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Date: 7/8/2003 4:19:00 PM
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Author:
Jennifer
(jdbell@aptalaska.net)
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Subject:My 4 year old has Stopped Eating
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My four year old has stopped eating solids. We are just passing day 10 and she refuses to eat! I do not know what to do. About three weeks ago she started this thing where she would stop in the middle of a meal and tell us that the bite she just took was too big and she needed to spit it out. Most times it would only happen about once a day and it was usually a very small bite. I do not even know if this is related to what we are going through now.
On Saturday June 28th at dinner she choked on a dorito. She was able to clear it and she drank some juice and seemed fine the rest of the night. She has not eaten a solid food since. On Sunday she would not drink anything or even swallow her own saliva. She would hold the saliva in her mouth and spit it out. At bed time we took her to the emergency room but they did not see anything wrong. In the morning she started drinking fluids, but she refuses any and all solids and every bribe to swallow one bite of a solid known to man.
On Monday they did x-rays and found nothing wrong. They say that the next step would be blood test or x-rays after she swallows Barium. I do not think that she will swallow barium for them, but that is what they would try. The next step after that would be scopes! Has anyone ever heard of something like this happening? All of her vitals are good and she has not run a fever. I had a sore throat about a week ago but it cleared in about 2 days and then I moved on to other cold symptoms. She has not had any cold symptoms.
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Date: 7/9/2003 11:38:00 AM
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Author:
bobbi
(bigddog803@go.com)
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Subject:not eating
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relax mom! maybe go a day without fretting if she eats or not. just serve the meals, and if she eats she eats. if not, oh well. have you tried having her help you prepare the meal? or even serving up the (applesauce) on everyone's plates? maybe she is liking all the fuss over her not eating. she still may be scared over the choking incident. I had severe food poisioning as a child, and barely ate for a summer. my dad had me pick out the foods for dinner, that helped. but not junk. he gave a choice, like chicken or meatloaf. peas or carrots. applesauce or pudding. that helped. and I did'nt pick up bad eating habits. I see too many kids in that come into my preschool classes that will 'only eat' chicken nuggets (for example). the child just stopped eating and the parent gave in to the child's limited food choices (usually high-fat/ low nutrition foods). yes, the child is eating, but not getting the nutrition for brain development. (and you can tell the child is not healthy). just take some time and sit back, since it's summer maybe she would like to make some frozen juice bars with mom?
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Date: 7/11/2003 7:57:00 AM
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Author:
LLs
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Subject:Jennifer, The only thing I can think of...
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Jennifer,
The only thing I can think of is perhaps she has acid reflux. I know I have problem with this and for a while (before it was diagnosed) I could not eat. My food would get stuck constantly and I would choke often. When your food gets stuck a couple of times, it is very scary. If this happened to a child - I could see why this might be scary. The barium swallow will show if this is the problem. I think the tests are important to rule out any and all medical reasons.
On a side note - has any one explained to her recently (in school or home) what happens to your food when it is swallowed. I am asking because at a child care center I recently visited, they had a kindergarten child who refused to eat. She had a lesson in school on digestion and it creeped her out. SHe couldn't eat thinking about all the things that happened to her food once she swallowed it.
I hope things work out with your daughter!
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Date: 8/2/2003 3:39:00 AM
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Author:
Brenda Nixon
(parentpwr1@juno.com)
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Subject:4 y/o stopped eating
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Jennifer,
Thanks for posting your question to the earlychildhood forum. I hope now your 4 y/o is eating...even if it's a tiny bite and slowly :) I didn't have this problem with either of my daughters but may I suggest a couple things?
First; remember that preschoolers go through (this is developmentally normal) food jags. This means they put on the brakes and don't eat, or they want only PB&J; or mac and cheese for a week, or they pick at their food then say they're full. It can drive parents nuts but it's normal. The best way to handle a preschooler's eating ups & downs is to act matter-of-fact about it (don't react). Remove their food when done. Don't argue, cajole, beg them to eat more or anything. Simply remove the plate. You don't have to "rescue" by delivering in-between-meal snacks either. On the next mealtime, serve the food, eat your own, relax and see what happens. I offer this because sometimes food behaviors turn into manipulation and a child will "act" picky or whatever just to get attention from the parent or to see the parent get nervous and beg their child to eat. Don't.
Second, perhaps your little one had a minor bacterial infection that made digestion unpleasant. Sometimes kiddos get minor illnesses that go undiagnosed. In any event, if she did, it made it difficult for her to eat. What you might do now is to keep a "food diary." Privately, watch and record what she eats for a week. Then if you feel there's a nutritional deficit or a need to worry, take that diary with you to the pediatrician. Now you have something in concrete to share with the doctor. Hope this helps. For more parenting helps visit me at www.parentpwr.com.
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Date: 3/25/2005 11:08:00 AM
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Author:
David
(davidemcclain@yahoo.com)
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Subject:My child has stopped eating
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Hi Jennifer,
I read all of the message boards related to this topic and I am glad to hear that your daugter has started to eat again. Unfortuneately my 3 1/2 year old son has stopped eating solid foods as of 12 days ago. We were all out for dinner when he started to choke on a piece of bread, my wife immediatley got it out and he continued to eat his dinner. A week later he developed a sore throat (his first ever) and since then complains that his throat is sore and that if he eats it will get stuck in his throat. His doctor confirmed that his sore throat was gone and to just let him eat what he is comfortable with! He has only eaten yogurt, pudding, & milk shakes since then! He cries that he is hungry, and we will let him prepare his meal with us and then he will only lick the food! We are at our wits end! How long does this last for? Did any doctors have any productive suggestions. He was a great eater up until this happened, and needless to say we are worried about the overall effects on his health. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
David
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Date: 8/21/2007 1:28:00 PM
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Author:
v
(devonshire.dumpling@tesco.net)
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Subject:4 year old not eating
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bless her-slow down-theres probably nothing wrong except shes scared stiff! Calm down and she'll eat eventually. Meanwhile make some smoothies and give her ice cream or blend up her meals or offer soup she'll gradually come round-maybe give her like a baby-gradually make it thicker nad one day introduce a more textured food. don't mention it for a while and when she thinks you've relaxed maybe she will too.
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Date: 7/8/2003 4:22:00 PM
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Author:
Jennifer
(jdbell@aptalaska.net)
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Subject:Under the ask the expert section of this...
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Under the ask the expert section of this I saw an Q&A; that seemed to be the same symptoms with a 3-year old. I would really like to contact the parent - Barbara Downing. Barbara, if you see this please email me. I would like to know how long it took for your little one to start eating and what finally worked? Did you eventually have to have medical intervention?
Thank you for your time.
Jennifer
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Date: 7/12/2003 4:09:00 PM
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Author:
momma
(NBlackOniXN@netscape.net)
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Subject:eating or not?
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Hello,
Because of the concern and worry I have Had w/ my Daughter re: her eating habits, Iwanted you to know, I think you have every right to be as concerned as you sounded in your post. 10 Days is too long for a child to go w/out eating in my opionon. Reflux could very well play a part in her discomfort in eating. I know if my daughter doesn't chew her food real well before she swallows, there's a good chance it will come right back up. My daughter was tested at a very young age (approx. 2 months) for acid Reflux, due to her failure to thrive & also throwing up after being pump feed in the hospital. My point being I know that my daughter didn't swallow the thing that went down in her tummy. The G.I. Dr. will Know what to do . It will be O.K. Good Luck
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Date: 8/1/2003 10:26:00 PM
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Author:
Jennifer
(jdbell@aptalaska.net)
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Subject:My 4 year old has stopped eating
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After 2 weeks she finally ate a solid food. It was a cookie dipped in milk at about 10 pm, but I am not complaining. Since then she is slowly getting braver, but there are still a few foods that she will take a bite of and then panic and spit back out. Thank you everyone for your advice. This was tougher then when she broke her toe, at least then I knew what was going on. But being on a straight liquid diet was killing me, as a mom you feel better when they are eating and sleeping and going to the bathroom, it is just how it is suppose to be.
Thank you again,
Jennifer
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Date: 9/2/2003 7:58:00 AM
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Author:
ann bee
(annbiczo@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Hi I dont think I could anything new to...
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Hi
I dont think I could anything new to this thread that people already havent mentioned so I just wanted to see if she is doing better?
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Date: 9/9/2003 12:49:00 AM
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Author:
Jennifer
(jdbell@aptalaska.net)
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Subject:how she is doing
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My little one is doing so much better. She is a much more picky eater then she was before this incident. That is a little frustrating, but I can live with it. When we are in a resturant she will only (and I mean only) eat a plain cheese sandwich. At home it is a lot broader, but many times it is not what we are eating, it ends up being something from her mental list of things she can eat. It is getting better, and it will be better when she is older. Thanks for the inquirey. Everyone have a good week!
