Eating Problems - Nashville, TN

Sounds like an independent stage. My dr. always said they will eat when they get hungry. My question to you is does he drink a lot of milk throughout the day? My son did this and he was getting full on his milk and refusing his food. Don't make it a battle...watch the liquid intake and wait until he acts hungry, offer some food and leave him alone to eat it or play with it. If he doesn't eat it, he doesn't eat...he will soon enough.

ALL kids go through the "no eating" stage. Don't worry, he'll eat when he's hungry. Until then offer him nutritious snacks in a "snack trap" or sandwich bag, like dry cereal or Gerber finger foods. Kids seem more willing to eat while they're on the move. Just watch him carefully to avoid choking. Also avoid giving him any liquids 15 minutes before a meal. Liquids can fill up their little tummies quick and that makes them less likely to eat.

You did not mention this, but are you letting him drink too much. I have a 3-yr who had a similar problem at about 15 mo, but part of the problem was we were letting him drink too much milk. He would have a cup of milk and then he wouldn't eat any of his food. We had to really watch and be aware of the fluids we gave him. Good Luck

Toddlers can be picky eaters and go through phases where they dont want to eat. Its normal. You said he's dropped in weight, but how tall is he? My daughter was at one point -3% for weight but only 5% for height so she was on par for her size.

When she went through this phase I let her eat on the run. I had snacks available if she wanted and she would graze through out the day. Again, this is normal toddler behaviour. Instead of Ensure, try making him homemade smoothies, with things like fresh fruit, soy or rice milk, plain yogurt and mixing in small amounts of things like spinach in small amounts to help him get that extra boost of nutrition he needs.

I am wondering if he has an adversion to food or food textures.. it happens a lot more than most people think...
For him to lose that much weight as little as he is... try to discuss this with your Dr. Also try to do some research on it.

Here are some sites to get your started..

http://www.comeunity.com/premature/child/growth/feeding-h...

http://www.parent-2-parent.com/forum/archive/index.php?t-...

http://www.beyondplay.com/ITEMS/W933.HTM

Food Refusal
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/nutrition/food_refusal.html

http://www.hmc.psu.edu/childrens/healthinfo/f/feeding.htm

http://www.answers.com/topic/aversion-to-food

http://www.cdlsusa.org/publications/reachingout/archive/c...

http://babyparenting.about.com/od/nutritionandfeeding/a/f...

This was about the same age my little one stopped eating. It worried me to death! And drove me nuts! It's normal for them to take a break from the growth spurts and slow down on their calorie consumption, BUT his weight loss seems to be a little extreme. What did your doctor say? Is he worried about the weight loss?
I can tell you our little one never ate dinner with us around this time. He snacked all day, never sitting down for a meal. We'd just let him play while we ate. So that may be part of you and your husbands frustration, expecting him to actually sit through dinner with you. Eventually we just had to give up the fight. He eventually did start eating. But if it weren't for apples and bananas, he would have literally starved.
My advice is to first make sure the doctors are OK with his weight loss. If they say he's ok and will bounce back, then I say just relax and let him guide you. I'm sure it's just a phase, we just want to make sure he's healthy while he goes thru this phase.

.

Poor babe! Here's a shot in the dark just to add to your bag of info.......sensory processing problems can sometimes cause problems with children eating. Mostly you'll hear about it when moms are talking about how picky their toddlers are, how they'll only eat one food, one texture, food at a certain temperature, only sweet, salty, chewy or crunchy, or moms will notice that certain foods cause changes in behavior. If that rings any bells, you can do some online searches or ask about sensory integration disorder or (the name keeps changing) "Sensory Integrative Dysfunction". You'll most often see symptoms in conjunction with other, more common symptoms of the disorder, and, should it be at play, there are many things to do that can help.

Also for your consideration: allergies. Maybe you've already made a note of any reactions to food/drink, though.

Common sense and other moms here would suggest teething, reflux, and your basic, "I'm a toddler now and I'm too excited about the world to sit still and eat!" What's going on around meal time? Have there been any big changes in his routine or his life in general? One of my kids was low on the growth charts until she turned 9, when she had a huge growth spurt that has lasted a few years now. In my experience, Ensure, although sugar-laden, can be a literal life-saver until you can find the root of the problem, and the less stressful meal times are, the better. Just all, pardon the pun, food for thought. I know it's no laughing matter - hoping to ease your mind a little. I also know that you'll keep searching for answers til you find one, and that that makes him a lucky boy. Hugs if you want them to you and your little guy, and may his appetite return soon!

I have to say that when a child is hungry they will eat you just have to be sure that you aren't feeding between meals. If you and your husband are arguing that can't be helping the issue any at all. That really has to stop so that it doesn't effect your child adversely because children pick up on all of those things!! Try to make meal time a quiet and peaceful time and offer him a well balanced meal, if he doesn't eat it don't worry so much. The next morning if you offer a good breakfast and he doesn't eat then make sure you are offering a good lunch...he will eat as long as junk isn't replacing the good foods. Kids do eat when they are hungry. I have now raised my children to adulthood and they went through many growth spurts and also through periods of not wanting certain foods but to replace good with junk doesn't help. We as humans won't starve ourselves so believe in your instincts and know that your child will eat when he is hungry..it's nature.

