2yo Hasn't Gained Any Weight In 6 Months

[crazydaycarelady]

He is 2 1/2 now so hasn't gained since he was 2yo. Mom was recommended to give him PediaSure but she doesn't want to because it has 23grams of sugar. I am pretty sure this kid is on the spectrum, I am not sure if that is the cause of some of the eating issues but he will drink things pretty well.

Since mom isn't doing anything different I have been mashing a banana and mixing it with whole milk and baby cereal and spoon feeding it to him in the afternoon after snack (which he usually has not eaten.) I would not normally do this but with dcm so lackadaisical about it and I feel the kid already has some strikes against him, malnutrition shouldn't be one of them. There are days he comes in the morning where they tell me he has not eaten one bite since he let me the day before.

What would you guys do? or feed him?

[daycare]

He is 2 1/2 now so hasn't gained since he was 2yo. Mom was recommended to give him PediaSure but she doesn't want to because it has 23grams of sugar. I am pretty sure this kid is on the spectrum, I am not sure if that is the cause of some of the eating issues but he will drink things pretty well.

Since mom isn't doing anything different I have been mashing a banana and mixing it with whole milk and baby cereal and spoon feeding it to him in the afternoon after snack (which he usually has not eaten.) I would not normally do this but with dcm so lackadaisical about it and I feel the kid already has some strikes against him, malnutrition shouldn't be one of them. There are days he comes in the morning where they tell me he has not eaten one bite since he let me the day before.

What would you guys do? or feed him?

I actually find this age common to either not gain or lose as they are becoming even more mobile than before. they run faster and more often. So I would not really be to concerned about it. However if a doctor gave me a note saying that the child needed to gain weight, then yes, I would give the additional food the doc is requiring.

[Kabob]

No real advice but I'd be super uncomfortable having a dcm who openly says her child isn't eating and that she is refusing to follow a dr's recommendations. If she doesn't like the sugar content, then why didn't she ask for alternatives or ask to get a referral to a nutritionist or get a second opinion?

I would want a dr note on file for any special diet that I'm giving a child at daycare, even if I think they need it.

[sahm1225]

Why did the doctor suggest pediasure? Is the doctor concerned about his weight?

You could add calories to the things he eats (adding olive oil, butter, whole milk, whipping cream etc). You can get coconut yogurt (expensive but has high fat content) or yogurts that have the cream layer.

This is one of those things that I think as much as we love our dcks, we need to step back and remember that it's not our child nor our battle. Ask the mom to get the note from the doctor about pediasure.

She has options if she decides to not do pediasure, but she needs to get on them

[crazydaycarelady]

Yes, the doctor is worried about his weight. Dcm does not expect me to give him Pediasure, but she is not giving it to him either. She plans to give him fruit smoothies.

Maybe I should just step back and let it play out. I was just trying to increase his calories since she doesn't seem to be.

[daycare]

Yes, the doctor is worried about his weight. Dcm does not expect me to give him Pediasure, but she is not giving it to him either. She plans to give him fruit smoothies.

Maybe I should just step back and let it play out. I was just trying to increase his calories since she doesn't seem to be.

she is worried about the sugar in pediasure so she is going to give him fruit smoothie....that does not make sense to me....

sweet of you to want to try to help. I know it's hard to just sit back and let things go.

[Baby Beluga]

Don't flame me, but just reading what you typed I agree with mom on not giving pediasure. Imo I feel it is pure junk and additional calories, fat and nutrients can be gotten from much better sources. It also will do nothing good for his taste buds when the time to stop drinking pediasure comes.

I am sure if she explains this to the pedi he will understand and the two of them can come up with a more natural approach to this. OR she needs to seek the advice of a nutritionist. However, since it is a health concern of the pedi and of yours I would likely request a note or some sort of plan of action from the pedi just to cover you.

Here is a blog post that has a recipe for a natural alternative to pediasure:

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2014/07/09/natural-alternative-pediasure/

[Ariana]

My DR is also worried about my own childs weight but my DR is an idiot so I don't pay much attention to him. My child eats well enough and is developing normally....is happy etc. I also give smoothies and yes they are much healthier than pediasure. Frozen berries, banana, milk, coconut oil, flax or fish oil, chia seeds and sometimes avacado.

I would say he needs more fat in his diet so maybe try adding good fats in.

[crazydaycarelady]

It's not that I am pro Pediasure, but I am pro doing [I]something.[/I Dcm doesn't seem to be doing anything.

[daycarediva]

Did she TELL the pediatrician that she wasn't doing the pediasure? It DOES contain a ton of not very healthy things, but something needs to be done. What IS she doing about helping him gain?

I am REALLY uncomfortable with the fact that she is aware he hasn't eaten since he left your care the previous evening and is nonchalant about it. I would tell her that, too. "Dcm, I am very uncomfortable with the fact dcb hasn't eaten in X amount of hours (presumably over 12!). What is your plan, besides pediasure, to follow the pediatrician's recommendation of helping dcb gain weight?"

Is she supposed to follow up with the pediatrician? Is there a food log? Diet plan? meeting with a dietician set up?

With my micropreemie (dcb) we do whole milk, whole/plain greek yogurt, small scoop of berries and granola sprinkled on top. He has a dr note to continue whole milk. He gets those 3x/day and is STILL struggling to gain. Mom is on top of it though. He has appts every 3m. He is 4 now and hasn't gained much since 2 1/2. I also have a food log for him here. I write down the food he was offered, and what he consumed. (very little, honestly). He prefers to drink his calories, but even that isn't helping! Also, he wont drink pediasure, Mom tried that. He was on toddler formula until he was 2.

[sahm1225]

My dd3 has trouble gaining weight. She is on pediasure 1-2x/day and we add calories everywhere we can. I add butter or olive oil to her meals. She drinks whole milk. We have tried high fat yogurts and avocados.

Our pedi is all over us. We go in for weight checks often and they have done so many tests to rule out an absorption issue or anything else. Were supposed to meet with a pediatric nutritionist next and they have discussed a g tube to get her to gain weight. She will gain a pound, then catch a cold and lose 2lbs. It's a battle!

It always drives me crazy when I see parents blowing off the doctors instructions. Gaining weight is crucial for their development. It's very sweet of you to be worried.

I would ask the mom for a note from the doctor detailing the plan to increase weight and have her set up a follow up appointment.

[Ariana]

Have any of you tried a naturopathic DR? My DD is low weight and my DR is of no help at all. I went to an ND and she is already doing better. My DD is allergic to dairy which makes it harder to get fats into her. We had to cut out sugar and wheat and were given some homeopathic remedies. According to my ND my DD is low in phosphorous and is not absorbing foods with wheat.

Anyway just a thought!