Small child.

My daughter of four months old, weighs 8kg and is 77cm in length. My doctor says she is too thin, but she has a good appetite, even though she sometimes balks at the spoon. Do I need to worry? I would rather let her develop at her own speed, she is very active and sleeps well and is rarely ill. Should I force her to eat more?

Once your doctor has ruled out a metabolic or other health problem, there is no point in forcing her to eat more, especially if she has a healthy appetite. You may upset her, or cause her to vomit which could prevent her from feeding properly in the future.
Keep calm and create a peaceful atmosphere at mealtimes.
Common sense eating rules apply to babies too:
- No eating between meals and certainly no fizzy drinks at this stage, apart from the damage they will do to the teeth in her gums, they will fill her up and make her windy.
- Make sure she has balanced meals at regular times.
She may just be going through a phase, see how she grows over the next few months.

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