Toddler feeding issues
 

I have never met any person with the same problems we have with my son. Maybe someone on here has and can give me some help.

My son is going to be 3 in February and he will not eat solid food!!!! Ever since he was about 9 months old, the only thing he will eat is stage 2 baby foods, and Teddy Grahams. He has a problem with textures (except for the Teddy Grahams) and will refuse anything else. If he gets food in his mouth with any texture, he will gag and vomit.

When he was about a year and a half old, we were having an occupational therapist come out to our house through a government program that helps young kids with all kinds of special needs. They informed us then that there is nothing physically wrong with my son, he was just being stubborn. I had some problems with the therapist, she came out to my house only about 3 times, and was lying to her boss saying that she was showing up when she wasn't. I was in the process of finding a new therapist, when my son was diagnosed at 2 with type 1 diabetes. So that was kind of put on the back burner.

Now that we have got this diabetes thing pretty much figured out, it is really starting to bother me that he won't eat solid food. He won't even eat Teddy Grahams anymore. The program that he was in before doesn't offer services after the age of 3, and his doctor is no help at all.

I really don't know what to do. One of these days, the calories in baby food is not going to be enough for him. And I can't just withhold the baby food, thinking eventually he will get hungry and eat solids, because he is diabetic. Help!!!!! Anyone!!!!

Re: Toddler feeding issues
 

Wow, that sounds really frustrating and worrisome! What does his pediatrician say?

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He is in the 75th percentile for his weight, so they don't really act like they care. They just give us a strange look when we have to remind them he still eats baby food.

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It is sooo embarassing when we are at the grocery and have about 70 jars of baby food in the cart. People look at the baby food, then at my son. You can see on their faces that they are very confused, lol!!!!

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So there's no nutritional problem if he doesn't learn to eat & digest solid foods? As long as he gets enough calories, it's fine? For some reason, I thought eating solids was a necessity--not just a dietary preference. Hmmmm....

If your son's doctor seems like he doesn't "care", then change pediatricians. His doctor should be very happy to discuss problems with you, in his office at great length if necessary (the real one with the desk), and if he isn't providing satisfactory answers or interest, I suggest a new doctor.

You need to ask lots of questions at the doctor's office and push your weight around a little. The squeaky wheel (the loudest patient) gets the grease. I like doctors who take the time to dialogue with patients, and answer all my questions, tedious or not! :thumbsup

Don't worry about silly people at the grocery store. Your son is way more important than they are. :)

On a practical note, have you tried making his food in the blender or food processor instead of buying it? Is it the texture he has trouble with? Is it the fact that the baby food is smooth that makes it more palatable? Or the fact that it's bland? Does he eat anything with texture, like crackers or dry cereal?

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I would suggest processing your own food for him. They have those hand crank baby food grinders with a variety of coarseness. Try gradually using a larger screen till you can mash the carrots and other foods with a fork.

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I agree with MissB, change doctors.

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Me too! Change doctors! That doesn't sound like a doctor that is highly concerned about your child's welfare...a pediatrician would be a recommendation as well...

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I agree...sounds scary to me...please change doctors.

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Change doctors is my recommendation, too. You need someone who will take you seriously on this.

He won't eat anything else? Candy, fruit, french fries.... nothing?

Re: Toddler feeding issues
 

New doctor!!!!

My soon to be step son is almost 4 and he plays the stubborn "I'm not going to eat my dinner" card every so often. We make him sit at the table until he finishes or go to bed early if he doesn't finish his food. He HATES going to bed early so it works pretty well.

Your son doesn't seem to be playing the game like mine is though. I'd say get a new doctor, maybe even a child psychologist, and then act accordingly. You can't make him go to bed hungry because of the diabetes, but if hit turns out it is just a stubborn thing....there are other means of punishment and manipulation one can employ. Refusing access to his favorite toys, TV, etc. Most kids have something that can be leveraged against them.

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It kind of sounds like he may have some sensory issues. Does he have any issues with other things like scratchy clothing, or a dislike for certain fabrics?

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Trying to find anything on the web - - several articles at BabyCenter, but the links are no longer there. One had this as the tag line.

My baby won't eat solid food. Help! | BabyCenter
... unusually large uvula, which makes it hard to swallow and makes him gag on

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And you'd think the doctor would check for that!!

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Another quote from Google:

"What we didn't realize at the time is that Lizzy wasn't normal when it came to eating. Normal advice didn't work. So, frustrated and tired of cleaning up vomit, I stopped trying. . .and I switched pediatricians. I exclusively breastfed this child for 13 months. She continued to receive the bulk of her nutrition
from breast milk until well after 2 years of age.

Lizzy continued to throw up food at least weekly (if not more often) until about age 6. (She is now almost 8.) What we didn't know then that we know now is that she has hyperactive reverse peristalsis and a hypersensitive gag reflex. Those folks, are the technical terms for, "she throws up really easily and is super sensitive and that makes her gag." "

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Wow. Please change pediatricians. Will pray for this situation.

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This can't be said enough. :) At nearly 3 years old, there is some reason why he won't eat solids. A doctor should be curious about this, and work with you to find a solution.

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No, no sensory issues. The thing that bugs me is they already ran all those tests on him a long time ago, and told us there was nothing wrong with him, he was just being stubborn. Absolutely no other developmental delays either. The program around here that they place kids into is called First Steps, and it ends at 3 years of age, and can continue into school. But Kristian is too young for school. I fear the only option is to just pay out of pocket for an occupational therapist.

