My four year old rarely eats

[SammiArmani]

Im at my witts end with my oldest son. He just won't eat. Like in the morning he wants Weetabix so I make him Weetabix, he has two spoonfuls and then claims hes full, if he has cornflakes he will eat one flake at a time and have about five in total. Within an hour or so, hes complaining hes hungry but we just go through the same process of him not eating much at all. He looks so skinny, his ribs are showing, his chest bones R showing but his belly is mega bloated. I can't get it through to his dad or my family or even the health visitor exactly what's going on. Im worried sick about him. Ive tried a lot of different approachs, not leaving the table until hes finished, letting him go to and from it as he pleases, eating cakes n biscuits instead, not allowed cakes n biscuits etc. I just can't get him to eat properly at all. Anybody else have this problem?

my daughter is only 14 months so i can't offer any advice but i just want to say i hope you are ok, it sounds really stressful and i'm sorry that the health visitor has not been more concerned or helpful. xxx

I would take him to the GP, if he is skinny like that he may need a check over. Also the GP might be able to have a word with him about how he will become poorly if he doesn't eat. Good luck

You need professional help with this, definately speak to the gp asap and ask for a ref to a dietcian. He sounds like he has some serious food issues that need sorting out.

I agree that it might be good to follow up with the GP also. Does your son have any other symptoms - you know bowel problems with might put him off of eating for example or stomach aches? It does sound very stressful indeed for both of you. Hope things improve soon for you.

skinny ribs and bloated tum suggests something medical to me. Is there any family history of allergy or coeliac disease ?

Well he suffered from constipation until very recently. On one occasion we ended up in a&e because he was bleeding from his bum but they just prescribed lactalose. Its really stressful because all I want is for him to have a decent meal, bit he just will not eat

OP that sounds really stressful. The skinny ribs in itself is I don't think cause for concern as I've read in a book about childrens health that it is normal for a small boy (or even a girl I can't remember) to have ribs on show, they certinaly shouldn't be having any puppy fat to cover them up at this age. Both my Ds and even DH have skinny ribs and both are perfectly fine with healthy appetites.
Ofcourse his non eating is a worry and in the past I have been there with both my DCs (although not as extreme as yours - they did eat something, but not in the quantities and at the times I wanted!),but they were always phases lasting a month or so at most and they would go back to eating normally (although they are never massive eaters anyway). How long has your DS been like this?
Could you tell us what typically his daily diet would be?

I would take him to the GP actually, as the bloated tummy is unusual at that age and sounds like he is hardly eating anything, so maybe there is an underlying medical cause.

At first at was just his ribs, but you can see his chest bones now and there's not really anyway to describe it but he just looks skinny.
Id say he's been like this for a year. He goes to his dads at weekends (we've split) so I dont really know what he eats there or how much, but when I ask him he usually says cake or sweeties and tbh I believe that because they aren't big eaters. Whereas at ours, my partner is a trainee chef so always prepares fresh proper meals. Plus were fitness freaks n follow healthy diet as much as possible so we make my son a plate up.

On a daily basis, usually he has a few spoonfuls of Weetabix, he will have lunch at school but always wants something at 2 when he comes home. I make it n he has a spoonful and he's full!! For tea we will make him an omlette or something with veg n he'll pick at his veg n then he's full. Me n my partner fall out regularly over this eating problem as he thinks my son is misbehaving for him n hes worried he's going to get ill.

Is he still suffering from constipation?

My DD who is 6 has suffered since she was tiny and she too is rather slim with at times a bloated tummy. When she is constipated her tummy becomes more swollen, she will not eat more than a few mouthfuls of food but is hungry and she becomes agitated and does not sleep well.Some-times I don't think she can be constipated but x rays indicate otherwise.

We give her plenty of fluids, dried apricots, prunes and offer peppermint tea. We also give her movicol if she is particulary struggling.

It may be worth getting your son checked out by your GP.

Agree with the others, he needs a follow up appointment with the GP after his trip to a&e. The GP should really do blood tests, check for celiac and food intolerances too.

Just out of interest, how much milk does he have and which sort? Only asking because this can affect appetite.

The others have given some great tips for getting his bowels moving. I'd also recommend a book called My child won't eat.

Could he also be picking up on the tension between you and DP? Our Dd was a fussy eater but not like this. We changed how we handled it and she now its more. I'm not saying that it will turn your situation around completely but it might help while you are waiting for the test results.

Here's what we do:

We all eat together
Dd gets small meals. She is easily over faced and can always ask for more
We don't comment on what she has, or hasn't, eaten
We don't get drawn on talking about the food
When we've finished and we think she has, we clear away

Let us know how you are getting on.

God im at my witts end .. and this thread ive just noticed is 4 years old.. my daughter is nearly 5 in October and wont eat anything... She says I dont like it but has never tried it .As a baby when I weaned her she would eat anything and everything but in the last year she eats hardly anything,
.
Ive tried everything and she just wont eat it... Shes not losing weight but her diet is very limited and the only time she properly eats is at my motherinlaws when she has a cooked dinner.. (her food is obviously better than mine)

Help please