I started a new child last week 8 mo dcb. He is such a doll!

His issue is eating. He fights his bottle. He fights when I try to feed him his cereal. He just keeps turning his head like "nope don't want it". The only time he ate at my house last week was when he was sleepy he ate his bottle in his pnp and fell asleep. I don't even want to start with the bottles at nap time so Im not going to continue with that this week.

I talked to his mom and she said he has acid reflux and asthma. His formula is Enfamil A.R. But he doesnt take meds for his acid reflux, however he does use a nubulizer for his asthma.

Here's the kicker! Mom gets frustrated feeding him baby food so she often will give him baby food in a syringe. Dad says he has issues feeding him too but if baby doesnt want to eat he just lets him go play.

I feel like he doesn't eat because:
A.hes force fed at home
B. he has reflux
C. maybe hes not ready for food yet
D. He has issues with swallowing and or texture issues

So I have a baby who I have to fight to feed!!!

I don't want to force feed the baby, if he doesnt want to eat Im not going to make him. Hes not fussy and hes not starving because hes a good sized baby.


So now what do I do?!! Just let him be? Im on the food program so Im giving him food, hes just not eating it. Mom says if he doesn't eat she does'nt want to keep him here, which is to bad because hes a really great fit with my group.

Any help or criticism or anything at all is appreciated!!!!!!!

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My son had and my daughter has reflux and it can cause eating issues. My own md suggested feeding with a syringe however we have never done it. I would tell mom you would like to give him a fair shot to get into a feeding routine at your house, give a time frame- maybe 1month.

Then offer every day at the required meals for the fp. Eventually either the reflux will settle or he we begin to eat out of hunger or interest. My kids were 100% different on reflux meds. Dd is still on them now.

Keep the food report to a min with mom. Interested, not interested, very hungry, a little hungry etc. Try not to read into it too much. The more you worry and talk about it the more mom will do the same.

I found those gerber puffs to help kids train their mouths to eat food, chew and get it down.

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Are you SURE there is no additional medical issues? One of my daycare kids has had huge struggles with not eating (to the point of almost failure-to-thrive) and has been diagnosed with low muscle tone which can cause swallowing issues. She can do purees easiest but for 2.5 years, meals have always been an issue.

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Cheerfuldom- I dont think he has low muscle tone...hes already crawling! Its almost like he flinches when I bring the spoon near his face! He closes his eyes and squints, and shakes his head back and forth and turns his head into the highchair, almost like he thinks Im going to hit him or something...it sounds terrible but thats his facial expression and how he acts!!

JoJosmommy- DCB mom says that his reflux has gotten better since hes started eating solids. And he hasnt spit up here at all or acted like his stomach is bothering him. I write everything on his report that I offered him, but I dont tell her he hasnt ate anything! Ive only told her he doesnt seem interested in eating. He likes crackers though! Im hoping that he will start to self feed more and that will help. But he needs fluids too...so thats the other issue!!

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i would say that he's either not developmentally ready for solids, or he would prefer to self feed. Try giving him tiny pieces of very ripe banana (like, cut into a 1/4 in round slice and then cut that slice into about 6 or 8 pieces then scatter them on the tray), pieces of steamed apple (boil apple slices in water until mushy), pieces of steamed carrot, boiled white or sweet potatoes, pieces of very ripe avocado...oh, my DS LOVES broccoli steamed until it's mushy ( I take off the stem but he LOVEs the floret part!).

Maybe try and find some literature on baby's readiness signs for mom?

Now, as to the trouble with the bottle...I'm not terribly familiar with bottle issues that do not stem from a preference for the breast. I ahve heard, however, that the A. R. stuff is NASTY. Have you tried giving him a cup?

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I have an 8mo daycare girl with a very similar situation. I am not 100% certain that she has reflux; but I have always suspected it. And for the first 6mo of life at home she slept in an upright cradle rocker thing b/c her parents said that is the only way she would sleep (here she always slept flat on her back).

Anyway, feeding her bottles have always been a bit difficult. She would (and still does), squirm, arch her back, etc... With a little patience though, she would eventually (after a long while) finish her bottle.

I have also posted on another thread about her reluctance to eat baby food. Same thing with her, she closes her mouth, turns her head, flat out refuses. We ended up finding out that she loooooves the fruits, so now she gets spoonfulls of half fruit, half cereal or veggie. She eats it now. Also, we've started doing soft finger foods with her and she is doing well with that. She loves cheerios and puffs, but still hesitates with other foods. And she's getting pretty good about getting them in her mouth!

In regards to the bottles; I wonder if he drinks bottles well at home? It could be that he is not entirely comfortable with you yet and he'll get better with bottles very soon. If the parents are also having a hard time with bottles at home; it's time to take him to the dr.

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I have a 14 month old that is having eating issues too. He used to turn his head away and struggle because he hated eating his baby food up until he was about 12 months old. But he would take his bottles no problem.

Now at 14 months he'll eat his baby food but he hates anything thats not liquidy. His mom tells me that she will give him baby food and then give him something crunchy or more solid and he throws up everything. He has problems swallowing I guess. His pediatrician said that if he still does this when he's 16 months old that they would do an exam looking in his throat to see whats going on. Could this be reflux?

He's never thrown up with me so I'm not sure why he does it with her. If I give him something that he doesn't like he will just toss it off the highchair.

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That sounds to me like a texture aversion or oral defensiveness thing, not reflux

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If she wants him to eat, she needs to make him eat at home and until that time, I would require a doctors note that states a care plan for him eating. Suggest she take him to his pediatrician or a nutritionist so you can further educate yourself on how to do this.

If she doesn't, I'd cancel services. You can't force a baby to eat anymore than you can force a 4 year old to eat.

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I have one who was exactly like this!

He refused baby food & I swore he wasn't ready.

Mine is almost 2 now & I just transitioned him to table food. Honestly I always thought he was just a few months behind his age. He doesn't even talk now and when I work with him I notice he moves his mouth and tongue incorrectly all the time. Like his tongue goes completely to the top of his mouth (kinda hard to explain). So now I wonder if his development is behind or if there is more to it. His dr has mentioned concern that he doesn't talk. He never babbled as a baby. No mama, dada, no cooing- nothing. He is a wonderful child I'm just concerned & it started with him doing the same thing you say yours is doing. Interesting

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Thanks everyone for all your advice and ideas and help!! Its very much appreciated.

Today little guy let me feed him when he was being distracted, and he ate 2 4 oz bottles. So a little improvement!!

I also introduced him to a sippy cup and he seemed more interested in that than his bottle. So I hope I am on to something!!

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