Does any one else have a 2 year old that never eats?
Zach will go days without eating food. He does drink predisure nut drinks which is all that keeps him going. After two or three days with no food he will eat really good for a day or two then back to little or no food. I have taken him to the doctors many times. And they have told me he has acid reflex. They put him on meds and there was no difference. Then they told me he has toddle anorexia and as long as he doesn’t lose wait it is ok, He hasn’t lost any weight but also has not gained in over a year. I have tried everything to get him to eat. But no luck. And when he does eat it is very limited as to what that will be. I do not know if I should just trust the doctors or if worry there could be something else. I don’t like the idea of this toddle anorexia stuff.
Thank you all for your advice and help. I think I might go back to his gastro doc. There was a few of you that have kids the same age that do the same thing and that made me feel better to know that. So maybe I wont worry as much. I have girls 18 and 20 and they never did this. They where very active (so is zach) and the more active the more they ate. We had that house where all the kids played and all I did all day was put out food and drinks on the table. Maybe that is part of it there was always alot of kids eating at one time and zach is on his own. So I am also going to check into some play groups. I found a moms group that meets at least once a week for group play and snacks by me and we are going to try it next week. The whole anerexia word is what got to me so much. They just didnt say stuff like that when my kids where little but then again alot has chaned in 18 years. Now they worry about shots and Autism (which runs in my family like crazy any doctor ever says it not hereditary is a nut) acid reflex in little ones is new. My daughter has it and no one did anything till she was 13. She cried all the time when she ate starting as soon as she went on food (she always ate though) no one said she could have that. there is just all kinds of thing doctors say now ans know that they didnt 18 years ago. well anyways thank you all for the help.
I have a 2 1/2 year old boy and he does not eat very much when he does eat. i think it is a phase and they get over it after a while. My girls all when through a little bit of this. if the doctor think it will be ok i would not worry to much.
A.
Have a test done on him for a Hiatal Hernia. I used to babysit a child that had the same problem. He had a hernia and once it was reduced he ate fine.
It is possible that he has some sensory issues. Keep a log of what he will eat for 2wks. If he eats the same types of foods (color, texture, flavor) then you know he has sensory issues, and should be evaluated by your local early intervention/ birth-three program.
I know how frustrating it can be to have a little guy who won't eat. My 3.5 yr old is the same way. (hug)
Oh an Toddler Anorexia is a real disease, it's used to describe children who refuse to eat for one reason or another to the detriment of their health, it's one step above diagnosing failure to thrive. it's not the same as Anorexia Nervosa which is an older child-adult version of Anorexia.
Trust your instincts! Obviously he isn't going to be developing properly on so little food. There is something else going on.
I would talk to a nutritionist first. Does he attend daycare? My son (3 years old) often won't eat nearly as well for us as he does at daycare... peer pressure I think. At home he refuses to eat a lot of foods that, at daycare, he eats without a thought.
I'll pray for you and your grandson.
My suggestion to you would be to get him into a routine of sitting at the table at every meal with a plate of the same food that the rest of you are eating and talk about the things that everyone did that day. I would not put his drink on the table while your eating. If he doesn't eat than give him his drink after everyone is done eating. I think him watching you eat will get him into the routine of meals at the table with the family. Be patient with him it might take day's but I think it will work. Also give snacks in between meals. Put a few cookies or cereal in a little plastic bowl and let him carry it around with him. I hope this works. Good luck.
My son eats...and they thought he had this - but it sounds like your boy may possibly have this. Eosiniphilic Esophagitis - basically - it's an allergy. I would take him to a Gastro doctor....and have allergy testing. My son has a milk-protein allergy....and was thought to have EE...but didn't have the reflux. Does your 2 yr old have trouble swallowing? Reflux & trouble swallowing are 2 of the symptoms....but he may not have those symptoms if it's early. Anyways - I'm not a doctor....my son hasn't gained weight in over a year, year and a half (he's 3-1/2) and we've already been to the Mayo Clinic.....so we've done a lot of research on him for EE. Good luck!
Oh - forgot - should you want to try a high-calorie diet. Scandishake is amazingly awesome....you can get it over the counter in your pharmacy - or order from the manufacturer. They also give free samples on the website. 600 calories when added to 8oz. whole milk....and it tastes - amazing!!!!
