Parent giving 2 year old Slim Fast. Should I do something?

[HereForTheHelp]

Will try and keep brief and as anon as possible

Family have 3 children. The one I’m concerned about is almost 3 but looks to be about 18 months old and weighs even less (held them recently, this is how I know this). The child does walk but very unsteadily, talks in unclear single words and has very little muscle mass. They have sort of bent knees all the time, like a newborn baby would have.

One parent posts A LOT on social media and from the pictures and videos it’s clear that the house has a lot of rubbish and clutter in it. There’s always piled up dirty dishes, rubbish pushed to one side for the kids to sit and play and loads of wires dangling and in extension leads all over the floor

Parent has just posted that they’re feeding their 2 year old Slim Fast shakes in their baby bottle as they don’t eat a lot. I had previously seen the child drinking a pink drink but assumed it was nesquick or whatever. It’s definitely not the nutrishakes for children from the GP as I have seen the tin

What do I do? Is this something you would talk to the health visitor about? I am very concerned, especially about the youngest child. They are clearly loved and always have weather appropriate clothes etc

@PlanDeRaccordement yes, but it's the same calories as a meal! Fortisip has more calories and more nutrients, I'm astonished that a parent is giving a diet aid to a 2 year old because they're fussy eaters and don't eat anything else

@PlanDeRaccordement *NOT the same calories as a meal

I'm going to give my health visitor a call on Monday, on the off chance there's one around. I think some more intervention and guidance would be really good for this family and a bit of a 'on the radar' type thing.

I do think it's more that they're very poorly informed, rather than abusive or neglectful. I'm not able to talk to them, I don't know them well enough but know an awful lot about them (if that makes sense?)

You could try the Nspcc helpline for advice www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do/get-advice-and-support/

Slim fast are full of calories, protein, vitamins and nutrients. They are meant to be taken instead of a meal. They taste a lot nicer than children's supplements prescribed by the doctor. My eldest daughter was recommended them when she was tiny and a very fussy eater, who also would not take the children's supplements. As she got older she started trying and liking more different foods. She was the most petite child in her year though until she got to age 13 and then she had a big growth spurt. She's now 16 and taller than many of her friends.

If you have to stick your nose into other people's business, I think you should definitely contact the health visitor first, because if you go running to ss only to find that the hv/Dr actually recommended slim fast, you are going to look and feel like the stupid one, not the child's mother!

As someone has already pointed out, slimfast shakes are actually a recommended thing. My dad had difficulty eating after cancer treatment and the doctors suggested he have these as they have so much nutrition. If they are being used as a meal supplement rather than a meal replacement, it's a good way to get calories and nutrition into the body. Don't be too hasty to judge on this point as if the child is struggling to eat food but will have these then it's not necessarily a bad thing.

@Pinkandwhitemarshmallows no need for that really was there

I've clearly stated that I'm worried about the child for numerous reasons and this was one of them. I've also NEVER said social services, it was all the other posters. I thought their Health Visitor would be the best bet for lots of reasons, not just the slim fast.

And fyi, a malnourished looking child who's clearly not developing well, what situation SHOULD I 'stick my nose in'? Once a child has died? Or just ended up the hospital? Telling people to mind their own business when it comes to children's health is so dangerous. If someone had a concern about me or my children I would encourage them to talk to me or get me help. My children's health comes before any opinion of my parenting skills.

Thank you to everyone who's saying they're recommended (in a non bitchy way!) I truly didn't know that. My DN is 9 and tube fed so I've got a lot of experience with pedisure and ways dieticians try to get him to eat, Slim Fast has never ever been mentioned, maybe it's a hack we're missing!

I don't think these parents are abusive I just think they're a bit stupid

And you think I'm bitchy 😂

Just because you think the parents are stupid, it doesn't mean they are.

Medical professionals are not going to put a toddler who's a fussy eater on a drip. They'll recommend trying lots of different foods and children's supplements in the meantime. If the child won't take the children's suppliments, they could well recommend other supplements such as slim fast for example instead. No ones ever died from slim fast.

