Low Birth Weight Baby - Pediatric Oncall

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I do not know who will answer or exactly how, either. But here goes. A friend of mine has a 6 month old girl, who was full term and weighed only 4 lbs 9 ounces. The mom is young (19) and I do not think she realizes that this is very abnormal for a birth weight. The doctor sent the child home 3 days later. At 6 months this little girl has no muscle tone. She does not sit up, reach for things, smile, or interact in what I think would be normal ways. I held her last night, and a 2 month old, and that 2 month old was active and grinning and is rolling over. The 6 month old baby feels limp. She doesn't reach for her bottle. Are all the red flags I'm feeling justified? Is she going to "catch up" or should I say something?
Answer
The 6 month old child that you seem to be referring was definitely a low birth weight baby. Since you say that she was full term delivery, it seems likely that she has intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Since the mother is very young, that itself could be a cause of IUGR. Also, other causes such as infection, birth defects, maternal drug or alcohol abuse should be ruled out. If you feel that the child is lying limp, she could have low muscle tone that could be indicative of Cerebral palsy especially since she has not achieved her regular milestones. You need to consult a pediatrician at the earliest to examine her and if required to start her on early intervention therapy. Back to All Questions

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