Stubborn 2 1/2 year old....enzymes??

[MomtoZoey]

[h=2]Just looking for some ideas..I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter with CF. She has done very well so far..but for the last few months has started to refuse her enzymes. If you get them in her mouth she will hold them under her tongue for an hour and never swallow. She can't stand applesause anymore. Once in awhile she will swallow the capsules whole if she is eating something she likes. She had no weight gain at our last 3 month appointment at the CF clinic. Her appetite has gotten worse too, she does not eat nearly as much as she used to. Any ideas would be much appreciated!!

Thanks

Jocelyn[/h]

 

[Kimmiegirl]

Hope this helps.

You're doing great if you can get her to swallow them.(PILLS) I have a 2 1/2 yr old also. She likes to chew them --- Yeiks. But, I understand, I have the same problem with the applesauce from time to time. You don't have to use applesauce, it was used in the beginning because it is easiest on a babies tummy. (Which is really only ready for milk) Our Dr.s at clinic told us we can use ketchup, yogurt, pudding or pretty much anything that has citric acid in it. The citric acid is what keeps the coating on the enzyme until it reaches stomach acid. Good luck. Just know you are not alone, this is a pretty tough age. Also maybe make up a song or game to go with it. Kim

 

[Ratatosk]

I've used jelly, ketchup and hershey's syrup in a pinch. When we first started giving DS his enzymes whole, I would put a capsule on a tablespoon of baby food pears or bananas rather and he'd swallow that down. He hated applesauce -- think it was a texture issue because he hated ground meat and toast as well.

 

[VAmom]

Perhaps a small amount of chocolate syrup or babyfood sweet potatoes would do the trick.

I wish to comment on the poor appetite and no weight gain. My son is now 19 but he had (and still has) a lot of stomach issues.

Is your daughter on zantac or prevacid? If not, I would ask about adding it to her routine.

My son would never want to eat, then when he did he would feel sick. It took years before they did a stomach x-ray and he had multiple obstructions throughout his intestines. He was having one or two bowel movements daily.

As he has gotten older, it seems his appetite will do well for a while and will gradually decrease, then after a clean-out with Miralax, I notice his appetite picks back up.

 

[Gammaw]

We had a similar issue at that age. There were two problems. First, he hated the applesauce. We switched to Tapioca which has a bumpy consistency and helped make the enzyme beads less disturbing. And it tastes wonderful to most children that age. Just be sure to feed it immediately after mixing since its alkaline. Ours like the Tapioca so much we used it for zymies for a couple of years and he gained a ton of weight, climbing into the 60 and 70 percentile from his 5 pound meconium ileus start. Secondly, we realized we were mixing the beads into his food out of his sight. So when he discovered the beads in his food, he thought we were sneaking something in on him. He literally didn't trust us. He realized they didnt belong in his food. Incredible to believe of a 2 year old you adore and who adores you, but it was true. We discovered this with the help of the CF psychologist on our team. She said it was very common when new parents are somewhat reluctant to "share" the diagnosis with their baby, or even by accident because your "prep station" is out of sight. She put it simply - your baby is not stupid. He knows youre "sneaking" something in there and he's not going to eat it. Fortunately the solution was equally simple - mix the beads in front of him, while saying, "These are your zymies. They will make you big and strong! Yum!". Offer the food to him. Eat some yourself, so he can see they won't hurt him. He may refuse at first. Don't make a fuss. Feed him whatever he will eat with or without zymies. Just always mix in his sight and explain. Be very open. Eventually he will take them. It solved our zymie problem! Good luck!

 

[DaraR]

Toddlers..so much fun, right?

Hi, there.
Our DS just turned 3 last week. This is the worst time for getting a child to eat. I'm pretty sure its a toddler thing. Though, with CF, you never know.
My son started swallowing his pills around 2 1/2. I used empty capules as practice and we never went back. I do have to warn him about chewing them, but for the most part, it was a lot easier than I thought. Perhaps you can try with some empty capsules.
Also, kids don't generally gain that much between 2-3 years old. My son only gained 5 pounds this whole year, but the clinic seemed really happy. He does eat pretty good, though. I know every case is different, and I hope it gets easier for you. Toddlers are tough, but add CF on top of it and its a whole different story.
Hang in there, I'm sure you're doing your best and it does get easier. My son's language skills have gotten so much better in just the past few months that he can tell me better if something is going on with his body and if he really just doesn't like fish sticks : ) We always have options for him if he prefers something else when we are done eating dinner. He still has to eat (or mostly eat) what we prepare, but when he's done, if he wants a bowl of cereal or crackers, I let him have the choice.
Also, there are tons of things that don't require enzymes, like twizzlers, jelly beans, craisins, etc. We sneak them in throughout the day. I don't suggest doing anything without talking to your nutritionist first, and we certainly don't replace these non-enzymes snacks with meals, but they are handy for adding in a few calories here and there. Just an idea. Good luck.
Dara