to think there is something REALLY wrong, or is it true I'm neing OTT

[tryingtobemarypoppins]

DS 15 months has been a happy baby, good eater, good sleeper. He has been a poorly boy particulaly as a little baby, in hospital with broncalisits (sp) for 10 days, reacted to jabs with very high temps etc, he has had a persistant runny nose for about a year.

He has not eaten properly for well over 2 months. He often mamages breakfast but on most days won't eat any lunch or tea. He will eat the odd organix fruit bar etc during the day but gets very upset if anything is offered.

He is sleeping more, often in bed at 5.30 waking at 7am the next day then having another 2 hours sleep around 10am.

He gets very upset in his highchair. We eat with him but nothing works.

He has been teeting and ear pulling on and off.

My Health visitor thinks I am making too bigger issue of food and he will eat when hungry. My GP doesn't have any children and I get the impression she thinks I worry too much but has agreed to refer him to a dietition and pediatriction (sp?) so waiting for that. I last saw GP about 6 weeks ago as he was coughing all night for a fortnight and I felt it should have been better. She wasn't very helpful and said "some babies do this"

Anyway today after a hour of crying and refusing to eat his lunch, with a bright red ear, I though lets have this out with out GP. This can't be right can it? DH ran GP and was told it was emergencies only on a Friday. Range my mum at my wits end and she thinks i'm being OTT and not to worry!!!!!

AHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be honest with me and I being OTT and AIBU to think something is REALLY wrong???

No your not being OTT go with your instinct. Could you take him to the out of hours GP?

I could and would if I thought he had an ear infection but wonder if they would deal with all the issues or direct us back to our regular GP?

Wouldn't he have a temp with an ear infection?

I just think its something more serious

My DS use to ear pull whenever he got ear infections. You are not being OTT, take him to the GP, as devil said out of hours if neccesary

kids can really poorly with ear infections

if you think he's got an ear infection, pack him in the car and go to a & e. i've done this with dd and explained it will be nigh on impossible to gt the doctors due to their shitty unusual appointment system. i would also while there explain any othert worries you have while there, if you've taken the time to go to a&e they should help you out.

yousaidit, A&E isn't a service that should be used when you can't get in to your GPs.

If you think he has an ear infection call the Out of Hours service. They are unlikely to deal with all the concerns you have but can look in his ears, throat etc and see if he has an infection. He obviously isn't 100% so call them to put your mind at rest. If he is asleep and happy now it can wait until the morning, but if he is still awake and unhappy give paracetamol or ibuprofen and call them.

do you know the average 2 year old eats 11 tablespoons of food a day, but that this is averaged over 10 days or so and normal patterns of eating is one proper meal every 48 hours or so.

Measure out 11 tablespoons it's not much, it includes snacks.

Do not consider it on a daily basis .. look over the last 2 weeks, you say he's eating a proper breakfast every day .. I think that's amazing.

So I think you are overly-anxious about his eating pattern and really should relax about it .. because if you make it an issue now, expecting 3 meals a day you'll drive yourself mad.

That said his health is something different .. teething children can go off food that's normal .. tugging at ear could be an ear infection but can also be a reaction to teething .. so judge for yourself

I agree, you should only go to A&E if you've had a serious Accident or it's an Emergency. hence the name. Going if you don't need to makes it more likely someone with a life threatening problem will have to wait.

I would try to get a different GP instead - can you change doctors in your surgery? or register elsewhere? sounds like the one you have isn't very sympathetic.

My DS4 (12mths)has been like this recently as well, lots of ear rubbing and he's started to throw himself around as soon as he gets in his high chair and refusing to open his mouth. He's always been a very good eater, for a couple of days I left him as he just didn't seem hungry

BUT I've found that if I can get the spoon into his mouth as he thrashs around as soon as he gets the taste of something he likes he'll suddenly come to a halt and start to eat as if nothing has happened.

I have no idea what's wrong with him but I don't think its anything serious and I tend to agree with eyeeye that its probably teething related - I know its worrying when babies don't eat much but sometimes I think you need to let them be the judge, hope for the best but be mindful just in case there is an ear infection. Do you have a local NHS walk in centre you could try although the last time I went with an ear problem they said that they no longer give antibiotics and the advice is nurofen liquid and calpol so it might be worth giving that a try in the short term.

N5rje,

funnily enough i have seen that behaviour in a lot of children - don't worry - it will pass eventually.....

I have a couple of friends with boys who have expereinced similar eating problems. And they have been as worried as you are.

Their boys would eat a little some days and non others and at age 3 one is still a very picky eater.

One had a bit of good advice from a health visitor, she said it is your responsibility to provide a good meal and his to eat it.

Once you have the peace of mind over the ear infection then try to relax over the food.

