Does it sound like my 2 year old has eating problems or just picky? HELP

[Mydreamcametrue]

My son will  be 2 next month. Heres a short history:

Since birth he was never a big eater.  He always drank the lowest amount of formula recommended.  He was breast feed for 2 weeks, I was not producing nearly enough.  Then he has a very bad food intolerance to milk and soy.  He was on hypo-allergenic formula until 9 mos old.  He was never big on baby food either.  Maybe 1 or 2 small jars a day.

Around 1 years old, he has 2 stomach viruses.  Then everything he was eating was going right through him "whole".  He was referred to the feeding clinic.  It did show he has acid reflux "silent reflux".  He could not drink milk or soy at all.  He was on rice milk until 18 mos.  Once we gave his tummy a break from No dairy or soy, It seemed like he was better.  He was able to finally start having whole milk.  Now he loves it.

He has always been a very picky eater and not a large eater.  He is hungry every 2 hours, but will not eat a lot.

I am like that also though.  I have low blood sugar, so I eat about every 2 hours and small amounts.  Good he get that from me?

He does not eat meat or vegetables.  He loves fruit though. 

Here are some foods that he will eat:  Good he have a texture issue, maybe the reflux is bothering him again, or is he just very picky??

- Eggs (lately will not eat them)
- He was eating hotdogs (the only meat, but starting to refuse now)
- The only vegetable is green beans from Hardees
- French Fries (only from McDonald's)
- He hates noodles of any kind
- Loves Cheese
- Crackers
- Toast
- Almost any "snack" food
- He likes peanut butter
- Raisens

Also, he seems to always be tired.  He sleeps about 10.5 hours at night and take a 3.5 hour nap during the day.

Any thoughts or advice?

Thanks so much, Wendy

[oilerbaby]

Yikes!  I thought we had picky eaters around my house...  I would think being so tired is coming from low iron if he's not eating meat (just my first thought though).  I'm sorry you're having such a tough time with him.  How's his growth?  Is he doing good and growing?  Have you talked to his doctor about this?  Nutritionist?  Perhaps a naturopath?  I'm sorry I can't help you more!

My brother was exactly like your son when he ws younger and it lasted all the way until he was 14.  I remember him and my Mom having terrible fights at the supper table...  anyhow, I digress...  point is my brother is now 29 and doing fine and eats a wide variety of foods... although his son only eats kraft dinner and grilled cheese most of the time (payback my Mom says). 

Anyhow, I hope someone can help you figure out something.  Keep us posted!

[taygensmom]

Quite possibly he does have significant taste/texture issues. One strong "clue" to this is your indication that he only eats "green beans from Hardees" LOL. Reflux could also be contributing as well, but if he is so specific that he only eats green beans from one restaurant and not any other green beams then likely there are some sensory and taste/texture issues going on. As far as the eating every 2 hours, this could possibly be related to reflux issues if they still exist. I doubt he "got it from you" unless he also has some hereditary medical issues that haven't been identified yet. HTH

[Two mummies]

Hola,

I don't have any experience with the reflux side of things but our lo was very similar in terms of the amounts of food consumed and the fussy factor. Riley was never a big eater or drinker of milk/formula and would always be on the low end in terms of volume.

She is almost two and has similar likes and dislikes to your lo which change from week to week. For example cheese used to be a firm favorite but nowadays more likely to be handed to the dog than eaten!

Riley likes to snack throughout the day and by the time dinner time arrives she hasn't got a huge apetite so we have learned not to worry. Riley also won't eat meat per se....refuses mince, steak, chicken and just about every vegetable on the planet other than vegetarian suasages which are a staple. Oh and pasta is a creation of the devil apparently!

We do give her baby vitamins everyday on our doctors advice.

I think if your lo is still happy and thriving and putting on weight the limited diet isn't such a huge problem. If you are worried that the overtiredness might be related to an iron deficiency then speak to your doctor. There are lots of iron fortified cereals and other foods/drinks that your Doc might recommend to boost iron levels.

Soph

[MummyMoog]

At 2 the taste buds start to develope ( they were already there but now they're doing the job properly) So the more bitter foods will be extremly bitter.

My mini man had a phase ( lasting over a year and still on going! ) where veg was out of the question and he only wanted certain foods, he is getting better and we're finding new and fun ways to get him to eat a healthy varied diet. Hope this is helpful

The old making food look fun on the plate, trying to eat mashed potato with chop sticks, its messy but hes eating it again  We've also been a bit naughty and said if her eats all his ***** then he can have a treat when theyre finished.

As long as your providing the varied diet and hes still thriving then I don't see an issue

[Mydreamcametrue]

Soph:  Sounds like our lo's are a lot alike.  That makes feel better I am not alone.

