Ted's Remedies
Dear Ted, my son just turned 11 years old today but he has a bone age of 7 and body mass index of 12.5, about 1 percentile on the growth chart. The complete blood panel and comprehensive metabolic pannel all came back normal. He eats a balanced diet and is otherwise healthy and does well in school. But I am still extremely worried about his physical state. Should I? What can I do to help him? Thank you so much!
Increasing an underweight child is rather straightforward. A vitamin B complex, in the form of B50 would increase his weight, until it's discontinued, once the weight is about to reach normal weight. The second thing to build muscle mass and bone issue is the vitamin D2 or D3, the dose that's required, based on my estimates are usually between 10,000 i.u. to 15,000 i.u. of vitamin D taken for only one to two months, and is taken only 5 days out of a week. Magnesium gluconate, magnesium citrate is taken at 250 mg a day for 5 days out of the week also for at least two months period. Muscle mass should noticeably increase within about a month, and the bone mass also. Most tests of metabolic doesn't measure growth it just measures your energy level, so I guess a proper measurement maybe vitamin D levels, growth hormone and bone mass density. A metabolic rate is more ideally suited with people with low energy levels, diabetes, obesity and hypothyroidism. Vitamin C maybe needed by the child so that the collagen supplements can formed, some dipotassium phoshpate 250 mg, taken for a week or two should help building of the bones, as this is converted into Calcium phosphate, which makes up roughly 70-80 of the bone structure. What holds together the bone structure is a collagen matrix, so it helps if daily amino acid supplements are taken, usually liquid form or softgel form. The remedy requires about 2 months, but a vitamin B complex may needed to be taken for only the first two weeks, and that's only 5 days out of a week. I am assuming of course that the child's iodine level are normal, but this is unrealistic, as roughly (can't be exact) 96% of the U.S. population has subclinical iodine level. Hence, 1 drop of lugols solution is taken only once a week, also for about two months period, and it's dissolved in a half glass of water.
Lake Worth, Fl
11/03/2009
XH, I had the same problem with a child. by the way, who is now a strapping 18 year old young man. I found daily multi vitamins really stimulated his appetite. Noticed a huge difference when he took them and when he didn't. Although you did indicate his diet was healthy, maybe eating more would help him to plump up some.
As we know some people just don't gain weight as easily as others. You did all the right things by consulting a doctor. I am thinking puberty may change all of that, but in the mean time try multi vitamins.
JC, Ga, US
11/05/2009
Thank you Ted for your full spectrum prescription. I just started to give my son the children's multivitamin. Should I subtract the dosage in that first before supplementing more B and D as you suggested?
Since he is eating a healthy diet in moderate amount, should I suspect or test him for any digestive system issues? I also recently started him on enzyme supplement. Are there tests to reveal any vitamin / mineral / amino acid deficiencies?
Jamie, it's really assuring to know your son has turned out strong and healthy. Because of my son's low bone age, I don't expect him to hit puberty in the near future, but I definitely look forward to it. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
