished...she is just small.

>

> She takes in maybe 600 calories on a really good day, which I know

> is way less than the average 15 month old, but I remember Dr. H

> saying that Dalia was thrifty with her calories and didn't need as

> much. This was back at the convention though.

>

> I just would like to know maybe what Dr. H. considers " g-tube

> material " .

>

> Sheryl