r/NICUParents • u/Micro-Momma • Jul 29 '26
Advice Micros that stayed tiny
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
My daughter was growth restricted and was born at 510g (~1lb 2oz) and has remained tiny. She is now 16 months, 13 corrected but the size of a small 3-4month old. She left the NICU at 6 month old and she was only like 6.5lbs… her milestones have been delayed at least partly, if not fully due to her size. She is about 12.5-13lbs currently but is trying to start walking. I can’t find ANY real shoes to fit her! She has 1 pair of 0-3m sandals from old navy that kinda stay on but the strap is really loose so she can easily pull them off.
Any suggestions on where I can find narrow tiny shoes? Preferably, ones that are good for walking.
Video of when she first started pulling up, she was so proud of herself 💜
28
u/LowConsideration1453 Jul 29 '26
Hey, it's worth going to see an endocrinologist. IUGR/SGA babies who do not catch up in growth by the age of 2 often quality for
6
u/merrymomiji Jul 29 '26
"Catching up" is a bit of a wide concept, though. It's the ones who are not following their growth curve (like, dropping significant percentages) or not hitting minimum expected growth percentages (e.g. growing 2-3" per year at 4 years old) that will be more likely to qualify, but it's usually more around age 3 at least. My son had IUGR and is maybe 20th percentile for height, 15th for weight at 5 years old (he was more like 3rd and 5th %ile at 2), when he should be 50th% + given his parents' heights. It's unlikely I'll find a pediatrician who would refer to endocrinology based on these numbers to get my son on growth hormone.
With that said, OP should check out the
and look into genetic testing and MAGIC Foundation . Russell Silver Syndrome 1
u/Micro-Momma Jul 29 '26
She is like .01 on the growth chart. I think that’s the lowest it reads on the app… so probably less. Her growth curve was okay until around 1 when she got more mobile and her molars were coming in… it’s been kinda flat but she just started gaining again. I can get pretty much any consult I ask for because everyone is kinda clueless about tiny 1 year olds. Like I said, I just wouldn’t consider it this early.
She actually had a team of endocrinologists running tests when we were flown to Cincinnati children’s around the 3rd month of her NICU stay… At the time she was struggling keeping her blood sugar up. She also had the full genome testing when we were there with nothing other than a few variant of unknown significance showing up.
5
u/merrymomiji Jul 29 '26
My son was below 0 for a long time, too. Growth has been slow but happening, so I'm in the gray area where the pediatrician is not concerned but comparatively, he's a lot smaller than the other boys his age, and that difference will eventually become more clear to him, too. I worry more about him when he's older in terms of his physical development and metabolic impact because right now he's not close to reaching mid-parental height.
I'm glad you got the genetic testing for more information so you are less in limbo. We did an amnio for my son (he has a kidney anomaly) and it came back with absolutely nothing--which was very reassuring to know prior to his growth restriction turning up a few weeks later in addition to pre-eclampsia, etc.
In terms of infant shoes, I don't have good recommendations other than the others saying stick with barefoot or a very soft sole. When she IS on the size chart, I highly recommend
as they are easy to get on and off (wider opening) and help encourage good heel-toe walking (they have squeakers in the heels that can be turned off). Ikiki shoes 4
u/Micro-Momma Jul 29 '26
Thank you. Unless it was a medical need, I don’t think I would consider doing it that early.
12
u/mamaC2023 Jul 29 '26
You can try
1
u/Micro-Momma Jul 29 '26
I’ll check them out. Im worried about when we leave the house, once she is walking.
2
u/sebacicacid Jul 29 '26
Seconding robeez. Mine used them when she first started walking as well. She's also a tiny girl weighing 4lbs at 1mo when she was discharged. She's now 3 and 25lbs.
8
u/ceciccan Jul 29 '26
I don’t have shoe recommendation but I get you as mom of a tiny human too. My girl is 2yo and 18.5lbs on a good day. She learned to walk around 15mo and she was always barefoot since it was winter and we stayed indoors
3
u/Micro-Momma Jul 29 '26
We spend the majority of our time at home too but I know with my older son once he learned to walk he wanted to be put down. I’m just hoping to find at least 1 option other than socks 🤦🏻♀️🤣
We live in Florida, so we have a very mild winter.