P.S. I have posted this problem on two other boards at Babycenter and got no response, but this board (that I had never heard of until I started reading everything on the internet for my daughters problem)has been the most helpful and I have also had a couple of people email me because they are now going through the same thing and want to know how we did. The other boards that I tried yeilded not one response or email. Thank you Early Childhood for hosting these bulliten boards.
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Date: 12/27/2004 11:13:00 AM
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Author:
Rudy
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Subject:choking
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has he ever choked on something before that he had in his mouth. It sounds like he may be scared. Or maybe there is a blockage that when he eats it does get stuck. Keep getting tests done.
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Date: 12/25/2004 8:46:00 PM
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Author:
Sandra- concerned mommy
(samartinez7@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Nicolas wont eat
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Hello. Jennifer I cried when I read about your daughter. I am having a very hard time now with my son Nicolas who is 4 1/2yrs old and we are on day 7 with no eating. I took him to the Dr. because he wasn't eating or taking fluids well and we were on day 6 then. The Dr. did xrays and told me he was constipated and need to relieve him and he'll get better. Aaron(dad), prior to the Dr's appt. took Nicolas to McDonalds for a hamburger. Nicolas took a very,very small bite and then he stuck 4fingers in mouth to get it out. He told Aaron "I'm going to choke!" We also told Dr about the incident. Well, the next day Nicolas was very weak and tired, not drinking. I couldn't take it, so we took him in the the ER. I wanted bloodwork and xrays again. I needed piece of mind. Everything has come back normal. Thank you God. Nicolas then told me he choked at the babysitters house. "mommy I choked and stuck my fingers in my mouth to get it out" I asked him if the babysitter saw him, he replyed "no she was on the phone" Thay made me sick to my stomach. We have talked with him telling him he is not going to choke and we are right here for him. Today he had some broth soup and drank alot of fluids today. He is very scared to put anything in his mouth besides fluids. I'm going to take him back to the Dr. on Monday if still no progress. Please, if any has advise or suggestions, let us know. Thanks
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Date: 1/16/2005 8:02:00 PM
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Author:
jamil rehman
(jamil@hussains.com)
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Subject:4 year old refuses to eat
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My daughter will be 4 in April. She used to be a very good eater. Then in the fall of 2003, she stopped eating - for about 2 months, she ate almost nothing, but still drank milk. Then suddenly she started eating again, regularly, everythin, no problem. In August 2004, she started doing it again - refusing all the foods that she liked, saying she's not hungry. I didn't make an issue, hoping it would pass, just like a year before. It's January now and she is still not eating. She lost about 2 kgs in the past 4 months, and we did blood tests, urine, stool tests, evrything seems fine. We are going for a sweat test next week. Dr says if there is nothing wrong internally, then it's just a temperament issue, and I should give her Pediasure until she starts eating, so that she gets enough nutrients. The problem is she won't take it, we tried all the flavours, she says they are yucky and won't touch them. I tried puttting some in her milk and she started refusing the milk, saying it's too sweet. I'm putting just very small quantities of the white vanilla flavoured Pediasure in her milk now, hoping she won't feel the taste. This week, she also started refusing to take her favorite vitamin supplements.
She will only drink about a cup of milk a day, a glass of orange juice, and eat one or 2 cookies, maybe half an egg and half a banana, and that's about it (the good days). She will also eat popcorn and white chocolate if I offer it - but I'm not sure if I should, for fear that she won't eat anything else.
Anyone has had such problems? Any ideas? Help, I'm at my wits' end - she is also a very stubborn, cranky, stron-willed child, and this 'not eating' thing comes on top of it. Thanks!
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Date: 1/25/2005 7:23:00 PM
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Author:
Rhonda
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Subject:Maybe you should contact a child study c...
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Maybe you should contact a child study center. We have one in Fort Worth. It is free of charge.
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Date: 1/16/2005 8:05:00 PM
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Author:
laura
(gbologea@hotmail.com)
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Subject:my name got mixed up with previous
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Please note that the message just above was posted by me, and not by Jamil. I wasn't paying enough attention when I posted it, so it ended up with the wrong name and address. My only excuse - I'm exhausted with all the battles...
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Date: 2/6/2005 11:01:00 AM
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Author:
Dave
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Subject:My daughter just started doing this yest...
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My daughter just started doing this yesterday, not eating at all and drinking hardly anything. Last night she has some milk, but thats been it. I've asked her if her tummy hurt or if she felt bad, and she said no. The best I can gather from her is that she is afraid of getting sick and throwing up as she did about a week ago. However up until yesterday, she's been fine.
I have also read in places that sometimes instances like this can be a psychological problem from specific thing that triggered it, like a recent move, change in daycare, or death of a family member, etc. Mine just started Day Care recently aswell. Jamil or Jennifer, has your child expirenced anything like this?
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Date: 2/7/2005 2:03:00 PM
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Author:
Rudy
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Subject:child stopped eating
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Does she eat in day Care? Has she choked on food at Day care? You may want to find this out. Changes in routine can be hard on a child. Just keep trying to get her to eat and maybe try bites and reassure her that it will be ok and make sure you are with her when she eats. Hope this helps
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Date: 2/8/2005 9:19:00 AM
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Author:
Dave
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Subject:Daughter Will Not Eat
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Well, for now she is drinking Pediasure with strawberry milk. I have talked with her Day Care, they tell me she eats fine and has not choked.
Aside from her not eating, her attitude and behavior are just fine, and just her telling us that she is sick and can't.
I nothing changes today, I will be schedueling an appointment for her.
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Date: 2/10/2005 10:01:00 PM
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Author:
Jennifer
(jdbell@aptalaska.net)
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Subject:not eating
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I am not sure if I understand completely. Did she throw up a week ago? and is she eating just fine at the day care but not at home? If the answer to both of these questions is yes I would also like to know why she threw up and where. I know that my daughter did not want to eat because she was afraid of choking. If your daughter threw up at home, maybe she is associating eating at home with throwing up. If she eats at daycare, maybe see if she will eat other places as well, like the park, or resturaunt. Another excellent way to get a child to eat is have them eat with their friends. I do not know if this is helpful, when my daughter decided not to eat she was very stubborn about it to the point of not even swallowing her own saliva for the first 24 hours. Through a growling stomach on day 10 she was still able to hold on to her resolve not to eat and only drank juice or milkshakes. Since my ordeal is over I can look back and be in awe of her will power, but at the time it was a nightmare, and I am sorry to hear that you are having to go through this. Please keep us up to date on her progress and you are welcome to email me if you like.
Jennifer
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Date: 2/14/2005 6:10:00 PM
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Author:
Dave
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Subject:not eating
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She was eating just fine until Feb 5th, then she stopped eating. We could not figure why. At first we did think it was because of a fear of throwing up, as she did about a week earlier due.
We asked her many times if anything hurt and she said no, so we assumed it was in her head.
By the 9th of Feb, we had made an appointment for her to go see the doctor, and it was only then when she began to complain that her ear hurt.
The next day we found out that she had an infection in both ears which caused a great deal of mucus. This was the reason for her not eating.
I am suprised that she had not said anything sooner to us about it, but now with an antibiotic and decongestant she is starting to eat a little more each day, still a little weary about throwing up.
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Date: 2/18/2005 6:35:00 PM
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Author:
rosemarie
(rmuro2004@yahoo.com)
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Subject:my 3 year old is afraid of choking on his food
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Just yesterday, my son gagged on a cheese sandwich. He was shaking and very upset. I told him he was ok. Since then he is afraid to eat all of his favorite foods. He will only drink, eat yogurt, pudding and icecream. He will only lick solid foods offered to him. He wants to eat normally but is afraid. I am not sure how to handle this and can use any insight to this problem
Thanks
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Date: 2/21/2005 6:32:00 AM
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Author:
Rudy
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Subject:not eating
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Sit with him and have him take a little bit while you are there with him. Have a drink handy if he needs it. Tell him you will be with him while he eats.
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Date: 2/26/2005 6:15:00 PM
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Author:
teacher to be
(anna@netcentral.com.au)
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Subject:my 4 yr old has stopped eating.
