September 3, 2002
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Drybranch, West Virginia, USA:
My two and a half year old son has always been very tall since birth, and his weight has been normal in proportion to his height. Over the last several months, he has gained a lot of weight very quickly. At age two and a half, he now weighs 54 pounds and is about 3 feet tall. I have noticed that he is constantly thirsty and begs for milk all day long. He has also begun wanting to eat a lot more than usual.
His pediatrician put him on a diet but it’s not working. In fact, he has gained seven more pounds! Another thing I noticed is that he complains of his legs itching, his “pee pee” hurts, and I’m afraid he may be developing type�2 diabetes. We have a family history of it, but it is grandparents and aunts who have it. Do you think I should inform the doctor or wait and see if he develops more symptoms?
Answer:
Your son seems to have what is called exogenous infantile obesity being that his BMI is about 30, well above the 95th percentile for his age. First, I think he should get the minimal tests for any sugar intolerance such as fasting blood sugar and a urinalysis before asking the help of both a dietitian and a pediatric endocrinologist who might explore other even much rarer possible diagnoses.
MS