Healthwatch: Children weight loss

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - No one has ever said losing weight would be easy, but the uphill battle is worth the climb to achieving good health.

”Well, in the pediatric population, you rarely expect to see weight loss. As you can imagine, children are supposed to be growing. So, when we see weight loss, that can be an indication of something insidious going on. Could mean anything from malabsorption, from celiac disease and other diseases like that. It could be calorie restriction, intentional where the child is maybe choosing not to eat in the case of anorexia, or unintentional. Maybe a feeding issue, a swallowing problem, pain with eating, or lack of access,” explains Dr. Cara Hamilton.

“Sometimes dehydration is a cause for acute weight loss as in the case for diabetes, for example, or even something more serious. Less serious of course would be that your child is just dieting and exercising, which of course can cause some weight loss. And the likelihood of any of these diagnoses is going to vary depending on the child’s age, depending on the timing of the weight loss whether it happened quickly or slowly over time. The severity, how much weight they’ve lost, and of course any associated symptoms. If this is happening, if weight loss is happening quickly, they should seek care. If they’re having any of the following symptoms, they should probably seek medical care. Abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea would all be reasons to seek care. Frequent urination, fatigue or lethargy, bruising or bleeding, sleeping issues, (and) mental health problems would all be good reasons to seek medical care for your child’s obvious weight loss. If they’re just dieting and exercising, I think what you should see is none of the above symptoms and probably better energy. They would look healthy, but if you even question that, by all means, seek medical care for your child. This is Dr. Cara Hamilton at Black Hills Pediatrics with your Healthwatch.”

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