Dr. Says Baby Weighs to Little

Many of you have suggested seeing a nutritionist. Does anyone have any recommendations? I'd like to talk to someone about my son, and myself because I've been diagnosed with high cholesterol. I still breast feed my son so medication is not an option for me at this point.

hi Jen, the baby will be fine. Babies usually have a bowel movement after every meal, that is normal as long as its not in a liquid form. why don't you try ginving him cream of wheat in the morning or ferina. with you busy schduale, trying choping up what you made for dinner along with vegitables.I had a mini food processer with my kids (i had a premi baby weight was always an issue).,the best thing. you can find in wal-mart for under $20.00. Good luck
D. C

Hi My son had Pryloric Stinosis and was fine after surgry and gained weight on schedule sounds like something else could be going on. Maybe he just is growing slow dont make dr make u crazy maybe go for a secon opinion.

J.,

The only thing I can say is that sometimes it is better to trust your gut over what the doctor says. I don't personally think that pooping that often is a problem, it is not uncommon for my babies and children to poop that often. My 16 month old weighs 19 pounds and she is considered in the failure to thrive weight category, but if you looked at her you would clearly see that she is not failing to thrive at all. How does your baby look to you? Is he super skinny with a bloated stomach area? To me that would be a problem, possibly, but like you said, some are just small, and he had some issues so it just might take him longer to catch up.

If you are concerned about his nutrition, know that he is old enough for a vitamin, so give him a vitamin. I'm sure he'll be fine. Let us know how it turns out.

D.

If his stools are brown it is unlikely to be that he isn't digesting his food. It they tend towards green or yellow that could be a concern. It is actually quite normal and, in some medical opinions, desirable, to move the bowels as often per day as we have meals. Although your son is underweight this may be more a problem with your MD's enculturation and expectations than medical science. I'd get a second opinion.

Hi J.,

Please do not feel bad about your baby's weight gain. Is he following the chart, just below the average? My son is 18 months old and is just 17lb 9oz. By the way, he still goes #2 at least 3-4 times a day, probably because of the fiber from all the fruits and veggies. I switched pediatricians because the first one was making me crazy about him not being "on the chart" and told me to feed him junk food, cake, ice cream, pediasure (1st ingredient after water, sugar? doesn't sound too healthy to me, just setting him up for obesity and cavities). This doctor told me that as long as he is following the curve even if it is below the average, he is fine. My suggestion about the types of food to feed your baby, and this is what I have done pretty much since I started feeding my son "solid" food is to give him basically what I eat, but puree it in the blender. He will get more variety, and because it is pureed, the nutrients are easier to digest since he doesn't have the ability to really chew up his food yet. You might want to try things that are a little higher in fat (if you are really concerned about the weight gain) like avocado, eggs and yogurt if he's not allergic. My son loves hummus, he refuses to eat most meat, so I do vegetable protein and fat. Just try to make sure that you are giving him a well balanced diet. Some kids are just meant to be a little smaller than the average. Here is a website that may be able to help with recipes for your little one ____@____.com

Hope this helps,
Sue

Hi,
Try putting some mono-unsaturated fatty acids (the "good" fat) in everything he eats. You can give him mashed avocado, either mixed in or by itself. Sunflower butter (try Trader Joe's). Buy good quality flaxseed oil or cod liver oil and mix a teaspoon in everything he eats. Believe it or not, my whole family takes a spoon of cod liver oil every day, and it does not taste bad, I swear. It's Barlean's Organic Oils, Cod Liver Oil, with lemon flavor. But they also make other oils, I bet any of them would help.
Good luck! And don't panic. It will be ok.

Hi. My best friends' son is exactly like yours. He was born tiny ()when he was a week old her dumbass ex-pediatrician told her her baby was "malnourished" so she almost stopped breastfeeding him. can you imagine???). He is very healthy, happy, smart and active, just small for his age. he also ate smoothies and mushed stuff until almost 2, also had only a few teeth, and is still small and under weight for his age. He might be on the chart now, but has never been on it as far as I know. However, something to keep in mind. The chart is OLD. It is also based on averages of white middle class american babies with western european genes. My friend is black, her husband is south asian, and babies in his family run small, so to his parents nothing was wrong with his son, it was the american chart that said he was underweight.

