Serious worries for friend's ds

[doggiesayswoof]

Here's the scenario: friend's ds is 2y 11m old. He has major eating problems and will hardly eat at all. His weight is the average weight of a 16mo baby. Mealtimes are very tense and he screams to get out of his high chair. He goes to nursery and is in with the babies as he is so small - they have "held him back" so he's not getting time with children his own age. His development in general (speech, gross motor skills) seems slow and he has not started potty training, also still sleeps in a cot. I think my friend "babies" him as she is v worried about him. She is seeing a consultant but his next appt is not till mid-March and he's looking so ill. Her GP just sends her away. Any advice, either on how to "work" the NHS system or how to get him to eat?

[katyrocks]

i once knew a child who had these symptoms years ago when I was in NCT. "Failure to thrive" was the diagnosis. worth checknig out? It turned out to be milk intolerance and she flourished when her diet was changed. Or perhaps some other underlying condition? certainly needs attention. good luck

[Chandra]

There's, sometimes, far more than what meets the eye. Although DS didn't get ballistic about food, he did many things that you are currently describe: Meal times being tense, he rejected most of hos food, and his motor skills at 2.6 were more similar to those of a 14m old than anything else.

It turn out to be all about food allergies, after having him tested we realised that the foods he so much rejected he was allergic or intolerant to them and, as for motor skills, as soon as we removed all dairy products from his diet he became a completely different child. He still has to catch up with other kids his age but, little by little we are getting there.

My only advice would be to make an appointment with another GP or bypass him and take the child, privately, to a paediatrician.

[Chandra]

Ahh, and he had so many constipation problems (caused again by the milk), that potty training was not advised as it would make the problem worse. He was potty trained at 2y10 but I wouldn't worry much about that, I see many children at nursery who are still in nappies at that age.

My only common sin with your friend is still having him in a cot, although is open at the side so he can go in or out as he pleases, the reason for him to be still at it is that we are moving him to a bigger room and, as we have not yet found a carpenter to do the work we want, I can't be bothered to get a bed for him that would take half the space of his current bedroom, specially when he has more space at the end of his cot than we have at the end of our bed.