A pediatrician vent!!!!

[Hrhpd]

Some doctors are just weird. We had one that told us that we shouldn't let our kids drink anything besides water. That's it. Water.

Disclaimer: My kids love water. And they also don't drink soda. But they love milk, and lemonade, and hot cocoa and frozen butterbear. The doctor was totally against all that.

We have a new doctor. :good vibes


The big concern is how do you not harm a 4 year old by having her come in for monthly weight checks at the doctor's office? That's setting her up for an eating disorder for sure.

Who in the world would tell a 4 year old that they were concerned about their weight?

A month for a 4 year old is an eon. You just tell her that you are going in for a doctor's appointment. Let them do their thing and you leave. You don't make a big deal about it and you don't mention weight.

It is actually very simple to not make it into an issue that could lead to an eating disorder.

Quirks like weird healthy eating tips are one thing. A doctor that orders blood work on a toddler is something entirely different and suggests that he suspects something besides just a healthy but chubby child.

I know I would want to do everything I could to make sure there wasn't something underlying.

The OP said she can't move pediatricians right now as she has to wait for her new insurance to kick in. So, she is stuck with the rude front office.

I would go in for the weight check and then speak to the doctor about how she was treated by the front desk. See how he handles it. She said he is always friendly and professional when she is there.

She is taking the way a receptionist reacted to her, when as Pea-n-Me pointed out, the OP was pretty rude and antagonistic first, and then blaming it on the doctor.

 

[Hrhpd]

But you haven't answered the question.

Has your daughter's weight gone down since you started implementing e.

I weighed her once and she was 2 pounds lighter, then a few weeks later she was a pound heavier.

And the fluctuations are probably exactly what the doc wants to know about.

Fluctuating loss and gain in the several pounds for a toddler is not healthy and I would definitely keep your appointment.

It is your child and you know best. But for me, I would rather be safe than sorry down the road if there is the possibility that there is an underlying cause that could be easily treated.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

Chances are we are going to see more and more providers worried about the numbers in the coming years due to insurance companies switching to a "pay for outcome" model rather than a "pay for service" model. If the numbers (weight, labs, etc) do not fall in the healthy section, the providers will not be reimbursed.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

And the fluctuations are probably exactly what the doc wants to know about.

Fluctuating loss and gain in the several pounds for a toddler is not healthy and I would definitely keep your appointment.

It is your child and you know best. But for me, I would rather be safe than sorry down the road if there is the possibility that there is an underlying cause that could be easily treated.

Like big people, consistent conditions are important when weighing--same time to day and all that.

That said--the child should not so much be losing weight as they should not be gaining weight. They actually still need to grow.

And the child is a pre-schooler and not a toddler.

OP, has she gotten taller?

 

[RitaZ.]

Why?

I have seen families who eat exactly the same proportionately and they have the one child that I guess lost the genetic lottery and is overweight.

What does it tell the child when they must have a special even healthier diet than the rest of the family?

To me, this issue is no different than say a child that has asthma or diabetes. Why would there be any shame involved in having to seek treatment for those conditions? The weight issue is no different, imo.

 

[lauradis]

Google is saying children's weight can fluctuate by about 4% on any given day.

Op you where rude to the office staff. If you plan on keep this office you should say your sorry.

As far as children being over weight, there really is a problem in this country with the rate of over weight children has sky rocketed.

As a mother to 3 girls, I would never do the weight in thing unless it was their normal physical. I would change what I allow in house and up their activities.

All empty calories gone, No juice boxes etc. limited happy meal to once a month. portion control. This doesn't mean she cant have mac and cheese, but I wouldn't make it a staple in the house. I would also include her in cooking and shopping healthier foods.

Good luck, oh the joys of mother hood.

 

[lauradis]

Why?

I have seen families who eat exactly the same proportionately and they have the one child that I guess lost the genetic lottery and is overweight.

What does it tell the child when they must have a special even healthier diet than the rest of the family?

That you care for their health. What parent would allow junk, empty food in a house where a kid is having medical issues with weight. As a mother I could never sit at a table and over eat if my child had these issues.

Over eating really is an issue now, that is the plain simple truth of why "we the people" are being fatter and fatter.

 

[dis-happy]

OP, I don't mean this unkindly, but after reading the Adam Lanza article that was posted here yesterday, one thing stuck out. Medical professionals were trying to treat the child and the mom keep over-ruling and deciding it wasn't necessary.

My youngest DC has had weight issues of a different sort; for him it was lack of weight gain and growth. The Ped ran the first set of labs. When the problem persisted we were sent to an endocrinologist who ran another set. The gastro ran yet another set (one of these visits included 10 vials at once for my poor guy). So don't think because he came back clear on one set everything is ok. If the problem persists (which is what the monthly checks are looking at), the dr may realize he has to dig deeper.

