You're not thinking about this from an economic standpoint.
As a child grows, it's body becomes larger, meaning the body will contain more flesh, bones, fat, etc.
Additionally, once the child is fully grown, its cells do not continue to expand in size, meaning there's less rapid cellular division - and therefore less risk of cancer.
Not to mention all the labor it could be forced to do over the course of its life.
No, from a purely economic standpoint, I'd have to disagree. Not only will the summation of flesh increase in quantity (and therefore price per pound), but the flesh will become more stable and therefore more valuable.
Once you add in the value of potential labor, it's of much greater benefit the force a child to live a miserable existence.
Now, if you're talking about children with traumatic brain injuries or other flaws that prevent them from controlling their bodies? Yeah, they aren't going to be worth nearly as much so it's better to use their meat to feed better stock.