8 Month Old Not Eating

It's not only normal when they're teething but when they are sick as well. My son does this. All the kids in the daycare I work in lose their appetites sometimes several days before showing outward symptoms of a cold. But if this has been happening for 2 weeks, I would take her to the doctor. Sometimes babies have infections (such as an ear infection) and show none of the usual signs of it, such as the ear tugging or constant crying. The doctor can look into teething and infection to rule one or the other out.

She may be teething and sometimes their appetite goes down when they are teething. Sometimes babies just go through phases of hardly eating anything, and then eating everything! These phases go well into the toddler and young child ages too. As long as her activity level is staying the same, I wouldn't worry; but if she seems not her usual self, I would take her in, better safe than sorry in that case.

She might have a sore throat. As for hydration, try popsicles. I get the all fruit ones, so at least they are getting a serving of fruit when they are sick and refusing to eat. Babies love pops.

Like the others, I would suspect teething. My little guy stops drinking when he gets teeth. He was really dehydrated a couple times. The doctor suggested giving him milk with a spoon or trying a regular cup. Messy. What eventually worked was adding apple juice to his bottle. Yuck, but whatever. I also made an effort to feed him lots of applesauce and yogurt - anything with a high water content.

Hi B.,

She could be teething or have an ear infection. My little guy has been refusing his normal meals the past few days. Has she been having poopy diapers? Is the amount of poop the same as normal?
Those are some good things to look at. If she isn't soaking her diapers and she isn't voiding with poop, you should check with your pediatrician and change your appointment to today. They will want to check and make sure there aren't any underlying problems.