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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think this food advice for 3 yo from paediatrician is ridiculous?

328 replies

JustCleo · 13/03/2016 23:13

3 yo DD is going through the assessment process for autism at the moment. One of the many things she struggles with is food. She has never eaten hot food and will not touch it. She has a very limited range of foods which is reducing weekly because she gets fed up of the same things repeatedly. The only things she will eat are:

Cucumber
Peppers
Grapes
Pepperoni
Cheese
Crackers
Crisps
Cake

At her last paediatrician appointment I mentioned how her diet has become more restricted than previously (she used to have 4-5 more foods she'd eat) and the paediatrician didn't seem to think her diet was that bad. She said to give her cake and crisps more often to keep her weight and energy levels up Hmm Currently she has them 2-3 times per week maximum.

Aibu to think this is crap advice?

OP posts:
Wolpertinger · 14/03/2016 09:53

Doctors have 0 nutritional training

So untrue I don't know where to begin.

GreenPetal94 · 14/03/2016 09:56

You should go for high fat and high carbs / sugar if your child is medically underweight. In a form that the child will eat. This is different than the advice you would give to a 3 year old who was eating fine and not underweight.

Gobbolino6 · 14/03/2016 10:02

I think it's good advice for the situation you are currently in. Give her crisps and cake daily so she's getting enough calories. You might find it helps her immunity.

BarbaraofSeville · 14/03/2016 10:02

Not adverse to the potato or fried bit, but I'd be very concerned about the immense amount of salt in crisps, which is far too high an amount for a child

There is about the same amount of salt in a 25g multipack bag of crisps as there is in the same weight of Kelloggs cornflakes.

A ham sandwich (2 slices of bread and a slice of ham) contains about half the recommended daily salt intake for a primary school aged child and about 4 times more than a bag of crisps.

Where it comes to salt intake, many people look in completely the wrong direction - there are a lot worse foods for salt than crisps, but in any case there is a lot of evidence to suggest that salt has been unfairly demonised and is not dangerous to the health of most people. High blood pressure is often due to other causes eg. hereditary.

ALemonyPea · 14/03/2016 10:02

Op, I would increase them just for the calories intake, especially if she is losing weight.

My DS2 was dx with autism when he was 2.6. He had a varied diet until he was around 3 then his diet consisted of fish fingers, beans, weetabix, bananas and yoghurt. That lasted over a year and it was very frustrating. Many a meal time did I sit there crying. Best information i was given was on here, and that was to pick my battles and to not make food one of them.

We served his usual food and put the smallest amount of something else on his plate. If he didn't eat it fine, if he did, bloody fantastic. 9/10 times he wouldn't eat it though, but he would acknowledge it more.

He is now 10 and still has a restricted diet, but eats a lot more than the 5 items. He doesn't eat potatoes, only likes flat breads and will only eat one type of pasta and gets hysterical at the sight of peas.

Yseulte · 14/03/2016 10:03

The basic nutrition covered by a medical degree does not constitute proper nutrional training.

Shakirasma · 14/03/2016 10:04

*you may as well get dietary advice from a vicar.

I would search out a good nutritionist with experience of working with autism. *

As I said up thread, the advice of the OPs paediatrician is exactly the same as the advice I was given by a fully qualified dietician who specialises in autistic children.

JanetOfTheApes · 14/03/2016 10:05

You say every avenue has been tried and nothing works...were you expecting some magic new advice from the dr? The only sensible suggestion was the one you got, if she will eat crisps and cake then give her crisps and cake, because she can't live on grapes and cucumber. She needs fat and calories, and if cake is the only way she'll eat it, then give her cake.

DixieNormas · 14/03/2016 10:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

3luckystars · 14/03/2016 10:13

There is a high calorie drink that is like a milkshake, this might be worth a try. Here is a link with info here: www.nutricia.ie/articles/nutritional_supplements

I know what you are going through. My son has SN and didn't eat very much for a long time, also wouldn't let anything near his mouth like a toothbrush for example. I was very worried about his diet too.

We went for occupational therapy and started a brushing programme. I don't know if you have heard about it, it really changed our lives. Its like a little surgical brush and you "brush" them several times a day, their arms, legs and hands. It apparently "de sensitises" a very sensory child. It really worked in our case, he now eats far more and brushes his teeth himself, we can get his hair cut too which is amazing!! I think it was probably the combination of the brushing and the occupational therapy that helped.