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maby when she choked on that dorito she got a bad shock and doesent want that to happen again so she just isnt eating
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Date: 2/28/2005 9:16:00 AM
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Author:
Mary Wood
(naomi37@hotmail.com)
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Subject:My daughter, too
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I'm going through this with my almost-4-year-old daughter - it's incredibly harrowing for her Dad and me. She choked on a piece of candy Feb. 9th at a special event at her preschool. Was able to clear it herself, and then was fine until last week when she either began to choke on a piece of waffle, or just swallowed a bite that was too big, and it felt bad going down. Again, it resolved itself before any intervention was needed. That day she was okay for most of the day, but by evening she had worked herself into such a state that she would no longer consume any food that had to be chewed, and by the next evening, would not even swallow her own spit. (The tail end of a cold, with some sticky phlegm, may have precipitated or contributed to the trouble this past week.)
She's had her ears & throat examined, and chest & neck x-rays show everything's okay. This doesn't rule out some physical thing that wouldn't show up in these exams, like reflux, but that hasn't been a problem for her before. Her pediatrician is certain it's just anxiety, and I'm 99+ percent sure that's the case.
An expert at this site, http://www.earlychildhood.com/community/ask/ask_current.asp?ExpertID=142&QuesId;=185, says the best thing to do is act normal. Of course, I think that would be impossible, even if you had been told to do so at the very beginning of the problem.
So we haven't acted nonchalant, because we're concerned she keep up her strength instead of stressing her body and risking illness by burning up her "reserves" too much. Now I suppose we've made the problem worse, darn it. We've encouraged and yes, even coerced her to eat whatever non-chew food we can think of; I've sat with her and had "eating practice" with regular food (which went well for a bite or two until some other family member showed up and broke up the calm), and talked about needing to eat so she could have energy to play and grow.
I'm trusting that time, love, and as much patience as we can muster will get her through this in good physical and mental health. If anyone has advice, please let me know!
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Date: 3/26/2005 12:48:00 PM
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Author:
David
(davidemcclain@yahoo.com)
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Subject:3 year old has stopped eating
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Hi,
Does anyone have any useful suggestions for this problem? My 3 1/2 year old son stopped eating solid foods almost two weeks ago. He choked on a piece of bread, ate the rest of his meal, then ate for the following week. After a week he developed a sore throat and has since then refused to chew ANY solid food or swallow. He has been living on yogurt, milkshakes, gatorade and milk. My wife and I have tried everything. We let him help prepare his meals, we have ignored it, then assured him everything is ok and he will be fine. His doctor saw him and told him he did not have a sore throat any longer, but he keeps saying that his throat hurts! He is just scared from the choking incident and the sore throat brought back that scare.
How long does this last? Has any doctor suggested anything helpful on this board? His doctor told us to let him eat what he wants until he is ready. This is not reassuring for us. What three year old doesn't want to live on milkshakes?
HELP!
David
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Date: 4/7/2005 9:44:00 AM
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Author:
Mary
(naomi37@hotmail.com)
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Subject:one suggestion
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My daughter is still not chewing, and it's been almost a month. We've decided she needs to eat regular food, and if she doesn't want to chew it, it can go into the blender. It gets rid of the milkshake problem, anyway. Mac & cheese works well; add some cheddar cheese soup to keep it from getting too gluey. Other items, you have to do some improvising with what to add to get it pureed sufficiently. (We had just bought a "Magic Bullet" before this happened, and it has certainly come in handy.)
We make sure she doesn't eat alone, knows there's someone right there to help if there's any problem, encourage and reward her for taking bites of anything that needs to be chewed.
I hope this can't last forever, but it seems like it already has - every day, every meal can be such an ordeal! She has seen a psychologist a few times but I don't think it really helped.
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Date: 11/3/2006 6:49:00 PM
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Author:
Bonnie Eden
(bonnieeden@aol.com)
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Subject:feeding problems
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My granddaughter is 15 months old, will not drink anything from a cup, or bottle, and only wants breast milk. She refuses any solid food, other than stage 2 baby food. She chokes on very small pieces of any type of solid food.
She refuses any type of finger foods as well.
How old is your child?
By the this time, has she been eating?
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Date: 6/26/2007 1:15:00 PM
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Author:
Deanna Hinds
(deehinds57@yahoo.com)
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Subject:sold foods
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My child had 12 teeth at 1 year and choked on anything solid. My doctor said no problem. Let him remain on strained baby food until 18 months. If still a problem, he would tell me what to do. By the time he was 18 months old, he just decided to chew his food and no more problems. He was called an anxious over eater. In other words, he wanted it in and down, no time to chew. He did not eat finger foods either. Nothing but strained baby food and breast milk.
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Date: 4/7/2005 12:01:00 AM
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Author:
Becca
(xcrazyboutyou777@cs.com)
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Subject:10 year old not eating!
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Dude! i'm trying to figure out what's wrong with my little brother! He's 10 and so far he's choked three times in his life. He's scared to death to eat! he won't eat jello, mashed patatoes, ice cream NOTHING!! He won't even look at any kind of solid foods! Me and my mom took him to the doctors and the doctor told him that he was fine and nothing was wrong with eating but it seems like it went through one ear and came out the other. But i mean i read all these things about 3-5 year olds not eating but they're little they would most likely get over it easier not know alot about the situation. My little brother is older and understands more about it. He hasn't eatin REAL food for about 7 days now. but his fear won't let him eat. he drinks liquids fine. i'm trying to be the strong one here because my mom is going crazy about this! i don't know how to help him anymore! please help!i just about feel like giving up on him right about now... but he's my lil bro! he means the world to me!
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Date: 4/7/2005 6:07:00 AM
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Author:
Rudy
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Subject:not eating
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Try sitting with him while he eats and let him know you are there. Encourage him to take a little bit first. have a drink right there so he can drink after he takes a bit. THen give him a lot of prasie and hugs.
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Date: 4/15/2005 4:20:00 AM
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Author:
mosquito - from Australia
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Subject:Hey! hows it going with your brother??? ...
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Hey! how's it going with your brother??? Any luck???
Here's some ideas -
Can you make a story about a clown who did many different energetic things and ate lots of energy giving foods. Then one day he forgot to eat and had no energy and couldn't do all the things he wanted / was supposed to do.
Then talk to him about what foods give us energy and why the clown needs to eat them. He can finish off the story - hopefully with the clown eating normally again!!!!
Make it always about the clown and not about him. After a bit say 'gee i don't think you'll have enough energy to ride your bike - can you eat a bit of cheese (or whatever) first? ' He'll probably think this is really stupid but you never know when he lies in bed and thinks about it late at night, he may realise that he needs to eat. He's old enough to understand that he needs to eat to get energy.
I know this bit is the hardest but ignore it. Even don't set the table for him (maybe???) over dinner (with him nearby) talk to your mum about how delicious the food is....
All the best -
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Date: 4/10/2005 11:09:00 PM
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Author:
D. Erickson
(lsparents@hotmail.com)
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Subject:8 1/2 year old not eating
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I read the previous posts and didn't see much for kids over 4. My son is 8 1/2 years old and has been having extreme anxiety about eating for almost 2 weeks. He gets so worked up and yesterday complained that the center of his chest was stinging. Previously he would just say "my stomach hurts all over". We called the doctor over the weekend and he suggested our son was dehydrated so we have been trying to get him to drink more water. He refuses juice and sports drinks as well as milk.
Our next door neighbor is an acupuncturist and gave us some suggestions to calm our son including not allowing cold foods before bedtime,decreasing milk products, lavender oil at bedtime, pressure points inside the upper ear lobe and lower inside ankle.
We went to the ER last night and were told he was fine. We are going to follow up with his regular doctor tomorrow (monday) and my son has an appointment with a child therapist on Tuesday. The ER doctor didn't think doing an xray was necessary but thought it might be possible he has an ulcer. He wasn't worried about it enough to do any further tests.
In our case I feel my son has some extreme anxieties regarding throwing up and getting sick. He paces around the house, rings his hands and speaks irrationally when he has gotten himself so hungry he can't stand it. But not enough to eat.
Hopefully all of these tools together will help him. I'm determined to find the cause even if it is me leaving him alone.
I am very worried.
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Date: 4/12/2005 6:30:00 AM
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Author:
Rudy
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Subject:not eating
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I don't think you should leave him alone at all. You said he was entering therapy. I hope this helps. Is your child a bigger child? Do people tease him? If so this could be a big part of his not eating. Being teased by others is very hurtful and children often believe what the others are saying.
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Date: 4/25/2005 4:31:00 PM
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Author:
Carol
(itzcarol32@yahoo.com)
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Subject:My 4-1/2 year old son hasnt eaten right since baby food.
