Need help desperately PLEASE

[beammeupscotty]

My DGS (22 month) has to have teeth out for decay and others filled. My daughter has been told it is because of continual breastfeeding at night (he is a poor sleeper)and because of underlying hypoplasia caused be IUGR. Basically his teeth came through with no enamel, porous and crumbled away and hence decay set in. He is also underweight (more like 12 month old) and is rubbish with feeding.

Porridge with cream and nutella for breakfast - fresh cooked savoury with cream/procal powder lunch and similar for dinner and chocolate petit filous (doesnt like fruit ones). drinks only water - will not entertain cows milk, formula, follow on etc. (just not interested in food - self feeding or otherwise) Has abidec and fish oils supplement. He sees a dietician but aw appt. Teeth brushed at night.

Question 1 - how to stop the night time constant feeding without too much distress.

Question 2 How to get calcium, extra calories, vit D. down him as the bf did give some of these.

Question 3 Is she missing some nutrients in this diet we havent thought of . Zinc??

We cannot see the wood for the trees anymore so a fresh eye would help her. please
PS have also posted on child health

The night-time/poor sleeping situation probably stems in part from being hungry and underweight. That dietician appt. is vital to work out why he's not interested in food, not chewing etc..... has the doctor checked for a physical cause like swollen tonsils or adenoids causing pain? Coeliacs? Things like nutella and chocolate yoghurt are great for neat energy but he does need a much bigger range of foods to get the nutrients. I don't know what 'savoury' is but he's probably short of iron and C vitamins. Good luck

He needs to see a paed. It is very common for children with allergies to be uninterested in food.

I don't know if it helps, but I have this link:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17878730

"No significant intervention effects were observed on dental caries. Our results, based on the largest randomized trial ever conducted in the area of human lactation, provide no evidence of beneficial or harmful effects of prolonged and exclusive breast-feeding on dental caries at early school age."

I know it's not exactly the same circumstances but may be of use...

Breastfeeding shouldn't harm teeth at night providing the teeth are clean in the first place. There have been studies on this and hopefully someone will come along and know what they are! The sugars in formula or cow's milk are MUCH worse for teeth than the sugars in breastmilk. In fact I was reading on a thread earlier today that breastfeeding helps protect teeth. I would be concerned about cutting it out when he is eating so little as well as it may be he is getting valuable nutrients from it still.

I understand he's a poor eater and anything is better than nothing (my DS is similar!) but it sounds like a lot of the foods he eats are high in sugar. Perhaps you could try very gradually mixing and slowly transitioning over to less sugary foods.

Could your DD try giving him very finely crushed hazelnuts on his porridge rather than nutella, and I assume the cream is unsweetened, if not try switching that too.

How about mixing a spoonful of greek yoghurt into a petit filous (the fruit ones don't contain much less sugar, TBH - about 13% as opposed to 19%) - you can reduce the chocolate content until it only just tastes.

But yes definitely try ruling out allergies first as Carbonated says.

Have posted on the other thread but my understanding from the OP is that the teeth have grown in porous and poorly enamelled so BF at night may well have damaged them where BF would not have damaged 'normal' teeth iykwim?

Anyone with any advice on night-weaning if she chooses to go down that route?

Thank you so much for your help. Agree that bf does not harm normal teeth, was outraged when the cons. dentist said that but his teeth are very poor and came through looking fragile!. I bf my daughter for longer and her teeth were good, so hope dont put anyone off long term or night bf as I agree with jem it cant be harmful.

I dont think he has allergies, poos as normal, odd dot of excema but nothing abnormal, no rashes, vomiting etc - just cant be bothered with food.

Dont think tonsils or adenoids as never had sore throat - if fact only couple of minor sniffles so far - think breast milk had good protective effect on his immune system - what a no win situation.

Have cooked vedge, meat, potato and mixed with cream (not sugared), pro cal powder to get extra calories. also out of jars (almost zero calories!) for savoury meals if rushed. Am busy cooking again tonight so healthy stuff in freezer and ready.

Poor daughter is going to have to go down night weaning route and quick, as dentist said others will go ! Night abrupt stop I think!

DGS already under paed for poor weight gain. Daughter said she will ring dietician for advice - if he wont drink milk and cant bf where will he get enough calcium? Feel like going round in circles trying to get all the right stuff in him. DD worked it out he was getting around 300 cals a day instead of 800 ish.

Need high cal high nutrient foods. Very good idea Bertie about crushed nuts. Will look into ground almonds as well? Greek yoghurt also good idea as high fat! He doesnt eat lots of sugary foods just twice a day, he will only eat tiny amounts of anything, sometimes a petit filous is too much!

Avocado is also high in good fats

Hears a usefull link on nightweaning

www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/weaning-night.html

I'd say that if food callry intake is low and still wanting to night wean due to teeth problems. Then maybe try increaseing nursing during the day so he's still getting calleries from BM. DD was still Bf during the day at this age on demanded to will help give extra vitamines to.

I am not sure about this, but is the mother taking a supplement? Our MW/HV was discussing giving vitamin drops to BF babies and she said if the mother takes a supplement it's not necessary. I'm thinking if BF is still a big source of nutrition for this little boy, you might as well make sure there's as much good stuff in the milk as possible? I know the body prioritizes the milk production but it couldn't hurt if she's not taking one already?

I don't think I saw fruit on your list -- not a big source of calories but it still seems like it would be important for overall nutrition.

Will try avocado as not tried that yet. She can mix it as I think pretty tasteless, DGS not keen on nice tastes - loves fish oil - if necessary with petit filous and gradually recuce filous part!

Thanks Mig I'm sure theres no problem with day feeds as they are proper drinks, its the night nibbling! My DD has bottled it for tonight after first saying she would but will read kellymom too. She is going with Dr Jay Gordon, as it seems v. gentle and she already co sleeps. She's in for a few rough nights, but if the end result is also a good nights sleep it will have been worth it.

My 2 kids loved avocado mixed with banana, mango, papaya or melon. Try it with some ground nuts in too to increase calories. Good luck.

Mum takes vitamins and she also gives to DGS because of his poor diet. He wont touch fruit - even good old banana - but I think DD will start giving it a go again. If she stops the constant night bf he may be hungrier. Thanks again