My son, whom just turned 2 this passed Jan, does the same thing. When he was a baby, he ate like crazy; he was in the 96% for his weight. But then after he turned one, he stopped eating as much, he went down to the 10% for his weight. I was worried too, but my Doc told me as long as he is growing, then that is all that matters.
Children have a natural self preservation in them that won’t allow themselves to starve to death. A thing like anorexia comes in older children or adults that have sever emotional disorders, but I’m not a professional.
For my son I try to stick with foods that I know he likes. I know he likes cottage cheese, so most every day he gets cottage cheese and a piece of fruit for breakfast, some times he eats it, some times he doesn’t. For lunch I know he will eat macaroni and cheese, so most days that’s what he gets for lunch. I do offer peas, or carrots, with it but most times he doesn’t eat it, but I’m sure one day that will change.
Any way, you get the idea…..
If there are only one or two things that your grandson likes, then feed it to him every day. Having a banana every day for breakfast, and a hotdog every day for lunch won’t hurt him. In fact it will make things easier on you. Give him what he wants to eat, and occasionally offer something new. If he doesn’t eat it, then don’t make it a big deal. Other wise it will become a power struggle.
Oh, and I do still give my son his pediasure most every night before bed, but that’s the only time he gets it.
Good Luck!
Im sorry to hear of your struggles with your grandson. I would highly suggest that you take him to a childrens hospital such as Devos in Grand Rapids or University of Michigan to get a second opinion from a pediatric specialist. Your doctor should be able to give you a referral or call the above hospitals and explain the present diagnoses. There are answers out there. Maybe vary the liquids like drinkable yogurt, or homemade smoothies.
Is there any foods that he likes alot? If so try always give him them foods. Always offer him nutrious snacks like fresh fruit, cheese and crackers and frest veggies. If finger foods attrack him more then stick with them for an while and when you feel he is ready then introduce other healthy simple foods, one at a time. Maybe he doesn't like the texture of some foods just yet. If you have already tried all of this then I would suggest seeing another doctor, to make sure his stomach and intestines are all in working order. Does he have good bowl movements? He should be going at least ones a day if not twice.
It is normal for children to hold their weight from about a year old to as old as 4. The issue isn't their weight, but their height. They do still need to be growing.
Toddler anorexia. What a pile.
Check out the calorie contents on those meal-replacement drinks your lad is eating. Yes, eating.
Just because it's liquid doesn't mean it isn't food. Calories is calories... the only drama is whether or not the child is eating a wide enough variety of foods to get all the nutrients he needs. Pedisure is infant formula, with extra sugar and flavouring... nice and familiar.
Try taking the pedisure out, and offering him plain water instead. If the pedisure doesn't reappear, he'll be eating solid foods quickly.
Hi K.,
I have a 17 month old son and I have a lot of friends with babies. If that were my child I would get a second opinion from a different pediatrition. One of my friends went to four different doctors until she found one that she was comfortable with. It may turn out to be nothing with your grandson but I would definitely get a second opinion.
K.,
I have a 27 month old (2 plus) and I go through the same thing. Some days he will eat all day, others very little, and sometimes he'll go days nibbling on next to nothing. I used to worry, but he isn't starving and they tell me he won't. When he is having a good eating day, I fill him up on vegies and fruit and proteins as much as possible. It's like putting the good stuff in the bank.
Good luck!
L.
children will not starve, be patient. Make sure he's taking a vitamin.
K.,
I would seek other medical opinions and perhaps from a specialist like a Gastroenterologist or an Endocrinologist.
The meds for acid reflux can add to his problems and if it were me, not give it to him without more opinions. Not gaining weight for a year is concerning.
Don't except opinions without being satisfied. Listen to your mother's instincts.
if he has acid reflux, is he on medicine for this? There is medicine for younger children with this condition..we have a person in our office that has a child w/same condition. Have you tried other foods like maybe toast or cereal w/2% or skim milk...these are kid foods they usually like...my brother only ate cereal for so much of his young life...now he eats everything and is the main cook of the family. Hope this helps some...lb
Hello K.:
I don't want to add to your concern, but in my experience as a Mom, Zach's situation does not sound typical. I would be purusing all medical avenues possible until I got resolution. Even if anorexia, he needs treatment -- typically that is just a symptom of larger, core psychological issues that he may need help with. My daughter, as a toddler, had bouts with depression and anxiety given her adoption and previous stay in an orphanage. Sometimes a child can even be influenced genetically. My heart goes out to these little ones who struggle at an early age, but the best we can do is get them as help as possible and not give up on getting answers and support.
