Very small 2 year old

[Gavemmom]

I don't exactly know where this belongs into "topics" but I'm hoping you can help.  My son was born almost 2 years ago on 11/6/06 at 28 weeks.  My first son was born at 28 weeks also but caught up on size rather quickly.  Well my almost 2 year old weighs about 22lbs and measures about 30 1/2 inches long.  He hasn't grown much since his last visit at his 18 month appt and everyone comments on his size and how small he is.  Anyways I'm getting a little concerned about his size and not growing very much.  He was tested back in the spring for Diabetes Insipidus for drinking so much water and it came back positive.  My child eats and eat and eats but gains nothing...  Could both of these issues, Diabetes Insipidus and lack of growth, be something more and maybe I should bring something up at his 2 yr appt in a month?  The doc does want to retest for the DS but it was hard enough not giving him anything to drink for 12 hours espcially at bedtime when he brings 2 sippy's to bed with him when he was first tested in the spring.  Another concern is he has extreme constipation I don't know if this goes hand in hand with anything but we've had him on adult doses of Mirloax and presciption drugs but nothing really seemed to work without giving him stomach cramps, could this be tagged into the other issues also?  I don't mind him being small but I think he should start growing a little more than what he's do now.  He on track with everything else, and it's kinda funny to look at him and see basically a 1 year old and then watch him play and talk like a 2 year old.

Let me know what you think:-)

Thanks Rachel

[ene62893]

A related discussion, won't eat, won't sleep, only wants to drink was started.

[rosepetals36]

my son is 4 and was diagnsed with DI when he was 18months and more recently Growth hormone deficiency aswell. he is 4 and in 18-24 month clothes and like your son suffers with constipation, his hosp hasnt offered to do tests to find what is causing the defect with his pituitary but he had a mri when he was 18 months and the findings were his land was smaller than usual. i have never seen and endocrinologist, just his paedatrician, i have written to a specialist in london to get a private consultation as i dont feel enough is being done and this is getting quite serious with the research i have done.

i hope everything turns out right for you and your son and wish you the best xxx

[Deanna L Aftab Guy, MD]

Diabetes insipidus is a serious diagnosis, only a subspecialist should be making this diagnosis final and deciding about treatment, a urine test is not the tell all, it is helpful but if a child just drank 20 oz a urine will be dilute! That is normal. You must see an endocrinologist if the pediatrician indeed says this is diabetes insipidus.

[Gavemmom]

Well when I brought up the fact that my son drinks a ton the doc didn't really think much of it until I told her he drinks probably a good 15 to 20 oz (3 or 4 sippy's) of water within 2 hours after waking up then she ordered the urine catch test.  It was our regular ped doc that we seen so no specialist as of yet but I'm thinking we might want to look into it further after reading more about DI and finding a reason why it started.  What I was wondering is could there be 1 condition causing all these symptoms?  I didn't get much info from the doc just info over the phone and info that I got off the internet.  The doc didn't seem too concerned.  

[Deanna L Aftab Guy, MD]

Rachel, if he indeed has diabetes insipidus he has to be involved with a pediatric endocrinologist, this doc can also assess a few more things in regards to growth, what are the other pituitary hormones doing, they can get labs and it is not necessary to restrict fluids for as long as 12 hours, sometimes we get our labs back after only 3-5 hours, so the peds endo can do this and they are very experienced at a water deprivation test.