I have Chron's disease and a (very healthy, robust) 3 year old son, so Ive done a bit of real life homework on the dairy issue, the weight gain stuff. Here is what I know. While cow's milk can be difficult for many systems (not all) to digest, soy milk - any soy product that is not fermented soy (tofu is fermented) - is DANGEROUS for babies and adults because it literally coats the lining of the intestines, prohibiting the absorption of nutrients through the intestinal lining. In addition, like almond, rice, oat, hemp and other "milks", they arent REAL FOOD. They are cocktails of weird stuff that Im not sure its OK for babies and kids (and adults) to have in heavy doses, like carageenan. (someone once gave me great one-liner advise for feeding kids: Pretend you have your great-grandmother walking with you when you are at the grocery store. If she doesnt recognize the product or the ingredients listed, dont buy it - its not real food.)

Now, you say, in this great western diet, almost everything that is baby or child related has milk as a component: cereal, formula, etc. Here are two solutions to the question of how to address the percieved need for dairy in our society:
1) "DAIRY IS THE BEST SOURCE OF CALCIUM & VITAMINS A & D." - Cows milk has less calcium than most leafy greens including spinach and kale per serving. Make veggie lasagna, blend them with cheese into a "green slime" soup, or sautee them and stir into fried rice or pasta dishes. As for vitamins A & D they are naturally occuring in Cod Liver Oil, which my son asks for daily because of the strawberry flavored one made by nordic naturals for kids & babies. Those vitamins are ADDED to milk, and the sources of them are not on the package - creepy.
2) "BUT KIDS LOVE MILK!" - Goat and sheep milk has been sited thousands of times in studies and anecdotally by mothers as being easy to digest and, when substituted for cows milk in kids with rashes, allergies & ear infections, lead to a lessening or disappearance of those conditions. Its also yummy and, if you live anywhere near a goat farm, super cheap. If not you can order it on line or find it in health food stores. My son loves it.

This is what works for my family and I. Hope some of this is helpful.

Good luck!

A.

Hi J.,

I think your son can eat more table food than your giving him. Even though he only has 4 teeth, he does have teeth under those gums. I would start feeding him foods that you are eating (with the exception of allergy-related foods). This may help. The jar foods dont carry much calories at all. If you make a sweet potato, give him some. The have Energy Balance butter (non dairy) - put a little 'butter' on it! You can certainly give him pieces of a turkey burger or meatloaf. If you have a food processor - use it. I started using mine with my son when he was under 12 months old, mashing up the food we ate.

If that doesn't help, you may want to consider a Naturopath. They'll get to the bottom of the issue for sure!

Good Luck!

Good advice on adding more variety from everybody, avocado is very good, fatty and easy to eat. I cook up orxo pasta in chivken broth and my daughter loves that. I also add nutritional yeast to many things, very high in B vitamins. I do think it's important to get another opinion from another dr. Have you considered a family doc? They are sometimes more relaxed about things. Our family doc said that many practices would consider my 15 month old in the failure to thrive catagory but that she wasn't in the least concerned, growth charts are scewed and there are many other factors to consider.

Hi J.,
Sorry to hear for all your troubles. You should try giving him cereal bars for snacks. There are some really healthy ones out there that are soft enough for him to eat, plus they have the extra sugars and protein he needs. If anything, you can always try those protein bars weight lifters use. They are loaded with the nutrients a body needs. He may be a little boy, but if his body doesn't seem to want to develop as fast as the doc wants, I personally would try everything I could. Also, if he is pooping too much, try to stay away from the fruits, even the jar and canned ones. Fruit (ESPECIALLY APPLESAUCE) is a diarettic which increase bowel movements. By limiting his fruit intake, his body should be able to retain more of the bowels long enough to absorbe the nutrients necessary.
I read a lot into this when my oldest was younger. He was decent in the weight category, but he has always been so tall I get worried when he looks so thin (his ribs REALLY show.)
All in all, try to research into foods you as an adult would eat to gain weight and muscle, they will work for him too.
Good luck and be sure to let us know how it goes.
M.*

