Kajbk 03:50 PM 11-24-2017
For about a month now an 8mo I keep has had no appetite. He used to take 6 ounces of formula every 4 hours and one serving of baby food twice a day. Lately I'm lucky to get him to drink 3 ounces of formula and eat a fourth of the food. He keeps spitting it out, turning his head, and crying when I try to coax him to eat. DCM says he's doing the same thing at home and acts worried but doesn't have any solutions to offer. I don't know what to do. This is not a chunky baby, he's actually pretty skinny so I worry I'm starving him.
storybookending 04:01 PM 11-24-2017
Originally Posted by Kajbk:
For about a month now an 8mo I keep has had no appetite. He used to take 6 ounces of formula every 4 hours and one serving of baby food twice a day. Lately I'm lucky to get him to drink 3 ounces of formula and eat a fourth of the food. He keeps spitting it out, turning his head, and crying when I try to coax him to eat. DCM says he's doing the same thing at home and acts worried but doesn't have any solutions to offer. I don't know what to do. This is not a chunky baby, he's actually pretty skinny so I worry I'm starving him.
A baby won’t starve themselves. If he’s hungry enough he will eat. Has he recently become mobile by crawling or anything like that? I’ve found that sometimes as infants become mobile there is a short period where they aren’t too interested in feeding because with their newfound freedom they just want to be “on the go”. Also if those first teeth are popping this could be why.
daycarediva 04:10 PM 11-24-2017
How long has it been going on? Is he hydrated?
If he's ok, I would try orajel/Tylenol. If that didn't help, I would call the pediatrician.
Leigh 05:31 PM 11-24-2017
I would definitely have this kid's parents take him to the doctor. He's not eating enough if he is doing this at home and your house. There are MANY things that could cause this, including a tumor blocking the digestive tract. Have the parents get it looked at by a respected pediatrician and bring you a written report.
Kajbk 06:02 PM 11-24-2017
Originally Posted by storybookending:
A baby won’t starve themselves. If he’s hungry enough he will eat. Has he recently become mobile by crawling or anything like that? I’ve found that sometimes as infants become mobile there is a short period where they aren’t too interested in feeding because with their newfound freedom they just want to be “on the go”. Also if those first teeth are popping this could be why.
He isn't mobile yet but he's close. He is teething so maybe that's messed his appetite up. It still worries me though because he's with me for 10 hours a day and today I only got him to drink 6 ounces of formula and eat one tub of baby food
Terresce 12:23 AM 11-25-2017
You probably CAN'T increase the baby's appetite; not much, anyway. Keep your baby active. Play with the baby. Stimulate the baby physically and mentally.
You CAN increase the nutritional value the baby gets from food, including calorie content, by supplementing the foods the baby eats. Add a small quantity of powdered milk or formula to pureed foods. If your baby is still being bottle-fed, add some (extra) powdered milk or formula to each bottle. Mix a small portion of fruit or meat into other soft or pureed foods.
nannyde 05:06 AM 11-25-2017
Originally Posted by Terresce:
You CAN increase the nutritional value the baby gets from food, including calorie content, by supplementing the foods the baby eats. Add a small quantity of powdered milk or formula to pureed foods. If your baby is still being bottle-fed, add some (extra) powdered milk or formula to each bottle. Mix a small portion of fruit or meat into other soft or pureed foods.
I don't agree with adding extra formula powder or powdered milk to anything. Babies under one shouldn't get milk whether powdered or liquid. They can develop pernicious anemia. Giving extra dry formula can cause dehydration.
Adding meat to soft pureed food is cool if the baby will take it.
To the OP:
Is there any chance they are giving the baby a lot of table food like adult food smashed down? I have seen babies this age being given whatever the family is eating and eating a lot of carb foods like French fries, crackers etc. If they are giving bites of fast food like pizza or nuggets, and regular adult food the baby looses it's taste for the plain formula and plain baby food.
If they are giving table food that is plain like home made baby food without the butter, gravy, spices etc. then that's okay. Making home made baby food is cheaper and healthier.
I have also seen parents give HUGE amounts of baby fruit and rice cereal. The serving size for this baby's age is very small. It's about a total of ten bites once it is mixed with formula.
I have seen parents make a half bowl or more of cereal and rice which is WAY too much. Maybe go through how much they are giving in cereal and fruit and then make up a bowl of cereal and fruit to show them his serving size. Refer them to the food programs infant feeding amounts.
If a baby is having adult food or huge amounts of the cereal and fruit it will shun formula and plain baby food. It just doesn't taste good.
One thing I ALWAYS do is give the formula first before any baby food is given. The amount of baby food is so small and low calorie and fat that if a choice is to be made, it should always be formula or breast milk first. It has the protein and fat the baby needs.
If they have been doing the above then a reset needs to happen. The baby should be IMHO should be cut off the food for a couple of days to get him hungry for the bottle again. Once the normal amount of formula is taken then slowly reintroduce the baby food but stick to the lower end of the guidelines. If it says two to four tablespoons... start with two and work your way up as long as the formula is being taken.
She definitely needs to speak to the Dr. I also don't advise giving Tylenol for teething. It is very hard on the kidneys and it masks any fever the child might have which is the first sign of illness. You can use chew toys and frozen chew toys to alleviate pain.
LysesKids 05:23 AM 11-27-2017
Originally Posted by Kajbk:
He isn't mobile yet but he's close. He is teething so maybe that's messed his appetite up. It still worries me though because he's with me for 10 hours a day and today I only got him to drink 6 ounces of formula and eat one tub of baby food
Is the child biting the bottle nipple? All my infants do that when teething... I also don't puree foods or use jarred (I serve mashed veg that I cook), I also let them try & self feed small diced, soft cooked foods; TN requires it once they are sitting at table to eat. Maybe teething crackers would help too. Can the babe use a sippy cup? Try the formula/EBM in it instead of a bottle... I have one that uses a Miracle 360 because they bit thru all the bottle nipples lol (he's 10.5 months)
Mom2Two 11:55 AM 11-27-2017
Originally Posted by Terresce:
You probably CAN'T increase the baby's appetite; not much, anyway. Keep your baby active. Play with the baby. Stimulate the baby physically and mentally.
You CAN increase the nutritional value the baby gets from food, including calorie content, by supplementing the foods the baby eats. Add a small quantity of powdered milk or formula to pureed foods. If your baby is still being bottle-fed, add some (extra) powdered milk or formula to each bottle. Mix a small portion of fruit or meat into other soft or pureed foods.
Until 12 mths of age, the formula needs to be < 1kcal/ml. Formula directions typically aim for 20 kcal/fluid ounce, so 30 kcal/fluid ounce is about 1 kcal/ml. It gets too rich for baby if it's more concentrated than that.
Mom2Two 11:56 AM 11-27-2017
Mom needs to take the baby to the doctor about this. If mom blew it off, I'd require it. And I would not only want to see a "note from the pediatrician," I'd want to see copies of growth charts, and personally, I'd start tracking weight as well. But I have a baby scale, so maybe easier for me.
Mom2Two 12:43 PM 11-27-2017
But also...if there are signs that the baby might have a real, medical problem, trying to treat it yourself (upping calories) might be interfering with what the child really needs, which only a doctor could say.