2 Year Old Not eating?ETA

How big are you and his dad? What were you like as kids? I have a son in the 5th percentile and one in the 95th percentile. They eat about the same. They are both healthy and active. The doc wasn't concerned about the smaller one because I am only 5'2" and my husband is only 5'9". The larger son seems to takes after his grandfather and uncles, while the smaller takes after us.

As long as he has a regular growth curve (even if it's slow), he's doing okay.

Do not push food on him or he'll have a weight problem.

My dd didn't eat much, but she's small (still is), I'm only 5ft. 1 and she's just small. She's thin but healthy and I'm happy with that.

My son was huge until he hit 2 years old, and he fell off the charts. (100% to below the charts in 2 years.) I'd suggest seeing a pediatric endochronolgist. If he/she is dismissive without good reason (aka they are not staying on their curve of the growth chart) get a 2nd opinion. We have been battling this for 7 years now, and only started GH injections 2 years ago. And they have stopped working so our battle continues to find out what is really wrong with him. The earlier you have documentation of his patterns, the better. And the earlier you find a doctor you are comfortable with, the better. Trust me, you don't want to move across the country when you child is 5 and re-start all the tracking.

Kids have different eating habits and styles and some are just naturally smaller/skinnier than others. As long as his percentages are fairly stable on the height/weight growth charts, there's probably nothing wrong but it wouldn't hurt to get a 2nd opinion just in case. Try a different pediatrician if you have any doubts about whether your current pediatrician might not be seeing everything. Good luck,

I'm sorry, but the pediatrician's answer is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. It sounds like your son is pretty small. If he is below the 5% for height and weight, he needs to be worked up for short stature. I would recommend changing pediatricians right away. Pediatricians can make initial work ups, one of the first things to check is his thyroid. He can later be referred to a pediatric endocrinologist;but if you have a PPO, then I would recommend going directly to one. In the meantime, the pediasure is good, or you can make your own shakes at home, with ice cream, regular (not 2%, lactose free milk, he needs all the calories he can get), and you can add a variety of fruits and even vegetables, as well as peanut butter, if he is not allergic, since that also has a lot of calories. Offer him frequent snacks, but definitely get him checked by someone else. It would be very useful for the next person who sees him, to have a copy of his growth chart, to see what his growth has been overtime, and at what age he sort of slowed down his growth, so ask for a copy of his growth charts (0-24 months, and 2 years on). Good luck!

First of all, are you feeding him throughout the day? He needs a lot more than 3 meals a day - every child does.

Do not give him Flintstones vitamins! They have warning labels, first of all. I know, it's crazy - a product "designed for" and marketed to kids has warning labels. And no gummy vitamins. They just aren't absorbed. Secondly, vitamins are only absorbed and only function properly when given in a comprehensive formula that contains ALL of the vitamins and minerals and trace elements that are designed by nature to work together.

The doctor said that if his hair and nails are growing, he's getting enough? Hmmmm. Bizarre - never heard that one. The doctor (like most doctors) probably had zero courses in nutrition in medical school. The good doctors will at least admit it.

DO NOT give this child a weight loss shake designed for adults! They have calories but also tons of emulsifiers and chemicals that are difficult to digest, even for adults. They are not designed to meet a child's nutritional needs, and if your child has any digestive issues (which I suspect), you could really mess him up.

I'd consider a comprehensive nutritional supplement - not pills or chewables - designed by a pediatric food scientist and manufactured under strict, near-pharmaceutical grade conditions, guaranteed to be manufactured in the US and not outsourced, that's tested before and after manufacture, and which contains all of the nutrients a child needs, including DHA for brain development. Do not try to put together a program on your own. Let me know if you want more help.

I would give him those nutritious shakes for kids.(Pedilite?) Can you make those juice and veggie shakes, or those juices with veggies in them from the grocery store. I would also find a good vitamin for him.
Sounds like you are doing with you can. At least he eats what you give him, he could be picky on top of it!
Good luck to you and your family.

Do you allow him to snack all day long? He should. Grazing, not just meals is a way to get extra calories into him. Are you flexible about where he eats? He might not like sitting at a table to eat... it might be the environment that is putting him off of eating. Some kids like to stand next to a low table instead of sit. Every kid is different.

I recommend trying this video. http://copy-kids.com/ Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables. Have the foods available when he watches it so he can copy what and how the other kids are eating. It makes eating healthy look fun.

Smoothies are also great. You can blend fruits and veggies into smoothies. Here are a bunch of recipes: http://pinterest.com/copykids/smoothies-drinks/

Also, try cutting foods into different shapes... You can use a cookie cutter to cut his sandwiches. You can try making everything bite-sized so it is easy to eat.

Will he take a multi-vitamin?

I agree that you might try goat milk products... goat milk, goat yogurt, goat cheese. They work for my lactose intolerant household.

I think it is mission-critical to bulk him up. Being too lean can be a terrible problem if any type of illness hits. It's warm and summery now... but flu season will be upon us before you know it!

Good luck, M.!