I'm sure your doctor or your friends have suggested to double up on the starches. I find that rice, pasta ( especially pastina), oatmeal, and different kind of bread products will really fill my kids up, not to mention bind them up as well. Does your child have a nut allergy? Because peanut butter is full of protein and FAT! I believe there is also a perscription powder that boosts calories that can be added to food. Don't lose faith. Your son will start gaining weight. Also, if you feel your doctor isn't giving you the answers that your looking for concerning your sons bowel habits, go for a second opinion. Good luck!

Hi J.-
My son is also underweight. He just does not like to eat. Every meal is a battle. I think you should consider taking your son to a nutritionist. He/she should be able to make up a menu for you to follow to help your son put on weight.
Good Luck.
K.

Hi,
You may want to check into whether or not he has a gluten allergy. It is an intorlerance to wheat, rye, barley and possibly oats. One of the cardinal signs is failure to gain weight. If your son is pooping too much and especially if the poop floats (sorry to be graphic) that means he isn't absorbing fat properly. Gluten intolerance causes a malabsorption of nutrients. The good news is that the elimination of these foods often totally remedies the situation. There is tons of information and new products out there that make eating gluten-free easier than it used to be. The doctor should be able to test him for this. On the other hand he may be getting too much fruit which can cause many bowel movements. Taking him to a naturally minded nutritionist may help. Good luck!

Hi J., my first thought is have you tried Lactaid milk? Soy and Rice milk have half the fat of regular cow's milk, my son was sick with a stomach bug and we had to switch to soy and then rice milk, but he was starving, even waking at night. Maybe the dr. knows of a fuller fat Rice milk that would make your son go # 2 less? Good Luck

Tell that "genious" pediatrician of yours to give you a nutritionist to see. Don't you just love when dr's tell you what the evident problem is but give you no solution or options?? I think with all the issues you have faced it is best to se a nutritionist. They can best tell you what to feed your son and how(several times, types of foods etc).
As for giving him regular food, why don't you try blending it or putting it in the food processor so it is in a form he can handle and won't choke or anything. There is a possibility the stenosis can return, so you may want to discuss that with your ped as well. Good luck.

My daughter was also under weight and had a milk allergy. I fed her all foods that were high in fat. Avacado and peanut butter are 2 good ones for kids with out many teeth. Plus if he is walking alot he is going to burn off a lot of calories.

Good luck!

Hi you can give him a supplemental drink and some vitamins to make sure he get what his little body requires. I give my children usaanimals. They are chewable and are all natural. Which very important to me and they have no Iron . They have no Iron just because child tend to like them so much they'll eat up. But they will not cause any harm. The company also offers a supplemental drink for the entire family to enjoy. If you would like some info. you can e.mail @ ____@____.com

I always loved when the doctor would give a sweeping directive like "your child needs to gain weight" with no specific direction about how to go about doing that.

Make an appointment with a nutritionist or hop on the internet and do a little research to get correct portions for your child. My kids always loved peanut butter crackers or cubes of cheese for snacks. High calorie easy to hold and eat.

My granddaughter is currently way under weight because all she wanted to eat was fruits and veggie all day. Very good for her but not enough calories for a growing little one.

Avoid the top allergens- cow and soy milk, egg whites, wheat & corn (read labels, corn & wheat are in everything- think corn syrup and even cornstarch). Stick to very non-allergenic things. Goats milk, goat's milk cheese, goat's milk yogurt are all probably going to be well tolerated by a baby who can't do soy or cow's milk, and they will provide some protein and a little fat to bulk him up. Brown rice cereal with egg yolk scrambled in is one dish my son loved at that age. And SMOOTHIES are a great idea. You can toss in some coconut milk or goat milk yogurt or whatever you like as a base, and add virgin coconut oil and frozen bananas and strawberries. We always gave our son tons of nutritious stuff hidden in smoothies. Avocado- you can mash it up and mix it with something else, or put a wee bit of sea salt on it.

