My Son Is 4 Years Old And Only Weighs 24Lbs

Johana - posted on 01/10/2012

Hi, I'm new to this page I was actually searching on the web about how to help my 4 year old son gain weight and it linked me to this page! Danny is 33in and weights 21 pounds =( He has heart problems (asd, pda,and pulmonary hyperthension) Was born with hyrshprung disease which it was repair succesfully a year ago but prior to that he used to have a colostomy bag. Also he has asthma, hypothyrodism, large adenoids, large tonsils, needs tubes on his ears, lazy eye, and sleep apnea. He used to have a NG tube for feeding for over a year due to his acid reflex and failure to thrive but I stopped using it because it didn't make difference on his weight but became very sensitive around his mouth and hands. He doesn't walk yet, he doesnt talk either but he's really smart. He gets ot pt speech and special education.
He drinks pediasure with fiber mix with cereal but wont eat anything alse!

Iridescent - posted on 08/03/2010

We JUST spoke with the feeding clinic yesterday about our kids! They had some excellent advice we weren't using, and did state that we really were doing all we could up to this point. Most specifically important for your child - short gut - there is formula made specifically for that disorder to help gain weight! http://www.neocate.com is their site. This specific one (Neocate One+ http://www.orderneocate.com/p-23-neocate...) is specifically designed for Short Bowel.

Our son is being started on EO28 Splash and Nutra. Both are totally hypoallergenic. 2 of the EO28 have citrus in them, but 1 does not and he can have that. I'm not sure if citrus is a problem for your child or not. The EO28 is a supplemental drink. To get him more used to textured foods, he is being started on the Nutra. It's a cereal type formula that has all the nutrition needed daily! The flavor and smell is extremely mild, so you can mix anything in it to flavor it without difficulty.

We were also encouraged to start using the blender more as a start to moving our son to more textured foods. Choose a food we want to try, puree it. Get him to where he enjoys it as a puree. Then slowly make it less of a puree, more of a food.

I really hope these suggestions help you.

Also, the EO28 and Nutra do NOT require prescriptions, but CAN be covered by insurance depending on your coverage and such.

Heather - posted on 08/03/2010

pediasure plus is a very good soucrve of weight gain. My child is turning 3 yrs old and we have battled with him trying to gain weight. have you tried high fat foods like fish? there is also a boost drink for kids, its all fruit. good luck and keep us posted

Shannon - posted on 08/02/2010

I have had issues with my son and his weight. He is 6 and is 32 lbs and 0.1 % on growth chart. His BMI is 13.5 which is very low. He has a prealbumen test done that was slightly low. This is to tell if they are malnourished. He has oral aversions to lots of food, but he does eat. He always says he is hungry and we feed him anything he wants just to get food in him. He is blind so he is very sensitive to taste and texture. I am at a loss as to what to try now. He refuses to drink anything like boost, ensure etc. We are unable to add things like butter to his food cuz he knows it is in there and will not eat it. He has fallen off his curve in the last year or so to the point that I am scared they are going to make us put a feeding tube in him. :( He eats so I don't know why he will not gain. He at a grilled cheese, chips, french fries and a PB&J for lunch today. It is not always like that, but he does eat.

Jane - posted on 08/02/2010

There is a wonderful site, and I will post the link as soon as I can re-find it..

Kelly - posted on 07/26/2010

I'm going through a similar situation with my 1 year old. She just had her g-tube removed 2 weeks ago. We thought that since she went 6 months without need it, it would be okay to have her G.I. doctor remove it. She only weighs 14 Lbs. She has been eating less and less. I'm also looking for some advice.

Jane - posted on 07/26/2010

My 13 year old weighs 50 pounds. He has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, so his muscles burn calories at a higher rate than ours, just from the tone. Interestingly, he's addicted to Reese's Peanut Butter cups, which, if your boy is getting what he needs nutritionally, might not be a bad place to start trying to overcome the oral defensiveness.

My hubby's family is all tall, skinny folks, too, so never play down genetics. :)

Roxie - posted on 07/21/2010

Hi Linsy my son was the same way. He got his G tube put in 2006 because he wasn't gaining weight like he shld. In dec 2006 they started him on pediasure and immediately he started to gain weight. He is 5 years old and now weighs 40+ pounds and is still on pediasure the only thing is that he no longer has the G tube he now has a GJ feeding tube. They make pediasure with fiber jus in case your child has problems with constipation. But u shld talk wirh your childs dr and also a nutritionist.

Jessica - posted on 07/17/2010

my son is 7 and weighs 32 lbs.. i have brought him to tons of specialsist for years and i finally found someone that said it could he could be missing a chromosone in his body which would make him smaller and also have fragel x syndrome.. there are resources out there if u need help let me know.. my name is jessica.

Jessica - posted on 07/14/2010

I know how you feel. My daughter was the same way for the longest. SHe still barely gains weight, but at least now she can maintain her weight, which before she couldn't. My daughter also has a g-tube. The only thing that even allowed her to maintain her weight was growth hormones. (She does not have a pituitary gland, so this is the onlyway her body even gets hormones at all)... but during the period of time when we did not know she lacked these hormones, we did things like high calorie formulas (i.e. Boost Kid Essentials) and would but gravy in her formula... She also has a food adversion and would not touch any type of food except cheese and ketchup (yes, together!). We finally got into a feeding clinic at the University of Shands. Long wait, but well worth it. Good luck! I know how you feel! My daughter is now 3 1/4 and just reached 20 lbs... It's a struggle every day, and each time she gets on the scale my heart drops... I'm pregnant with another girl now. My first daughter passed away due to low birthweight and failure to thrive... I finally got my second daughter stable, and now I'm scared to death about this one. Believe it or not, my oldest son is healthy as can be... My prayers are with you... Stay strong!

