I have a new DCK that is 22 months old.

Parents cannot get the child to eat, nor can I. Right now the child has not eaten since yesterday at dinner at 7:00 PM. More than likely DCK will not eat for the rest of the day here either, as this has been the pattern.
At most, I have gotten DCK to eat a small bowl of rice and that was on Tuesday. The rest of the time it has been only a bite of a cracker or apple and then DCK is done.

I have tried to let DCK feed self, but DCK sits at the table and will scream so loud that it is upsetting to the other children. As soon as DCK see's food, the scream cry goes on.

DCK is very very unhappy. Also, because of the lack of food, the child does not sleep well either. Not here or at home.

The parents have taken the DCK to the doc to see if there is some form of allergy, but everything came back negative.

We have stopped giving him dairy, but not that it mattered, because he was not eating it anyways.

DCK is extremely small for his age in weight.

Parents are asking what we should do. At this point I think he might need to go back to the doctors. I have never had a kid that NEVER ate. Usually it would be only a day or two that this would happen, but this has been going on since DCK started about one month ago.

Any words of advice or ideas what could be wrong?

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Aside from allergies did they address possible sensory issues or swallowing problems? Is this a new thing? What has he eaten in the past?

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I was kind of thinking the same thing. When the child swallows food, child cries in between bites. BUT will do this with all foods, including applesauce or something that has to be chewed.

Can I ask you how would we discover this? What signs do we look for?

thanks for helping...

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can he tell you if it hurts. Was he always like this. You said you guys took his milk away, I have a feeling this child never learned to eat and would supplement his meals with milk and now its going to be hard to teach him to eat. See if he will eat junk food, like cookies and chips, if he can eat junk then he can eat. Try watering down the food (I think someone mentioned it before)

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If he has eaten up until now, but now refuses, it could be all sorts of medical things.

The first thing I would think of is an obstruction of some sort, but I really don't have enough info nor am I a doctor.

They need to get him to a doctor! No food for that long is not ok. This does not sound like a willfull toddler thing.

As an experiment, have you tried any "goodies"? Gummy bears, etc? Is he drinking?

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I have tried cookies, but that was a no go. The child has always been this way, nothing new . Well nothing new here with me. Parents seem to also struggle with this.

I feel hopeless right now

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What does he eat? He must be eating something if he's still alive kwim? I don't know it's odd.

My friend has a condition where his throat closes in while he's eating. His mother has the same thing (can't remember what the condition is called). Both of them are extremely small and my friend takes about an hour to eat a hot dog! He has to take small bites and swallow slowly. It's extremely odd and I had never heard about it before. He says it's extremely uncomfortable to eat. I'm kind of thinking there must be some discomfort there if he screams at the site of food.

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wow that is crazy... you know last week DCK had a day or two that DCK ate a little bit of food, but then went back to not eating or drinking anything at all.

I forgot to mention that DCK was given medication from the doctor for AR

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I think an ENT and Gastroenterologist is a good start. If it is sensory issues the regional center can help with OT that addresses swallowing issues as well.

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Allergic Rhinitis? Runny nose?

Honestly the parents need to be asking their doctor these things, not you. I'd keep referring them back to an ENT or Gastroenterologist.

Until then you could try giving him pediasure to prevent malnutrition. Strawberry was the favorite around here...

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It must something wrong with his throat or something else. I would tell his parents to take him to a special dr. It can be ear, nose, and throat doctor to find out what is wrong with him. My grandpa had throat problems so he takes a very small bites and it would take about 1 or 2 hours to get his meal done.


Last year, my husband have problem to eat when he swallows and he must to have a drink to make it down from his throat. One day, he had a lunch with his boss. Somehow, he swallowed a fried chicken steak and it was stuck down to his stomach. He tried to swallow a water or anything else to push his food down to his stomach with no lucky. He vomited to get out of any drinks that he tried. He gave up and went to ER for about 2 hours to get in. I was so mad at him because I begged him to go doctor to find out what was wrong with his throat or anything else. That is what happened and his doctor asked him why he waited too long if he knew something wrong with it. He didn't answered to him. They can't make it down so they have to give him a medicine to sleep and use something to push down to his food to stomach from his mouth. They gave him 3 bottled of medicines to make a wide throat so he can eat normal again for 3 months. He needed to get it check out but he didn't go.

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Not a clue because I have 2 little girls who are 1 who do this same thing. They go days and days without eating more than a bite or two, here and at home. I can't even tell you how much food is wasted. They will eat NOTHING. I have tried almost every food imaginable, and have never ever been able to get them to eat. One I have had since she was 8 weeks and the other since she was 9 months. It is so nerve wracking, but the parents aren't rushing them out to the doc even with me going to them concerned. Not sure what else we can do.

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whats interesting is that he will sit and scream if I place him at the table, but will stop crying as soon as I let him up. I will give him a 5 min break and its back to screaming again.

I asked my daughter to put him at the table and he sat down and ate?? WTH.....lol NOW I am frustrated......lol

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I had a 9 m/o that wouldnt eat. Mom would just let him drink as much as he wanted b/c she was afraid of him choking. The poor kid was starving but gagged on everything. She did say he had sensory issues which didnt help. Ended up terming for other reasons. Thats a toughty though. No allergies? Maybe a soar throat? Maybe clift pallett? Maybe mention that to parents. SOunds pretty baffling! Let us know what happens!
Debbie

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now that is sounding like a control issue. I will bet you that he's playing this game at home too and its easier to give in then anything. I will bet you that he's not use to sitting down and eating, he wants you to chase him with food (my niece is like this and she's 3 too, my sister is such a nob) or I bet you he would rather sit infront of the tv and eat.

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if he behaves like this again I would see if
he would eat if hes infront of the tv
or let him wonder and you chase him with the food

if he eats when doing either one of those things, then you know that this is what he's doing at home too. Also, have you tried using a stern voice and telling him to stop screaming. I don't allow screaming at the table, the minute he would do it, I would send him to the corner, when he would stop then I would let him back to the table, I would do this over and over. i don't put up with nonsense at meals, if you don't want to eat then fine, but you have no right to be disruptive so the other children can't eat.

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my SIL is like this with her daughter too. They live with my in laws and my MIL and FIL baby my niece to death. She is 4.5 and still cant use fork, spoon to feed herself or the toilet.

they chase her with food and they don't sit down to eat. They do that to my son too when he goes to visit and then I have to break the cycle.

I think you could be on to something, because its just too interesting that he is fine as long as he is not in front of food..


I plan to talk to the DCP today at pick up.

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Alright, at firszt read this is going to sound strange but bare with me. Does the child show any signs of a social disorder or social issues.

I ask this because my step son that has a social disorder and showed signes of it at a very young age. 20 months. Finds the act of eating to be very borring.

This sometimes leads to problems with his eating not so much now that he is nearly 18 years old. NOt because the issues have gone "away" but because

he has learned to deal with them in a mannner that allows him to eat in a "normal" time period.

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100 percent sounds like a severe oral adversion. I have a friend who has a 7 year old with this and it takes him FOREVER to eat.

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