OK MOM,

Here is what you do,

Have you considered changing his milk back to regualr milk because SOY can irritate his bowels and make him have more frequent stools.
Where as regular whole milk helps to bind his bowels.

I suggest that you give him his food first,

8am breakfast should be half a banana, a dole fruit cup
and some cereal, Cheerios not baby cereal.

you need to teach him how to eat, and it doesn't matter how many teeth he has, eating helps the teeth come thru,
and nourishes his body,and brain.

If he has trouble POP the cheerio
basically squeeze the circle between your fingers till it breaks into 3 or 4 little bits.
and place it in his mouth, If he eats chicken then he should do fine with a broken cheerio. and if he can eat a whole cheerio he knows how to eat table foods.
and if can eat 3 to 4 cheerios at a time he can eat on his own,.

then 10 am snack should be cookies, or crackers.
golfish crackers.

then for 12:15 lunch half a grilled cheese sandwich, half a bowl of Mac N Cheese, pasta, peas N pasta, soup, larger pieces of Chicken nuggets,boiled or steamed broccoli with cheese, or a hot dog sliced down the middle and then in Half. with some ketchup.

( 2 of these items and NO fruit)

then a Milk bottle for Nap time.

when he wakes up hopefully around 230-3pm

snack time, again, bread sticks, stella doro cookies, ice cream, choclate chip cookies, someting sweet and fattening,

and then a bottle at 5pm

and 630 pm Dinner time
he should eat whatever your eatting, put it in the blender or food processor if your still not comfortable,
but i have to be honest, if you don't teach him he will never learn, and trust me it doesn't get easier.
He is healthy now don't be afraid. And try to make sure he is getting a daily vitamin.

and then 8-830 bottle.
9pm bedtime.

the only way to gain weight is to eat, and the only way for him to gain weight is to change his diet and learn to chew foods and eat independently,

you need to teach him,

Good luck

M

Ps I have 3 children, and MY 2year old weighs 32 pounds and is in the 95th percentile for height and weight, and head circumfrence,

set a personal goal for him to gain 7 LBS

and learn to eat regular foods.

everyday feed him regular foods and make the faces to show him how to chew it well, offering him one piece of food at a time, put it on his plate, and let him put it into his mouth.

then chew with him, and eat when he eats this shows him what to do.

If your baby doesn't walk call the birth23 program and schedule an appointment for an evaluation, because there is no sense in weighting til he is so far behind he can't catch up. his health problems are healed. Now help him develope and grow normally

good luck

M
http://www.birth23.org/

I think the most important question is, "Do you think your son is healthy?" Is he sleeping well, smiling, alert, playful. If there is no sign indicating that his slow weight gain is making him sick it is probably because he is not. There is nothing wrong with him making #2 three or four times a day. We should all be going some time after each meal. But most of us don't function that well. All the fruits that you say he is eating would make anybody regular. Isn't the stage 3 baby food really soft. I gave my son steamed vegetables like baby carrots, broccoli, string beans, sweet potatoes and yams. Try them each individually for a few days and see how he likes them and to make sure there are no allergic reactions. Then you can even combine two together like broccoli/sweet potato, carrots and potato, etc. These will all be thicker and easier for him to eat with his 4 1/2 teeth. You can also make porridge out of the baby cereal with some soy milk. I don't understand why the doctor told you to stop the soy milk if that is the only milk he can drink. He needs milk. One of the reasons your son is not as fat as the dr. would like him to be is because he is not drinking a lot of regular formula and he is eating healthy food. Doctors are great, but sometimes they can end up scaring you. Pay attention to your son and follow your instincts. I hope this helps.

