My daughter gags on food?

Question

Hi my daughter is 17mos old and she will not eat any table food no matter how much you mash it up.She will eat baby food and pudding.When you try to feed her she will instantly start gagging at what appears to be on purpose and she will do that until she throws up.And she will cry when she sees you approaching her with food.She drinks milk and wants her baby sisters formula.She has always been this way.And she dont seem very social either.Please help.

I have taken her to her dr and he just said maybe she said to give her more time and she will eventually start eating better,said maybe her tastebuds just arent right yet.She only drinks out of a cup.And she babbles but cant say any words yet.And sometimes she will start throwing a fit for no reason.

Answer 1

I'll throw another possiblity into the mix... Could be a sensory issue... She may not like the texture of the food. An occupational therapist will be able to evaluate this and you should qualify for a free screening through your local health department regardless of income. You may want to check into a sensory integration disorder. Just another two cents!

Answer 2

Try getting a second opinion from another doctor. 17 months is still young though so perhaps more time is what she needs. As far as eating, I wouldn't force food on her that she gags on. She will turn out to be a horrible eater then. Make sure you give her what she can handle and that she is eating enough. Try a liquid vitamin too. As far as the formula/milk situation..I think you just need to be tough and tell her no that she is getting to be a big girl and has to drink milk out of a cup. If she doesn't like it then tell her she won't get a drink then. Just be firm with her. Let her know you are the boss. Don't give in either because then she will know that you're not really serious. If you're worried about her being social get her into a daycare a couple days a week so she can be around other children. It will help with her social skills as well and will give her something to do and perhaps look forward to. But remember she is young and she may need more time for certain things. If you're really concerned get a second opinion. Good luck!

Answer 3

My daughter is 2 1/2 and did the same thing she ate only baby food until she was almost two. She barely had any teeth and her doctors said she seemed to have an extremely sensitive gag relax that would go away as she got older and it did. She now can eat everything (even raw carrots). I was so worried but it all worked out. Just keep giving her enough baby food and I am sure she will be fine. Good luck I hope this helps.

Answer 4

At 17 months I wouldn't worry too much about it yet. As long as your doctor ruled out any physical problems, continue to let her be. She is at an age where she still wants to be the baby but mom wants her to grow up. Keep giving her the baby food. I would give her the more bland of the baby food. Maybe mix your own baby food so you can slowly add different consistencies to it. Plus, homemade baby food tastes very different and she may start to find things she likes. I would also start to give her "real" food a little at a time. Every day for a week try to give her peas. Let her eat them with her fingers. Make it fun. Let her see you eat them (every day!!) Trade off one bite of peas for one bite of her favorite baby food. Will she eat things like cake? Cupcakes? Candy?

I'm curious, how old was she when you first introduced solids to her?

I wouldn't worry too much about her not being that social. Everyone always thinks something is wrong with a child if they like to be by themself. Sometimes children are just shy. Just like adults, they have their own personality. Start to worry about it if she doesn't socialize with you.

Good luck.

Answer 5

Maybe she has a small esophagus. I know that when I wake up early in the morning, I gag if I try to eat breakfast or try to swallow my vitamin pill. I have a small throat, but I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it because it only happens in the morning. It could also be psychological. Now that she's gotten used to throwing up everytime she eats table food, she'll end up throwing up just by the sight of food. I don't know if you've ever taken her to her pediatrician, but you definitely should ask her doctor.

Answer 6

I wholly disagree with the man or woman who stated that she is throwing up for awareness. No baby that age or any age quite could throw up for awareness until they had been faking it. It sounds as although anything is incorrect medically, since if you're giving her tender meals and she or he nonetheless are not able to preserve it down, anything is incorrect. Does she even have hindrance respiring at night time? These kind of matters typically cross hand in hand. I consider that it could be nice to get a moment opinion. In the intervening time, attempt to positioned meals within the blender and notice if you'll be able to get her to drink it, and perhaps check out a few make sure. Good good fortune, I desire any one can discover out what's incorrect.

Answer 7

Does she talk? She may have a spectrum neurological disorder. Something like Autism (DONT FREAK OUT ON ME). This is just an example of behavior. Talk to your doctor about the concerns. You may just have to refuse to give her milk in a bottle. ONLY give her drinks in a cup. Yes she will cry, but at 17months she needs the nutrition from foods. Formula or breast milk is not enough to properly nourish her for growth. See your doctor. Maybe she has a cleft palette and it makes it difficult for her to swallow.

Answer 8

Talk to a pediatrician as soon as possible. There could be a medical reason for this. You need to rule that out before things get worse.

Also consider if you are being fair and reasonable in your treatment of your children since there seems to be a jealousy issue here as well.

Answer 9

ok....having run a home daycare for 9 years, I wouldn't freak out. Sometimes children just aren't ready to "fit the mold" that everyone else fits into. I always hated it when a parent would ask me if their child was acting normal for their age. Guess what, sometimes...they are just act differently. This doesn't make them slow or inept. I would bet, if you have her tested for allergies, you'll find that she has a few. Children are pretty darn smart you know. I had a set of triplets that I took care of, all 3 of them refused to eat peanut butter sandwiches, or peanut butter captain crunch. When they turned 4, their mother had them tested for food allergies. Guess what.....life threatening allergy to peanuts......Go figure.

Answer 10

You should definetly see a doctor.
Also there are some parenting books that deal with good kids who have bad behaviour.
If she isn't allergic to anything then your family doctor may be able to recommend a doctor for her to see.
Is she Autistic? because Autism can be in many forms...