MELISSA - posted on 07/13/2010

Hi Linsy,
Our daghter Faith is 4 in nov 2010.. She has huge list of special needs, one big side of her growing is her food.. She can't eat like other kids her age, everything is pureed, she wont eat meat at all,, we have just started her on its called chunky soup her in aust its in tin, imash it up very well shes loving something diff, beside norm mash vegs for dinner.. Other than this she only eat yogurt, custards jellys.. I know how u feel.. She hasnt got any tubes at all, & she only weigh's 12 kg... If u need to chat buzz me.. Hope to hear from u Mel

Julie - posted on 07/13/2010

Lindsey - I would LOVE to talk to you more about your son. Sounds very similar to my daughter but I would hate to give you more advise without the information. My little one has been on Elecare since she was 6 months and is now 4.5 years old. She's only 30 lbs on a good day. I have a terrible time putting weight on her because of chronic diahrrea. We just found out this past january that she is glucose intollerant ~ which is also in Elecare so we are on a 1/2 mix giving her even less calories. She is very rare. Giving kids Boost or Ensure is great for calories if they are a child that can tolerate it. Your son is on an amino acid formula. Does he have any food allergies? Our daughter never had formed stools and has sensory issues with food. Elecare has everything he needs, just try to get more in him. Keep working the food. Try different things, but give them a couple of days to see how they affect him. It will come... just give it more time. Definitely agree you need a new speech therapist and the OT would be great for sensory too. Our daugther is deaf and before her cochlear implants I had to walk around with her to get her to eat - she needed the movement so she didn't get nausea!!! That was fun! Mommies figure it out and you will to. Please contact me anytime.

Julie
www.specialneedsceomom.com

Linsy - posted on 07/11/2010

elecare formula and rice cereal

Sheryl - posted on 07/10/2010

it takes time my 31/2 is only 27 pounds we do the boost drinks and they help. My son was very sensitive about what went into his mouth. He had to like the way it looked then felt, and then he licks then eventually bite and eats it. The less pressure you put on him to eat the better. I put pixie stick powder on some of his food in order for him to eat it. We started with the gerber puffs they disolve fast it gets them use to something hard then soft. Jello changes consistency fast also. Just start with a few things and work from there it will take time and lots of patience. Also get him to see a feeding specialist mine was great and he will finally lick a grape after 1 1/2 year of trying! Good luck and hang in there.

Cathy - posted on 07/10/2010

Have you heard of the "get permission approach to feeding"? It's what Marsha Dunn Klein (Tucson) teaches. It's quite compelling. http://www.mealtimenotions.com/Workshops... It's basically where you try to keep the stress to a minimum when feeding. Make it fun. Start with what he likes (taste or texture or color) and build on that. A good feeding therapist is worth her (his) weight in gold!! We've been through similar things with my 6 year old daughter, Maria, and when there's so much riding on her eating and gaining weight, feeding time is naturally oozing with stress. When we all try to take it down a notch, relax, play games, eat ice cream before dinner, don't force him to eat, that kind of thing, it works out better. It's not easy!!! I hope you have a spouse or "village" who you can switch off with during feedings when you get frustrated. I couldn't do it w/o our little village -- there's always someone fresh and ready to step in for a while to give me a break! Good luck!

Michelle - posted on 07/09/2010

Keep the faith Linsy. My son was the same minus the G tube. He still doesn't eat much. He's going to be 10 and is just now weighing 50 pounds.

I don't know what your faith is but God loves you and wants you to know you are on His mind.

Iridescent - posted on 07/09/2010

There are several options, but they do take time.
1 - high cal additions to foods/formula, such as butter, gravy
2 - increase calorie of feeds up to a max safe level of 45 cal/ounce if not already done, but with damage present for the liver, speak to the doctor prior to starting
3 - increase feed frequency or volume slowly
4 - start continuous feeds if necessary (will lose oral progress though)
5 - go to a feeding clinic - long waiting period, so if this is desired setting it up soon is best
6 - request OT also work with him on oral aversions, as it's a sensory issue

Geralyn - posted on 07/09/2010

What about finding a better speech therapist, or maybe another expert, with some more specific training in addressing the oral sensitivities? I have a friend who has a daughter with significant swallowing/oral sensitivities and her daughter is making slow but steady progress.... moving from the tube feeding to oral feeding.... There must be a way to find out who else is out there.... I hope that you find a solution....

Allyson - posted on 07/08/2010

Ask about Kids Boost Essential 1.5. It's lactose free and has 355 calories in an 8 oz. box. You can get it in the store, but for the super calorie ones, we went to a nutrition clinic and then got it through our home health feeding supply place. Good luck with it...having kids that have trouble gaining weight can be super frustrating.

Heather - posted on 07/07/2010

What formula is he on?