Hi J.:

I feel your pain! I went thorugh this with my son who has a congenital heart defect. He was 18 pounds at 1 year old. We used a product called Duocal which was recommended by our cardiologist. It is a powder form and you mix it into foods and drinks - no flavor - my son never complained about it.

Also have you tried Pediasure yet? That might help a little too.

Good Luck and hang in there!!

I agree with the other posters. You need to have his thyroid checked and definitely see a nutritionist.

When one of my daughters was around that age, I had the same concern. When I brought her to a nutritionist, she told me that I shouldn't worry about the amount of fat in her diet until she's about 2. Slather things in butter, feed her ice cream, find high calorie foods that she'll eat. That's what she told me, that's what I did and she started gaining weight. It was then that I introduced smoothies once a day. I put a little ice cream, plain yogurt, fruit, milk and a packet of carnation instant breakfast for the vitamins. To this day, 3 years later, they still ask for them for a special treat.

But - I'm just a regular Mom. See a different doctor and a nutritionist to help to quell your fears and concerns.

J.,

I agree with most of the other posts - try more regular foods (my dgtr started eating our table food at or just before one year - she did have more teeth than your little guy - but she still wasn't great at the chewing & would start coughing on half of it - clear it - then get right back to the food!).

Also - definitely get a second opinion - doctor's don't know everything! And why not go to a nutritionist - they'll have much more info for you and avenues to try.

As far as trying things adults do to gain weight - I don't exactly agree with that one. There are things in protein powders and bars that can affect kidney function and are not intended for children.

But - at the same time - up the natural calories - butter - things high in calories (with high natural protein) may help. Try to avoid high calorie that just has extra sugar - not good either. What about peanut butter (or almond butter if you are concerned with allergy). Things like that may help also. When was the last time you tried milk? Sometimes things that get chalked up to allergies turn out not to be that at all - so it may be worth trying it again - (depending on the reaction the first time around!!!). He may like shakes too like someone else suggested as an afternoon snack.

Good luck!

J.,
I was reading the other responses and I have to agree with Mary K. My daughter (third child) is 10 months old and refuses to eat baby food at all. She only has three teeth and she eats just about everything my other two children ( 7 and 5 years old) eat. She has been this way since she started eating Cheerios at about 8-9 months old. Once she realized she was able to feed herself she wanted to be on her own. She has been doing really well with the Gerber Graduate meals and that is what she started with. Most of the meals are finger foods and balanced meals. Here is a list of the other foods that I give her:

cheerios
Pancakes
Waffles
French Toast
Toast
Most fruits
Most Veggies
chicken nuggets
grilled cheese
cheese sticks
yogurt
hot dogs
pork roll
chicken cutlets
fish sticks
rice
potatoes
cookies
fishy crackers
pretzels
crackers

try to avoid the baby food. My daughter does great with all the food. I do have to cut it into little pieces, but she does great with it. She drinks whole milk and juice. She eats 3 meals a day and usually 2-3 snacks throughout the day. My dauhter is 10 months old and she weighs a little over 24 pounds. She is also tall. She is in the 95% for hight and weight. My two older children were the same way as infants and they are two healthy and happy kids. good luck!!!

I agree with one of the other mothers- he needs his thyroid checked. It's a simple blood test, and worst case scenario he'll just need thyroid medication... which would actually be the best case scenario because you'd have a solution! Insist on the test - that's what it sounds like.

J.,
Start giving your son what you eat, table food. I found that they eat much better if they eat what you eat. Also try starting him on whole milk, it will help him gain weight and unless he is lactose intolerant, his stools will become much harder. Another thing is to cut back on the amount of fluids, increasing foods high in fiber. My mother had the same problem with me, I still have a high metabolism and I eat constantly. It wasn't until I was over 40 years old that I broke 100 lbs. LOL Lastly get a second opinion, it can't hurt. You might try calling a gastroenterologist.
Hugs,
T.