We also give him a multivitamin once a day and also an all natural supplement called Juice Plus.  It has 6 different vegetables in it.  He loves these.

Like the others said though, I am worried there may be some sensory/texture issues there.  When I talked to his doctor yesterday, she said not to worry about his iron, they will check it next month at his 2 year appt.  I may go ahead and get it checked though for my peace of mind.

Yesterday he slept 3.5 hours for his nap and went to bed last night at 8:30 and is till asleep 12 hours later.  So that does worry me.  I'm not complaining about the long naps (nice since I am pergnant), but worried he is sleeping to much.

I never thought about the eating every 2 hours related to reflux, but that makes sense.  The only way to know for sure though is another barium swallow test and I do not want to put him through that again.

[binxyboo]

I think, just from reading his daily diet on the Toddler Thread, that a lot of it is related to his snacking. Stuff like Oreos and milkshakes contain lots of calories, I think he is filling up on foods like this, and then just not hungry enough when nutritious food is served. I know if I eat two Oreos as a snack in the afternoon, I am not as hungry at dinnertime, and I am an adult. Zach's tummy is sooo much smaller than mine. I would bet if you counted everything he eats in a day, he is getting in enough calories.

As you know, Riley has been on the pickier end of the spectrum as well. I have come to accept he is just a small eater. So, when food is offered, it needs to be something nutritious. He is just not offered cookies etc on a daily basis.

[ryan's mum]

We too have always had problems with food . Ryan does still have some reflux issues but don't know for sure wether this is a contributing factor in his eating problems it has been suggested to us that it could be behavioural from the times it did hurt to eat ,Ryan will eat the same foods day in day out and is very reluctant to try new foods or what i should say is won't try new foods . Ryan is currently seeing an occupational therapist for hyper sensitive sensory issues to sensory information from the oral ,auditory ,tactile and balance systems which affect his ability to perform the majority of day to day functional tasks .Ryan hates having his hands dirty and will not touch goopy stuff .Alot of refluxers have sensory issues and texture aversions so this could have a part to play. We worried a lot that Ryan wasn't eating enough so we did allow him to snack ,since cutting all snacks out he does eat more ,he hasn't eaten any new foods though.We are working on touching new foods at the moment and on occasions he has at least licked a new food . I know that Ryan won't eat the foods i put in front of him but he needs to see new foods daily at least then the option is there if he wants to try it .
 One of the worries we had with Ryan was that he was always tired too and after our first OT appt the therapist said he had weak/poor muscle tone and this was the reason so they are going to work on building him up .We tried vitamins but couldn't find one that he would take due to textures  thought i found the ideal solution with vit drops but he tastes them in his juice and started to leave his juice .Ryan is a healthy  weight but the tiredness was worrying me as he doesn't eat veg,fruit,pasta or rice the only meat he has is sausage . We have seen soo many proffesionals over Ryan's eating and finally got answers at the OT evaluation.
 There is a thread on sensory isssues in the growth development forum.

[Mydreamcametrue]

I am thinking he reflux may be back.  Several times out of the day, he will just start screaming like he is pain, holds his mouth and moves his head side to side.  I called his doctor again today and she said to start him back on Prevacid to see if that would make a difference.  I just don't want to overload him on medicine.  He is already taking Zytec for allergies.

The thing is though about 6 days out of the week, he will eat a huge breakfast and then acts like he is hungry for more, but then refuses lunch and dinner, just wants small meals.

Today he ate:
Breakfast: 6 oz. milk
good size bowl of cheerios with banana's
1 mini blueberry miffin
1 bag of gummy fruit snacks

Lunch: Refused peanut butter sandwich
Ate: a few blueberries
3 oz. milk

Maybe he is just feeling up from such a huge breakfast. 

I am not sure if he has sensory issues or not.  He hates anything on the floor, he will get his hands dirty or sometimes eats his cereal with his hands, but about half way through he says "Ewww" and wants his hands wiped.  He hates being in swimming pools, but does not mind his bath or just playing with water.  He is absolutely terrified of heights and noises.  Whenever a train goes by (which is a good ways away from our house, but you can here it), He starts running towards me or any loud truck, etc. 

He does not climb and is not very active.  Never has been though even in my belly.

Any thoughts?

Is Ryan still on reflux medication?

[Mom to M&M]

If your doctor suggested it I would definitely restart him on the CORRECT dosage (for his weight) of Prevacid. It's better to have him on medicine than dealing with pain. And untreated GERD can lead to other problems. But at his age, if his reflux is still really bad I also think he needs to be evaluated by a GI specialist.

I also agree with cutting out the empty calorie snacks. Stuff like milkshakes, oreos, gummy snacks are OK as an occasional treat but in general just rob them of appetite for the healthy stuff. My DD still has a morning snack some days but it's stuff like apple slices, grapes. And always an afternoon snack but it's generally baked root veggie chips, multi-grain crackers, fruit, baby carrots, etc. And then the junky stuff is just a sometimes - like we may get her some ice cream tonight!