It's almost like my son is afraid of chunky things being in his mouth. I have no clue why, he has never choked on anything so he has no reason to be scared. Teddy Grahams are pretty hard but he didn't have a problem chewing those up. He won't chew the foods with texture, he lets them go to the back of his throat which gags him and makes him vomit. He won't even try to chew.

My doctor just tells us that it's not a big deal right now, if that's what he wants to eat, then that's ok. The other doctors in the practice say the same thing, and there are no other parents I know of that has had the same experience that we have had so they could help us. There is also nothing on Google I can find. I feel like we are alone in this.

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Get a second opinion. Find another Doctor.

Re: Toddler feeding issues
 

Some insurance companies will pay for occupational therapy. Find a doctor that takes this seriously and will give you a referral. As a nurse, I've worked with many children that won't eat and sometimes you have to look a while to find a good occupational therapist that is experienced with feeding issues specifically.

Re: Toddler feeding issues
 

I am not a psychologist by any means and I do not know where and how you do try to feed him. However, my initial reaction to your post was that if it is psychological, radically changing the whole feeding process might help. For example, not doing the traditional get in the high chair it's time to eat. I was thinking Chuck E. Cheese or somewhere that radically changes the whole feeding experience.

Then I saw this online as well:
Lumpy foods cause gagging in the same way that smooth foods do when introduced to your baby for the first time.

In other words, your baby hasn't yet learned to deal with lumps and gags in order to stop any food at the back of his tongue from entering his airways. Ideally, he then learns to chew his food into smaller particles, which then prevents the gagging.

For some babies, though, this must seem like too much hard work and they end up refusing the lumpy food altogether.

In this situation, it is VERY important to be calm, relaxed and patient.

In most cases, your baby's aversion to lumpy foods will pass as his feeding abilities develop. But by trying to force your baby to eat lumpy food, or displaying anxiety when he refuses - you can make mealtimes traumatic for your child and greatly increase the problem.

Some parents report that their children become hysterical at the mere sight of their highchair if they know they are going to be made to eat something that they simply don't want.

This is a situation you want to avoid at all costs.

Mealtimes should be fun and something your baby looks forward to - creating a pleasant atmosphere at the dinner table can have a huge impact on the way your child views mealtimes for a long time to come.
Read more: http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipe...#ixzz0WnXrnhSc

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Great post, tstew. That makes a lot of sense. (Changing the environment, and "no pressure.")

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I read somewhere else that peas are a good food to use in situations like this because of the texture ands because kids like to pick them up by hand and feed themselves.

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On that note, you (or rather, kristian's mom) could make sure that finger foods are always available--like sweet peas or corn or cooked, diced carrots, etc. That way Kristian could eat them when he wants to try them, and still have his favorite (mushed) foods at dinnertime. :D

I've been able to get Jeffrey to try several different veggies by having him help me prepare dinner in the kitchen. He always wants to at least try what he's "cooked", and if he doesn't like it, it's no big deal. So far, he has some favorites (raw carrots, broccoli, snow peas, & raw parsnips) and some he hates (onions, tomatoes and cooked carrots). That's pretty good, so I don't mind if he picks out all the onions and carrots. :)

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Thanks for the tips everyone! I am going to demand a referral from my doctor first thing Monday morning, and use these tips in the process. It's actually kind of hilarious, I put him in his highchair at lunch time today, threw some fruit loops and cheese on his tray. He then proceeded to count all the Fruit Loops (accurately) and tell me all their colors. He then clapped his hands excitedly and exclaimed, "I counted the cereals Momma!"

He can do all this but has not yet mastered the basic art of chewing. I think he's just lazy (like his Daddy). :D

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My 4 1/2 year old daughter has feeding problems as well but she has Cornelia DeLange Syndrome and it is to be expected. She had a feeding tube placed at 2 weeks old and we used that all the time till she had her cleft palate repaired at 10 mos. At that time she started drinking Pedisure and has been drinking that every since. She takes no solid's at all at this point. Won't let us put anything in her mouth most of the time--except every once in a while she will take yogart or applesauce but thankfully there is Pedisure (she will take that until she is 12 than she will use Ensure. As long as she has 6 cans a day she is getting all the vitamins and minerals that she needs.(we do have to have a nutrionist re-calculate every so often to make sure she is getting enough but it seems she just starts taking more naturally as she gets older) She usually feeds herself by sippy cup but sometimes we do feed her by her feeding tube.

Has you doctor ever suggested Pedisure?

I know that the idea of a human being not eating solid foods can be stressful and even a foreign concept to most but really the most important thing is that he/she is getting all the nutrition that they need. (Sometimes when my Irritiable Bowel is acting up I eat baby food--I actually like it)

I do pray you find the answers that you need.

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Thank you for your prayers, and I hate that your daughter has to go through this. My husband keeps saying to look at it this way, he won't be entering high school still eating baby food! You can say the same for your daughter too. Until then though, God help us, lol!

No he hasn't suggested Pediasure, he is getting all he needs right now from the baby food. Good news though, we called and fought with our doctor to get a referral and finally got one!!

They sent a referral out to a bunch of different places, and out of the 7 places we called, only one wasn't booked up until the end of next year. They want to run a scope down his throat just to make sure the acid that was in his body frm being in DKA hasn't damaged it. We have to wait until Dec. 9th to get this going. I'll keep you guys posted. I am going to throw a party when he starts eating solids, lol.