18 month old on hunger strike - help!!!

[tigertum]

My 18 month old DS's eating has gone right down over the past few days and today he has eaten virtually nothing. He's was offered three different types of breakfast and ate about one bite of toast and two spoonfuls of cereal. He refused his lunch point blank, refused afternoon snacks and had about 20ml if cows milk and a few measly breastfeeds (have v.little milk now as he doesn't normally feed much). Dinner he had about two or three mounthfuls and another dribble of cows milk.

I'm probably over-reacting but it's really worrying me - I'm used to him being a reasonable eater and although he's had a few blips in the past, never as bad as this

He's got some big teeth coming through, seemed slightly off colour and we have had some relatives staying which could all be factors, but are these things enough to cause his eating to go right down to nothing?

It's days like this when I wish food could come in pill form!!!

I'd just really like some advice or reasurance. It's horrible to see him not eating anything

Hi there,

I would say dont worry. My DD went through this and seemed to be surving on this air for ages.

As long as you offer food and leave out fresh snack like grapes, bread, dry cereal etc, they will graze when hungry. As I have heard time and again children will not starve themselves - and I am finally begining to belive it. Afterall your DS tummy is only as big as his fist.

And if things like teething and routine interuptions are afoot a little one can become very unsettled.

Offer lots of milk and fluids - I fall back on milkshake if needed, perhaps from a different would make a difference cup would help.

When DD stopped drinking after an ear infection my GP actually told me to give her anything she was interested in. Neat fruit juice, fruit shoots even things like lemonade etc.

And for food perhaps a plate with fav charaters would help and as they eat they can uncover a picture etc.

If you become really worried see your GP or Health Visitor to make sure there is no underliying health reason.

Good Luck X

Hi VanillaMilkshake

Thanks for your message & reasurance. The leaving grazing foods out idea sounds good. I did that a bit today, but it was stuff that was only good out in the air for an hour or so. I'll pop out and buy some cereals, grapes etc tomorrow. I've totted up his eating over the last few days and I think if things dont pick up a bit in the next few days will take him to the HV just in case.

I'll keep repeating 'children don't starve themselves' and maybe I'll start to believe it one day too.

Thanks again

It's true - children eat when they are hungry. Offer healthy meals of things your ds likes at regular intervals, make sure there's a fruit bowl he can help himself from whenever he wants. My ds liked to help himself from the fridge, so I had a bit of shelf that he could reach and always had little cubes of cheese and other healthy snacks on it. And relax. He REALLY won't starve, I promise!

Does he nick things off your plate when you eat? MY ds is 18 months too and although he always used to eat everything I gave him the last few weeks I'm noticing a pattern of a few days of not much food and then a day of eating everything in sight, like he is catching up. However uninterested he is in his lunch, he will always have a nibble if I sit on the sofa and start eating a snack of my own! Don't get anxious too soon - he will pick up on that adn as everyone has said, children will not starve themselves!