18 month old spitting enzymes out

[anonymous]

My 18 mo old daughter was just dx 4 days ago with cf. She won't take her enzymes, and spits them out. I put them in applesauce, pears, fruit dessert, but it doesn't work. She has had a texture aversion and wouldn't eat "real" food until age 15 months. Dr. said enzymes must be in something acidic, so I am concerned we won't be able to get them in her. Will oatmeal work? <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif" border="0">

 

[NoDayButToday]

I can't say I have any advice about this at the moment (need to confer with my mom), but I too did the same thing. By the time I was a few months old I would eat the applesauce and push the little balls of enzyme out onto my lips. Obviously, my mom got around ths somehow, I just need to ask her how.

 

[Mockingbird]

He he he. I'm sorry, I know this is a serious situation, but I couldn't help but laugh when I read your topic. I got a picture in my head of a baby spitting enzymes out, and I on't know, it was cute. =-) Anyway, i hope you find something fast.

 

[anonymous]

They told us that at first to when our daughter was real little, but they tell us now to put it in anything you can get her to eat. They said anything but bannanas. Pudding, cereal, ketchup if you have to!!! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> I would talk to them some more about this. I knw that at 2 if our kids know they have to take those awful looking things they will not eat them so I am sure you have to be able to take them with other stuff. I give them to mine with whatever I am feeding them.

 

[anonymous]

Hey guys, I'm surprised and confused about the fact that they, the docs, have said to stick to foods that were acidic. My docs never told me to feed it to her any specific way, so long as she took them. The apple sauce was just easier to mix the powder in and made it easy for her to swallow it. When she got to be 1yr old, we didn't break open the capsules anymore and just added the capsules directly to the sauce. At one month shy of her second b-day, I was at the santa Claus parade, on the side of the road mixing her apple sauce and capsules and at that moment I said "enough is enough". The next day, I practiced with her, I swallowed a capsule and then she swallowed a capsule, NO water, No food, just straight up. She has never taken them any other way since then, and she is now 5yrs old. I guess my point is, she doesn't have much of a choice and "no" shouldn't be an option for her. She either deals with it, or she will be very hungry by night fall. It sounds very harsh I know, I've been there, however, later as she gets older and you have more treatments to administer, more pills, more challenges to over come. It is in her best interest to teach her now, that when it comes to her health, there is no negotiating. More treats, more play, and if your like me more toys, but health absolutely no Debate!!! Hands down mom wins. good luck I hope everything works out for you. Remember what DR. Phil says, "if you are going to have a battle with your kids, make sure you always win" and that is just for discipline. Imagine what he would say if it was health related!!!

 

[NoDayButToday]

I just conferred with Mom, and she said the only solution to this problem was to change my brand of enzyme to Cotazyme, which is a powder enzyme and therefore invisible to a baby's questioning tongue. She said she had to convince the doctor to do it, but it was a great thing because once I was actually getting enzymes, I gained weight.

 

[anonymous]

I too am very surpised to hear that your doctor said it had to be in something acidic. I confered with my husband's long ago peidatric doctor (University of Washington/Childrens Hospital CF clinic) who we still stay in touch with 20+ years later and he was very shocked to find that your doctor said that. He said if a child is that picky, it becomes an issue to put it into nearly anything that they WILL eat. He also said, just as coll did, that you should try cotazyme because he has had a lot of success with that in the area of "picky eaters".

Good luck with this,


Julie (wife to Mark 24 w/CF)

 

[thefrogprincess]

Try cottage cheese, she might go for it since it's lumpy anyway.

Hey Julia, are you still in the UW/Seattle area? I live in Everett and I haven't met anyone around here with CF (besides my brother).

 

[anonymous]

I too had a tough time with my daughter, as a baby she did pretty good though, she hated her enzymes as a toddler. She would spit them out, dump them under the table and even feed them to our dog whenever i turned my head, She was 7 years old before we actually got her to swallow them,boy was that a rough time!!!! We had to pay her to try to swallow them and even then we had a hard time, she would choke and vomit every time!!! I am so happy that now she can swallow all of them at once, because she also got to the point where she hated applesauce, pudding and everything that we put her enzymes in.

Good Luck, it may be frustrating now but i promise it will get better!! Hang in there.

Kaitsmom<img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

Froggy, I am in the military so Mark and I moved to San Diego CA last May (from Pullman WA), we both lived in the kirkland/bellevue/bothell area until about 4 years ago, then he moved to pullman to attend WSU then we moved down here.
I am trying to get back up to WA (everett/bremerton area) next year because we both miss our family and friends and we are going through IVF and I want to have my baby (if it works) in WA where all of our family is so they can be a part of it and help us out. I will inevidabley be on this board for as long as it exists, so I will let you know when we come back that way. It won't be until about March or April of next year though. I'd love to meet you when we are back up there!

