Toddler picky eating and weight loss

[nicehotcuppa2]

DD is 2.5 (actually31 months), goes through phases where she really doesn't eat much (usually with illness) but loses weight along with it. I find it quite worrying, the HV say she's fallen off her curve (dropped 1-2 lines since she was 12 mos) but more or less steady on the lower line. However, she's agains lost 700g in two months.

What do I do? I find it quite worrying, can't force her to eat but we're just coming off of another week with illness and food refusal. Between she often eats reasonably well but even so she seems to be losing weight.

I’d maybe speak to your gp lovely, maybe it could be arfid or neurodivergent related or an aversion if she associates the food with being ill, particularly if she’s vomited. When my kids are struggling we try get them involved eg pick which plate they want, do they want to help mummy/daddy making their food and what always works best is bringing the food elsewhere even if it means eating dinner sat on the stairs🙈. If it gets them to eat then it gets them to eat. But also having food nearby in bite size pieces whilst they’re playing as psychologically this will help it seem less daunting, particularly if just been ill recently xx

Also when she’s ill, don’t worry if it’s healthy, if it means ice cream for breakfast as long as she eats that’s the main thing!

Also ask the GP to check her iron levels checked.

Thank you, yes we generally eat fairly healthy, balanced plates and all that. It's just she really refuses everything when unwell, she'll go a few days and only have a few crackers and some squash, perhaps an ice lolly but even then only half.

I will ask the GP about iron, what would that tell us? I am 5'5, DH is 5'10, we are both fairly slim so I don't expect a massive child, but she was 10kg on her first birthday and now only 11.1 at 31 mos. She otherwise is happy and seems to be developing well (walking, talking up a storm, cheerful)

Celiac?

Is she getting the right food? Kids need a lot more healthy fats than adults. Are you sneaking these in/prioritising these wherever possible?

I would go and see your GP, as pp said they may want to test for coeliac disease.

She gets a lot of fats, loves nuts, peanutbutters, meat, yoghurt, cheese (full fat milk, cheese yoghurt). She went through an avocado phase but that's ended.

Would she have other symptoms of coeliac? We haven't got that in the family.

She wouldn't necessarily have other symptoms of coeliac disease, it's often just complete lack of growth. I would see your GP in any case as a blood test won't hurt (well, it will but only for a second and could teel you what's going on with her in terms of iron as well as testing for coleaic).

Her diet sounds good. I would try and increase these fats wherever possible. Prioritise these over other foods e.g. don't waste eating time on rice cakes, for example, or other kids snacks that are nutritionally void.

Is she ill more often than normal?

Thank you. She’s in nursery so exposed to the nursery illnesses, I wouldn’t say more than normal? Though we did have a strange illness a few weeks ago, she felt fevery and warm at night but was alright during the day. But it started another 10+ days of not eating 😕

I do try to put something on al of her Rice cakes, Cream cheese or peanut butter, etc. Yogurt and milk are full fat.

I will ring the Gp next week, the HV have been a bit useless.

Do you think she'd eat cream cheese/peanut butter/houmous from her finger if you let her dip it in? Will she drink milkshakes/smoothies when she's off her food? Try things like that. Rice cakes are a waste of time and stomach space for an underweight child. Obviously, if that's the only thing she will eat then don't stop her eating them, but you need to prioritise good food as much as possible for a child with a limited appetite. Hopefully, now the weather is better/big season is over you can get a spell of good health and good eating in.

When my DD was that little she started losing weight and not really eating ,she lost so much weight her ribs and collarbone were sticking out. Turned out she had bad hayfever and her symptoms were nausea and lack of appetite, even now aged 20 I can tell when she's not been taking her antihistamines because her appetite goes. Her only other symptom now she's an adult is itchy eyes. Worth investigating if only to cross it off your list but it was tricky to get it diagnosed because pollen counts (or dust mites or pet allergy) fluctuate so much.

As well as mentioning the weight loss and lack of appetite, do mention the fever at night too. Was she sweaty at night when she had that fever?