2
2
u/Flannel-Enthusiast Jul 29 '26
Mine wasn't a micro, but she's petite. She was about 11 months adjusted and 17 lb when she started walking, and her feet were small and narrow too. The smallest "real shoes" we could find were Stride Rite, which came in size 2 and were still big on her. Walmart stocks a less expensive sub brand, which has been a lifesaver since they're one of the few brands that work with her foot shape.
I also went to Once Upon a Child and dug through the bins and eventually found a pair of Circo brand shoes in size 2, which ran smaller and narrower than Stride Rite. Those worked for us in the early days until she actually grew into size 2. Unfortunately that's probably not helpful for you since that was a Target brand that was discontinued like 7 years ago, but secondhand stores might have some odd gems you can't find anywhere else.
1
u/Micro-Momma Jul 29 '26
Thank you, I haven’t put a size two on her but I was figuring since the 0-3m shoes fit in length those would be huge. I guess I could order some and just save for later if they are big. Lol I’m the worst about returning things. 🤦🏻♀️
2
u/Flannel-Enthusiast Jul 30 '26
The 0-3m shoes we had were pretty similar to size 1, so you might not be too far off! Good luck!
1
u/Micro-Momma Jul 30 '26
Thanks! Maybe I just got confused because her PT had a shoe sizer and I thought the smallest size on there was 2 but maybe not( my memory is terrible) her foot was pretty far from the first line. I’ll have to text her later and double check.
My son is 15 🤦🏻♀️🤣 I’m out of practice with this stuff. I accidentally started over and this old lady brain is on the struggle bus.
2
u/Flannel-Enthusiast Jul 30 '26
Your memory is probably right! Very few brands make shoes smaller than size 3, and I've almost never seen them actually labeled with "size 1." At that size, they are usually pre walker shoes and they think your baby is like 2 months old when their feet are this size. I found a size chart on Stride Rite that listed the length measurement for "size 1" (looks like that's 9.1 cm) and that was pretty close to the "0-3m" shoes we had.
Stride Rite lists "size 2" and "3-6m" as the same size, with a length measurement of 9.9 cm. The difference between sizes feels enormous at this range, but it gets easier (eventually). Once you hit size 3, your options open up a lot more, and the difference between sizes doesn't feel so ridiculous proportionally anymore (it's like when you move from MP to P diapers vs. moving from 1 to 2). Size 5 is the "magic size" where you can find pretty much any style you want (my 2-year-old isn't there yet! Maybe by next spring!).
2
u/Ok-Order-7392 Jul 29 '26
Thank you for asking this question! my daughter is almost 10.5 months (actual; 9 adjusted) and also the size of a 3-4 month old. She is a similar weight and also close to walking, so I am curious to see the recommendations! We got her a pair of little baby nikes a few months ago that fit her well and seem to have a decent sole, but im not sure how they will really hold up. All the little toddlers we know have these little sock shoes with soles. They have sized 0-6 but I know my daughter has a foot that is shorter than 4.5inches...so I guess I have zero good recommendations for you!
1
u/Micro-Momma Jul 29 '26
She has a few pair of the sock shoes with soles that she got as gifts. All of them are too big.. they have random weird sizing one says 18 and is the closet pair she has to fitting but they are too big, the other says 13 and is WAY to wide to stay on but is a little longer than the one that says 18. The other pair looked huge so I just put them back in the box without looking to see if they had a size. All of them are loose on her little ankles and chicken legs🤣
2
u/subtlelikeatank Jul 29 '26
We got fleece moccasins (https://a.co/d/07ILm2Q8) since it was winter, and if he hadn’t grown into “real” shoes we would have gone with these from Feet City: https://a.co/d/0bSwFGfi
1
2
u/AggravatingBox2421 Jul 29 '26
My daughter has narrow feet, and the only shoes that stay are ones with Velcro closures so I can strap them on super tight
2
u/Micro-Momma Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
I was looking at some like that online. It’s hard online shopping because they all look narrow but are not🤣
2
2
u/leasarfati Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
My 25 weeker turned two this last weekend. She weighs 21 lbs and still isn’t on the growth chart. She’s just now starting to fit into most brand shoes (she’s a size 3) but before that I found stride rites fit her and I also shrank crocs lol, you can by boiling them. These shoes in 6-12 month also fit her pretty early in her shoe wearing journey
Edit- she started walking when she was 19 months and didn’t wear shoes until then. She took off with milestones after she learned to walk and is in gymnastics now and keeps up with the other kids (though she looks a lot younger)
1
u/Micro-Momma Jul 30 '26
Thank you! Seems like stride rite is a poplar suggestion. I think I’ll order some and worst case she can just grow into them.
