My 2.5 year old doesn't feel hunger

[lrussell]

My 2.5 year old daughter has had an eating issue since I introduced solids to her at 6 months.  Not a single spoon of food successfully stayed in her tummy until she was 17 months old, at which time, she began to eat a slice of cheese over the course of an entire day.  Weeks can pass without her eating a piece of food.  She drinks 18oz of homo milk a day, and only recently I have replaced the homo milk with 2 Pedesures a day.  Her unwillingness to ingest traces back to when she was 2 months old, when even a dose of medicine before her immunization would be thrown up as soon as it entered her mouth.  She is above average in height (80th percentile) but weighs 25 pounds which is very low.  I am blessed that through all of this, she is developmentally normal and quite bright.  She knows all the alphabet, the phonetics of most letters, she can count to 13, she talks clearly, loudly and no-stop.  She is normal in every way except so not normal where food is concerned.  What is wrong with my daughter?  Is she afraid of food?  It has been a battle for 2 years - I need help.  What should I be asking of her Pediatrician at this point?  No one understands how little she eats in a week until they live with us.   Should I seek therapy?

[rilbrianne]

Have you talked to your pediatrician? I can't believe that with such a low weight, they wouldn't do something.  I don't want to get overly anxious here but if all she will eat is a slice of cheese in one whole day and 18 oz of milk, she may have gotten used to the milk filling her up.  Take it away and offer her some food.   My 13 month old daughter would much rather have a nice warm cup of milk but I have to take it away to get her to eat.  

Talk to a pediatrician, and if yours won't listen, go to another.  There may be something wrong with her digestion or she's just filled up on milk.  But I think it's serious enough that I would be seeking medical advice.  (I also agree with a food diary suggestion)

[lrussell]

I can relate to feeling scared about your daughter living on lollies and juice.  I have been told that they won't starve themselves and like you, I'm not so sure!  I think in my daughters case, she doesn't feel hunger, she tells me that her tummy hurts because it's empty but doesn't realize that food will make it feel better.  Is there any chance that you could give her a meal replacement drink like Pedesure?  If you can get her to drink one or two of those a day it may give you a little peace of mind knowing she has had a lot of vitamins and nutrition for the day.  Good luck - I feel for you....

[lrussell]

Thanks for sharing your story.   It has been a while since I last kept a food log; the last time I did it was almost a year ago.  I shared it with a dietary nurse and they told me to keep putting healthy foods in front of her and to let her decide when and how much to eat.  You could put 10 different things in front of her and she doesn't even look at it.  I am amazed on how little she can live on, but as I said, she is normal.  It's hard to act okay with her not eating, even though inside I am upset, disappointed, afraid, bothered....maybe she is sensing all the negative feelings I have about her not eating.  

[Duststorm]

My daughters not so bad but she will bearly touch her food she is getting thin and even tho they say a child will never stave them selves i am starting to debt that. She never eats enuf to fill and is convinced that she will only eat lollies and juices no matter how much u tell her that she cant that lollies are not a food and that she has to have water she just wont eat of drink im really scared for her.

[bellem04]

Not sure if this will help but, maybe start a food diary.  Write down everything she eats and drinks for I don't know a month or less and take it to her Dr.
My daughter is the same age is yours and she only weighs 25 pounds also but, she eats everything that I stick in front of her.  My oldest daughter (12), I was told was addicted to milk.  She was drinking about a gallon every 3 days.  She was very constipated.  I was told to gradually take her off the milk and give her solid food.  And not to force it on her.  She will take it when she gets hungry.  She did.  
But, I felt just like you do.  The doctors kept saying that she was fine and I told them she wasn't.  Not until I told them how much milk she was drinking before they realised what the matter was.  
I hope this helps.