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My son refused to drink milk out of a sippy cup, only a bottle. We finally quit giving him a bottle at about 18 months. He has not drank milk since. He refuses. He has eaten maybe 4-5 different items since off baby food. He gets burnt out on eating the same things over and over. Now he will not eat food. He went on this Hormel Chili kick for a year now. He is now sick of chili. He will however eat gold fish, doritos, and those long keebler crackers. He snacks only. I took all these things away several times and he will go days with no food. I don't know how he does it. He is also very funny about anything that he does eat or snack on. He will not eat anything that is broken. If a chip is folded, bent or broken he will not eat it. Sometimes I wonder if my child has some sort of a psychological disorder. I don't know how to get him to change this behavior, and start eating.
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Date: 4/30/2005 9:05:00 PM
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Author:
mosquito - from Australia
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Subject:Carol - Ive been thinking about you and ...
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Carol - I've been thinking about you and your son for a couple of days - I seem to remember a disorder where the child wouldn't eat anything broken or folded - it (the item of food) had to be perfect. Check with your child's doctor for more information. all the best! - mozzie
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Date: 4/10/2006 4:05:00 PM
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Author:
pam
(pamarsenault46@hotmail.com)
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Subject:my 6 yr old wont eat
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my daughter felt like she was chocking 1 week ago, since then she's refused to eat any solids. is living on yogart, jello and juice.
went to the dr today, chest & throat xray came back okay, tomorrow we go back for another test where she drinks a think liquid and they follow the path thru radiology to ensure no blockage, but i really believe that she's just afraid to eat anything incase she chokes. what do i do? i am at my wits end. do i continue to only give her jello & yoguart, can't very well take that away from her as that's all she's eating. please can someone who's gone thru this email me and hopefully give me some encouragement, all i do is think of "worse case scenarios" thanks, Pam
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Date: 4/12/2006 5:50:00 PM
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Author:
Crystal Buchholz
(CrystalBuchho@iowatelecom.net)
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Subject:Pam, It is difficult when a child stops...
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Pam,
It is difficult when a child stops eating, I would suggest to try adding some stuff to her yogurt. Chopped fruits like bananas or mandarian oranges. Slowly get her use to chunky foods and eventually she should come around. If she has something medically wrong only your doctor can help. At least shes eating healthy. I had a child in my care who was a vegetarian. He ate alot of yogurt and he did fine with that. Keep a chin up and stay strong. Children go through unusual fazes that bother adults but health wise they are fine. If she is over all healthy don't worry and be patient.
Good Luck
Ms Crystal
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Date: 4/17/2006 8:44:00 AM
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Author:
Rudy
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Subject:eating
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I agree that she is probably just scared that she will choke again. See if you can sit with her while she is eating and have her take very little bites. Introduce the chuncky food while you are sitting with her and have a drink for her to help her swallow. Jsut reassure her and keep her trying.
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Date: 5/16/2006 9:29:00 AM
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Author:
Traher
(eptp@hotmail.com)
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Subject:i am not a medical expert to say the lea...
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i am not a medical expert to say the least but i have a three year old son who does exactly the same, albeit slighly fussier and has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder not that i am fully convinced but it is one of the major tendencies does your child display any other tendencies that could go towards this possible diagnosis. how is speech.
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Date: 10/18/2006 2:16:00 PM
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Author:
Lity
(sasmitamishra@hotmail.com)
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Subject:autism
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Hi Traher,
My sister's son is going through the same now. doctor say he has autism spectrum disorder but not yet evaluated.
What is the progress in your son;s case after early intervention. please share the after effects of this diagnosis with me we all are very pieced off.
Lity
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Date: 5/9/2006 2:34:00 PM
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Author:
keiresing
(sales@tipcell.com)
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Subject:my nearly 4yr old wont eat her meals
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my gorgeous little girl nearly four is usually well behaved but mealtimes are just a nitemare. she just eats so slowly a tiny bowl of cereals can take 45 mins even her favourites. dinner can be over an hour. she just takes tiny bites and will put down her cutlery and sit not chewing for ages unless i keep telling her. she will try any diversion tactic possible to delay eating. i have tried just letting het eat for a set time but she hardly eats anything then 15mins later shes pestering me for a snack? i feel like i'm going round in circles now please please has anyone any ideas
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Date: 5/10/2006 6:32:00 AM
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Author:
Rudy
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Subject:4yr old
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I hope you don't give her a snack? If she doesn't eat her dinner she doesn't need a snack. Dinner time should be dinner time. She should be made aware that if she doesn't eat she doesn't get a snack later. She won't go hungary. It is not a mean thing to do. It is being the parent and being consistant with meal time. Set a time and she has to eat her food before the timer goes off. Plan a fair ammount of time that is convenient for you. 30 minutes? If that is acceptable to you. Then if she doesn 't eat in that time there is not a snack later. jsut ber consistant with that. She is playing a game with you because she knows she will get a snack later.
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Date: 5/11/2006 10:24:00 AM
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Author:
Jennifer
(bailey1ak@clearwire.net)
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Subject:My 4 year old has stopped eating
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My Four year old is now almost 7 years old. The reason for the post is that I have moved and my email address has changed, but I wanted to still get emails when someone posts to this board or if someone wants to email me specifically. This board is a wonderful resource. I have found many families that have gone through that trama and other dramas similar to ours and it always makes you feel normal and reassured when you know you are not the only one.
Jennifer
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Date: 5/12/2006 4:08:00 AM
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Author:
mosquito - from Australia
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Subject:Some help for you!!!
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I mentioned the situation that many of you seem to have of your children not eating and she said it could be a worm problem. I've just quickly checked it and by the looks of it worms can cause a loss of appetite! I've never even thought of that before - i hope this news helps someone!!
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Date: 5/26/2006 7:24:00 PM
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Author:
Allison
(mccoy-77@verizon.net)
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Subject:My 8-year-old wont eat!
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It gives me some comfort to know that this is not completely uncommon. My son is just getting over strep throat and says that he cannot eat because he's afraid that he will choke. He is a worrier to begin with, but this is the most disturbing thing we have gone through with him. I am very concerned. We tell him that he has to eat and try to point out that he has never choked before and that his father and I both know what to do if someone chokes, but he just sits there and cries. He chewed the whites of a hard-boiled egg for over 20 minutes the other day before he finally swallowed it. I am going to call the pediatrician tomorrow, but I am really worried. He has even run into the bathroom to spit the food out a few times because he just couldn't bring himself to swallow it.
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Date: 5/29/2006 6:59:00 PM
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Author:
Krista
(ckrj2201@cinci.rr.com)
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Subject:3-year old afraid of choking
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My daughter now everytime she eats, anything, says she is choking. Sometimes I notice, she hasn't even started chewing the food before she starts crying and says, she's choking. We gave her some icecream today, and she spit some of it out because she said it was too big of a bite. Recently, mostly at nighttime, she says, she feels like she needs to vomit and that it's sitting right at her throat. Could this be acid reflux? This all just started about a month ago, and it isn't at every meal... I can't tell if this is just her playing games, because marshmallows, and m&m;'s, are ok.. Please help!
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Date: 5/31/2006 3:16:00 AM
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Author:
Heather
(hmcdermott@gmail.com)
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Subject:My 8 year old is afraid of choking
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So, consequently he won't eat anything. The two of us are just getting over the flu so the eating thing hasn't been a real problem and he's been using that excuse not to eat. I'm really concerned for him. He's a bright child and knows that he needs to eat but I have to force him to. He has ADHD but I don't think that has anything to do with it. I really don't know what else to do for him. I tried to tell him that we were here and if anything did happen we would know what to do but that doesn't seem to be working. He will only eat yogurt, soup and ice cream (nothing with bits in it). It doesn't matter if I give him his favourite thing, he refuses to eat it if it has any lumps in it. AAAGGHHH!!! I'm at my wits end. Any help would be appreciated. I'm really worried about him.
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Date: 6/5/2006 5:20:00 AM
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Author:
Allison
(mccoy-77@verizon.net)
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Subject:Some advise
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My 8 year old just went through the same thing. I was so upset about it because no matter what I did, he wouldn't eat. Last week, I went to a website and printed out information written in kids terms explaining what choking is. I copied it into MS Word and took out the parts that I thought might make him worry more. He actually felt better once he understood more what actually happens when someone is choking. I also told him that there are muscles along his throat that help push food down and the chances of choking are very slim. It took him about a day or two to get completely back to normal, but he is now eating the way he used to. If nothing else works, I would suggest calling your pediatrician. He or she may be able to talk to talk him about it and put his mind at ease. That was going to be my next step. Good luck!
