My trio just turned one on CHristmas Eve!!! I have two that are identical and a fraternal one. The identicals got TTTS fairly late in my pregnancy and we delivered at 32 wks b/c of the little guy. Luckily, when it got bad enough we were far enough along to deliver. The smaller identical was 2 lb 12 oz and the larger identical was 3 lb 11 oz. B/c he was only 2 lb 12 oz at 32 wks he was considered to have IUGR...and was well below the 10th %. The bigger one was 50th %.

Here's my question.....did anyone here experience this and have triplets that are a bit older and still continue to have growth issues with the smallest one? Developmentally, he is doing very well but, he was only 16 lbs 2oz at his 12 mo. appt. He was on the growth chart for height, but isn't even on the chart at all for weight. He has always gained weight except at this last appt. They got their RSV shots on Dec. 9th and they were weighed then and their 12 mo. appt. was on Dec. 30th and he was the same weight as on the 9th. The bigger identical is now 17 lbs 13 oz. So....it looks as though the gap in weight btw. them is getting bigger. I guess I just expected that he would have had more "catch up" growth than he did over his first year of life. Could there be hormonal issues going on b/c he was so compromised in the womb? Should I be going to a specialist? Do regula pedis have much experience with this?

Thanks!!!

Deidra
BBB born 12/24/02
@32 wks 3 days
Sean, Austin, Mason
2 identical, 1 fraternal

Deidra
BBB born 12/24/02
@32 wks 3 days
Sean, Austin, Mason
2 identical, 1 fraternal
BB born 12/15/05

My boys had a very similar issue. Mine were born at 33w.4days., and weighed 5lbs., 4lbs.6oz, 2lbs.13oz. The docs also told me my little one had IUGR, but he is doing well, although there is still a large gap - he is in the 10% for weight and 50% for height (18lbs at 9 months) and my biggest is in the 97% for everything (23 lbs.) But they are fraternal and also built very differently. Although my little one had IUGR, he is built like me - very petite yet fiesty! My ped. has never been concerned, and nor am I. We just say Parker is going to be our soccer player - small and fast - and Dylan will be our football player! (and my middle one whatever he wants )

Just for piece of mind, I would ask your ped to referr you to a specialist. 16lbs does seem small for a 12 monther. Hope this helps! Good Luck! ** Here is a pic so you can see how different my boys are - in size and personality!



Karen - mother to spontaneous triplet boys:
Ethan,Dylan,& Parker
3/24/03
33weeks, 4 days

Karen - blessed wife to Paul,
Proud mom to spontaneous boys
3/24/03
God is soooo good!

Attachment #1, (jpg file)

Sorry,one more thing - what is TTTS? I have not heard of that.


Karen- mother to spontaneous triplet boys:
Ethan,Dylan,& Parker
3/24/03
33weeks, 4 days

Karen - blessed wife to Paul,
Proud mom to spontaneous boys
3/24/03
God is soooo good!

Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. It happens in about 10-15% of monochorionic-diamniotic identicals. They shared a placenta and the smallest was not get enough nutrients. Thanks for sharing!!!

Deidra
BBB born 12/24/02
@32 wks 3 days
Sean, Austin, Mason
2 identical, 1 fraternal

Deidra
BBB born 12/24/02
@32 wks 3 days
Sean, Austin, Mason
2 identical, 1 fraternal
BB born 12/15/05

My girls were born at 28 weeks, with my smallest weighing only 1 lb. 15 oz. She was considered IUGR. Actually, they had been watching her growth from about 7 weeks gestation, because she was showing up small at that point. At 1 yr. she weighed about 16 lbs. (can't remember exactly - they just turned 5) but I know my pediatrician never worried too much about her growth, as long as it was steady over time. She is still my smallest one, weighing only 31 lbs. at 5 yrs. old and finally just making onto the growth chart for the very first time but that could be genetics as much as anything else. Although my husband and I are average, both of our parents are on the small side. Although she had a lot of therapy, that really had to do with the extreme prematurity and not the size. She's an absolute dynamo now. My theory has always been that considering how premature she was if the worst thing in life she has to confront on a long term basis is being petite then life is good. I would be aware of your son's growth to make sure he is making his own growth curve (whether or not it's on the official charts) and try not to worry too much beyond that - easier said than done, of course. And Happy Birthday to your guys!

Deidra,

Hi, I have 2 surviving identical triplets. They were born at 31w6d and were 4lb3oz and 3lb11oz. They do not have the weight discrepency you mention but their 12mo weights were like 16.8 and 17.3 or so. They didn't make 20lbs til their 18month appt.

They were born 9 oz apart and seemed to stay that way until their 18mo appt the greatest discrepency was 12oz (I think) and the smallest around 4oz. We'll have our 2 year appt before too long. They were looking very close in size but now my bigger son seems to be outpacing the smaller one again.

