24 month old girl...failure to thrive?

aprild0889

Hello,

Our 24 month old daughter was born at 6lbs 4oz in March 2019. She was bottle fed with Similac Pro Advanced and then the Target brand Enfamil Gentle Ease. 

She did not transition well too solid foods or baby foods. She is VERY picky and refuses to eat anything.

It varies from day to day but she's basically living on PediaSure in a sippy 4 times a day.

We were referred to a GI specialist at our local children's hospital and they gave us a month to give her Omeprazole (to rule out Acid Reflux) When we filled it at the children's hospital it was straight salt. We couldn't even try it without gagging. So we spent the extra money and had it filled qith grape flavor at Walgreens. Still very salty. We had to hold her down and she'd gag on it an spit most of it back up.

We just went to our follow up appointment and she hasn't gained weight. They were not very nice about it and demanded she have an EGD to rule out Eosinophilic Esophagitis. 

I'm all for doing what's best for my girl but I just wish they'd take genetics into consideration. My sister and I were both this size. But everything is about a percentile now. She is happy, active, hitting all of her milestones. She just simply eats when she wants to. 

I was very hesitant about the EGD in the first place but I'm afraid they'll deem us unfit if we don't have it done. 

My biggest concern is if this EGD comes back normal...what's next? They mentioned a feeding tube. And I just strongly feel that she is FINE and doesn't need that. 

Please help! Please share your stories if you have a petite baby. Apparently they don't exist anymore. But if you have any tips or suggestions on how to get her to eat anything but PediaSure, please help!

To be clear, she's 18lbs and will be 24 months on 3/27/21. 

[Deleted User]

<blockquote class="Quote">
<div><a rel="nofollow">aprild0889</a> said:</div>
<div>Hello,

Our 24 month old daughter was born at 6lbs 4oz in March 2019. She was bottle fed with Similac Pro Advanced and then the Target brand Enfamil Gentle Ease. 

She did not transition well too solid foods or baby foods. She is VERY picky and refuses to eat anything.

It varies from day to day but she's basically living on PediaSure in a sippy 4 times a day.

We were referred to a GI specialist at our local children's hospital and they gave us a month to give her Omeprazole (to rule out Acid Reflux) When we filled it at the children's hospital it was straight salt. We couldn't even try it without gagging. So we spent the extra money and had it filled qith grape flavor at Walgreens. Still very salty. We had to hold her down and she'd gag on it an spit most of it back up.

We just went to our follow up appointment and she hasn't gained weight. They were not very nice about it and demanded she have an EGD to rule out Eosinophilic Esophagitis. 

I'm all for doing what's best for my girl but I just wish they'd take genetics into consideration. My sister and I were both this size. But everything is about a percentile now. She is happy, active, hitting all of her milestones. She just simply eats when she wants to. 

I was very hesitant about the EGD in the first place but I'm afraid they'll deem us unfit if we don't have it done. 

My biggest concern is if this EGD comes back normal...what's next? They mentioned a feeding tube. And I just strongly feel that she is FINE and doesn't need that. 

Please help! Please share your stories if you have a petite baby. Apparently they don't exist anymore. But if you have any tips or suggestions on how to get her to eat anything but PediaSure, please help!

To be clear, she's 18lbs and will be 24 months on 3/27/21. </div>
</blockquote>
QFP

Any updates?  I'm sorry you're going through this.  I do know a mom who had FTT with at least one of her kids, and went through and awful lot of workups.  She did have some treatable medical issues going on that were contributing.  I am #notadoctor, just another mom, and I know it's not necessarily fair to compare, but I can't help but notice that <i><u>my 8mo just clocked in at 18lbs</u></i>.  Even if you want to call it genetics, there could be a real cause for concern there.  I'm glad she is hitting all her milestones; that's amazing!  Personally, I would want to do some testing if it were my baby just to make sure there wasn't an underlying medical issue going on.  GL.

knottie2f3342c055d381ed

Hey! I’m sorry you’re going through all this. My baby is 27 months and a skinny guy. He is in the 99th percentile for height and always stuck around the 23rd percentile for weight. When combined he is barely on the chart in the first percentile. 

I breastfed for 11 months and switched to formula after pressure from his ped. He still didn’t gain weight but has always hit milestones on time if not before. My husband and I were both VERY skinny our whole lives so I knew it was genetics but docs wouldn’t listen. Referred us for tests but I didn’t think it was necessary. 

He can be a picky eater, but I finally found a ped that agreed that was just his natural curve and as long as he was good developmentally, he’s fine. She also said toddlers eating habits should be viewed WEEKLY not daily due to their inconsistent appetites. He’s soooo active, talkative, and intelligent despite his weight. He also gains weight very slowly. 

 What helps is at meal times is giving him a sense of control on his choices. Always present with two, so he can decide. (Peas or carrots? Potatoes or rice?) I also describe foods for what they really are, ie peas are sweet and round, carrots are sweet and mushy. So he knows what to expect. I add healthy fats in basically everything and smoothies are great for that. 

Hang in there, trust your gut. See multiple doctors for different opinions. You know her best.

knottie5362c4b998b6a1dd

Have you looked into feeding therapy? She might be a picky eater due to texture/temp/flavor aversions and a food therapist can help work on overcoming those things with her. Not sure if this is exactly what she needs to start eating solids more willingly but might be worth reading up on if you haven’t already!