my 11 month boy refuses to eat, he has been 16lb 14 oz for two months?

Question

My baby takes 3 to 4 oz every 3 hours in a good day. Sometimes he skips a feeding because he refuses to eat. He has seen Doctors in two different continents. He had the following test done: an upper GI, a swallowing test, an endoscopy, and blood test. Everything seems to be OK but he does not want to eat. We do not know what else to do. He was on the weight chart at 3% until 9 months, last month he lost weight and this month gained 2 oz - He is 16lb 14 oz. His height has been the same for the past two months also / 28 inches. Doctor´s have been of no help. I already concentrate the milk and give him high calorie baby food. I also add stafflower oil to increase his calorie intake.
Have you experience the same with your baby? Thank YOU !

Answer 1

My son weighed 16 pounds for over a YEAR. It wasn't until last month that he finally gained two more pounds, but there's a very good reason for it. He lost most of his small intestine to gangrene. And now his IV feeding has more fat in it, so he's gained weight.

As far as your son goes, I have seen one child who fits the same description as your baby. During one of my son's hospitalizations, there was a little baby (9 months) who refused to eat and would sometimes vomit when she did. She had all of the same diagnostic tests as your son and they could find nothing wrong with her. She ultimately had to be put on TPN (total parenteral nutrition) to keep her growing and gaining weight. TPN is IV food, so the baby doesn't need to rely on eating to grow. It contains vitamins, fats, etc. and needs to go into a central vein. It's used only when nothing else works because there are drawbacks to it, like it's pretty hard on the liver. Anyway, this may be an option for your baby until you all can figure out what's going on.

It sounds as if you've already been to a pediatric gastroenterologist, but just in case you haven't ...you should :) I've seen so many of them, if you'd like to know where I think the best and the brightest are, I can tell you. Just email me. They're not all so smart, ya know! In fact, please feel free to email me anytime if you think that I can be of help or you just want someone to talk to about your baby's feeding issues. I've been dealing with my son's multiple feeding issues for nearly two years now and might have some helpful advice for you.

Hang in there, I know how hard it is....

Answer 2

Ya' know... every baby is a little bit different. Unless the doctors have determined that something is physically wrong... which you've already done extensively... then the issue may be quite simple.

Metabolically, your child may just have a fast metabolism that is burning a lot of calories and balancing out with his intake... nothng to worry about there... just like kids have growth spurts... this will change with time as well (remember weight/height gains are not necessarily a "race" to be won).

Your child may simply "not like the taste" of what he is being fed. Concentrated milk, high-calorie baby food with "stafflower oil"... ya' know I tasted some of that when my kids were about the age of yours... not so good. Tastes change over time...try a few different foods, food types, etc...Baby formula may not be "politically correct" with some, but it can be pretty tasty to some kids and also made lighter or heavier in consistency..."depending upon taste, etc". Our doctor had advised us to feed our infant baby formula at night with a heavier consistency because it sits heavier in the tummy, takes longer to digest, and the baby would sleep longer because he doesn't get hungry again as quickly.

The opposite scenario may actually be part of your problem. The higher calorie foods may be of a more complex consistency and take longer to digest...therefore the baby is not eating as often, taking in as many calories naturally, etc. (by the way...my pediatrician is the same one that works with Celine Dion and Michael Jackson , etc)

Either way... within the next couple months, all other physical things being fine... you should see a change "naturally". But again, don't be too concerned if your child starts out smaller than others...I have regularly seen smaller babies grow to be quite large adults (I am 6'4"+)

Best wishes & an earnest prayer !!!

Answer 3

Small baby but when they hit 9-12 months they really don't gain that much weight, as per my doctor said to us when I asked why my daugher hasn't gained anything in the last 7 weeks. My daughter is 10 months old and doesn't eat all that much but remember that babies have tiny stomachs so a little bit goes a long way with them. Let him snack in the day and get his iron and protein from formula/breastmilk once a day. I'm not a doctor but I don't think theres anything to worry about. How old was your son at birth and was he constantly gaining weight until now?

Answer 4

Hi , my son was 8lbs 11 ounces when born, when i left the hospital he was 7 lbs , when i got home weeks passed he wasn't taking my milk so i turned to goats milk and regular food that i mixed , took him to the doctors the doctors said its fine some babies just drop weight. then at 4 yrs with me being a single mother was told i wasn't looking after him right a health nurse gossip . Crap happens .. it turns out that after my son stayed with my family who had already raised eight kids hmm my son gained only 4 ounces in the year they watched him. To my point i was and still am a great mother, i wasn't starving my child, the Doctor through my persistance xrayed his body and found out he had leg perthy's which stopped his growth ,that the ball joint of his right hip was not getting proper blood and was getting brittle like chalk and it was dying ,,,,that my son know matter what he was eating would not help the gaining of weight, only lose cos the body used it to keep him as good as it did for his hip. I was a scared mommy. He had his surgery at sick kids in Toronto , and well he is a fine 25 yr old man today , Moms do know best when it comes to their children they love . Just go with your instincts and please keep searching its not lack of you trying your a good parent .and i quote please i don't want you to think your child has this , just i know it was hard for me to have people trash me when i was a good mother a concerned mother .take care let me know k

Answer 5

take heart
it happends to some kids and only God knows why
when my daughter was the same age we had the same pro
we gave her pediasure and all the stuff out there
none helped but she is okey now she is 3
try feeding him a little at short intervals
dont worry if he does not finish it
and try some finger food too that he can hold himself and eat
like nuggest,
he will pick up the wieght eventually
now my daughter is average on the chat list
she used to be below average
she virtually stoped growing b/n 8months and one year
so i know ur fears its normal as long as he is healthy and no medical concerns
do ur best
good luck

Answer 6

you recognize which you're meant to alter to take advantage of after 12 months superb suited? properly possibly your daughter is making an attempt to tell you that she would not want the bottle anymore. try conversing on your pediatritan approximately whats occurring, yet i individually do not see the subject with reducing the bottle now and going to a sippy cup. do not decrease out her nutrients... if she is sound asleep in the process the night and eating her nutrients good, i could think of she is effective. appears like your little woman is becoming up.

Answer 7

Well my little brother is two years old and probably weighs 15lbs.We also took him to the doctors,got the tests done,everything.Try giving your baby food he likes.If he likes junk food,candy,and stuff like that try not giving it to him.If u have a high chair sit him in it put his food down.He would start eating if u just ignored him.

Answer 8

Is your baby doing milestones that he should be doing right now ? He just must be going to be a smaller child that is all. Were you or your husband small ? I posted some links for you to review...

Failure to thrive
A condition seen in young children which is marked by chronically and significantly impaired physical growth; may be accompanied by delayed developmental and/or social milestones; causes include physical and/or psychosocial factors.

Answer 9

Well my friend baby is the same way because of his milk the doctors had to change it twice in order to get his weight flowing. maybe thats the problem. talk to a doctor and see csn they switch his milk over.

Answer 10

Ask your Dr. about failure to thrive. Nothing you are doing wrong. My grandson was diagnosed with it. When he was 12mths. If it had not been for such a good dr., we would havenever known, and he could have gotten very ill.
Try some Pediasure, that is what the dr., put our little guy on and it helped with his weight.