My daughter also had some eating challenges and went through an Endoscopy for them to do testing to see if she had celiac disease. They also attempted to test her for acid reflux (which involves leaving a tiny tube that is feed through their nose into their stomach (overnight) -- it then reads the level of acid activity). If his acid reflux not confirmed via some valid medical tests, you may want to consider this (although it is not fun for your or him). Perhaps it is something else instead of acid reflux or in addition to this?
Not sure where you live, but one of the best doctors for these types of issues in the Detroit area is Doctor Souheil Gebara at Beaumont. He is the one who performed all of my daughter's procedures. Sure hope this is helpful. -- K. K.
I would get a second opinion on his lack of eating. A year is a long time to be dealing with a small child not eating. Best of Luck to you!!
B.
Hi K.. I'm sorry you and your grandson are having such a hard time with food. I'm including two links for you to consider reading. The first explains about the mineral zinc. An alternative health care professional I know and admire told me a long time ago that anorexic's suffer from a zinc deficinecy, give them zinc and their appetite comes back. This is a problem with seniors who lose their appetite as well.
Secondly, acid reflux is not too much acid but too little. That is why the pills didn't help, they supress the acid. How can you process food without enough acid, you can't, and it makes eating quite painful. A way to help his digestion is to make bone broth. I know it sounds weird....however, it will benefit him in ways you never imagined! The second article is all about bone broth, what it does, how to prepare it etc.. Once you make it, you need to substitute broth for any water you need to prepare his food. Cook rice with it, noodles, make soup etc.. Bone broth is a time honored forgotten remedy for malnutrition. You want all of his vitamin and minerals to come from a food source, not the fortified man made garbage. When the label says 100mg of something, your body only uses a fraction of it and has to deal with the waste product and stores them in your cells. This leads to unhealty cells. Please try to buy your bones from organic raised animals, especially chicken because regular store bought ones will not gel. I know I've tried. You need it to gel. If you live near Ann Arbor there are plenty of sources there. Arbor Farms, Sparrow Meats or Whole Foods.
The brain is mostly fat and needs healthy fat to develop properly. Carlson's cod liver oil (lemon flavored) can be added to his food and he won't even know it. I say cod liver over fish oil because of the vitamin D, we in the north need a lot more of it because of our long winter season. This is a very inexpensive way to feed the brain.
I hope I haven't rambled on too long. Here are the two links:
http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/cc/zin...
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_259-260/ai...
I wish you all the best in your quest to better health for your grandson.
H.
Hello my daughter is 3 and goes through the same thing she eats only when she wants to, he will grow out of it, but with her i ask her what she wants and i make what ever she asks for that way i know she will eat cause she picked it.. but there still are days where she dont want anything and its ok because they make up for it when they eat for two days none stop. He will be ok just give him choices until you find his favorite food.. God Bless
I would find a second opinion today!!!! To say that as long as he doesn't lose weight, he's ok, seems crazy to me. In the last year he should have grow alot, not just maintained. Whatever the problem is, find a doctor to help get it under control now because it will only get worse as he gets older and I can't even imagine the damage it's doing to his body and organs, brain, bones etc.
Dear K.,
As the Mom of a 7 and 3 yr old, don't worry. As long as he is otherwise happy and healthy, he'll be ok. Have faith in the doctors but trust your own instincts the most, you know him better than anyone else does. Good luck and I'll be praying for you!!
J.
Kids usually only need about 1/4 as much food as you think they do, however, if he hasn't gained any weight in 1 year, this is not normal for his age. Take him to another doctor, and another, until someone takes the time to figure out whats going on with him. Try going to a specialist, or just another pediatrician. There is probably something going on with his health that no one has bothered to check for.
i agree. stop the pediasure and see if he doesnt start eating food.
I would not make a big deal about him eating.. the more you focus on it the less he will eat.
my 2 year old does not eat much.. she is very skinny but basically healthy.
some times you put her in her chair for a meal and she looks at her plate and says "all done" and she doesnt eat a bit.
