Hi, I have a daughter w/cf, who is turning 7 early next year. She has never been a good eater but she is getting worse. She is now in 1st grade and eats lunch in school. Everyday the lunch comes back home. I ask her in the morning what she wants and I give her exactly what she tells me. In the past week she has been eating less and less at home. It seems like she is never hungry. I have tried giving rewards for good eating but nothing seems to help. She just had a doctor's appointment and the doctor is getting concerned about her weight. I would love to hear any advice. Thanks
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6 year old is a poor eater,
- Thread starter anonymous
- Start date
Could it be a respiratory flare-up? My daughter eats less when she is starting to get sick. As a former teacher, I can tell you that sometimes lunch period does not provide a quality eating experience. How much time is given? Sometimes, by the time the children sit down to eat they have about 5-10 minutes to clear their plates. Who supervises? Although it was my break time, I always ate with my class to ensure that they atually ate. Otherwise, sometimes it's a play period. Perhaps you can ask to observe a lunch period.
My daughter is much younger than yours, but she also is a poor eater. Our CF team encouraged a g-tube for a long time before I finally accepted it. What made me finally change my mind was when our pulmonologist explained, "You would never think of denying your daughter treatment for a serious respiratory issue." "Well, the g-tube is the treatment she needs for this nutritional issue." Also, she showed us how important good nutrition is for improved lung function. She has had the g-tube for about six months. She has gone from 6% to 35% on the growth charts. She is stronger, healthier, and I think, happier. I am also reassured that she now has extra calories to handle those respiratory flare-ups. Hope this helps.
Maria (mother of three daughters, the youngest, Samantha w/cf)
My daughter is much younger than yours, but she also is a poor eater. Our CF team encouraged a g-tube for a long time before I finally accepted it. What made me finally change my mind was when our pulmonologist explained, "You would never think of denying your daughter treatment for a serious respiratory issue." "Well, the g-tube is the treatment she needs for this nutritional issue." Also, she showed us how important good nutrition is for improved lung function. She has had the g-tube for about six months. She has gone from 6% to 35% on the growth charts. She is stronger, healthier, and I think, happier. I am also reassured that she now has extra calories to handle those respiratory flare-ups. Hope this helps.
Maria (mother of three daughters, the youngest, Samantha w/cf)
Hi, Thanks for your advice. I know that there are a lot of distractions at school during lunch. but I began to get more upset when she stopped eating at home also. I am watching her closely for any signs of an illness. At first I was set against a g-tube, but if things don't start to improve, I would definetly consider it. I would much rather she ate, but if she is refusing I may not have another choice.
I also have a child your age who is a picky eater with little to no appetite. It is sooooo frustrating! His weight has always been an issue. If anyone could offer any type of advice it would be greatly appreciated. Since he eats so little I make sure what I prepare is REALLY high calorie. So if he only eats 25% of it atleast he is getting some good stuff. He does however really enjoy his shakes from the doctor. Does anyone have any tricks on sneeking in the calories into meals?
Mom 29yrs old with 2 boys...1 w/cf +1wo/cf
Mom 29yrs old with 2 boys...1 w/cf +1wo/cf
I give half and half instead of milk to my daughter. I also let her eat peanut butter by the spoonful, which she loves. I pour butter over everything, and olive oil on pasta before the sauce. We have a lot of chocolate around the house. I also give her a little flax seed oil in her yogurt, and that prevents inflammation. Ensure and instant breakfast can be made into a milkshake. Be careful that you yourself dont eat their food! My husband gained 30 lbs! Maya also really likes pizza rolls and eats cheese as a snack.
Jen
Mom to Maya
3 with CF
jenirein@yahoo.com
Jen
Mom to Maya
3 with CF
jenirein@yahoo.com
My son is the worst eater. and has been since Day 1.. I always thought it was my cooking until my second was born and he eats what isn't nailed down. Best thing I ever did for him was have the G tube put in. It not only provides that nutritions he needs, but takes the stress off of you from trying to force food down their throat.. He seems to be eating more now even with his feeding tube.
I have the exact same problem...my son w/cf has no appetite and my son wo/cf eats anything that has slowed down enough that he can catch. Bizarre huh?? I am certainly going to look into the G-TUBE...the problem is we are a nuclear family...my son w/cf is my step-son. So all decisions about his CF is a group decision. And his mom is well....a bit in denial about how skinny he is I think. She REALLY wants him to feel normal I guess, so a G-TUBE is probably out of the question till the Doctor insists. But I will certainly bring it up at the next visit.
Thank you so much for all of your comments
Mum 29yrs ols...1 son w/cf + 1 wo/cf
Proud to be Canadian<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
Thank you so much for all of your comments
Mum 29yrs ols...1 son w/cf + 1 wo/cf
Proud to be Canadian<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
Hello, I am a mother of a 6 year old girl with CF. She just recieved the g-tube in Oct 04. She was a very poor eater and even poorer when she wasnt feeling well. I fought with the dr's also against this but they finally explained it to me in a way I could not say no. They explained how her body could not fight off infections when it was not properly nutritioned. She has been in the hospital only 4 times. (Thank the good Lord) But 3 of them over the last year. I could tell that she was needing something. She has already put on 3-4 pounds and seems to be doing very good. She has adjusted so well. She actually did "show and tell" at school after getting the tube. HA HA Food is not a struggle anymore because I know we can make up for it at night. We are only on night feeds as of now. Toni
Hi, I have a son age 10 with CF. His weight has been an issue since May when he suffered from Apendisitis. We have are taking a scandishake a day and it is helping. He loves the shakes and we haven't had to resort to the tube. (Just a heads up stomaches can also be appendix. This is often overlooked with CF.)