[cubby14dh]

My ds is 18 months old and started being a very picky eater not long after his 1st b-day. But lately it has gotten even worse! Two weeks ago he was diagnosed with croup and put on steroids and albuterol. Then 5 days ago we took him to the ER where he was diagnosed with a sinus infection, mild pneumonia and slight dehydration. He is on a 10 day antibiotic. So the last two weeks he has hardly eaten anything each day and has lost almost 2 lbs!! We just can't get him to eat. My dr is away all this week. I could really use some advice and encouragement. Is this normal? Is he going to be ok?

[GWU1991]

Even the best eaters can go through phases of not being terribly interested in food and if he has been sick and on antibiotics I personally don't find it surprising that he isn't particularly interested in eating.

He is going to be fine. I would bet once the antibiotics are done and he is feeling better he will start eatting more normally again. Personally I would concentrate on offering the things he likes and getting calories in him the best you can. If he was/is dehydrated maybe really concentrate on the liquids but with as many calories as you can pack in. Smoothies with fruit, yogurt and whole milk? Fruit popsicles? Yogurt? Whole milk with Ovaltine or Carnation Instant Breakfast? Fortified cereal with whole milk?

You can also use supplement drinks like Pediasure to get calories and nutrition in him.

Hope that helps! Hang in there! This will pass!

[GWU1991]

One other thought. Google Calories for Picky Eaters. You can find lots of ideas for adding nutritious calories to things your child will eat. I have a son with a ton of serious food issues (texture aversions mostly) and have spent years finding ways to sneak calories and nutrition into him. He is 13 years old, 5'11" 145 lbs and healthy as can be so as frustrating as it is I seem to be doing something right. He pretty much lives on grilled cheese, peanut butter sandwiches, fruit, pasta, cereal, and milk. I just try to make sure I maximize the nutritional content of what he will eat.

[HopefulinCO]

I second that advice! I'm a pediatrician and very frequently see this happen in toddlers (who are notoriously picky eaters anyway) when they're sick. Just think about how little you want to eat when you're not feeling well - your little one is feeling the same way, only he doesn't have that mature thinking that tells us as adults "You need to eat something to keep your energy up". You do have to watch closely for dehydration if he's not drinking, and focus on anything that has a lot of liquid content - popsicles, applesauce, Jello, yogurt, and ice cream are all "treat" type foods that have lots of liquid. If he has fewer that 3 wet diapers in 24 hours, has a dry mouth (tongue, inside of lips/cheeks), or is not producing tears when he cries, he should be seen right away to evaluate for dehydration.

He's normal and will be ok!

Heather

[cubby14]

Thank you for the responses. After going through so much to have this little boy I guess I'm just scared something is going to happen to him. I have tried just about everything. I am adding the carnation instant breakfast powder to his milk and since I'm on vacation this week I spend most of the day chasing him around with the sippy cup to get him to drink it.

I try to give him things I know he likes, but sometimes he won't even eat that stuff. Yesterday his diet consisted of 4 or 5 pieces of dry cereal, 6 or 7 fish crackers, 3 bites of mac and cheese, 2 cheese puffs, a pudding and about 16 or so ounces of milk (with some carnation added). Plus on top of his not eating the antibiotics are giving him diarrhea so I feel like everything I do manage to coax down his throat is just coming out the other end! He feels so thin! And he was already on the smaller side since he was a preemie. If things don't improve by next week I am going to take him to the dr. (his dr is away this week)

Thank you again for the words of encouragement. This parenting stuff is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be! (btw I accidentally posted my original message under my dh's account.)

[GWU1991]

You might want to Google what serving sizes are for a child his age and weight. You might find that he is actually getting more than you think he is.

Also, you might check with your doctor or pharmacist about getting him on some acidophilius. Antibiotics, particularly the stronger ones, give my son horrible diarrhea so we also start the acidophilius at the same time to prevent that unpleasantness.

[kirstyloo]

My daughter had a lot of trouble transitioning to baby and solid food. I can empathize.

I think that you need to assess whether this is a consequence of his illness or a bigger problem.

While many children are picky and many loose a considerable amount of weight when their sick, my daughter didn't eat enough to support her growth for a number of months. Because of this she was evaluated at the children's hospital's feeding clinic. In addition to helping her adjust to textures, they recommended using powdered formula to increase the calorie content of milk. Instead of making traditional toddle formula, we mixed 5 scopes (not 4) with 8 oz of water. This gave us 25 calories/oz not 20. The one big concern with doing this is that it can lead to dehydration.

We were recommended to give her high calorie fruits and veggies over lower calorie ones. Full fat (whole milk) Greek yogurt quickly became our friend. We'd mix a scoop into her cereal, mac & cheese, fruits etc. Not only is it very high in calories, it is a good source of protein. Because of texture issues, Emily preferred scrambled eggs with cheese. What mac and cheese are using? We found that Emily preferred the frozen stuff so much more than the boxed or homemade versions. At your son's age, my daughter wouldn't eat bananas, but she'd eat baby food pureed bananas. Over time, rice with butter was a favorite. If your comfortable with giving him peanut butter, it is also a possibility.

Please know that this time will pass, and your little boy is likely to find his appetite. While Emily still isn't an adventurous eater, she is doing so much better and her weight has been moving up the growth chart (<3% to 10%). Because ours was a long term problem, I went with my gut and got help. I do think that it mattered for us. Best of luck and keep us posted!