FWIW the larger son had his head circumference at 5th% at the 18mo appt. That is the FIRST time any of their measurements were on any chart. Our ped looks for them to get on the standard growth chart by 2 years old.

Sure enough, at 18mos they were in 12 mo clothes (Just getting into that size) but now, all of a sudden, they can wear most 24mo sizes so I'm thinking the ped may be right.

Marie

Marie

Happy belated birthday to your three! My little IUGR guy has continued to have very slow growth. At birth, he was 2 lbs smaller than his siblings (3.7 at 36 weeks) and at his 3 year checkup, he's 15 lbs smaller than my biggest (23.3 lbs). His growth was actually good for the first year, but his curve went flat after that. We have been through many specialists and had every test in the book before he was declared "just small." Otherwise he is perfectly healthy. In fact, there have been many times when the other two are sick and he just never seems to get it. Even in the NICU, he was my healthiest one and remains a tough little fighter today!

So in our case, yes we've had long-term growth problems, but thankfully not health problems. What does your ped say? Is he worried? You said he's always gained weight except his last appt, so he's probably been following his own curve even if he's off the charts. What I've always been told is as long as they stay on their own curve, you don't need to worry. One bad weight may not mean anything. Getting a weight check or two before his next checkup might give you a clearer picture before you decide to see a specialist. We did not deal with TTTS, but one of Max's specialists believes that his growth issues are genetic ones which were directly related to his IUGR. So I think you're right about the connection

Paula
Mom to Ari, Eve and Max
11/00

I am interested in your responses, because it sounds almost exactly like my identical girls. Delivered at 32+ because of Leah's distress. She was 2.11, Amanda was 3.7. This week at 7 1/2 mo Leah was 11.3 and Amanda 14. The ped is not worried, she is holding her own little curve. She said she will probably catch up by 2, but if not, then she will probably always be petite. She is my feistiest one and is doing fine except for reflux, which may have affected this too because she was not eating well for a time. Doing better now on Prevacid, so we will see if she can catch up.

Sonya, Mommy to:

Tyler 8-15-01
Amanda 5-23-03
Leah 5-23-03
Trevor 5-23-03

Deidra,
My IUGR baby weighed 2-13 at 34 weeks. She has always been smaller than her brothers, though I don't know how much of that had to do with her birth weight and how much had to do with her just being a girl. She weighed 13 pounds at 12 months, and her pediatrician was never concerned. She has always been healthy, just small. She will be 6 in March, and she weighs about 37 pounds now. I would think that unless there are health problems, your baby will be just fine. And the 1 1/2 pound weight difference between the two babies doesn't sound that great to me. At my babies' one year checkup there were almost 7 pounds between my smallest and largest babies! Now at almost 6, my biggest weighs 47 pounds and my smallest weighs 37 pounds.

LCN
21 year old college senior
14 year old bbg triplets--teenagers!

Thanks for all your replies!!

Deidra
BBB born 12/24/02
@32 wks 3 days
Sean, Austin, Mason
2 identical, 1 fraternal

Deidra
BBB born 12/24/02
@32 wks 3 days
Sean, Austin, Mason
2 identical, 1 fraternal
BB born 12/15/05

deidra- my trips, not identical, are probably about 5 pounds apart from the lightest to the heaviest. and they are not in their birth order for weight any more. sounds like your are close enough taht i would not be too worried. esp if the developemental milestones are all within normal limits. check with the ped though just to be sure. terri

terri
mom to ian,wes,amelia (09/02)
leslie 12 years
micaela 9 years

I don't know if you've seen our "A Baby Story" on TLC but that happened to Gabrielle. She stopped growing at 28 weeks cause the boys were "squishing" her. She was 2.2 and the boys were 3.4 & 3.12, they are now 19, 22 & 26 pounds. She is tall for her weight & has done a lot of things before the boys have. I wouldn't worry either.

Tiffani & Ray(NJ)

Hi Deidra:
I Think we have corresponded before- I also have 2 identicals, 1 frat, who had TTTS (although it was earlier in the pg, 18 weeks about). They were born at 32 weeks 2 days
Andrew 4.8
Blake 4.6
Caleb 2.9

Just wanted to let you know where we are at. My little guy is still pretty little. I think the pedi said he is not quite on the charts yet- but she said she isn't concerned with him (though he has been gaining at the same rate all along)

Andrew 23+
Blake 23
Caleb 18+

(they are 16 mos old)

If you could let me know if you get any good info- I'd appreciate it. I am out of hours on my own computer this month- so I can't get to this site very often. I am on my moms computer now. My E-mail is kasper76@netzero.net Thank

Amy
Mom to:
G 00
B 01
BBB 02