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VSD - Won't Eat

MamaB08MamaB08 member
in Special Needs
My 6 month old was diagnosed with a ventricular septal defect, VSD, before we ever left the hospital.  He has a medium sized hole in between the two ventricles of his heart.  As time has gone by, it's started to give him some problems, and he's currently on 3 medicines for it.  The third we started just over a week ago, and it required him to be in the hospital for observation at first.  Among the issues we're having are lack of weight gain, an enlarged atrium, and a leaky aortic valve.  Surgery is a very real possibility for him, but we're hoping the medicines will buy us enough time for it to start to close on its own.  One of the main roadblocks for us, however, is proving to be weight gain.  He's been getting baby food along with this bottles for 2 months now, but just in the past 2 weeks, he refuses to eat it.  He used to devour it.  Then, he got a virus 2-3 weeks ago.  Ever since that virus, he'll have nothing to do with it.  He did get sick with a pretty bad cough and congestion almost immediately after that, and he's been on antibiotics for nearly a week now.  I suppose that may be causing him to still dislike the food, but I'm starting to get concerned.  I need to get all the calories in him that I can, and we've even started mixing up a concentrated version of his formula.  Has anyone else dealt with this?  What are some ideas to get him to eat again?  Even with his bottles, I'm fortunate if I get 5 oz in him.  We'll be going to see a nutritionist in the near future if it doesn't start to improve. 
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Re: VSD - Won't Eat

  • JcrabJcrab
    Breastmilk or formula will provide more calories and balanced nutrition than solids,  at this age I wouldn't worry too much about solids. Since weight gain is more important for your LO than the average infant I would request to see the nutritionist now. GL!
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  • changingnameschangingnames member
    Probably a silly question but did your pediatrician or a nutritionist advise you to make concentrated formula? I would Defintely go see the nutritionist now so you can be sure you are doing just the right things. Maybe certain foods a better (like high in fat avocados) etc. They will know how to maximize every bite.
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  • MamaB08MamaB08 member
    Thank you both for the feedback.  The cardiologist is actually the one who started him on the concentrated version of the formula when we were in the hospital to start his 3rd medicine.  We mix it so that he now gets 24 calories per oz instead of 20.  Two months ago, when we first started the baby food, we did it because he wasn't taking his bottles that well.  It seemed to really do the trick, and he started eating all of the baby food and all of his bottles.  Now, he's completely turned that on its head.  I agree with both of you.  I think we may request the referral to the nutritionist sooner rather than later.
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  • imelticeimeltice member

    imageMamaB08:
    Thank you both for the feedback.  The cardiologist is actually the one who started him on the concentrated version of the formula when we were in the hospital to start his 3rd medicine.  We mix it so that he now gets 24 calories per oz instead of 20.  Two months ago, when we first started the baby food, we did it because he wasn't taking his bottles that well.  It seemed to really do the trick, and he started eating all of the baby food and all of his bottles.  Now, he's completely turned that on its head.  I agree with both of you.  I think we may request the referral to the nutritionist sooner rather than later.

    Hopefully it's just the illness, but I would contact his cardiologist.  I know that before DS had his VSD repaired, we were always told to call if he was having issues eating, no matter what as that can be one of the first signs of more serious issues.  I guess I wouldn't take the chance that I was missing the first signs of heart failure, they should be able to just take a quick look at things and let you know what to do. 

    Birthday
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