Go to your local health department or ask your child's pediatrician and find out about your state's early intervention program. They could help you find an occupational therapist that specializes in feeding (at no cost to you). An OT can help you determine whether there are behavioral aspects related to his eating (or lack thereof) or if there is actually a problem AND give you strategies to help him improve. You can also pursue OT privately.

wait until he shows that he is hungry if you try to feed him when he isnt hungry it just wont work. i had to do this with my 14 month old. it was my hunnys idea to wait and see and low and behold she let me know when she was hungry and she didnt starve. he will get over this and if that doesnt work talk to your doctor it could be that his tummy hurts after he eats or something.... good luck!

my oldest went through the same incident and has now come around to eating everything again. While he eas going through this i tried the gerber graduate meals they have come out with that he could feed to himself and it helped to aleviate his not wanting to eat. I hope this may help.

Just relax. I do promise you when he gets hungry he will eat. I am the mother of two teenage sons, now 15 and 17, and we went through the same thing with both of them. One of the things that i found that worked well was i bought a small sectional and placed it within reach with nutritional food and kept it within reach at all times. This worked so much better than trying to them confined during meal time because it was only making both my husband and myself constantly at odds with each other. If you ignore it instead of making a issue of it, he will eventually want to sit at the table and eat with the rest of your family but if it continues, it will appear to be a power struggle and will only get worse.

Has he ever had reflux problems....?? That could be the problem and the ped. is not addressing it. There was a story about a 5 yr old who had reflux and his mom didn't know for a few years....needless to say after he was put on meds he was a completely different kid. Try checking with your doc, and if you aren't getting answers you want, find another doctor. Also, if pediasure is all you can get him to eat and he is loosing weight, give him the drink. Who cares what problem you are masking....it you don't get some food in you baby you are going to have a bigger problem. Sometimes I think pediatricians are not very in tune to moms and babies and the needs of that family. They go by the book, and we all know that doesn't work for everyone.
Good luck, and I hope you find some answers soon.
T.

Hi Vivian,
I too am a mom of a 2 1/2 yo and 4 1/2yo, both boys. I am also a OB and newborn nursery nurse. From my own experiences, advice from Pediatricians, and just my opinion this is what I would do. This is stressful, but let up on yourself. You have tried many different things and the bottom line is you can't physically put the food down his throat, chew and digest it for him. Ensure is a good option, as would be Pedialyte, even popsicles, yogurt pops, fudge pops,,,fluid is far more important than food. For now let the child think he has won the battle I quess you could say.He will eat when he is hungry. However I would make sure the reason he is not eating is because he is filling up on sweet tasty drinks. Pay attention and make sure he is making urine and having bowel movements. Will he drink juice, milk, vanilla soy milk?
I also am offering this assuming he is healthy, normal 18 month old that is going through a phase (which they all do).
I have a nephew that is 5 that weighs the same as my 2 yo. He could care less about food. I always tease my sister and tell her I don't know how he gets in enough calories to breath and for his heart to beat!
Hope this is of some help or makes you feel better. Just don't be hard on yourself about it, that is not making anything better for you. Good Luck--L.

you didn't say how much he's eating, if he is grazing through the whole day or has regularly scheduled feeding times.

My youngest daughter is small for her age and her portions are also small. She is 9 years old and 58 lbs. For dinner she'll eat 1 scoop of corn (this is about 1/8 of a cup or less), about 1-2 oz of chicken (usually just 2-3 bites), 2-3 bites of fruit and she says she's done. I don't agrue with her, she knows when she's done.

Every child has something he or she likes. The key is to find it. For me, and I know this is not healthy, but my little girl really likes McDonald's french fries. So everyday we would take a trip there just so I could get her to eat. She eventually tried other things on the menu. I even got her to eat salad!

My son is 20 months and at about the 18 month mark started the same thing, although his lack of weight gain started several months before that. Our pediatrician ran many, many tests, all of which came back normal. We are seeing a nutritionist monthly and having follow-ups with the Dr. We were instructed to use Pediasure and add calories and fat wherever we could. We add cream to mashed potatoes and rice. Pile on the butter. We give milk shakes and pudding. He is gaining now, finally, but we are still monitoring him closely. I would speak to the ped. again about establishing a game plan.

You've gotten some great advice here. The sensory comment was a thought that crossed my mind, but thats mainly because of the age of onset. However, more information will also help you with discovering the change. Drastic changes should always be noted. If hes a good eater before, he's telling you something. Does he eat with the nanny? Do you notice a bigger problem on days that you have him all day or is it other days? I would write down everything he eats all day (Basically Journal the next few weeks) and take that to your next doctor appointment. Give him the ensure if it makes less stress between you and your husband. Its amazing howmuch kids pick up on stress around the house.

sounds like teeth coming in (the first few years are pretty harsh for the teeth and gums).

try, if you can, to massage the gums with a soft cloth or see if ped dentist can take a peak for any insight on mouth issues. i know when i have a tooth ache, i don't much care for any food either.

hopefully it's just some tooth issues

good luck and peace,

have you had your son tested for reflux, or a stomach condition. things like reflux, can hurt there bellies so much when they eat, that some kids just stop eating. also things like ulcers and celiac(sp?) can cause the same problems. take your son to the doctor, and let them run a few tests on him, the sooner that you can make him feel better, the sooner he will eat again.

