Is it normal for a 3yr old to eat so much?

[boofer1502]

My sons just turned 3 in August.

About beginning of September he has started constantly feeling hungry ( I feed him his usual full meals and snacks so I know he's not starving) but it's literally every second of the day " mummy I'm a bit hungry" ( I also hear his tummy rumble so I know he's not saying it just for the sake of it) and I'll give him something and straight after he has finished it's the same again! I know in growth spurts they eat a whole lot more but this is literally all day long for a month now!? He has always drank around 15 large bottles of water/squash a day too and someone mentioned that's a common sign of diabetes? Is it worth taking him too be seen by someone or am I just insane???

That’s FAR too much drink for a 3 year old.

You NEED to get him seen ASAP, use one of their emergency appointments because it is an emergency.

I don’t want to scare you, but get him seen ASAP.

Is he losing weight? That amount of fluids is crazy.

My friend when I was younger lost a stone and a half in weight over a month. Still ate normal amounts of food and was really thirsty, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 13.

That bottle looks bigger than DD’s which is 400ml. So at 600ml 15 of those bottles would be 9000ml or 9ltrs!! That’s an absolute obscene amount for a 3 year old a day. I struggle to drink 3ltrs a day.

Firstly get a measuring jug and pour water into the bottle until you know what capacity it is. Then do the sums and work out what he has been consuming. I wouldn’t risk the time to start a diary, I’d go straight to the GP. A hypoglycaemic coma can be fatal at this age.

That amount of water will be washing the salts he needs out of his system. There is such a thoming as too much water op and I wonder if the hunger is an attempt by the body to self regulate?
. What kind of foods does he prefer?
Does or has he suffered with recurrent sore throats or tonsillitis?

Glad you have a docs appt. At the very least he needs full bloods done

And agree with June, do not wait to do a week diary. You can do a few days retrospectively and keep count until his appt. But I'd also try to reduce some liquid too

I've book an emergency appointment for today after reading these comments! I feel horrible not knowing it was causing him more harm 😣 thank you everyone for your advice, it does work out to 9lts a day and then another one through the night so 10 in total a day. He eats pretty much anything but is always left wanting more and often asks for seconds, then his pudding or snack he's still hungry. He has lost some weight and he does poo around 4-5 times a day ( maybe to Much info but I have always been the same too and I based it down to fast metabolism) I have tried giving him less fluids but it drives him mad not being able to drink and I thought water wasn't much harm, but clearly it is a sign for something he's being seen today, and having bloods done and being tested. Thank you again I don't think I'd be this worried and booked him in if it wasn't for all your advice!

Good job on the emergency appt op. You asked for help because your mommy sense made you know something wasn't right, you've listen to the advice and you've taken action. You've done your job.

Could you buy him a new bottle that's smaller so he still has the bottles but you're cutting him back?

Let us know how you get on. Glad you've got an appointment so quickly. That's a massive amount of fluid, dangerously so.

I managed 6L a day as a totally breastfeeding mum but a child drinking more than that is definitely a cause for alarm.

Good luck at the GP. Please let us all know how you get on.

He does have smaller bottles but I've found he drinks the same amount either using the smaller or larger bottle which is why I let him use the larger one. I can see it agitates him when I refuse to give him some and he sits here trying to swallow his saliva to get a drink..so I just end up giving it too him. The food I do refuse when I know he's had too much though. Just waiting till later to be seen and I will keep you posted! was a wise idea to get advice from you all!

A 3 year old shouldn't really loose weight, they should gain height and maybe look slimmer at certain times but they should gain weight steadily. I am glad you have an appointment for him. Also going to the toilet that much is unusual but if you do it too, maybe it is a fast metabolism.

Ah so hard, good luck x

Late to this thread but if you don't get a diagnosis of T1 diabetes I'll be very surprised. I have a 13 yr old with T1 who was diagnosed at 5, very similar symptoms - insatiable thirst and appetite. Keeping everything crossed for you but if it is a diagnosis please get in touch - there's loads of support out there from the online T1 community.

That's an unbelievable amount of liquids, an adult shouldn't even drink that on a daily basis. Hope you get an answer from the doctor.

Bloody hell, 9 litres a day? I hope the GP takes you very seriously.

My dd whos 3 would drink only 1 of those bottles a day plus milk morning and evening. It's an obscene amount of fluid. Glad you are going to the Drs, hopefully they will take you seriously.

Hi everyone, we're finally back home! He has diabetes insipidus!!? They agreed to everything and said he needed to be sent to see a ped straight away and be tested for type 1 diabetes . Before we went she rang the ped to ask for advice and told the gp to do a bmi, which came back as 4.5, perfectly normal so type 1 was ruled out. He has instead been referred to see a ped ( will be seen within two weeks) The gp said it still sounds like type 1. With the amount he eats and drinks, weight loss ( 5lbs ) in total in a month it's just not normal, Gp tried very hard to get us seen tonight but unfortunately the ped department weren't having it the bmi is the only test he has had tonight..

Hope the paediatric appointment comes through soon. Don’t be scared to push them, BMI surely can’t be an indicator in children! At least he is getting seen now, you did the right thing taking him to the GP.

I’d just keep an eye on him and make sure he isn’t showing signs of going hypoglycaemic.

So sorry it's not a great answer OP, but glad your GP is switched on. Has she she said anything about what to do over the next few weeks whilst you wait?

Did the GP do a urine sugar test with a dip stick? That's what the NHS website suggests:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-1-diabetes/symptoms-and-getting-diagnosed/

Don't be afraid to go back if you are worried. Also what did they tell you to look out for while you wait? Is there any symptom that should cause you to take him to A and E for example?

I wonder if any of the charities have any useful info, like maybe:
www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Your-child-and-diabetes

Also, if GP suspects diabetes (the sugar one) then referral should be same day:
www.nice.org.uk/news/article/children-and-young-people-with-suspected-diabetes-should-be-seen-by-a-specialist-immediately-says-nice-quality-standard

I think OP means BM (finger prick blood glucose) rather than BMI

If there's even a hint of it being type 1, two weeks for a referral is far too long - go back to the GP and dog your heels in to be seen.

Yes I did mean BM sorry it got autocorrected!
That was the only test she did, no urine or normal blood test just the one where it pricked his finger. I have a friend who is also a nurse and has suggested I just go a&e. He fell asleep whilst gp examined him which is something he'd never do in a million years. She was going to refer us tonight but the hospital said no when she rang to refer us in as his BM was 4.5. I asked if that's what confirms diabetes and gp said no they need to do full test works at hospital and not at the surgery! She hasn't booked him in to have more tests has just given us a referral which will come through the post! My friend has suggested she can do BM tests with him at home and keep a diary until the referral date itself but if i feel I need to take him to a&e then just go, they can't turn me away can they!

In your situation I would probably take him to a and e tomorrow just because if it were to turn out to be type 1 then the delay could be very significant and once you are there I would guess that they are highly likely to run the relevant blood tests just to be sure, and also get a paediatrician to see him.

Always trust you instincts with a child you think is unwell.