My baby is never hungry!!

We've had problems getting my baby to drink his milk since 11 weeks old when he suddenly went off milk overnight. He was diagnosed with reflux but I was never convinced with this. He is now 8 months and on solids and EVERYDAY is a battle to get any thing into him. He closes his mouth and turns away. We've tried changing bottles/cups/teats/formula tried every different type of baby food (he vomits up anything with any sort of lumps) with & without distraction but he will go for 8 hours without anything and quite happily play. He is slowly getting more underweight for his age and is now crawling and climbing so its getting harder to get him to put on weight. Doctors aren't interested unless he actually loses weight :-( I haven't met anyone whos baby has the same problem and am running out of ideas. How can I get him interested in food?

[Renee Radenberg]

From your measurements, his weight is just under the 90th percentile which indicates he is normal for his age. He must be getting some food into him because of his weight range. Here are a few suggestions to help with acid reflux/vomiting. The feeding position is important and should be almost a sitting up position when feeding him. Never lay him down on his back right after eating or ½ hour to 1 hour after feeding because the acid from the stomach goes into the esophagus and causes pain. Raise the head of his crib to a 45-degree angle too so he are not flat on his back. Feeding him 5-6 times day does help. Feeding that way keeps the stomach acid constant which helps the reflux, he grows, and weight increases at a steady pace. If he wants to feed before the 4 hours, give it to him because he should not have an empty stomach with acid reflux. Suggest you relax at meals. It becomes the battle of the wits between the child and you. Remember meals need to be joyous for parents and the child. If he will not eat a certain food, do not make a fuss over it. Give him some other food alternatives and let him eat what he wants. Then let it go and enjoy the meal. Slowly introduce new foods, and if he does not want it, do not make a fuss over it. Let it go and enjoy the meal. Try again in a few months. Hoped this helped you.