If his ears are red and he's pulling/messing with them he could either have an ear infection or be teething.

As for his food intake, is he breastfed? Is he still drinking milk or fruit juice? Do you spoon feed him or does he feed himself?

If he is breastfeeding regularly then you don't need to worry at all about how much solid food he eats, just chill and wait for him to increase it when he's ready to. If you are spoon feeding him try handing control to him, give him a selection of finger foods andesve him to get on with it. Either way if he's not losing weight try not to worry about it, he won't starve himself.

But get his ears checked and give him pain relief in the mean time.

I think the bronchialitis usually comes from rsv (nasty respiritory virus) My ds had it when he was tiny and he has an on / off vile cough. It will flare up now even. Think that may be reason why yr GP appeared somewhat unconcerned with the cough on its own. Can actually take a few years to get out the system. Its sort of like the baby has a temporary asthma for a while afterwards. In most cases it will not be a long term issue

I would advise getting his ears checked out. Call out of hours gp tomorrow. I would only go to A & E in a real emergency - say he developed an uncontrolable raging temperature or breathing difficulties

Re the feeding / other issues - keep a diary so you can take it with you to paed and dietician. These will be the people to really investigate and give you best information. You wouldn't get this at A & E anyway. They are firefighters

Don't think yr being neurotic but sometimes it easy to make connections between things that aren't related at all

Since when is a day of the week, any day of the week, designated "emergencies" only?

I would find myself a proper GP if I were you...

www.kidsdoctor.org.uk/

I found this man helpful, but not sure where about in the country you are

Listen to pixie, DD1 had really bad bronchiolitis as a baby as soon as one bout disappeared she would develop another. It is disturbing for a parent but usually not serious and they grow out of it. Bronchiolitis makes children sleepy as they their system is working so hard so the "over sleeping" may be down to this.

Re; an ear infection, they can be in so much pain with this so would take lo to "out of hours" and alternate ibuprofen with calpol tonight for the pain.

The eating sounds pretty much the norm for most I think. My hv recently told me most children either have a sleep or food issue which will pass as its just a phase.

Should point out I'm not medically qualified just going on experience of my 3 but in general, if you don't feel your gp is sympathetic where children are concerned I would find another tbh.

Marypoppins,

I don't think you are being OTT, however I think much depends on his weight and overall development. Do you have any concerns there?

I'm in a vaguely similar position to you. DD2 (13months) contracted RSV and was admitted with bronchiolitis last November. Lost loads of weight and was labelled 'failure to thrive'. Her weight and height are still off the bottom of the chart and her appetite is almost completely absent. I really had to fight to be taken seriously after she hadn't eaten for 10 days and her weight had again plummeted. Turns out she tested positive for 3 further viruses (flu and 2 gastroenteritis bugs). She now has a nasogastric tube for nighttime top-ups and we are undergoing a whole battery of tests to make sure there is nothing more sinister going on.

If you are concerned something else is going on then I don't think it is unreasonable to ask for things to be investigated further. I hate to think what would have happened to dd had I not made a fuss (we were thoroughly palmed off by the GP and A&E). It took a phone call to the consultant to make things happen. However, I would say that if he is maintaining a decent weight and you have no concerns about his development then I would maybe just ride it out and see how it goes. It's a pretty terrible time of year for picking things up. FWIW my mum also says that they will eat when they are hungry and that she's 'never known a child to starve itself to death'...well dd made a pretty good effort over 10 days!!!!

Good luck. xx

One night 2 months ago DS, 3, complained of pain in the ear. DH said that he was playing up and refused to call the doctor. 2 hrs later he was really crying, no fever. I called the out of hours doctor and were referred to A & E straightaway. There was an infection indeed (DH apologized). If there is an ear infection it cannot wait as far as I know. All the best.

Thank-you for your help everyone. We have a dietition appointment Monday and a ped appointment in March so fingers crossed.
His friend has just gone down with Chicken Pox so he may be coming down with that which may explain the month long rejection of food?

I can understand why you are anxious esp after a nasty bout of bronchiolitis.
The main issue with the food refusal is whether or not he is gaining weight. If he is, he is obviously getting enough from milk/ breakfast/ snacks. If not and the HV is unable to help, it is appropriate for him to be seen.
For the ear, ear pulling/ redness dosen't necessarily equate to an ear infection but it is perfectly reasonable with a small child to request for him to be checked. However, if he dosen't have a fever, isn't distressed/ in pain, etc, it dosen't sound like an emergency. I would see your GP or another within the practice on Monday and just explain your concerns. I am a GP (and a mum obviously)and am always v happy to check children if mum/ dad is worried.

I have found with my own 4 children that they 'went off' eating at around a year old.None of them are very good eaters even now and are all quite tiny for their age but full of energy and fit as fiddles and more or less following their centiles.