J.- try whole fat yogurt if you can find a non-milk version or try the milk version, he may be okay with it because it comes with bacteria that can help break it down. my son is on pediasure nutritional supplement for weight gain-he was a preemie and it seems to help. good luck

Hi J.,

We had that situation when our six-year-old was younger. He's very active and slim due to genes so we took that into consideration too. He still drinks soy milk and water 2-3 times a day and loves fruits and juice, which we limit to one a day bc it makes him go #2, but a high calorie diet worked for him. We give him three meals and 2-3 snacks a day.

Foods he has: Breakfast - cream of wheat with soy milk is high in iron & calories (can use rice milk if needed), eggs and toast (can do boiled egg, scrambled, sunny sideup), bagel w/cream cheese or fruit spread, oatmeal w/banana. Lunch & dinner: cheeseburger, chicken or beef with white rice and beans or spinach pasta and fried yellow plantains (beef/chicken for protein, rice helps constipate; ground beef w/mac & cheese, or blend); turkey w/mashed potatoes (can blend), variety of vegetables, rice and beef blended, soup/broths with beef, rice and vegs (blend or boil together so vitamins stay in soup). Snacks: real peanut butter with crackers, multigrain bread with butter/peanut butter/fruit spread, graham crackers, high calorie ice-cream, pretzels, fruit every other day.

Hope this helps.
Barbara

H J.,
I have five children and I had very similar issues with all of my children. My youngest will be four years old in Oct and he weights 26 lbs. My chldren were always small, they ate healthy and had some allergies to milk when they were younger so I had to nurse them for a long time which wasn't easy because I worked full time at that time. My three year old has been tested for many illnesses and Schneiders Childrens hospital has not found any problems. He is just small. He has some digestive issues also but he runs around, he is just like any three year old. All of my children did not start getting teeth until after they turned one years old, even now my kids have braces and all of there friends are done with that because they didn't get their teeth until they were much older. Some of my children are now teens and even though they are small they are not the smallest kids and they are very healthy. Keep up with your Doctor because you always want to rule out any problems but I had been given the option to give one of my kids shots for growth because he was so delayed in his growth, well we choose not to do that and he is now fourteen and although he is not a big kid he is taller than his older brother and sister now. He just shot up in his growth in just the last couple of months. Feed your baby healthy and follow up with your Doctor and as long as you do not see any other major issues your son should grow up happy and healthy and maybe a little on the small side. I have also changed my kids skin and hair care as there are chemicals in so many of the products on the market today so I felt after researching all of the nutritional issues with the Nutritionist, I discovered that that may have been part of the problem. Who knows? We may never know, I felt better doing that now and my kids are doing great. I now work from home and my kids are great. So everything works out, don't drive yourself crazy, just keep track of it and I am sure your kids will be as healthy as any other kids. You are doing all the right things for your kids. My kids eat me out of house and home but are still small. Good Luck and congratulations on your new baby. If you would like to keep in touch and let me know how everything works out my e mail is ____@____.com care
S.

Hi J., I would not usually say don't listen to the Doctor but I think your baby will grow at his own rate. It sounds to me you are doing a good job and the best you can. He may have a growth spurt at another time. Good wishes, Grandma Mary

A personal question...what is your build or what size were you as a child? Are these things being taken into consideration? My best friend is 5 foot with shoes on and 100 pounds soaking wet...and she is the largest one in her family, her daughter is small(not even on the chart) and they started doing tests because she didn't weigh enough...well now she's 4 and finally has started to gain weight and grow...but she could easily pass for a two year old(sizewise)...and there is nothing wrong with her...she's just small...I would contact a your doctor and find out what he recommends you feed him...not just what not to feed him, you could also get in touch with the surgeon and talk to him and get some follow up advice...try not to feel frustrated(if that's at all possible) and ask questions...you could even call the hospital,I'm sure they could point you in the right direction...and on another note...do you give him a lot of juice? Everytime I gave my 4th son juice(even watered down) he would poop...A LOT! So for awhile I took it out of his diet, now he is 4 and can have a small(4oz) glass at breakfast...and still he will go potty soon after...he's just extremely sensitive to it...just a thought...goodluck!