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Date: 6/12/2006 10:50:00 AM
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Author:
Trish Isaac
(p_isaac@mcintyregroup.com)
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Subject:Wont eat solids
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Hello! I cannot believe all the feed back on the message board. I had no idea I wasn't alone with this situation. My daughter is 4 and she stopped eating solids 2 weeks ago today. I took her to her pediatrician and they thought it be acid reflux, so they gave me Zantac – she is still taking it, but she is not eating still. She said if she swallows her food, she will throw up. Her upper part of her stomach hurts. We have all kinds of tests and everything comes up normal. I’m going to scheduled the barium test this week to confirm the acid reflux – but for some reason I don’t believe that is what it is. I think she is just scared to eat after she put to much pork chop in her mouth 2 weeks ago Monday night and it got stuck, but it passed. I think her throat got sore after that, and now she’s scared to swallow anything solid.
I'm so glad she will eat yogurt, pediasure, mashed potatoes from KFC only and now stage 2 baby food. I pray she will start eating solid food again. All the doctors she as seen, look so puzzled with her symptons and normal test results.
Just don't know what else to do.
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Date: 6/23/2006 9:05:00 AM
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Author:
Rudy
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Subject:not eating
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I agreee that it sounds like she is more scared to eat becasue of her experience. Try to see if you can sit with her and watch her take small bites. Maybe she will try if you are there with her.
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Date: 7/19/2006 2:09:00 PM
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Author:
Sonia
(sonisin@hotmail.com)
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Subject:my 3yr old takes ages to finish her food
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Hi,
my 3 yr old is ok with everything else except mealtimes.she takes forever to finish her food, she wont even chew but stay still until i tell her 10 times to chew and finish and this has been going on over a year now.its absolutely frustrating for me doing the same thing everyday for so long..if i try to punish her she just starts crying which then makes me feel gulty..but the next mealtime is the same story again..is there any end??
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Date: 8/1/2006 12:08:00 AM
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Author:
Fran Larsen
(fran_larsen@yahoo.com)
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Subject:4 year old not eating
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I'm the grandmother and was never allowed to give my input on my granddaughter's eating habits. This is not a new thing, but a problem as long as I can remember. She has never been allowed eggs, tomatoes, ketchup, type things, as I was told she was allergic to this. She now only likes pretzels, crackers, that sort of thing. Oh, yes, ice cream. I believe her mother still gives her formula, because that's all she will take (I guess) nutritionally. She is sick a lot, runs fever, has been put on iv's twice in her 4 years. Her mother has never cooked meals, always been spoon feed. Since the age of introducing her to various foods, she's been given mushy stuff like meat and rice mashed up, yogart, etc. She was never introduced to veggies, fruits, etc. as a baby, so she really has no acquired taste for anything like this. She doesn't even hold her fork and spoon properly, because she has never had any practice. I believe this is starting to be a physcological disorder. She even commented one time, she didn't want to get fat. Actually this story goes on and on.
Any suggestions out there?
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Date: 8/10/2006 2:51:00 AM
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Author:
mosquito - from Australia
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Subject:not eating
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this is tricky because your daughter-in-law (I assume!!) is not allowing your input, support and advice on her daughter's problem. Reading through your letter though - I think the problem is the child's mum. Maybe you could get someone to visit her and talk to her about foods that her daughter should and needs to be eating at 4 years old. Are they any pamphlets that you can get for her to read through? Visit the local child nurse for help or ideas.... Good Luck!!!
An idea - talk to your granddaughter about foods that she eats and how it makes her feel (always sick!) and talk about fruit, vegetables and other healthy food that she should be eating and how it will change her health. Once again - Good Luck!!!!!!!
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Date: 8/1/2006 1:40:00 PM
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Author:
Neil Smith
(crowdive@gmail.com)
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Subject:my daughter eats very slowly
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My stepdaughter eats very slowly. In a family reunion this summer she was the last of 300 people to finish and she only stopped eating when someone told her that she didn't have to finish the food on her plate. This child who is a late blooming 16 year old is very stingey about food, usually piles food on her plate, hold food in her cheeks, and stays at the table for an hour maybe. She nearly always eats all of her food and often gets seconds even when she has eaten alot already. She does not have a weight problem. She doesn't have bolimia or anorexia. I can not find any help on the net. I am asked by other people what her problem might be. Her mom says that she didn't double her birth weight on schedule when she was 3 months old, but after that gained just fine. I wonder if she has a constricted esophagus? Help!
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Date: 8/9/2006 8:43:00 AM
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Author:
terri henson
(shimmy1717@yahoo.com)
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Subject:my 7 year old stopped eating and is now in hospital
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i was searching the internet and found your story. my
son is 7 years old and he stopped eating solids on
july 13 when he got choked on a pizza roll. . we went
through 5 emergency room visits, a barium swallow, an
endoscopy through the nose, and a upper gi surgery
where they run the scopy down to his stomach. they
found nothing wrong. my son is now in the hospital and
he is having to go through psychological evaluation
because he is afraid he is going to choke and die. he
said he felt like he could not swallow. he has been in
the hospital for a week now. and will be moved to the
eating disorder floor this friday to learn how to re
eat and swallow and overcome his fear. please write me
back and let me know how your child is. i had never
heard of this either. good luck and maybe this will
help you out by knowing what my son is going through.
terri henson
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Date: 8/17/2006 4:59:00 PM
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Author:
Molly
(mforee@thirdrockconsultants.com)
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Subject:How long is too long?
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Date: 8/17/2006 5:02:00 PM
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Author:
Molly
(mforee@thirdrockconsultants.com)
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Subject:How long is too long?
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I just read through every message posted on this issue. My 8 year old, too, recently experienced this very same thing - choked on an apple piece and now says she can't swallow or she'll choke and die. All the same stuff most of you said applies - she just wants to eat pudding, drink milk, etc. It's been about two weeks now. I've been patient and tried almost everything I can think of. My question is how long is too long for this to go on before we should seek some professional help (besides her pediatrician who says she's fine and this fear will pass - easy for him to say!) Thoughts out there?
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Date: 8/19/2006 6:48:00 PM
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Author:
Page A King
(PageKing1@hotmail.com)
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Subject:5 year old afraid to choke
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I've read alot of the posts and they make me feel better that I'm not the only one who's child has a fear of choking. She has choked before but still will eat solids but sometimes she runs to the bathroom to spit it out because she thinks its to big. should I let her do this? Sometimes she feels likes there something left over from what she ate in her throut and has a small anxiety attack. We tell her that if it was stuck she woouldn/t be able to talk or breath. I was wondering if i should bring her to the doctors just to make sure? I also think she has post nasal drip because she;s always clearing her throut and my husband and I have it. Any suggetions
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Date: 8/27/2006 5:55:00 PM
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Author:
Jo
(jolita_aubin@msn.com)
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Subject:My 6 year old has stopped eating
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Hi everyone. It's good to know I'm not alone, but my situation is a little bit different, and I didn't know if anyone had any advice. My son has always been a picky eater, but lately he will hardly eat at all. It has been going on for 2 weeks where he won't eat breakfast, he'll eat a couple of crackers for lunch, and if I'm lucky he'll eat a couple of fishsticks for dinner. He has been telling me his stomach hurt, but I thought that after 2 weeks he would be feeling better. But he isn't. Also, now he will not eat next to anyone. He gags if he has to sit next to anyone to eat, and it's become a big problem in school (and he just started school last week!). He never used to be like that. Also, he has never tried new foods, and if we tried to have him try new foods, he would intentionally throw up so he wouldn't have to. I've had people mention to me that he sounds like he has Asperger's Syndrome, but weren't sure. And I'm not sure, either. And it has taken me forever to get an appointment with his pediatrician (it's not until this Thursday) and I am at my wit's end. Today all he ate was a couple of fishsticks, and a couple of bites of apples. It's getting worse, not better. And it doesn't have anything to do with him choking like most of you have had a problem with, because he hasn't choked in a couple of years. And now he has no energy, and that is just not like him...usually he can't stop moving. Has anyone else gone through something like this before, and have some advice for me?
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Date: 9/5/2006 7:25:00 AM
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Author:
Mariza
(marivlz@sbcglobal.net)
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Subject:My 4year old doest want to eat solid food
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My 4yr old has not eaten right since he was about 18months. He refuses to drink milk in a cup. But because he doesn't have anything in his stomack I give in & I give him his milk in a bottle. I also give him pediasure with fiber. They only thing he will sometimes eat is yogurt, sherbert ice cream, a slice of white bread, ritz crakers and chocolate chip cookes (4). Can someone please give me any suggestions. I have bought about 8 different kinds of cups to get him to drink from it but he just wont.