Very best wishes and I hope you are ok yourself x

itsonlysubterfuge · 14/03/2016 10:21

I forgot to say that it helps if you find out why she likes the things she's offered so that you can offer her similar things. For example it looks like she likes things that are really juicy when it comes to fruit and veg. I'm not sure how good your child is at communicating, but if you could try saying something like Oh this grape is really juicy, when you squeeze it lots of juice comes out. Let try it with just our tongue, oh it tastes sweet. Oh this pepper is really juicy too, watch when I squeeze it. Let's try this one too, oh it's sweet, but I think the grape is more sweet. Then demonstrate with something else that is juicy and sweet, such as an apple that she doesn't normally like. I wouldn't suggest orange or pear as they can feel quite bitty in the mouth and I've noticed lots of children with ASD don't like "bits". Even if she doesn't work up to trying it, she's at least getting use to seeing and touching other things that are similar to things she already likes. Plus she might find it fun. I think baby steps are really important.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 14/03/2016 10:22

fatmomma

In my area they start assesment at 2 and if they go beyond 5 you pretty much luck out on any chance of getting one sadly lots of children are falling through the cracks due to it.

Yseulte · 14/03/2016 10:23

It's the same advice that my sister was given for my ASD niece and it wasn't until she found a doctor specialising in nutrional medicine that my niece actually began to improve.

Refined carbs and sugar provide empty calories - OK in the short term to get weight up but in the long term do not provide adequate nutrition or sustained energy release. They can also contribute to hyperactivty and tantrums - as they can in non ASD children.

Google Dr Michael Tettenborn and Professor Jonathan Brostoff's work on autism and diet. There are also other doctors with an interest in this line.

Yseulte · 14/03/2016 10:24

*That was to Shakirasma

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 14/03/2016 10:26

The basic nutrition covered by a medical degree does not constitute proper nutrional training.

From the person who recommended a nutritionist rather than a dietician. The OP has been given the correct advice and the same advice that would be given by someone trained in these issues.

The advice to avoid excessive crisps and cake at this stage is bordering on dangerous and could result in the OP's DD becoming very ill. Her main need is calories in whatever form she will take them. At the moment, nothing else matters.

figureofspeech · 14/03/2016 10:31

My son has autism and was given similar advice to you and although it's the opposite of what the books say it's what he needed. The doctors were keen that he gained the weight fast and worked on introducing new foods slowly. He is sti underweight but a lot better than before and will eat a larger variety of foods than before. His issues around food were to do with texture and he preferred dry food rather than wet foods. So roast chicken is acceptable but not chicken casserole which has a sauce.

Have a look at the NAS website for advice

www.autism.org.uk/about/health/dietary-management.aspx

LaContessaDiPlump · 14/03/2016 10:34

Bad food is better than no food, as someone said above.

DS2 eats a relatively restricted diet, but will eat any type of nut - it's his main fat source. If you make your own cake and include high-fat ingredients such as ground almonds then that might help (assuming no allergies of course).

I sympathise - it sounds hard.

MrsJayy · 14/03/2016 10:36

Your Dd needs the calories fat for young children is not a bad thing i think you should try and take the advice and not worry about unhealthy food

LaContessaDiPlump · 14/03/2016 10:36

Sorry, just seen that she is particular about the cake.

Could you make your own (carefully similar to that cake) and put it in the same packet, or do you think she'd smell a rat?

storynanny · 14/03/2016 10:37

I've posted in the past and there is a really useful thread called "resistant eaters". Sorry I don't know how to link!
My resistant eater had less on his list and was "food phobic" until about 18 when he was then just about able to go out for a sort of meal with friends.

MrsJayy · 14/03/2016 10:39

My Dd was a food refuser as a young child they advice was up the calories to things that are not healthy you do what you have to when they are underweight and not eating

storynanny · 14/03/2016 10:40

Sorry that sounds really negative, it wasn't supposed to. Just meant that eventually he has become a relatively normal eater aged 24, but it was a long and worrying time. Looking back, although never diagnosed with anything, I think he may have been simply afraid of eating or swallowing.

stitch10yearson · 14/03/2016 10:41

a long time ago, I was told by doctor to let my 3 year old drink coca cola if that was all he was going to drink. It was more important for his health, whilst vomiting/diarhoea to stay hydrated, than the long term impact on his teeth. A dehydrated child is a very ill child. I should imagine the peadiatrician is giving similar advice. Getting the calories into the child is more important in the immediate future. Not long term advice, but appropriate for the here and now

liinyo · 14/03/2016 10:43

OP. You have answered yourself; by trying to stick to conventional healthy choices she is becoming seriously underweight. This could seriously affect her development and could even kill her. If extra crisps and cake give her the calories and fat she needs to grow and survive feed her them for now. You have the rest of her life to introduce new foods if necessary.

I think her food range looks ok, not ideal but good enough. Plenty of vitamins, calcium and protein, and a good homemade cake will have eggs, butter, fruit - all sorts. Even a shop cake has some nutritional value.

MrsJayy · 14/03/2016 10:45

storynanny Dd is nearly 23 apparently it was textures with her it is very worrying she eats fine now but there is still things she wont eat