12-month-old eats only puree

[Starberries]

Will also put this in 'Weaning' I think, not sure what will have the wider audience.

I'm a nanny looking after 2 boys, 1 of whom is 12 months and eats wonderful, varied foods...but only if they're completely pureed.

Any lumps at all he gags and throws up MASSIVELY. He is absolutely 100% not interested in finger foods apart from ricecakes. Won't even touch toast. He eats anything as long as it's in puree form.

How do I get him on to 'normal' lumpier foods? Should I cold turkey into finger foods (the other boy, slightly younger, won't take anything from a spoon and eats all his meals as finger foods). I am loathe to do this as he eats very well from a spoon. His parents have left the decision up to me.

Any advice?

There was a kid like this on that Tanya Byron programme - House of Horrors or summat it was called. Try searching that - there maybe some top tips for you there.

gosh...mean parents to leave such a decision to you but as another fellow Nanny, this is what I would do.Does he have teeth?...is he forming speech?

Get an appointment with the GP to check that his mouth and jaw and pallette all look absolutely fine. I would tell him the problem and say that you want reassurance before you try to feed solid foods.

Stop all the pureed foods entirely apart from petit filous and mashed banana and for one day give that for breakfast, mashed sweet potato with mashed carrot for lunch and scrambled egg and cheese for tea....Mash with a fork so texture is grainy but not pureed. Do other meals you know he likes pureed but that you can easily mash with a fork so not meat this first week but perhaps fish?? Meat doesn't mash at all well!!!!!
Do for a week...weigh on day one and weigh on day 7. Don't give in..if hungry, he will eat.

Let him play with foods to practice his pincer grip but also to just have fun...rice krispies...get him to feed you and teddy.. rusks..biscuits...

practise making chewing or chomping motions with your mouth to make him laugh and then pop in a bit of banana into your mouth and really make a big deal...yumm yumm you know what I mean!!!

Good luck!!!
Keep in touch x

Meant to say, no force feeding...just give it a go and if he refuses just chat along and have your own dinner...If you don't eat with the botys then start to have a little something so they are getting good role models.

He will not be hungry for long...weighing will reassure you that all is ok. A weight loss would have me making an appointment at the HV for end of week 2 for advice.

get Dc to open mouth wide or shout really loud or tickle DC andwhen the mouth is ope really wide check if the tonsils are exceptionally big. if so then there may be a physiological reason for the puree - Dc cannot chew food pmall eonough to pass it down a restricted oesophagus.

if they are ask GP for a referral to ENT.

yes...gp will spot this...I do think it is a big deal though for parents to fully leave in your control..Why is that?

my son was exactly the same at 12 months...I decided at 14 months that something had to be done I had to bite the bullet and get rid of all purees. It would literally take me an hour to feed him a tablespoon of rice his weight dropped a centile but i kept going. I cut out giving him too much water and all snacks and gave him 5 hour gaps between meals

7am breakfast
12pm lunch
5pm dinner
7.30 milk and bed

he is now 16 months old and thankfully we have had an amazing week he is actually eating properly the hard work was really and truly worth it. also I started him on vitamins

I hope this helps

Thanks very much for all your replies.

Parents have left it up to me as they can not bear to see him gag/vomit so if it were up to them he would never eat anything but puree . They have said 'As a nanny, it's your responsibility to advance him along'.

I have experience with fussy eaters sure, but more around toddler age (2-3) and going through 'faddy' type diets like only eating bread and Weetabix.

For now I think I'll keep doing puree for a month slowing adding more mashed pieces and see how he gets on, also giving a limited but varied choice of finger foods.

If it doesn't improve, your plan mrspoppins sounds very well thought-out and I'll run it by the parents then give that a go.