Help my daughter eat

[stacey07]

I am the mom of a baby who was born 6wks and 2days early, and my water broke at 24 weeks... My daughter was in the nicu for 2months, during those two months she was fed by IV, and ng... We got her to the point of eating 90-100% of her daily quota.. The weekend before she was to come home she stopped eating... Since then she has never taken more than 10oz by mouth, during the day I do tube feedings and at night she is on  a continuous feeding pump... She doesn't have an oral aversion, as she takes a pacifier and sucks her thumb... Her P.T. seems to think that her lungs are still playing a factor in why she won't eat... She has bpd and was on supplemental oxygen until she was 6months, now she is 8months. Can you offer any suggestions or answers to help understand what is going, and how to get my daughter to eat???

[Renee Radenberg]

Is your child getting all the calories she needs during the night time tube feeding or she needs the day tube feed too?

[stacey07]

During the day I try to get her to feed by mouth at least 12oz.. But, she does not usually eat that much by mouth... I usually have to do bolus feedings... She also eats baby food and some table food but, Lately has not been interested in eating that either... She gets the majority of her daily calories on the continuous feed.  I just want to find a way to get her off the pump and the button out... The doctors/specialists that we see are not offering a suggestions and I am finding it very frustrating that I seem to be the only one concerned about this... When I agreed to them putting in the button it was supposed to be under temporary terms... Now they act like this might be a permanent thing and that bothers me cause no one prepared me for that being a possibility...

[Renee Radenberg]

I am sorry to answer you so late. I had not see your answer. If she is getting feed at night and having bolus feeds during the day, she probably has no desire to eat because her stomach is full from the feeds.  As long as she is getting her full calorie intake at night, I suggest you ask your MD if your daughter can just have feedings at night and no bolus feeds during the day so that maybe she will start to eat during the day. At 8 months old she will not be eating too much food, mainly formula. After 1 year old is when a child eats more table food and less formula/milk. Depending on her illness depends on how long the feeding tube stays. She needs nutrition to grow and if she does not orally take in enough calories, then she will need the tube feed. When and if she is able to consume enough calories by eating, then your MD will determine when to remove the tube-feed. Best of luck.