I’m glad to hear your daughter is doing well 💜 My daughter kinda just started doing the same she went from trying to sit up to trying to stand up. She pretty much skipped crawling, she can but I’ve only seen her do it a few times.
2
u/Cakehead89 Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
Not a micro but a tiny girl for us. Best hard sole shoes I found were (surprisingly) at Walmart. Her first pair of sneakers when she was about 17 months were size 2 from the Wonder Nation collection. She's 28 months now and just edging out of size 4 and we are still sticking with Wonder Nation. They have 2 levels of insoles if you find the length right but she needs more wiggle room on top.
1
2
u/OopsTheresPoop Jul 30 '26
This is my ex 27 weeker. She is SIGNIFICANTLY smaller than kids her age. Shes now 2 (actual) and still fitting in 6-9 months clothes. Our endo and pediatrician, even NICU Doctors who follow her are not concerned. She is following her bone age, and they have said GH therapy may not do significance to her when there isnt really a catchup in her bone age. Plus, my LO has great appetite and eats well. She is growing at the correct curve, just her curve is much lower than the rest. They advised us to wait a bit and see, we can consider again closer to 4-5. I too am concerned when school starts and the difference shows, or potential bullying :( *hugs in solidarity
Anyways, shoes! Shes is wearing a size 3 from New Balance now. I recommend checking out their site, they often do sales! But also, if your LO is like mine, with pretty slim feet, avoid the wide ones, theyre too big for her. We just get the standard. US2 fit her really well for a while as well.
Sometimes you can find them at a Winners (if canada).
2
u/Micro-Momma Jul 30 '26
Thank you. No one has been really concerned about my daughter’s size either but we haven’t been to the doctors in the last couple of months and that’s when she has kinda stalled out on weight gain. She is super active and she is just burning a ton because she is eating baby food and drinking infant formula mixed at a higher calorie still. She also has a gtube so I give her extra or additional if she doesn’t eat good. She started solids late because she couldn’t sit up… she is still working on chewing good… she wants everything I have but most of it she would choke on. I’m hoping once she can chew everything it will help pack some pounds on her.
Yeah her feet look long and skinny, they aren’t that long but most baby feet look stubby because they are fat 😆 I definitely need narrow shoes for her.
2
u/ylk21301 Jul 30 '26
OP my daughter was like your baby. She didn’t hit 1% until she was maybe around 2.5 years old. Now at that we are closer 31 months old, she’s about 2%.
Shoes: try baby shoes at target—that’s what she wore as her first walking shoes.
And I’m rooting for your baby
1
4
u/Preemiedad Jul 29 '26
My 340g 23 weeker micropreemie is 4 now and only 27lbs so I know the struggle! We had good luck with footmates for baby sized! And stride rites when she got a little bigger.
Good luck!
1
u/IllustriousPiccolo97 Jul 29 '26
Little Lovebugs has tiny shoes that have worked great around here! Their smallest sizes have a “non slip sole” instead of a “real” sole but two of my kids have started walking in the smaller non-slip sizes and have worn them outside, at the playground, to daycare etc and they’ve been plenty protective.
1
u/Micro-Momma Jul 30 '26
Awesome! I’ll check them out. I’m just wanting something for outside the house.
1
u/missyestrela Jul 29 '26
My little was not a preemie, but she is small. Her PT suggested a few options for us. We ended up going with Carters first walker shoes because they have a flexible sole. The smallest we could get was size 2. I can’t remember what month size they list on the tag, but her size 3.5 says 6-9m so I assume the 2 was closer to a 3m size.
1
u/Micro-Momma Jul 30 '26
Thank you! We have a carters in our mall. I’ll have to run in and check there. I tried some sandals (we live in Florida)on last time we were in there and they were all too big but that was a few months ago.
1
1
u/sommerarts Jul 30 '26
Hey my micro premie is the same! Has stayed a tiny guy. He was born 2lbs. He left NICU at 10lbs and is 24 months now and is 21lbs.
