Toddler weight loss during illness

[pookiesossige]

I'm a bit stressed out after a week of Ronan's gastro which is only just starting to resolve itself now. It wasn't the usual 48 hour bug, I'm talking 7 full days of food and fluid refusal. We managed to avoid having to have fluids fed into him via NG tube when he drank the only bit of fluid for the day in front of the doctor- phew! Some of those days he only managed to eat a rice cake or half a slice of toast for the entire day.

He was a huge baby (size 1 at 7 months) but as a toddler eats little and rarely and since being sick, his weight has fallen to from 15.7kg to 12.2kg. He is very tall and so looks all skin and bone. He is 28 months old.

He would be thrilled it if I just gave him toddler milk in his sippy cup all day, but he needs solid food too!

I would love some ideas on how to increase his appetite and help him put some weight back on.. Can anyone help?

[Gribel]

Hi pookiesossige:hugs:

my son too lost some weight when he had a nasty chest cold, but thankfully is slowly getting back to "normal" again.

I know this is a long shot and not the best solution, but have you tried some rice cereal in his toddler milk to thicken it up? If that is all he drinks, maybe you can add this ?:detective:

Other than that, we made a chicken noodle soup / broth, DS seemed always to love this no matter how sick he is, and at least we know the broth will do him good. We add veggies in there and of course the noodles....just an idea....

Hope this helps:fingerscrossed:

Belinda

[pookiesossige]

Thanks for that, Belinda, I might try some soup tonight. That's one thing I havn't tried.

Anyone else with ideas? Elderly people are often adviced by their doc to include Sustagen in their diet as it apparently increases appetite and is high in protien and other nutrients. Does anyone know if this is appropriate for a toddler? He likes milo, but it's pretty sickly - just sugar and flavours really.

[the_queen]

oh Emma, poor little Ronan and poor you!
When Vallerie was 2, she was a fussy bugger and some days barely ate anything. I was worried, asked her wonderful GP, and he told me to give her Pentavite, the liquid multi-vitamin. He actually didn't say it was a vitamin supplement, he just said "it will boost her appetite" but when I bought it, it said multi-vitamin. But, and I don't know if it was a co-incidence or not, she did start eating better once she was having it regularly. I think it's the same basic idea as the Sustagen - better nutrition leads to normal bodily functions, and a normal body gets hungry for food. And the added bonus with Pentavite is that it is a multi-vitamin, and therefore even if he still isn't eating well, you know he's getting those vitamins. Vally's 5 now and she has a Centrum for kids chewable multi-vitamin every morning. So on those days where she has 2 bites of toast for breakfast, 2 bites of a fritz-and-sauce sandwich for lunch, and 1 bite of a chicken drumstick for dinner, at least I know she's had something vitamin-rich that day :laughing:

I hope Ronan gets better soon, I hope he gets back to his normal self and I hope soon you're complaining that he's eating you out of house and home!! :hugs:

[pookiesossige]

Thanks SO much, Queen! I've just emailed Mace to ask him to get some on his way home. After being so sick (and a fussy eater at the best of times) it certainly wouldn't hurt to give him a multivitamin. And it sounds like the appetite-increasing side effect is just what I'm after :thumbsup: Thanks!!:D