I am sorry this is happening as I understand you completely. We are having similar issue with our twin girls. There 15 mth appt is next month.... As an aside I had a thought for you after reading part about number of bms.... has he been tested for Celiac Diease http://www.celiacdiseasecenter.columbia.edu/A_Patients/A0...
May be too soon to do this but can cause "failure to thrive" and they can pick it up around two years. Some people born with genetic marker and get it and some do not. I have it and my girls have marker but time will tell if they develop it. Hope not but if one or both does we will deal with it.
Wishing you all the best and hoped this lead might help.
L.
p.s. Dr. Peter Green is fantastic (he is in the picture on link I sent you.)

Hi J.,
If he will eat the baby food texture, the same adult food you want to feed him but is too big can be pureed and he can eat it that way. You just have to buy a food processor if you don't have one--a great way to get an extra Mother's day gift! Say it's for the baby! Then all you have to do is figure out what he needs nutritionally and flavor it so that he likes the taste--put in some fruit with the pureed chicken or turkey. Also, you might check out what protein powders you can get at the health food store that would be safe for him and add that too--extra calories, vitamins, protein.
Good luck!

You have been given lots of advice- when my son was under weight ( not on that curve) :) we went to a nutritionist through his GI.. maybe there is one that is through your preditrician? We were to give him vegtable oil mixed in with any food that he would take it. All babyfood, apple sauce....ect. Also my cousin's child had the issue as well and he ate more avocados than I've even seen anyone eat.

Although frustrating it sounds like your doctor gave you a step one plan. Record what your son eats for three days. Don't hit the panic button yet, For that do what you usually do. Then go back and see what he says next. You may be "in luck" and its teh soy milk giving teh issue.. rice milk may be an oppotion if pulling the spy helps....take a deep breath,.

When our kids don't seem to be growing like we're told they should its frustraing and we take it so personally. My younest still isn't on the growth chart and the blood work adn x-rays have all been done. but after a time doctors relax when the various tests come back fine and even pushing the calories stops after awhile.

Hi Jen, did you take Erythromycin, an antibiotic, during pregnancy? If so, that might be the cause of your developing pyloric stenosis. Did the baby receive any antibiotics? Again, that might be the cause. My advice would be to delete milk (which you have already done), wheat or any gluten based products, and grains. This leaves you with organic fruits and vegetables and meat w/out antibiotics or growth hormones. Also, NO sugar-so no cookies, cakes, etc. Oh, and no soy or rice milk. This is a very hard diet to follow, but I suggest that you try it for one month and see if there is an improvement. You have to make his foods fresh so that he can get the nutritional benefits as well as the natural enzymes found in fresh "live" foods. Good luck and if you do this diet, please keep me posted. I am a Holistic Health Counselor who specializes in women and children's health.

Has your pediatrician checked your child for Celiac Disease, dhich is a sensitivity to wheat gluten, oats, rye, barley etc. This condition can cause multiple bowel movements, weight loss, loss of nutrients. Many people who have Celiac disease also have Lactose intolerance.

Going #2 several times a day is also a symptom of Hyperthyroidism. Food doesn't get digested properly because your whole metabolic system is accelerated. What goes in goes out, you are always eating but still lose weight.

I was undiagnosed for over 7 years because I didn't have ALL the traditional symptoms and my doctor failed to inquire things like if I had any strange changes in bathroom habits or if my heart raced sometimes at odd times. That would have given him the diagnosis right away.

Good luck finding the cause and the solution!

L.

Hi, when my daughter was little, she her thighs were no thicker than her upper arms, and she too needed to gain. She had her share of issues, including milk allergy and reflux. The paediatrician advised me to add a tablespoon of olive oil to every jar of baby food she had. I was horrified, but have since heard of other doctors suggesting that. You can also mix it in with some foods older kids.
Also, I know of people in America who give their kids PediaSure drinks to give them extra calories. Can you ask your doctor if there is a dairy free alternative?
Good luck,
A.
(PS my daughter is only took a year or less to catch up with the weight)