As for their house being a mess, it's Christmas, my house is a mess. I have 5 children and I'm pregnant with number 6, my house is always a mess. The midwife came round to do the home visit a couple of weeks ago. She was an hour late. I tidied the house but by the time she arrived the kids had messed it up again. My eldest son had got this xbox out and there were wires on the floor, the other kids had got food and there were plates and biscuit wrappers strewn around. There was even a biscuit on the carpet someone had dropped and trodden on. The midwife didn't report me to the hv or ss, she just laughed and apologised for being late.

Ss and hvs are very stretched as it with with all the cuts and you are sticking your nose into other people's business and making more work for the professionals because their house looks lived in and they're feeding their child something that for all you know could well have actually been recommended to them!

*his xbox

Does the lady mean it's that nutrient and calorie drink nutriplan or whatever it's called with extra calories in, not slim fast

Complan is the powder maybe she means

I think well done for looking out for children.
Try social services or health visitor.
They aren't in immediate danger but may need guidance and advice.

It is the responsibility of the person that sees the neglect to report it to social services. Every one of us has this responsibilty. It is not good enough to report it to the Health Visitor, her reporting woud be hearsay,
YOU must do it. Whenever something goes wrong, the world and his wife blame health professionals. If they simply need support they will get it. Social Services are very good at suppoting families with parenting courses, child centres etc. Just do it. Ask to speak to the Social Worker for Children

If kids aren't good eaters and underweight a lot of times pediatricians will recommend drinks like boost to up their calorie/vitamin intake. Is it possible thats what's going on here? The shakes (which have a lot of vitamins/minerals) are supplementing what they eat (i.e. not replacing)? I agree slimfast is probably not as good an optipn as boost (or whatever else is designed like it) but they may need guidance and not to be punished. Some people just aren't that bright.

@Pinkandwhitemarshmallows oh come off it. I've clearly said in my OP that the pictures are a constant, I'm not going to report someone because of Christmas clutter.

I've got 2 disabled children, my standards are beyond low. But if someone is uploading pictures showing an inch of worktop with a hot chocolate on it and then reems of old and mouldy food then it's bound to cause concerns. Especially when there's extension wires hanging off of walls with extra extensions plugged into it.

And I know a doctor is going to put a fussy child on a drip, don't be ridiculous. I've said about other concerns, such as how delayed the child is, how underweight they are and how they're now not offering them food AT ALL, just shakes.

I'm not even drip feeding with this, I literally said it all in my OP. I'm genuinely concerned that you WOULDN'T be a bit worried for this family. If I'm 'sticking my nose in' and it's all fine, brilliant, that's the result I bloody well want. I've clearly said the children are loved but maybe the family could do with some more support.
She's broadcasting their entire life on social media (20+ posts a day) these things are starting me in the face and have done for months, I'd never forgive myself if a child was in harms way.

@cultmaskid unfortunately not, I've seen the tim, it's branded pink slim fast

You could try the HV; they may already be aware of the family and working with them. Obviously the Hv can't (and shouldn't) share any information with you about the family.
If the Hv doesn't know the family they can't just 'pop in' or call up to offer support... It is a consent based service and the family need to contact themselves for support or be referred by a gp(who has gained the family's consent). If the child is nearly 3 all mandated contacts have passed so they won't even have the opportunity to get in that way.
If you are that concerned I would call children's services who do have the ability to make an assessment and who will probably refer to the hv anyway.

It the child is very under weight and has a lot of development delays ,have they not been referred to anyone,it sounds like there's something more going on tbh.

So, why haven't you reported already, surely if you are concerned about a malnourished child, you report it? You dont post on mumsnet?

Or are you asking who to report to as opposed to should you report it

@QueenOfTheFae asking who to report it to. Especially with it being over Christmas time, I'm sure the HV are overwhelmed at the moment. And PP have now said that the shakes are often recommended for fussy eaters, so I think HV is the right way to go rather than SS