In your shoes, I'd keep the scheduled visit. You will feel terrible if you find out down the road there is an underlying problem and you didn't do all you could to address it. Also, during our several yrs of growth issues with my DS (he's 7 now) I always felt like a partnership existed with the Ped. We were working together to find out what was going on. I wouldn't be so quick to throw that away. If the dr wants you to come in, respect that, just as you want want the same respect when bringing up a medical concern that you noticed. I could write a book about my years with my son and his ongoing issues, but I will leave it at that. Hope it all works out for you.

 

[nursebetty]

My thinking is if there was no immediate harm to the child, the Dr. should have let it go and on your next visit explained better why he needed you to follow his advice. Then everyone could decide if this was the best place for your daughter to be. Makes me think he is not invested if he is willing to just let the child go without helping you understand why he is concerned.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

In your shoes, I'd keep the scheduled visit. You will feel terrible if you find out down the road there is an underlying problem and you didn't do all you could to address it. Also, during our several yrs of growth issues with my DS (he's 7 now) I always felt like a partnership existed with the Ped. We were working together to find out what was going on. I wouldn't be so quick to throw that away. If the dr wants you to come in, respect that, just as you want want the same respect when bringing up a medical concern that you noticed. I could write a book about my years with my son and his ongoing issues, but I will leave it at that. Hope it all works out for you.

Keep in mind, this "scheduled visit" is for a weight check. Not to see the doctor, not to have tests run, the child is going to walk in, step on the scale and walk away. The office staff, most likely, not even a nurse, is going to write down the number. And that is going to be it.

Which is why the OP is saying that she can do it at home.

OP, I recommend that you be very careful about cancelling the appointment. Office staff can have a habit of calling CPS if you don't do what they want. You may end up with a knock on your door, or you child taken because you "aren't providing proper medical care."

 

[dis-happy]

Keep in mind, this "scheduled visit" is for a weight check. Not to see the doctor, not to have tests run, the child is going to walk in, step on the scale and walk away. The office staff, most likely, not even a nurse, is going to write down the number. And that is going to be it.

Which is why the OP is saying that she can do it at home.

OP, I recommend that you be very careful about cancelling the appointment. Office staff can have a habit of calling CPS if you don't do what they want. You may end up with a knock on your door, or you child taken because you "aren't providing proper medical care."

Yes, I'm very familiar with the weight checks. Height and weight are both checked and they get plotted. The dr reviews this. More plotting points give a better indication of the growth curve. The OP also stated they notate what the child has been eating (I had to keep food logs and hand them in for the endocrinologist). If the child is eating healthily and still gaining or losing weight it's a red flag. Really, there's nothing sinister about the weight checks. I always felt like they were there to help my child and for all of us (me, DH, medical provider) see how things were going.

Also, the scale at home may not be calibrated as accurately as the scale in the doctor's office. Plus, it's better to get a reading on the same scale for comparison. I know some of the specialist offices we visited had much better measuring equipment than other general offices. It was definitely worthwhile to get the checks done at the doctors' offices.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

To me, this issue is no different than say a child that has asthma or diabetes. Why would there be any shame involved in having to seek treatment for those conditions? The weight issue is no different, imo.

Those two conditions can be deadly.

There is stigma attached to being more restrictive for vanity reasons. Recall that I said that in a family that is already eating healthy.

So far, tests indicate the child does not suffer an underlying condition and simple fixes would improve what the physician is concerned about.


And families I know with dietary restrictions to things such as diabetes or lethal allergies make accommodations so a person will not suffer a medical event unexpectedly. Apples and oranges as far as I am concerned.

And then you end up with teens who slip meals for weight reasons and still suffer from their genetics.

 

[marmalade]

Maybe I am reading way to much into the OP's 1st post. Why mention that she LOVES mac-n-cheese if she only gets it at her aunts house? Then say the only thing they do at these visits is weight them AND ask what they have been eating?

Again I could be reading way to much into it, but it seems to me you feel guilty that maybe you haven't been making the best choices for her lately and your are embarrassed at what might come out at the appointment and are looking for an additional month to correct the issue. I could be 100% wrong, but that is the vibe I got from the original post.

OP you do not have to answer this, but do either you or your DH have a weight problem as well?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

That you care for their health. What parent would allow junk, empty food in a house where a kid is having medical issues with weight. As a mother I could never sit at a table and over eat if my child had these issues.

Over eating really is an issue now, that is the plain simple truth of why "we the people" are being fatter and fatter.

"Even healthier" = more healthier than an already healthy eating family.

I missed where being overweight as a sole criterion = medical issue.