I'd also limit him to 16 ounces milk/day.

[Mydreamcametrue]

You make very good points Stacy and thanks for the meal ideas.  I have not been digonosed with low blood sugar, but even before I was pregnant, if I do not eat every 2 hours, My head is spinning, stomach hurts, vision blurry and I turn into this evil person.  The doctor always told me to keep crackers or a piece of candy on hand for when this happens, BUT If I eat a good meal, something that is going to stick with me, it does not happen.  A lot of the times I only eat very small amounts and then it happens.

So.. I bet that is what is going on with Zach.  I don't give him oreo's and milkshakes everyday.  We get a milkshake about once a week and maybe an oreo or two, twice a week. He does though eat the Welch's 100% fruit snacks everyday.  1 bag a day.

I am going to try what you suggested though.

We have blocked off the kitchen, so he cannot get in there, only when it is time to eat.  I am going to measure out 16 oz of milk and that is it for the day. 

Oh......... here is the other thing:  How should I do his meals/snacks:
He has been sleeping until 8:00/8:30. 
He eats Breakfast about 8:30

He takes his naps until 4:00.  He always wakes up starving.  Should I give him a really small snack and then offer dinner at 5:30 or go ahead and give him his dinner since he is so hungry?

[binxyboo]

Just a side thought~ Does anyone know what the current research says about too much calcium inhibiting iron absorption?

[Mydreamcametrue]

Thanks Stacy, that is what I was thinking.  I hate the fact we all want eat together, but at least I eat breakfast with him and I will sit with him during his dinner.

I will give that a shot.  I guess at the stage and age, you don't have to worry to much about the "proper" eating times.

Michelle:  I don't know what the current research is, but I will have to look into that.  I know some kids that still drink like 32/40 oz. of milk a day.  That is a problem.

[ryan's mum]

Ryan is still on zantac but med free this week as he's having an endoscopy done on Friday due to ongoing probs with reflux .
 Have you had a read of the sticky Maggie wrote on sensory issues in the growth and development forum . It is hard distinguishing between what is sensory and what is just age and typical behaviour .There is a site with a checklist  , i can find it if you like .
 What did you do after he refused lunch ? If you offer a snack because you think he will be hungry then he knows the goodies come even if he refuses a meal , they are very clever . What i started to do with Ryan was just take his plate away if he didn't want it and then he had to wait for the next meal , if he ate little of that then i did the same ,they won't starve .The problems i have with Ryan is that he's all for helping make the meal and can't wait to try but when it comes to trying it he gags and because he has gagged he won't try again ,with fruit he might chew but spit it out after chewing a while , it's worse if he has to hold the food .Also the smell of foods make him gag or sometimes even vomit . Ryan doesn't like big meals either and does like to snack but i just offer little meals and more often .I made the mistake of giving crisps with his meal to encourage him to eat , it did work for a while where he would eat them alongside what ever was on his plate but then he started to just eat the crisps and leave the rest ,he only gets crisps once a week now as a treat ,i just don't buy the goodies now .
 I would re start the meds and see if his appetite returns .Sleep and eating getting worse were the cues for us when Ryan needed to up his dose .

[Mydreamcametrue]

My  hubby leaves for work at 6:15 at night.  Actually today it worked out because Zach sleep until  5:00.  I ate a decent dinner.  Cheese, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, 1 bite of apple and 1 mini corn dog.  I know does not sound like a lot, but that is his normal at one meal.

I did make him a smoothie before bed though and I got a whole jar of toddler carrots in it.  You could not even taste them.  It had carrots, yogurt, peaches and strawberries in it. 

That is going to be our new bedtime snack and I am going to sneak veggies in it everytime!

[Mydreamcametrue]

That sounds good.  I think he is okay on the protein though between milk, cheese, and the yogurt he eats.

I am more worried about the iron that he is not getting. 

I will give it a shot though with the peanut butter, chocolate syrup, banana, and milk. I bet he would love this.

[Mom to M&M]

Actually, it's not too much calcium per se that inhibits iron absorption. From what I've heard, it's that too much cow's milk is hard for even those with the slightest sensitivity to digest and can lead to internal/GI bleeding, thus causing iron/anemia problems.

Wendy - I agree completely with Stacy. Focus on small healthy frequent meals. And definitely offer dinner right after nap if he's hungry then and he can have a snack while you and DH have your dinner.

[Mydreamcametrue]

The dinner after the nap has worked wonderful.  Yesterday he ate 2 (adult size) pieces of pep and cheese pizza. 

That was a great idea to offer dinner after his nap.  Once he is over this picky stage, then I can focus on "proper" meal times.