Sincerely Desperate Mom...
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Date: 9/7/2006 7:53:00 PM
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Author:
Sue
(smm@tetsukaai.com)
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Subject:8 Year Old Daughter Not Eating
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My daughter got a bad case of the stomach flu about 2 months ago, then got 2 more viruses during the summer that didn't involve vomiting, she just felt like it. Now, she worries all the time about vomiting and for the most part can't swallow food. She is underweight as it is and I am very worried. I did take her to the doctor when she was sick last time and told him I thought part of her problem was that she was anxious about throwing up. He just said lets see how it goes. She got better, but all of a sudden is having the same issues. We can get her to eat a little, but it is very stressful for all of us. She knows and admits she worries about it, but can't stop. She tells me she wishes her mind didn't make her worry. I have tried and tried to put her mind at ease, with no luck. I think I will try the school counselor to see if she can offer any advice.
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Date: 10/10/2006 11:30:00 AM
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Author:
Sally Scott
(sscott65@cox.net)
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Subject:not eating
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Sue, my 8 year old daughter is going through the same thing.
what is scarring me is that other people keep saying she has an eating disorder. I really dont beleive an 8 year old would do that. She will eat sometimes fine then if we go out
to eat she will say she is not hungry and start to gag. Her flu happened when we were on vacation so the restaraunts have a lot to do with it. My daughter also says it is in her mind. Please tell me if you try a councler.
Thanks Sally
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Date: 11/3/2006 8:13:00 PM
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Author:
Ryan and Heather
(mcnearyr@aol.com)
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Subject:Thanks and more help out there?
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I must say that my wife and I were very glad to see that we were not alone either. Our daughter of 6 yrs old had a choking incedent which seemed to have no effect. About a week later she began to show signs of being afraid of food. She eats a little bit at each meal but not much and tends to cry while eating. She is also beginning to ask questions about choking on other objects like pens, plastic caps and also say that something may have gotten in her mouth that she is going to choke on. Our fear is that she is not functioning normal without getting worried - we have done all of the doctor things but not mental health yet.
Is there anyone out there that has had a successful treatment?? I am glad that you are all out there but where are the experts on these topics. Where is the expert section?
thanks to everyone for the information and sharing
R&H;
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Date: 11/18/2006 12:49:00 PM
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Author:
shelly
(mommaewing@yahoo.com)
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Subject:my daughter is scared to eat also..
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She is four and on this halloween she choked on candy. she ate fine for two weeks, then all of a sudden four days ago she started to show signs of not wanting to swallow. I caught her spitting her food in the sink, then it progressed to her not eating anything with texture. her daily diet for three days now is popsicles, icecream, drinks and frozen yogurts pops(gogurts) I cant get her to even try to eat anything. even applesauce or pudding. she refuses to even try. The pediatrician said to not make a huge fuss, but how can you when your child wont even try. what do you do? I tried to tell her she would have to go to the hospital if she did not eat, but it doesnt change her mind, she would rather say she is sleepy than try to eat. as a parent this is such a scary struggle. I am wondering how long this will last.
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Date: 11/26/2006 8:55:00 PM
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Author:
Sheila
(sheila@crowder-design.com)
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Subject:There is hope!
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My 8 yr. swallowed a Dot candy whole, he was fine but it scared him. Then, 4 days later, the day after Halloween (hmmmmm funny how he was fine through Halloween) he stopped eating solids. Drove me crazy. My husband and I hit every emotion. I tried my best to talk to him, research with him (as suggested above), behavior modification (earn TV for eating small amounts), we even took him in for $250 worth of x-rays (only to have the Dr. say "of course, I'm not sure a Dot would show up in an x-ray" I could've died, 'cause he said it in front of my son so those were useless). Anyway, what worked for us was earning TV time, that is definitely what made him try a bit harder. Since we were out of school for holidays I cut down on the Ensure/ice cream shakes, yogurt and Balance bars (this is all he would eat for 3 wks), and let him get a bit hungry. Had I let him, he would've loved to live on those....no telling how long he would have let this go on. I think the shakes just prolonged it (but I had to put some weight on him! And I couldn't send him to school malnourished) Also, after 3 wks of trying to ignore it (which is REALLY hard by the 12th hour! Sometimes I had to leave the room.) I started just saying "swallow it" whenever I saw him not swallowing. It was almost as if it were a habit he had to break. It was tough love but just tonight he pigged out! = )
Anyway, I know this board gave me some much needed comfort when I was going through this, so I hope this will help someone out. I does get better! Onward and upward! Good luck to all.
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Date: 11/27/2006 10:22:00 PM
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Author:
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Subject:So, okay Im thinkin were all clear cause...
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So, okay I'm thinkin' we're all clear 'cause my son pounded down a huge dinner last night. But in order to get him to eat tonight my husband invented the "is it supposed to look like that?" spaghetti (I was out and he decided to cook). Had my husband not added that humor I'm not so sure my little guy would've eaten tonight. I guess this is a gradual process and I should just expect some regression. Anyway, just a thought, maybe interjecting some humor might help, it sure did for our little guy. Just a thought....but we all know, "it ain't over till the fat lady sings"...I'll let you know if we come up with something creative tomorrow. = )
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Date: 11/24/2006 1:54:00 PM
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Author:
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Subject:to all parents of non-eating children
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Don't stress about it!!!!! Some children may actually be doing this to get your attention. So instead forget the fact that they don't eat and spend time with them elsewhere. Do special activities with them and slowly they may realise that they don't have to stop eating to get your attention!!!!!
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Date: 12/10/2006 9:19:00 AM
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Author:
Mycah
(mmnsfam@aol.com)
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Subject:7 year old daughter scared of choking
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Hello everyone,
I've never written in on one of these things, in fact, I haven't been on one until recently. I read all of the messages above and felt comforted to know that my family and I are not alone. My daughter, who is seven, had an episode about 12 days ago. She was in bed and says she choked on something. She wasn't eating, but after doing some research, I think she may have choked (or simply felt) a tonsil stone (has anyone ever heard of these, little white things that attach to the tonsil?). Anyway, ever since this experience, she is scared of choking and will hardly eat anything. Some days are better than others. She says she feels there is something stuck in her throat. She is very anxious about it. We are going to go to a child psychologist, in fact the first appointment (where just I go) is on tuesday. We had a barium test and we've been to the doctor. We also are going to see an ENT to see about the possibility of tonsil stones. She seems to be losing weight, and I am very concerned about her anxiety. I guess I just wanted to share my story. If anyone has anything in response, I'm all ears. My daughter is really attached to me and always has been. I've been a stay at home mom since she was born, she's an only child. I recently started working and I think this may be associated with this whole thing (I was at work when the initial choking happened). Does this sound familiar to anyone?
Thanks for listening, Mycah
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Date: 12/10/2006 11:09:00 AM
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Author:
Sheila
(sheila@crowder-design.com)
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Subject:Boy it sounds like you are doing all the...
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Boy it sounds like you are doing all the right things. I am in the same boat STILL (since Halloween)! He is eating but just very selective and small amounts. I have been fattening my guy up (after he eats solid food) with Ensure High Protein, a package of Instant Breakfast and a scoop of ice cream....it's "yummy" and fattened him up fast. Keep me posted on the tonsil stones. I have never heard of that. As for the anxiety, mine is not so anxious about this anymore. I told him to relax with it because he was getting proper nutrition. Now he just obsesses about every scratch, bug bite or whatever. I feel like I've given birth to Jack Nicholson! = ) I just reassure him with each incident and try to give it as little attention as is possible. As for the going back to work, I too am a stay at home mom, I know that my son started up with his bit when I was doing a LOT of volunteer work for school (a jog-a-thon). Although his was definitely associated with an incident, I couldn't help but wonder the same. I was also worried that he was being pushed too hard by his teacher or too many extracurricular activities. I stopped everything extra and asked his teacher to back off a bit. I think it is a VERY slow process. The difference though between our kids is that yours does feel something...so I think you are doing the right thing with the ENT...maybe strep? I am surprised the psychologist is even willing to talk to you until you have completely ruled out physical variables. Winter break is coming up and maybe some good one-on-one time so you can really control her diet will help. Good luck and enjoy the day! I hope this helps you even the slightest bit, 'cause I know all you are going through...it is really tough! Think how easy the teenage years are gonna be after going through this. = )
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Date: 1/12/2007 8:43:00 AM
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Author:
Alexis
(mihska_azaroth@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Not Eating
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My baby neice is only three years old. I have just heard about this and I noticed that there is a similar thread but I think that something may have a bigger picture. as of thursday 1/4/07 she has stopped eating for no reason and that sunday the 7th she stopped drinking also. She has been to the doctor. emergency room and is now at a children's hospital. She has had xrays, MRI, CAT, but the doctors cannot find anything wrong. If you have any ideas or have gone through this yourself please let me know what I can tell my sister.