Walmart! They have pediatric PT/OT approved options there for tiny feet. Fisherman sandals with a bendy base should be available in the tiny sizes!
For ours we will use grippy socks if it’s appropriate though.
1
u/Micro-Momma Jul 30 '26
Thanks! I have a Walmart super close to my house… maybe I’ll run up there later today. I hardly ever go in the store anymore since having my daughter.. I always get stuff delivered.
1
u/New-Special-874 Jul 30 '26
Had this exact conversation with PT yesterday. LO is 17lbs and starting to cruise and attempt independent standing. I found a size 2 Suprize by Striderite and they are just a little too big. If LO progresses faster than her feet grow I will pick up some Robeez. If not we will start with Surprizes and then go to hard bottom Stride Rites when she can fit a size 3.
Side note.... holy crap these shoes are expensive! I went to our local "once upon a child" and found them for $7 instead of $40 each. The hard bottom stride rites even had tags on them.
I also got a pair of lucky brand shoes also. PT didnt hate them because of the grip and the toe box but still endorses waiting a little longer for the Surprizes.
1
u/Micro-Momma Jul 30 '26
Thank you! I had the convo with my daughter’s PT on Tues 🤣 She said she was going to try and see what she could find for me too.
I think the town over might have a Once upon a child, it sounds familiar but our little beach town does not. I’ll have to google it.
I’m okay with buying a few options. She is growing so slow that she gets good use out of stuff. She is still in 3-6 month clothes. 🤦🏻♀️ and she can still wear some 0-3 month clothes it’s pretty much just the length that’s the issue. I bought some stuff that was labeled just 6m and the shorts fall off. She has chicken legs 🤣
1
u/New-Special-874 Jul 30 '26
We are in the same boat 🤣 we turn a year on monday and she is wearing a 6mo body suit and newborn pants today. Im slowly retiring 3m but most of it still fits! Still in a size 2 diaper too
1
u/Micro-Momma Jul 30 '26
Happy Early Birthday to her! 🥳
My daughter hasn’t even made it to size 2 diapers yet. I still have hope that she will get chunky one day 😆
1
u/Specialist_Soil_7444 Jul 31 '26
How tall is she ? She seems pretty tall
1
u/Micro-Momma Jul 31 '26
I think she was 24.8 inches at her last appointment. She might be a little longer now that was 2 months ago.
2
u/mysticpotatocolin Jul 29 '26
no help on the shoes but i love her little hand movements when she’s standing! like a wave
2
u/Mcmoem Jul 29 '26
My girl was tiny too, born at 27 weeks at 820g. I’d say size wise she was usually about 3 months behind her adjusted age (so 6 months behind birth age). Now at 5 years old she actually is an average size (still small, but actually bigger than I was at the same age! We are small parents).
We liked robeez for when she started walking, but she was fairly late to that (1.5 years from birth). I think we also had some uggs. We mainly used them indoor, or just for the playground, because she couldn’t do long distances.
Worth also bringing up to your pediatrician.
2
u/Every-Earth1300 Jul 30 '26
When they first start walking barefoot is best. For outdoor walking stride rite has great first walker shoes, but not sure of sizes
1
u/No_Suit_3901 Aug 01 '26
Such a cutie!! I feel some of your pain - my friend’s 6 month old weighs nearly as much as my 2.5 year old. We love stride rite!
0
Jul 29 '26
2
u/Micro-Momma Jul 30 '26
I thought about that but I’m not sure the impact it would have on her walking. I’ll ask her PT, she is going to check with some colleagues for me too and see if anyone has any show recommendations. She tried to size her with her with a paper sizer but she didn’t hit the smallest size.
1
u/AutoModerator Jul 29 '26
Welcome to NICU Parents. We're happy you found us and we want to be as helpful as possible in this seemingly impossible journey. Check out the resources tab at the top of the subreddit or the stickied post. Please remember we are NOT medical professionals and are here for advice based on our own situations. If you have a concern about you or your baby please seek assistance from a doctor or go to the ER. That said, there are some medical professionals here and we do hope they can help you with some guidance through your journey. Please remember to read and abide by the rules.
Don't miss our first AMA with Gal The Baby Doc at 7PM EST on April 20th! Join the AMA here
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.