What does your pediatrician say? Has his growth always been like this? If so, then this is normal for him. Our son is in the 25th percentile for weight and always has been. Meaning, he hardly eats and is very thin, but it's totally normal for him. Our pediatrician completely agrees. Every doctor out there will tell you that a child will eat when he/she is hungry. There is no need for you to add on to his calorie intake with shakes (they have too much sugar) or milk (too much sugar and to get the amount of vitamins you would need, a person would have to drink a gallon of milk per day which would be WAY too much fat for a person to digest). Allow him to continue getting his vitamins and nutrients from healthy food - fruit if he'll eat it, protein from food. Liquid is not a substitute for food. So long as he's not losing weight or going backwards, he's right on track. I say this on the heels of talking to our pediatrician two weeks ago about our 4 year old son. He's only 32 lbs. and is still totally on track growing the way he has been from the start. He's a skinny little noodle with lots of energy and eats when he's hungry, but doesn't eat a lot.

Seriously, he's doing great by listening to his body. As parents, we can tend to worry things into a problem when one doesn't exist. It's important to allow our children to continue to listen to the cues their body sends them rather than just eating because someone else tells us.

Best of luck,
S.

I had these same problems from my youngest. Do you give him vitamins? It helps increase the appetite. Flintstones First or Enfamil vitamin drops are both good. My son was the same way until I started giving him vitamins. Yes Ensure/Pediasure will fatten him up but those things are pricey.

Both of my little ones are allergic to milk also, but they tolerate Goat milk fine. Have you tried it? You can also get it powedered if you need to. Personally, I think little guys who don't eat much, like yours and mine, need to be supplemented, and so I am still giving my 15 month old alimentum formula, but a 2.5 year old may not go for it. I would use some shake or something if I were you. Or, maybe make higher fat things, remember that his brain is growing a lot right now and he needs fat to help it develop, so you should push that if you can. I know its hard when they are picky eaters, but we have to do what we have to do.

Also, does he eat chicken or fish nuggets? Trader Joes has some really good ones that aren't full of perservatives and stuff. We give them to our kids because its what we can get them to eat. Oh, and hot dogs, nitrite and nitrate free are great! Have you tried these? (oscar meyer just started making them and Safeway has them bogo free very often.) I would play around with food and find things he really likes and let him have them. He also might be a grazer, some people are naturally, and they need to much all the time. If these things don't work, then I would talk to a doctor or nutritionist.
Good Luck!!!

Updated

Both of my little ones are allergic to milk also, but they tolerate Goat milk fine. Have you tried it? You can also get it powedered if you need to. Personally, I think little guys who don't eat much, like yours and mine, need to be supplemented, and so I am still giving my 15 month old alimentum formula, but a 2.5 year old may not go for it. I would use some shake or something if I were you. Or, maybe make higher fat things, remember that his brain is growing a lot right now and he needs fat to help it develop, so you should push that if you can. I know its hard when they are picky eaters, but we have to do what we have to do.

Also, does he eat chicken or fish nuggets? Trader Joes has some really good ones that aren't full of perservatives and stuff. We give them to our kids because its what we can get them to eat. Oh, and hot dogs, nitrite and nitrate free are great! Have you tried these? (oscar meyer just started making them and Safeway has them bogo free very often.) I would play around with food and find things he really likes and let him have them. He also might be a grazer, some people are naturally, and they need to much all the time. If these things don't work, then I would talk to a doctor or nutritionist.
Good Luck!!!

Hi M. N,

Elsa O. is right -- find another pediatrician and ask for a full physical. Make sure to have your son's records transferred, so that the new doctor can evaluate the total growth chart, not just a single data point. Growth retardation isn't just a factor of percentile in relationship to the general population -- it is also evaluated by growth rate. If your son is in the bottom 3 %ile for height and possibly weight, or if he is growing at a rate that is more than 2 standard deviations below the norm, then he has a growth problem that needs to be investigated.

There are many causes for short stature in a child, that can be as benign as "simple" idiopathic growth hormone deficiency, or as serious as kidney problems (such as polycystic kidneys), genetic syndromes, metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal disorders (possibly related to allergy or other immunological issues, but even diseases like Crohns and colitis can cause growth retardation in a child), and skeletal growth disorders. If YOU think there's a potential problem, then trust your instincts. Start with a new pediatrician and discuss your concerns, and ask for referrals to appropriate specialists (an endocrinologist is probably going to be the first stop. but a consultation with a pediatric gastroenterologist might be in order, too). You can also contact the MAGIC Foundation for advice and support (www.magicfoundation.org). MAGIC is a nonprofit dedicated to children's growth disturbances. If you can't find a local doctor who's willing to take you seriously, make an appointment with a pediatrician at a children's hospital or a medical school (UC Riverside will be the closest one to you).

BTW, if it turns out to be idiopathic growth hormone deficiency, you should know that the replacement therapy is very expensive, but it WORKS. My son was on replacement therapy for 7 years. After not growing at all for almost 2 years and not losing any baby teeth, he started growing and losing teeth within 2 months of starting the therapy. Before therapy, his projected adult height was 5'4". At 22, he's a strapping 5'10.5"!

Good luck -- it can sometimes be difficult to get pediatricians to listen, as they are far more likely to see healthy kids in practice than sick kids, believe it or not! (That is, sick beyond common viruses, ear infections, and childhood injuries.)