Oh by the way, how is your dad doing?

Julie (wife to Mark 24 w/cf)

 

[spicyone18]

One thing my mom did for me when I was little was spread it in with my PBJ sandwich, and of course applesauce. Anyways hope you find a solution soon.

 

[anonymous]

Now she refuses anything that comes near her with a spoon, straw, medicine dropper, or anything else. Of course this means she doesn't get anything to eat or drink, but now what? I thought about adding it to anything she eats, but they aren't supposed to be chewed, right? It has become quite the battle, and I am EXTREMELY frustrated & concerned. I meet with the CF doctors Friday, but I don't think we can wait that long. I will call them tomorrow to see if they can change them to Cotazyme. Any other ideas?

 

[anonymous]

Hey guys, I'm so shocked. Maybe I'm just naive, but when my daughter was born and diagnosed at birth with having CF, the docs didn't give me much options nor did they ever tell me to negotiate with my child. With that being said, the first thing they told me was never ever refer to enzymes/cotazymes to anything but enzymes/cotazymes. Not candy, pills, treat anything this was serious. Then they told me to never negotiate and to never give the option of refusing or arguing to anything relating to her health. From day one, I have (knock on wood) never had a problem, Cleaning her room, picking up her toys or putting her dirty laundry in the basket now there's a problem. I don't know, maybe I lucked out, but I can tell you that, I don't baby her at all and my son who is 15mths younger without CF, I tend to baby more. I just have always remembered what the docs said and that was don't take crap from her, when it comes to her life. My doctor always said " she can't starve over night" cause I was always worried about her eating enough, well she is 5yrs and weights in at 56lbs, not slim by far. I trust my doctor completly and that makes a big difference. I would think if she is refusing, then she doesn't eat, I would rather her be hungry then be in pain from cramps and lack of fat absortion. without trying to sound rude, I sympathyze with you, but who is the parent? This is serious and let her know, she is not to young to get your point, if you make it loud and clear.

 

[anonymous]

I do sympathize with you. Both of my children were diagnosed when they were infants. As a result, they take enzymes beautifully because it is all they have ever known. I can only imagine that it is a different story getting enzymes down a 1.5 year old child for the first time. My son is just a month older than your daughter. I know that despite how much you want your daughter to swallow them, you cannot force them down, they have to choose to swallow them. My son at 1.5 years has a mind of his own and despite how much I want to put more food in his mouth, he won't let me. You can't rationalize or negotiate with them at this age. Just know that you are doing your best and she will learn how to swallow them. Just try and be patient, I know it is a stressful time for you and your family. She is probably picking up on all of this as well as the changes in her life (medications, treatments.) I would expect resistance from her. It is just part of their gaining independence at this age.

*My 1.5 year old's has been swallowing whole enzymes in applesauce these past few weeks. I do use the small Creon 5's. He doesn't even know they are in the applesauce.

Sharon, mom to Sophia, 3.5 and Jack, 1.5 both with cf

 

[anonymous]

Hey guys, I just want to say that deception is not good when it comes to your children. If you are lying to your kids about hiding their enzymes in their food, you are only teaching them to be emberassed about their illness. You should be teaching them to be proud of who they are, and to be teaching them self esteem by showing them it's okay to be different. Honestly, I want my daughter to trust in me, and to know I would never let her down. Teanagers are cruel, but my daughter will be able to handle anything that comes her way, cause I'm teaching her now, since she was 6mths old, take your enzymes, not candy not apple sauce but your enzymes. I don't sugar coat anything and as her mother it is up to me to give her the confidence and self esteem now, so she can make it later. "NO" is not an option in my house, well except when she needs to clean her room, lol. But when it comes to her health I am honest, straight forward and loving. I don't want to see her hide her enzymes in order to lose weight when she is a teanager, nor do I want her to miss out on dates cause she's embaressed, nope I tell her how it is now, and you know what when she sees someone smoking she says" oouuu gross mom, that man is smoking, he's gona be sick right mom!" That makes me proud cause at 5 she knows it's wrong and at 18 she will know it's wrong too, and she will have the confidence to say "NO THANKS, I DON"T SMOKE" take care I don't think that I know everything, but I know this much, be honest with your kids and they will be honest to themselves!

 

[spicyone18]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr> I just want to say that deception is not good when it comes to your children. If you are lying to your kids about hiding their enzymes in their food, you are only teaching them to be emberassed about their illness<hr></blockquote>

I would disagree. I too was diagnosed at birth so I have been taking enzymes since day one. But I still went through a stage I geuss where I would refuse to take my enzymes so my mom would put them in my applesauce, pbj sandwich anything just to try and get me to take them. She too always reffered them to enzymes. Her hiding them never made me be embarassed about my disease. Honestly I took my enzymes w/applesauce for a long time I even remember taking it that way while in elementary school! Anyways just stay patient and hopefully you will find somthing that works out.