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Date: 2/19/2007 1:13:00 PM
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Author:
mary
(andy@nettalk.co.uk)
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Subject:my 4 year old choked and now wont eat
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my 4 year old son choked last week on a home made chip, it was a traumatic scene and has upset him to the extent of refusing to eat I have tried every thing i can think of to encourage him but we are doing battle every day with my stubburn little boy winning, I have taken him to the doctors but they say not to worry he will eat again, I have just managed to get him to eat a small yogurt and drink a fruit smoothie , but he will not chew any food i give him, even porridge he will spit out and not swollow, he loves chocolate and when i give it to him he will only lick it and then puts it in the bin, I am very worried as what i should do and how long do we continue like this before he becomes unwell.Everyone says he will not let himself starve and he will starts chewing soon, but this waiting game is not helping my nurturing instincts that my son is not getting the nutrition he needs. please note i am not a nurotic mother just a worried one. Hope some one can help please !
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Date: 2/24/2007 2:03:00 PM
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Author:
Renee Careen
(reneecareen1@hotmail.com)
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Subject:7-year-old refuses certain foods
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I have a 7-year-old son that once ate everything that was put in front of him. When he eats peas or carrots now, he vomits. We have tried everything that we could think of. I pretty well got it hammered down to the texture, but I am not sure if this is normal. He also refuses to eat green pepper, onion, and anything else that you find on a pizza or in spaghetti sauce. I find that mealtimes are very complicated as I have to make two separate meals. I am also afraid that my 4-year-old will develop the same habits as he sees his older brother doing the things that he does.
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Date: 3/5/2007 4:33:00 PM
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Author:
Donna Meloche
(dee_1967@hotmail.com)
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Subject:an almost 5 yr old son refuses to eat solids
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Hello
I have a son who has always been a great eater. He had a throat infection in early february which caused him to have a very sore throat. Since then he refuses to eat anything he has to chew. He has been living on tomato soup, yogurt , popsicle, pediasure and will drink anything. He's been to emerg, had blood and urine tests. He's had an enema because of constipation. Now today he had an upper gi and so far they have found nothing. The pediatrician said i have to take away all the things he's been eating, and make him eat. But everytime we try he spits it out, he refuses to chew. We are at our witts end and it is affecting our other children. He hasnt been back to school as he is afraid of lunch time. Any advice would be great.
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Date: 3/7/2007 1:07:00 PM
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Author:
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Subject:Hope this helps. Read my post on 11/26/0...
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Hope this helps. Read my post on 11/26/06. We went through the same thing, at this point the comfort food is a habit. I did not take mine out of school...I was hoping the peer pressure would help, also taking him out of school and hanging out with me would have been a positive reinforcement for a bad behavior. We found that the less attention we gave it the better. I have to say that I was surprised at how long it took...excruciating for the parents! I would try to bring life back to normal. I used to pack food that he would maybe eat (he usually didn't but I ignored it). You've probably tried this....having him do the cooking? Good luck!
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Date: 3/26/2007 9:25:00 PM
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Author:
Christine
(hopeful3331@msn.com)
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Subject:My 5 year old refuses to eat solids
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Last Thursday something happened to my daughter at school, I am not sure what it was, she will not tell me. But since then she refuses to eat solids. I am getting really scared. It has been almost 5 days since. We brought her to the ER, and to the throat spe t, they all tell me theres nothing wrong with her. I believe she might even be expierencing anxiety. I have put her on ensure, and starting liquid vitamins tomarrow. My Mother tells me as long as she is drinking she will be ok, but it has to be whole milk in combination with the Ensure. If anyone could kindly help me a little more with this, and give some advice I would appreciate it very much. I dont think its for attention, I know my daughter. It is really scaring her also, and I think making her a bit depressed.
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Date: 4/3/2007 12:31:00 PM
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Author:
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(loom12@gala.net)
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Date: 4/5/2007 3:38:00 PM
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Author:
Laura Beth
(nascar_88_04@yahoo.com)
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Subject:4 year old not eating
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Wow! Guess I'm not alone in this. BUT the difference is that my son hasn't choked on anything to make him not want to eat. He had been rather congested and still has a cold with a cold and runny nose (congested at night). He is barely drinking anything. I think we are down to 16 oz a day or so. His urine is dark yellow and smells absolutely horrible. He has often had "too much" in his mouth and would spit it out. When he has eaten in the last 5 days he has done the "too much" thing at least once at each meal. Today I bribed him with Sonic chicken strips... he was ok with that and got home, sat down to eat... he started eating, I was thrilled and then I just walked into the other room to let him be... to see if that would assist in him eating. He stopped about half way through the first strip and threw them away. I came in, saw that it was all cleaned up and I was all excited about it telling him how great it was that he finished all his food. Praising him. Then I noticed his face. I asked if he finished his chicken. He said, "yes", but I could tell that he didn't. I asked him if I look in the trash will the chicken be there. He got upset, not wanting me to look in the trash. He flat out lied to me about eating the chicken! HE'S FOUR! I am so frustrated with this. Any suggestions?
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Date: 4/11/2007 9:27:00 AM
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Author:
Vinny
(vgkc1999@aol.com)
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Subject:3 1/2 daughter fear of choking/vomiting
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A month ago, had virus, vomited. Since then virtually having panic attacks with meals. Seemed to try everything, only wants apple sauce, yogurt, pudding. Any updates on past situations, how long it lasted, what worked, advice??
She was great until then with eating. She told me last night that she is afraid of throwing up
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Date: 4/11/2007 3:17:00 PM
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Author:
jaya
(postive@yahoo.com)
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Subject:My daughter throws out food with sticky mucus
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I have a 22 month daughter, who has this problem almost when she is 9 months old
She coughs little bit after food or in the middle of food and takes out the food and sticky mucus comes with it, some times she even takes it out in sleep and cann't sleep untill she takes it out
We started givign her Soy milk, but didn't help much, we stopped dairy to her
Any suggestions, or any one haivng this issue, please help :(
Thank you
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Date: 4/16/2007 3:54:00 PM
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Author:
Paul
(par9999@aol.com)
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Subject:7 yr daughter afraid of choking
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Lacey has always been the one to have anxiety over things. 8 days ago, she choked a little bit on peanut er, and now she refuses to eat any solid foods for fear of choking. We took her to the doctor today and he said he did not see any problems. She complains that it feels like something is stuck in her throat. She is living on milk, pudding, and broth. It seems as if most of the other children on here stress or obsess about things. I am glad this is not an uncommon occurence.
Oh yeah, the jerks that say stuff like "get over it" or "maybe its for attention" are idiots. It is very stressful as a parent to see your child just stop eating for days and days and days. Nutrition is supposed to be so important, of course a parent is going to be concerned.
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Date: 5/23/2007 4:05:00 AM
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Author:
sian
(sianneil001@aol.com)
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Subject:4 year old will only eat yoghurt
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my 4 year old son had tonsilitus a month ago, since then he will only eat yoghurt, jelly and milk. He has always been a picky eater. im convinced that he is using the fact that his throat was sore as a form of control. Ive decided to stop stressing about it as i think all the attention he gets over not eating is just making the problem worse- will let you know if this works
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Date: 6/1/2007 11:10:00 AM
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Author:
Pam
(luckymomx4@sbcglobal.net)
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Subject:My 9 year old hasnt eaten solid food in 5 months
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Wow, I am so glad I found this board. My son, age 9 thought he choked (he didn't) on 12/28/06. Since then, no solid food. He's had a CAT scan, Barium swallow, ENT visit, numerous counselors, psychiatrists, etc. and he still is not eating. He will only drink pediasure, Carnation Instant Breakfast, juice and milk. I did finally get him to eat plain vanilla ice cream and plain yogurt, but nothing with any kind of consistency in it. He's lost 10lbs and the doctors have no clue what to do for him. We are frantic to say the least. We've tried goal charts, ignoring it, punishing it, nothing works. He won't swallow his spit either and is constantly wiping his mouth on his shirt. I tried getting him into the eating disorder program at Stanford (5 hours away from us as we are in Reno, NV) - but he didn't "medically qualify". He's so anxious about everything now and I feel is all stems from him not eating properly. We can't even get him to put a small piece of food in his mouth - he totally freaks out.
