URGENT. MY BABY IS EATING NOTHING.

[arabella2]

I'm just wondering if anybody has been through this type of thing before. My two year old son has just had the flu for about a week and after 6 days of having a temperature (first day and night, then just at night) that seems finally to have gone. Now he is left with a cough and cold and feeling terrible, also because he has been eating very little this whole week (though drinking) and this is not getting better at all. An example might be 4 small biscuits and one piece of bread and cheese over a whole day, or this morning so far only a tiny tiny handful of crunchy savoury biscuits he likes and he refuses everything else. His stomach must be getting smaller and smaller and we are now worried as he is noticeably much thinner, wants to be carried all the time and cannot walk straight.
Has anybody been through this? Should we take him to hospital? I don't want to go to the gp as I feel sure she will only recommend some kind of food which then he will not open his mouth for. I suppose in hospital they might put a tube into his stomach which would be horrific for him but might kick start his eating.
We are just very worried as he seems to be disintegrating before our eyes.
Any advice appreciated.

arabella2 i have no good advice i'm afarid, just empathy as i am going through exactly the same! DD is in her fourth day of a terrible cough, runny nose, temparature and it seems is living on VERY little! I hope your son is o.k and i do think if you are that worried, even just a bit of advice from a Doctor might re-assure you! Sorry i'm not much help, i just wanted to answer

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not been through this to this degree myself. I am sure he will eat again when he feels up to it. as long as he keeps drinking and you keep offering some food it will happen soon. Have you tried smoothies? a drink but with banana in as a bit of exta calories? Will he eat a small fromage fraise? What was his favourite?

Agree with Dadslib. But if he is drinking, still take him to the GP at least. They're either going to tell you he needs time, fluids and cuddles, or find something thats wrong that they can treat.

I hate taking dd to the GP - I always feel like a paranoid mother - but I sit there telling myself that this is their job and my taxes pay them! Anyway, children's lives get saved all the time because their mothers were paranoid. (not saying that to scare you! chances are your DS is just feeling grotty - but best to be sure).

And if the GP is useless you can go to A&E without feeling like you're wasting their time!

Don't assume you know what your GP will say - just go and see her.

Thanks everyone. Things are looking up a bit because seeing as ds does not have a temperature anymore we decided to go to a shopping centre and try chips from Macdonalds on him (not his normal fare). To our relief he ate a small meal plus had a little bit of my milkshake. I think it's still going to be hard but we feel much better. The difference in his appearance between now and a week ago is shocking and I cannot wait for him to be back to his beefy self. What kind of food preferences he will have developed god only knows but I suppose that's the least of our worries (he used to eat lots of apples, bananas, cereal, rice and lentil soup - what heady days!).
I did ring the gp who said that as long as the child is drinking it's normal to lose weight when not eating due to flu etc, though had I gone in she would have checked for an ear infection. We already saw the gp last week so I feel confident that he is in fact on the mend, he just needs to regain his appetite. Angeliz, I hope your daughter gets better soon, I know how horrible it is!

Arabella, it's a bit late but I've just had a flu bug and everything I ate tasted really horrible. DS2 (2 3/4) had it too and kept telling me he didn't like anything (including chocolate & biscuits so I knew something was up!). This could have been the case with your DS and hopefully his appetite will return as normal.

ds had a chest infection two weeks ago. My normal boy who eats everything and anything...and wants more...ate very little for 5 days so I know where you are coming from
he spent another few days just having what he felt like - eg rich tea biscuits, raisins, apricots and choclate (eeek)
but now he is back to normal!!!
but i echo what dadslib said - if not drinking loads of fluids, please check it out with doc