Toddler won't drink or eat anything

[sunnylemontina]

24month old, who has been referred for autism assessment, will not eat or drink anything at the moment. No milk, no water (previously the favourite), no juice of any kind; no bread, no crackers, no fruit, no meat, no cheese. If really hungry will be able to stomach about one pitta (all that's been eaten so far today) and then say "all done". Likewise with drinking-- two sippy cups of milk a day. Lollies are requested frequently but I can't just hand out sugar all day! We don't suspect teething as no complaints have been made, though we did give some calpol which didn't make a difference. This has been getting progressively more noticeable for over a week now. I contacted our GP but they didn't seem worried, just got a routine appointment through for two weeks away. I am worried. I think it's one of these things that sounds less worrying than it is to live through it.

I want to just hand out as many ice lollies as needed, but I can't get that straight in my head thinking it could go on for another fortnight as GP seems happy to let it. At what point do I just call 111/go to hospital? I have trouble trusting myself because I've been called an anxious parent in the past, but I would rather be anxious than neglectful.

Honestly, don't worry too much about it. You can't force feed him. As long as food is available, he'll eat when he wants. My dgs is very much the same and he is apparently autistic as well. There's no point making yourself ill, and no point having big stressful arguments either. Relax. He'll be ok.

Two sippy cups of milk a day is a fine amount of liquid plus theres calories in it.

If you are worried add other frozen things, pureed fruit, frozen jogurt pouches or whatever. But also get them in the kitchen, make a mess and let them try all the ingredients.
Or go the other way, make a nice meal for yourself, preferable boring and healthy and what you wish they would eat, and make a big fuss about it being just for you. Toddler defiance will have them stealing it off your plate.
Good luck!

Make your own lollies out of sugar free squash or very diluted fruit juice, if you’re worried about the sugar in commercial ice lollies.

Google ARFID for some helpful strategies around eating.

It sounds like it could be ARFID in which case you need to to just give them whatever they’ll eat, sugar or not.

If you’re parenting a DC with ARFID, the most important thing is keeping them alive

Try ibuprofen as I personally find calpol useless for some types of pains
Nice bath with tummy massage just in case a digestive thing
Vitamin gummies or vitamin spray from Holland and Barratt etc
Go food shopping together or watch My World Kitchen or Big cook little cook on cbeebies and see if they get any ideas
Sometimes I used to flip through sesame street recipe books

If it's out of nowhere I would be thinking pain but it could be an autism thing or just a kid thing!
Could go shopping for new sippy cup or cutlery/plates? Have you seen the plate that's like a race track and they get a prize at the end - it's cool.
Otherwise don't stress too much sometimes these things pass as soon as they come. Keep an eye out for signs of dehydration, keep offering normal small bites of meals or a platter of snacks etc and then at a set time offer frozen juice ice lollies. Apple and mango juice is lovely frozen, you could blend your own fruit if you wanted into ice lolly molds
Or perhaps frozen yogurt ones like mini milks

Oh dear they've hidden my comment! I mentioned a brand I think. Don't even remember!

Lollies are a good way of getting fluid into them. So I’d not be to worried about that.

No it isn’t enough. Need more drinks than that.

Make milkshakes and freeze them on sticks , you can buy lolly moulds on Amazon , try orange or apple juice , home made milkshake/ sieved smoothies, if dry crispy things are currently acceptable try dry crackers , plain breadsticks , sheets of crispy seaweed , popcorn, dried banana chips , dry noodles , give him what he'll eat

Oh, that sounds so stressful. Two cups of milk a day isn't nothing, so he's getting some calories and fluid. That's good. If the GP isn't panicking yet, try not to either, even though it's hard.
For the lollies, don't buy the sugary ones. Make your own. Blitz some banana, yoghurt, or even a bit of watered down juice and freeze them in those little moulds. Or freeze pureed fruit. That way you're not just handing out sugar.
Also try offering milk in a completely different cup, or a straw cup. Sometimes the vessel becomes the enemy. And don't hover. Leave a snack cup with something dry like plain rice cakes or crackers nearby and walk away.
If he goes more than 24 hours with literally nothing, or seems floppy or has a dry nappy, then call 111 or go in. But for now, keep offering without pressure. You're not failing. This is hard.