Most every medical professional has said they'd never heard of this or seen this type of behavior before. I need to direct them to this board!
Any advice - anyone know of any professional I should take him to next? As the days click by, we are getting more and more scared that he will never eat!
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Date: 6/5/2007 9:13:00 PM
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Author:
Kristi
(KLWhitener@aol.com)
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Subject:3 yr old afraid of choking
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A good friend of mine found this information for me and I can not thank her enough. My husband and I are at the end of our rope. We do not know what to do. Our 3 yr old daughter has not eaten in over 5 days, she says she can't because she will choke. She will put food in her mouth at times and will chew and chew until it is all liquid and it pours out of her mouth because she can't make herself swallow it. She cries and is genuinely scared, you can see it in her eyes. She has to be hungry, how can she NOT be? She will drink liquids, eat ice cream and the occassional chocolate graham cookie. We've been giving her Pediasure to make sure she gets SOME kind of nutrients, she also is drinking whole milk & a cup of water at times. I am worried sick about her, we have tried every thing you could imagine and nothing is working. We have an appointment with her pediatrician tomorrow afternoon and she is a little stresses about that but she understands that it is something we have to do or she is going to get sick. I think she WANTS help, you can tell she wants to be able to eat but she is just too scared. Sometimes though she will say "I'm not hungry" just so she doesn't even have to try and when we make her sit there with her food she gets very stressed out. I just feel so helpless, I'm not equipt to handle this and just want to deal with this for her and I can't :( It is relieving to know that we are not alone though.
Just some background, she has choked before on some chicken and also if she gets too much in her mouth she will throw up. Last week I remember her saying she had food stuck in her throat and she looked very scared. I finally was able to talk her into taking a few drinks and it seemed to wash it down but she was still very afraid. I believe it was a couple of days after that when this all started.
Thank you for reading our story,
Kristi & Damon
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Date: 7/19/2007 11:16:00 AM
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Author:
Tina
(tiny11692000@yahoo.com)
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Subject:grandson wont chew any solid foods
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Hi I have a 2 year old grandson who my husband and I are raiseing.He has alot of medical problems due to drugs his mother was on. Iam lost he will not chew any food, in fact he chokes on about every thing. He is still on a bottle, He drinks formula, I put baby food in every bottle. I have tryed every thing to get him to chew. Can some one give me some sugestions on what I could do to get him to eat. Iam deeply concerned about him , he is very small 18 pounds.
concerned grandmother
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Date: 9/6/2007 2:08:00 PM
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Author:
JODI
(jodierickson4@yahoo.com)
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Subject:i have a 2 1/2/ yr old son that doesnt c...
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i have a 2 1/2/ yr old son that doesn't chew his food either. have you ever found any suggestons for what to try???
jodi
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Date: 9/13/2007 4:49:00 AM
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Author:
Teresa
(teresauplan@comcast.net)
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Subject:Same Problem
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I just read you comment and my son who is also 2 1/2 will not chew his food also. He stores it on this side of his cheek until he splits it out or we take it out. Let me know if you get any suggestions. thanks
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Date: 9/6/2007 6:47:00 AM
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Author:
Carrie
(Carolina3580@comcast.net)
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Subject:My 3yr old stopped eating!
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I dont want to sound like a broken record but this is my first thought when finding this site....."wow others are experiencing this too, so why do the pediatricians act baffled?" My son is 3 years old and as of today he hasnt eaten for 2wks and I too am at wits end. He has been through so much during this ordeal. 2wks ago on Tuesday he had eaten all day, and all meals plus snacked throughout. My child was always a picky eater but ate alot of what he did like. That night he did something with popcorn, we are not sure if he choked or hurt himself, maybe bit his tongue or cheek but he started crying a hurt cry. So i soothed him and he went to bed. The next day everytime he took a bite of something he would spit it out and wipe his tongue, i found this very strange. The next day he woke up saying he had a belly ache, and immediately starting vomiting, he vomited maybe 4 times in a course of 5 hours. So later that night he said he was hungry so we tried cereal, he took a bite and immediately spit it out, then he went and got a straw and sucked all the milk out of his bowl, ok strange again, but i chalked all this up to maybe him not feeling well. BUt then by the end of the week when he still wasnt eating i took him into pediatrics. The doctor on call was not our doctor, but I didnt care i was worried. He felt that his stomache was full, he did an internal rectum exam and said he didnt feel any stool but felt he needed x-rays. We went for the x-rays and the dr said he was backed up and gave us a laxative for him. Well after 2 days he was still having diareah and no solid stool. So i called our doctor and said this wasnt working, still no stool. So this is what they told me to do: 3oz enema od mineral oil then 20 min later a saline enima, now I was suppose to do this cycle 4TIMES!!! Then call and reschedual another xray. Now do the math that is 8 enemas in 2days!!! This is crazy to me, but they are the doctors. We completed 3 sets and I found no change he was only passing the enemas. I now felt this was all wrong. I called the office and said they either do another xray or i was going to the childrens hospital, they told me to go!! We went there and they did more xrays and found that he was not backed up...now how could he be he wasnt eating!! They then did and ultrasound of his belly and found nothing wrong. They then thought it was acid reflux and prescribed prevacid and maalox, and if he didnt eat in 3 days there was talk of a GI scope. Well when we got home i thought about all of this and yet again did not agree. This child never complains of discomfort and went to bed eating and woke up not! And drinks soda with no complaints, now what has more acid then that? So i have not given the meds. I went back to pediatrics and said it's almost as if he is traumatized over food and that i want a therapist. The office called me yesturday with their new plan of action, my sone is going to see a nose ear and throat spe t to rule out that the popcorn didnt do some damage, maybe a barrium swallow, then an occupational therapist to work on chewing and swallowing. My son as of now is drinking pediasure (6 cans a day), some pudding, those yogurt drinks, milk shakes, and will LICK some solid foods. I tried forcing him to eat and he tremors, this is not a spoiled child trying to show who is boss, he is definately afraid of something. I have cried my eyes out over this, i dont like not knowing "why?" he was always a hungry boy even after just eating!! Not too mention we have autism in our family, but all his other skills: motor, cognitive, eye contact, are all right on target!! So I dont feel that is it. Does anyone know of any books on this?? I pray everyones child starts eating soon because i know how awful this feels, it consumes every thought i have all day. Thanks for listening and any advive is appreciated!
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Date: 9/13/2007 6:02:00 PM
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Author:
summer brooks
(summerbrooks47@yahoo.com)
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Subject:Chewing and Holding Food and Refusing to swallow than spitting
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I have a 8 year old daughter that in the last few months Ive noticed she is chewing and holding her food in her mouth refusing to swallow..Ive also noticed that at times after holding the food she spits it out on her plate. It seems to be getting worse that is why I have such a concern...She never complained till just the last days with a tummy ache.
I am going to take her to the doctor...I just wanted to see if anyone else has a similar problem...She eats,but most of it ends back on her plate or on the floor and tonight she was eating mashed potaotos and the potatos ended up on the dogs head....And she asked for more potatos thats what bothers me she chews the potatos,spits out and asked for more potatos... ..My husband says all she wants is junk food,but last night I notice she chewed and spit the cone I gave her out onto the floor after chewing and holding in her mouth...but as far as I know she ate the ice cream because I didnt find it any where...When I watch her i notice she holds food in her mouth all the time.. Shes getting ready to turn 8 in October....I dont see it being a weight issue at this age ,do you?
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Date: 10/7/2007 9:40:00 AM
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Author:
Christina
(cmaria20@yahoo.com)
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Subject:6 year old girl not eating
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My 6 year old daughter lost her appetite maybe 4 months ago. She would complain of stomach pain, sometimes out of the blue she would hold her stomach and cry..sometime int he middle of a meal she would stop and say she couldn;t eat anymore because her stomach was hurting. I noticed that she would do this when she was feeling nervous about someting (she was nervous about school..the end of last year when all this started) the night before school she would not be able to eat anything, nor the morning of. It go really bad during the summer, there were days when she owuld eat nothing at all. She got the stomach flu during the summer and was sick a few times..and now I believe is afraid to eat many foods for fear of getting sick. As soon as school started this September, things got a bit better, ( she isn;t nervous about it anymore) ans is eating more, but still will only eat a small amoutn, and will only eat a few things. Even her favorites she won;t eat now..and still complains of stomach pain sometimes..and gets full very fast. I don't know what to do with her, dinner time is a right off--she usually won't eat anything...she was lost weight, and I think she will keep losing if this keeps up. I wonder if it is anxiety that is making her feel this way, she does tend to get very nervous about things...any help would be appriciated.
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