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Child Nutrition (Expert Forum)
4 year old only drinks bottle
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To help the Registered Dietitian evaluate your child's nutritional status, please state your child's weight (in kg or lbs.), height, and age in the content of your question.
4 year old only drinks bottle
by LisaDassie, Dec 31, 2007 03:15PM
My 4 year old son has cerebral palsy, GERD, oxygen dependent, visual impairments, sensory disorders, and a wonderful smile:-) He will not eat solids without vomiting. He drinks a 7 oz. bottle of Nutren Jr. with duocal every 2.5 hours. We've been trying stage 2 veggies, meats and mixes, brownie batter, teething cookies, yogurt, rice, oatmeal, water, milk, juice, hot foods, cold foods, on a spoon, on my finger, on a toy, on a ball, on the tray, etc. He just continues to turn his head and bat it away with his hand and then cry. If we can get any into his mouth, just very small tastes, he will vomit, then succumb to the feeding for approx. 1-2 oz, then the crying starts so I give him his bottle back. The entire time we are trying these feedings, we are singing or reading books, or letting him watch TV or play with toys-anything the speech therapist has suggested. Unfortunately she's at a loss now and we don't know what else to try. He's 34 inches tall and 27 pounds. Any specialists you know of that I can contact? Any clinics I can take him to? Any search words you can recommend on the internet? I just keep finding info about picky eaters and he's not a picky eater, he's afraid and he doesn't like the taste. We also have to consider his breathing issues and the fact that he can't see very well. Lots going on here. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Lisa
Have you tried not putting the food actually in his mouth but instead starting by simply letting him smell it, then put some on his hands. If this is successful, move to putting food on his face by his ears and slowly moving toward his mouth. If he gags, stop there and do not move further toward his mouth. The next day, get at least to the point you were yesterday if not closer to his mouth until you are touching the food to his lips and the hope is he will lick his lips allowing the food to enter his mouth on his own which is much less scary to him. It can be a messy process, but desensitizing him slowly may work better.
Sincerely -- Good luck.