Daughter Loosing Weight.

Hi A.,

I had a problem with two of my boys when they were between a year and 18 months that is similar to your little ones problem. While they didn't loose weight, they didn't gain at a normal rate, either. With our oldest son, we simply added whole milk and pediasure to his diet to stimulate his appetite, which worked. He also has a speech disorder which we discovered at age 3, called Apraxia, where the brain and the mouth don't work together. I will say first that kids with this are very treatable! (He's doing great, now; reads on a 4th grade level in the 3rd grade and no longer requires speech therapy.)He wasn't able to talk and was extremely picky with foods. His mouth muscles, including the cheeks, were weak, so while he seemed to be eating enough because he stopped eating, he actually was tired from eating! With our second son, he had the low muscle tone in the mouth as well, but not the apaxia. He would stuff food into his mouth but not swallow! At 18 months I was still breastfeeding him and was told to keep it up since it was so beneficial. The breastfeeding was not an issue. Like his brother, his weight fell off the chart at the pediatrician's office. He was diagnosed by a speech and oral motor therapist, not the pediatrician, though she was going to refer me to a therapist if I hadn't already. Once these issues were addressed, both saw their weights climb. No one else saw this problem except the therapist! I don't know anything about these meds she is on; keep digging for information! You are doing as much as you can, and don't despair. There is a solution out there.

I have a friend that is extremely skinny and she drinks those boost drinks daily because she is too thin. My son was also a preemie and he is the same he eats and eats and doesn't gain any wait so I put him on boost and ensure as well because it also gives him those extra vitamins he needs.good luck.

do you have her on a moderately high caloric diet? Maybe consult a nutritionist and your pediatrician regarding this.
God Bless,
Pam

Hi A., Congrats on you baby and it's great that your baby made it through such a tough start.- GOD BLESS.
Are you breast feeding? If you are continue, it's a great source..if not check into the pediasure with your doctor to see if she can add that to her diet.
Maybe you can look into trying this old but effective addition to the vitamins - it's cod liver oil...it's sold in a few different forms and can be bought just about anywhere,- wal-mart, nutrition store, chamberlins. It opens up the appetite..this helped my nephew many years ago. Hang in there cuz this age also kids start to be a bit picky about eating. If you can keep a log of what she eats for a few weeks and see if you can add foods that she likes more often..Also check with the doctor's office if there is a site you can get info concerning premature babies some site have moms with the same issues that can help you...Your doing great by asking questions - Keep getting all the info you can - good luck.
A.