How much milk is he drinking? He should only get 16 oz a day of whole milk. Always serve him what you eat and the minute he throws it on the floor, remind him that we do not throw food on the floor and if he does it again his food will be taken away. Also give him small portions of everything. He might be getting overwhelmed by everthing and continue serving the same things to him-try to put at least one thing on his plate you know he likes. One day he hates it the next day he eats it! My son is not a big dinner eater either so he gets most of his calories during breakfast and lunch (he ate 5 pancakes today!) Might just be his personality. Maybe try feeding him more during the day, keep track of his caloric intake-he might just be getting enough! ;)

Hey Vivian,
I am a child pschologist aswell as a mom and also have done a lot of studdy on children's health and nutrition.
Kids do go through stages and it may seem like they get stuck and the stage will never end.
Feeding issues are one of the biggest and kids often pick up on parents frustration and anxiety.
I hold interactive lectures at my office once per month and will be glad to include you. The next one is June 10th at 6:30 pm and June 11 at 9:30 am.
During the mean time, I really like a lot of the ideas from DR. Bill Sears. If you would like , I will send you a DVD to borrow and watch.I just need your address. If you had rather you can stop by my office 1037 Providence Road and pick up a copy. It has some really great ideas.
Let me know what would be best for you.
T. Huntley ###-###-####

Hi V.. If the pediatrician is not worried about him dropping to less than the 3rd percentile, and doesn't have any ideas how to make him eat (or none that you like) then here are a few ideas that might work for you and your child:

-I would let him not eat and not make an issue of it. In between meals, he would only get some water (no milk, whole milk is very filling) no snacks or juices (sugar drops your appetite) and next time he asks for food (or acts hungry, or it is time for the next meal), I would give him something nutritious/healthy (and not too weird that you know he used to like for example)
if he still plays with it, I'd make him leave the table, and repeat that until he eats. My niece went a few nights hungry until she decided to eat but it worked for her. (this works usually best for picky eaters)

-In your case however, it seems your son doesn't eat anything... so is he too distracted to eat? For example is the TV on, or is it anxious to do the next activity (watch TV?) Or is there too much going on around him? I know my son doesn't eat as well if I'm running around in the kitchen than if I seat down with him at the table and eat at the same time.

Good luck!

my daughter was a falure to thrive baby later we learnt she has prader willi syndrome.but her feedings she took about 1to 1 1/2 oz of formula and still had to wake her during her feedings.we had a excelant peds doctor that raised her calorie intake by adding karo syrup and vegatable oil to her bottles.it worked it took her to 1 year old to gain up to 10 lbs and we found she had heart problems that required surgery at 8 months.its a real challenge and best thing I can sugest is call your doctor talk to him/her ask their advice.

well, i'm sorry cause i can imagine this has been hard. although i have not experienced this to much of a degree. one thing you could try is the danniable's drinkable yogurt. try different flavors and they have different characters on them like dora, diego, the backyardigans etc. be encouraging and try to make it fun. try an array of different foods. when my daughter was 18 mo. old she loved spaghetti noodles! she thought it was so fun to slurp them up. i bought the whole wheat and i tried red sauce or alfrado sauce.

also maybe if you skip lunch and then have your child be active i've learned when my child is really hungry she is more likely to eat.

one more thing, i make protein smoothies for my 2 year old. i buy whey protein powder at gnc. i mix 1 bananna i cup of flavored yogurt milk, any other fruit, and i scoop of protein powder.

good luck!

L. l

Hello V.,
Sounds like you're really stressed and I can understand why, but try not to worry too much. I have an undergrad degree in child development and I was always taught that a child will not go hungry if they have food set in front of them. They will get what they need to eat.

My nephew is 18 months and used to be a great vegetable-eater and now he's going through a phase where he won't touch them. He is also asserting his will in other areas. It sounds like your son might be trying to assert himself. And I'm sure he can sense how stressed you are about it. Try relaxing and totally letting him feed himself. When he throws food or exhibits other inappropriate behavior, end mealtime. He will learn, but it takes consistency. This is a phase and it will pass. His appetite will increase again.

If he is healthy in every other way, don't worry about his weight. My 8 month old is under 5th percentile for weight and I've worried about her a lot even though she's perfectly healthy (the doctors say she's fine). I finally decided to trust that God is taking care of her and that if I need to be more concerned there will be other problems to indicate that.

My daughter went through the same thing and it may sound unconventional....

We took her attention away from the food, got her interested in something playing, reading, her favorite was just standing at the door looking outside and at that point she would eat just about anything that was put to her mouth. We also let her feed us. Then we slowly brought her back to the dinner table with an activity. After about three weeks she was eating at the table normally again, because she knew after dinner she would get fun time with mom and dad.