OP mentioned nothing about a diagnosis of obesity.
As a mother, I don't fixate on the number the scale says absent all other measurements.

I also wouldn't allow only crap regardless of how much my family weighed.

If a child is eating healthy and is overweight while also active (it happens)c that weight fixation will lead to body image issues later.

 

[ellone]

That you care for their health. What parent would allow junk, empty food in a house where a kid is having medical issues with weight. As a mother I could never sit at a table and over eat if my child had these issues. Over eating really is an issue now, that is the plain simple truth of why "we the people" are being fatter and fatter.

It also comes down to what your definition of healthy is. My definition is whole foods - very little processed foods. Mostly organic (to minimize pesticide exposure).

Many people look at labels on processed food and go by calories or fat. I don't assume something low calorie is healthy - I go by ingredients - the stranger the ingredient the more unhealthy I view it.

 

[Disneyland1084]

Maybe I am reading way to much into the OP's 1st post. Why mention that she LOVES mac-n-cheese if she only gets it at her aunts house? Then say the only thing they do at these visits is weight them AND ask what they have been eating?

Again I could be reading way to much into it, but it seems to me you feel guilty that maybe you haven't been making the best choices for her lately and your are embarrassed at what might come out at the appointment and are looking for an additional month to correct the issue. I could be 100% wrong, but that is the vibe I got from the original post.

OP you do not have to answer this, but do either you or your DH have a weight problem as well?

DH use to, but he lost it all and is now in excellent health. Yes, I unfortunately do. I know I'm not the best example to my DD. ....

 

[lsyorke]

And we wonder why health insurance costs what it does. Annual check up...sure, weekly/monthly weight checks..really???? On an otherwise healthy child.. that is just crazy in my eyes.
A parent is quite capable of weighing a child at home and monitoring their intake and exercise, especially since any disease process has been ruled out. One doesn't needs a medical professional to monitor their daily living.

 

[anniemae]

I don't understand why the weight check can't be done at the well visit one month later, heck I think they weigh them anyway at a well check. Maybe the dr. really wants to get a month to month weight? He may want to track it closely. Also, I think they can't double up on stuff at appointments. A well check is just a well check, not a well check and additional things. It may have to be coded and billed as two separate things.

I remember one person posted a while back that she was shocked that she went in for a well visit and happened to ask a question about something else, say her child's eczema or something, and she was billed for two visits and two separate issues.

 

[mjkacmom]

If a child is eating healthy and is overweight while also active (it happens)c that weight fixation will lead to body image issues later.

Usually if a child is eating healthy, and active, and is still overweight, portion control can be an issue. Lots of adults have no idea how small portion sizes actually are. I think one of the biggest contributions to body issues is how others treat you. Kids are cruel - the overweight kids are teased every day, so the best defense is not to be overweight.

I bet many parents don't realize that half of a small sandwich is a serving for a 4 year old. I remember my friend forcing her preschooler to finish up a whole pp&j sandwich - that's too much.

At ages 4 and 5, serving sizes of grains increase to about one slice of bread, half of a muffin or bagel, three-quarters of a cup of dry cereal or a half cup of pasta, rice or potatoes. At 4 and 5, a serving of fruit is about a half cup of juice, half of a piece of fresh fruit or a quarter to a half cup of canned fruit. For this age group, an appropriate serving of protein includes one egg, 1 to 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, 1 to 2 ounces of meat or poultry, 1 to 2 ounces of fish, 1 ounce cheese, 1/3 cup cottage cheese or 1/3 cup cooked beans. A serving of milk or yogurt for a 4 or 5 year old is about 3/4 cup, and a serving of vegetables is 1/4 to 1/3 cup. A single serving of fat for a preschooler is 1 teaspoon.

 

[laughinplace199]

I don't understand why the weight check can't be done at the well visit one month later, heck I think they weigh them anyway at a well check. Maybe the dr. really wants to get a month to month weight? He may want to track it closely. Also, I think they can't double up on stuff at appointments. A well check is just a well check, not a well check and additional things. It may have to be coded and billed as two separate things.

I remember one person posted a while back that she was shocked that she went in for a well visit and happened to ask a question about something else, say her child's eczema or something, and she was billed for two visits and two separate issues.

Maybe that depends on the pediatrician? DS8 was supposed to have his well visit yesterday. On Tuesday, he fell and sliced the back of his head, so I brought him to the doctor. The doctor examined him and determined he'd need a couple of stitches. After they put the numbing medication in DS's head, the doctor said that it would take about 15 minutes to work, so why don't we do his physical now. I was thrilled to get everything done in one trip, but poor DS had his physical, 3 stitches in his head, and a flu shot on the way out the door!