The causes of a baby not gaining weight include not getting enough milk, not getting enough calories, nutrition deficiencies, not absorbing the calories or the formula not being mixed properly.
Always ensure you're mixing enough formula powder with the water to ensure it's not diluted as diluted formula won't give the baby enough calories and nutrition.
Some babies may also have health issues that prevent them from absorbing the calories and nutrients so if the baby is not gaining enough weight even when being fed enough formula they should see a doctor.
Some babies may also not gain enough weight as a result of being anemic.
Full-term newborn infants should take in about 1.5 to 2 ounces of breast milk or formula about every 3 hours.
Premature infants need more calories than term babies.
If your baby is not gaining at least 1 lb of weight per month then it can be a cause for concern.
You should worry and be concerned about your baby not gaining weight if your baby does not regain their birth weight within 10 to 14 days after their birth or if your baby up to 3 months old gains less than an ounce a day or your infant between 3 and 6 months gains less than 0.67 ounces a day.
Poor feeding in infants is when an infant or baby shows and has little interest in feeding.
If your infant or baby shows little interest in feeding then that is considered poor feeding in infants.
Poor feeding in infants is also when an infant is not feeding enough to receive the necessary nutrition required for adequate growth.
Poor growth in infants is associated with lack of feeding can lead to a separate condition called failure to thrive.
The best food for a 4 month old baby is banana puree, apple sauce, baby rice cereal, baby brown rice cereal, pear puree, carrot puree and other baby food in jars as well as mashed potatoes.
As long as the rice is fully cooked and soft enough and your baby is eating solids then you can give your baby rice at 4 months.
However some babies are not ready for rice until 5 to 6 months.
Babies do gain some weight when starting solids although there may be a lull with weight gain in babies when starting solids.
However after the baby starts solids they should begin to gain more weight faster than they would on milk.
Some babies do gain weight slower than others which is normal.
Babies should be gaining between 1 to 2 lbs of weight per month.
In some babies weight gain does slow down at 3 months of age.
Especially for breastfed babies they tend to slow down in weight gain between 3 to 4 months of age which is normal.
Healthy and properly nourished babies should gain between 1 to 2 lbs of weight per month.
As long as your baby is gaining at least 1 lb of weight per month then they are okay but if the baby is gaining less than 1 lb of weight per month then they could have some health issues and should see a doctor.
Healthy breastfed infants typically put on weight more slowly than formula fed infants in the first year of life.
Formula fed infants typically gain weight more quickly after about 3 months of age.
Slow weight gain could be a problem if your newborn doesn't regain their birth weight within 10 to 14 days after their birth or your baby up to 3 months old gains less than an ounce a day, your infant between 3 and 6 months gains less than 0.67 ounces a day.
Failure to thrive in babies and children is defined as decelerated or arrested physical growth (height and weight measurements fall below the third or fifth percentile, or a downward change in growth across two major growth percentiles) and is associated with abnormal growth and development.
There are three reasons why babies do not gain weight which include not taking in enough calories, not absorbing calories or burning too many calories.
Full-term newborn infants should take in about 1.5 to 2 ounces of breast milk or formula about every 3 hours.
Premature infants need more calories than term babies.
Expect your baby to double his or her birth weight by about age 5 months.
From ages 6 to 12 months, a baby might grow 3/8 inch (about 1 centimeter) a month and gain 3 to 5 ounces (about 85 to 140 grams) a week.
Expect your baby to triple his or her birth weight by about age 1 year.
Poor weight gain is defined as gaining weight at a slower rate than other children who are the same age and sex.
"Normal" ranges for weight are based upon the weight of thousands of children.
“Poor feeding in infants” is a term used to describe an infant with little interest in feeding.
It can also refer to an infant who is not feeding enough to receive the necessary nutrition required for adequate growth.
Poor growth associated with lack of feeding can lead to a separate condition called failure to thrive.