Failure to thrive

[sunnyjim]

Well its now 'official' due to the ongoing illness's DS has been suffering since he was born he has always been a lightwieght, I've done everything I can to stop him losing too much weight each time but the illness's are getting worse and clsoer to gether and now he's a toddler he runs around alot more too. So since November 11th he has lost 4lbs, thats crossed two centile lines and put him in failure to thrive catorgary.

Right now we have viral infection number 24 in his short life, and of course ongoing vomiting fits and horrid liquid and frothy nappies.

I'm relaly upset as had to drag him down to A&E AGAIN on thursday, GP said as he was FTT he had to go to A&E with hacking cough and temp cos he needed to see a paedeactric DR not just a GP. Fien - sound good to me maybe they are taking it seriuosly.
3 hrs later we get seen, DR says, viral, nothign we can do about it, nothign he can have for the cough, but bump up the pain medication (which he has been tkaing for months and months now)
I took his weight chart in with me and showed her the drop and asked if she could speed up the referral at all that my Health visitor had put in. She sniffed, said HV didn't know what they were talking about and they shouldn't have done the referall because:
there was a very slight chance that over the next two months - before his weight hit rock bottom and he had to be admitted for intravenous feeding, that he would suddenly get well.

She also said that despite havign every sign of lactose intolerance, ie frothy liquid yellow nappies, vomiting after milk, weight loss, runny nose etc that again Health Visitors and me as mum didn't know what we were on about and that we should 'feed him nromal milk because when he gets to his referal apt in 2 months time the DR will need to see that he has been ill over the past 2 months due to milk.
and they refused to do the very simple test for lactose intolerance that would have proved it!

So I have to keep medicating my 21 mo baby with BOTH calpol and ibuprofen every day.
I can't do anything about his cough
I have to keep feeding him milk which makes him ill and miserable
If he throws up i have to starve him for 24 hours even though that makes no difference at all cos its NOT A BLOODY UPSET TUMMY DUE TO A FOOD BUG

sorry, spent alot of time crying last few days, he is soo skinny, and such big red rimmed eyes. That dammed cough had him up from 10pm to 3am last night and up again at 6am so he is exhausted (as are we).

[hotandbothered]

I'm so sorry you're going through this...
My BFs baby was FTT. She is now bigger than my very tall 3 year old, as healthy, lots of fun, very bright etc etc... I really hope things improve for you, it must be miserable.[hug]Sorry I can't be any help but wanted you to know people were listening...

[moondog]

Do you have to keep giving him milk?
Mine had none at all at this stage 9apart from yoghurt and cheese.)

[sunnyjim]

Yog and cheese do the same things to him,

He does need calcium from somewhere and he's too young really for a vegan diet.

[WideWebWitch]

non dairy calcium sources

you don't need permission to stop giving milk and you don't need to prove he's still ill, taking him off it has got to be worth a try.

[FotheringtonTomas]

sunnyjim, how awful for you both. my friend is going through the same with her 2 year-old wee boy, she's a doctor and she can't quite believe all the problems he's had and is really horrified to see him crossing four centiles in a short period of time. he has the funny nappies too, but seems to have grown out of the dairy allergy. still has a lot of reactions to other things though. i know that he's being investigated for 'malabsorption' now, but i'm not really sure what that is. a google search didn't clarify matters much, but it might be worth asking about next time you see a doctor.

also there is someone who uses my blog site who was talking about going to a dietician for her dairy-intolerant baby and seemingly the dietician said that the only reason we encourage babies to drink milk after a year is that it's an easy way to give them calcium. she was given a special milk and also told to give her daughter plenty of sardines and other good sources.

good luck with this, it's the pits for you, i'm sorry that it's happening.

[AitchTwoOh]

sorry, FT is me btw.

[sunnyjim]

Thanks for advice and info, I refuse to give him stuff that amkes him ill so am trying a milk alternative for drinking and lots of other good foods.

Also trying to get a private consultation sooner if possible, just so we can start to rule some stuff out.

thankfully he has no problems with nuts so I'm using coconut milk in mild curry's and making him peanut butter (no salt) sarnies to beef him up a bit.