Eating Issues with a 2 Year Old

K.,

Yes, I have knowledge of this type of situation. My nephew who is 3 years old has had the same problem since he was of age to begin eating table food. He eats only yogurt, flavored apple sauce, Fun-onions, cashews, peanut butter on a spoon, and maybe on a good day he might eat ice cream. The only reason he eats the yogurt and apple sauce is because he has been going to the Johns Hopkins Hospital Eating Clinic and they have been force feeding him the yogurt and apple sauce. By force feeding I mean they put him in a high chair, hold his arms and head, and force a spoon full of food in his mouth. He swallows, sometimes chokes, but does eat the food. After he finishes the 1/2 cup he gets a prize. He is now finally eating the yogurt and apple sauce by himself without any urging and will even ask for it but this has taken almost a year to get to this point. Johns Hopkins is conducting tests to determine the exact cause but they believe he has a swallowing condition caused at birth through having to be on a ventilator. He also drinks Pedi-ensure for extra vitamins, calcium, and minerals (you can purchase this at any store; comes in vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate flavored). My advice would be to start her on the Pedi-ensure and get her to a different Pediatrician as soon as possible. Good Luck.

This sounds like my niece. The same type of very limited eating habits, lots of milk, bread and butter,rice, and not much else. After a few years of this they found out she was anemic. A very simple test could have found it, but no one thought of it and my BIL is a DR! She is a healthy 12 year old now, but still is very limited in what she will eat. Good luck!

Food is such a struggle with children - there is so little that they can control. You have already gotten lots of advice on here but I wanted to also recommend the books by Ellyn Satter. I really enjoyed "How to get your child to eat, but not too much" - she has others and her expertise is in this area.

As the mom of a picky eater, my suggestion is to back off unless your friend is explicitly asking for advice. She's probably stressed enough already, and doesn't need you freaking her out any more. If your goddaughter is energetic enough to play and is gaining weight (even slowly), she's probably getting enough calories.

(And yogurt and cheese sound a lot better than the all-carbs diet my son would go on if we let him.)

Don't worry! She's getting what she needs. I've learned that babies have a way of doing that when we think they're not getting enough. I believe you should give her what she wants especially if she doesn't want anything else. It's all just temporary anyway! When she's older and when she's ready, her eating habits will change and all will be well. Think about it. Is it better to have her crying and hungry for days or happy and fed? I agree. Happy and fed.

Really, don't worry.

J.

Never had any experiences like this myself but my step brother was/is the same way. Will only eat certain types of mac and cheese, chicken tenders without the "black dots" on them, etc. His doc said the same thing, no big deal as long as he's growing and generally healthy. However, with the hair falling out I'd be concerned too. There could be something medically going on (like thyroid which I saw mentioned) or possibly reflux (which would make anyone not want to eat certain foods either). If she isn't gaining weight and is having some medical issues related to this, there are pediatric feeding clinics which can help. Basically they help getting kids to eat who have medical issues (like reflux) or have very strict food preferences who are "failing to thrive". Insurance should cover the services, especially if there are side effects like losing her hair. Hershey Medical Center has one (my professor, Dr. Keith Williams runs the program) and there's also one down in Baltimore at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Your goddaughter may not be severe enough for the inpatient, but maybe they would at least be able to give some tips/advice for getting her to start trying/eating different foods. Good luck!

K.,

That does sound like its getting pretty bad. Especially the fact that she is losing her hair, could be due to mal nutrician. I think she should feed her whatever she wants and maybe try to supplement with fruit shakes with some protein powder or one of those kids drinks that have all the nutrients. Chicken nuggets everyday won't last forever and at least she's eating something. Hopefully this is just a phase and she will get over it soon. Your friend may also want to get a second opinion from another doctor on how to handle the situation. Hope this helps.

S. from Springfield

K. F.,

I totally understand. My5 year old was and still is a very difficult child to feed. He would throw a fit over eating and would skip meal too. I thought eventully he would get so hungry he would surrender to me, but he only got moodier and more difficult to deal with. So we had to feed him what he would eat as long as it wasn't junk food. He had been this way since he was very little and he still is. His thing was he had it in his head that it tasted terriable that he would throw-up. As he got older I just made him sit there and eat it no matter how long it took as long as the food was still good. I gave him something to drink to wash it down and that seemed to help alot. Now I make him taste it especailly if I know it taste good. He is doing better, but it's still very difficult to feed him. He just doesn't like alot of different foods and that too may just be part of the way she is too. Like I said maybe if you give her water or juice to wash it down and too she is only 2 and that too is a very pick age it seems. Lots of people had given me their advice on this issue and they all were different. I had to come up with my own solution and this seemed to work the best for him. I tell him he is just like his mother (me). I hope this helps. Oh, one more thing is they have those drinks for kids. I think it's Pediasure.
I hope this helps you a little.

D. M.

i went thru this and Hubby and I felt like the MOST HORRIBLE parents EVER!!
My DD upto 18 months would anything and everything and through out thhese times we traveled ALOT to MAny different countries. Anyways one day she JUST Stopped Eating.
Honestly. she was only interested in apples satsumas and her milk. Pediatrician said NOt to be concerned as long as she is getting lots of fluids and using the toilet regularly. All we could do was 'breathe' and be patient. I still placed a small portion of the meals on her plate and carried on as if nothing.through the mealtimes making light conversation/ chattering about food , ie colour, texture just food talk nonsense. and sometimes offering from our own plates. Anddo You know WHAT?! One day she nibbled on Daddy's steak and she was hooked. So for weeks I cooked lots of steaks but sneaked other stuff on her plate.
But I tell you. WE were SERIOUSLY concerned for about 6months. Her weight dropped and she looked so SLIGHT. Just be patient and continue bieng creative at mealtimes.
Perhaps if she is in a setting where other children or snaking or eating it might pique her interest.
BEST of LUCK.

There is a Program at Hershey Med that treats kids with feeding problems, it sounds like you might want to contact them and see if this is sometihng you need professional help with. The director's name is Keith Williams. Good luck.