 

[anonymous]

Hi there, my daughter (now 22 months) was diagnosed at 12 months and we have had some off and on troubles with enzymes (more stubborness than food aversions though). She takes Creon 5 and anything I have read on them (not sure about other enzymes) say that when you are opening them up and giving just the beads (rather than giving them with the beads in the capsule) that they must be given with acid/sugar based foods (like fruits as opposed to dairy) bc the dairy/protein (okay, I am not sure exactly if it is either or both!) will break down the coating on the beads before they get through the stomach...That is just what I was told (by more than one dietician and more than one CF DR) and that was in more than one piece of info I was given (one was from the makers of Creon and the other was just a general sheet on giving enzymes to toddlers). Sounds like the powder one might be a good option. I know there is a liquid enzyme in the works but not supposed to be available for a while...So, one thing I thought of is that maybe she would eat them in ketchup??? A friend one told me that most kids like ketchup so when I gave some to my daughter I found that she loves it... If your daughter will eat a french fry or something dipped in ketchup, maybe you could sprinkle the enzymes on it??? I dunno, that is probably a long shot but is all I can think of right now. I would just stick with trying to get her to take them but maybe take a day or so off to give her a chance to relax and get used to the idea...

Wish I was more help!
Kelli (mom of Sydney 21 months wcf)

 

[anonymous]

"My 1.5 year old's has been swallowing whole enzymes in applesauce these past few weeks. I do use the small Creon 5's. He doesn't even
know they are in the applesauce."

Anonymous,
I 100% agree with everything you said, it is very important for us to be honest with our children about everything. My children are going to be different from their friends in that they take medications, do treatments, etc. So they do need to be secure in who they are and it is my job to teach them to be proud of how God made them. My children need to trust in me as well.

I do differ, however, in your perception that I am lying and deceiving my son. I did not indicate that if you read my post again. I said he doesn't know (understand) they are there (because he is 1.5 years old). He doesn't know they are in there, because he doesn't know what "there are whole enzymes in your applesauce" means. I was giving the mom another way of presenting the enzymes.
Sharon, mom of Sophia, 3.5 and Jack, 1.5 both with cf

 

[anonymous]

Hey guys, I don't want to start something and if I am misunderstood, well I appoligize. What I ment to say, is that, when you feed your young child ...let's say pizza, you say "mmm pizza" do you not? I meen when I gave my child her enzymes (wether in apple sauce or not) it would be "mmmm enzymes and apple sauce. Deception is a learnt behaviour. Such as "oh it won't taste bad" but it does!!!!! ie. medicin. We as parents have to earn our childrens trust, in order for them to have respect for us and themselves. I simply meant, that in not acknowledging that their were enzymes in the apple sauce, is a betrayal of trust. (not so much in the sense, that I realyze the child could be as young as 6mths) the point I wanted to make was, don't start betrayal!! At any age, it is wrong. Wether they know or don't know, it must be a language they have always heard from day one. Because children just know and remember. When my daughter was born and they diagnosed her at birth, they took her to Sick Kids. When I finally got there, there was a mother and her baby (6mths old) maybe, and his butt was bleeding so bad from the enzymes, that she couldn't hold him, and all he did was scream for her to pick him up. I thought right there and then, my life was over. My child was going to die, and I could never hold her again. At the time, I didn't realize that the mother was in denial and she had neglected her child and at the time it had been the grandmother I had seen, I just thought "oh my God" this is going to be my life. But it wasn't. My daughter has never had a bad rash on her bum, nor has she ever had a lung infection in five yrs. she 's been lucky. I just meen, if they hear enzymes, breath enzymes, taste enzymes, they will never be ashamed to take enzymes. that all. take care

 

[anonymous]

I don't think the parents who are "hiding" their enzymes in the applesauce, peanutbutter... are decieving their children. I don't think this is an issue of "hiding" anything perse, but rather a good way to avoid a big 4 hour ordeal just trying to get your child to take some enzymes. None of the parents who posted said anything about continuing to do this throughout the childs life, and every child is different. Some parents have really laid back easy going children (like how my husband was and is) and his mom had no problems, the kid would eat anything (and he still does) so it was really easy. But like with his brother for instance, if he had CF (which he doesn't) she would have had to hide it in some sort of food, he was just a strong willed child and wanted what he wanted and didn't want what he didn't want. I was the same way as his brother, if I had CF, my parents would have really had to hide some stuff because I was like the princess who could feel the pea under the mattress-unbelieveable my parents said, I could tell if one little thing "just wasn't right" and I would refuse to look at it, let alone touch it. And some kids are just like that, no reasoning with them, no forcing htem, no making htem do anything they don't want. It's not like the mixing enzymes in applesauce or whaever else, is going to continue throughout their entire lives.

Julie (wife to Mark 24 w/CF)