Saturday, May 1, 2010

Answers needed please

Hi Everyone! I am having a problem with Adam eating now. Before the open heart surgery he had a very good appetite. But now after the surgery he is refusing to eat. Has anyone had this problem and if so what did you do to get them to eat? He only weights 21 lbs and 12 oz I am scared of him losing more weight that he can not afford to lose.

7 comments:

  1. We have that same struggle after each surgery with Logan. This time it has been going on three months post op. Some days are better than others. I think part of it is related to their recovery and how "good" they feel. The other part I think is from the surgery and having stuff in their mouth. Logan had a pretty severe oral aversion after his first surgery so we still deal with some lingering food aversions from time to time.
    I would call his cardiologist and let them know what is going on. They may have you meet with a feeding therapist to determine if it is all oral related or just him being a picky eater right now.

    It is tough! Hang in there!! {{{HUG}}}
    Just keep offering different things. Logan seems to be on a cheese and cracker kick right now which points to the food aversion since cheese and crackers are pretty easy to eat.

    Will he drink pediasure? If not then I would have him drink whole milk for a while. Logan's cardiologist put him back on whole milk until his eating habits get better. I would also see if you can give him a multi-vitamin.

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  2. I echo Stef's comment...something about heart kiddos and poor eating habits!! Andrew was only 7 mos after his last heart surgery, so he was still on formula, but he has never been a good eater. He worked with OT (occupational therapy)on eating issues for about a year. Same thing with Andrew and whole milk, too. We just now switched him to 2% and he just turned 3! Lol! He has always been a shrimp! We just keep trying things as well, but it is always a very big frustration for us, so you are not alone

    Hang in there!

    Jen
    www.thehuegelfamily.blogspot.com

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  3. Christopher has always been a poor eater too. After being FTT for 2 years we went with a g-tube. Its helped somewhat, at least for hydration purposes. He's finally taking some food by mouth and we give high calorie formula and add calories to everything for him. He's seen by a dietitian and and OT in addition to the usual slew of docs heart kids see. Heart kiddos are usually skinny kids, and oral aversions, swallowing difficulties are common. Chris will be 3 at the end of June and he's only 26lbs. BUT we look at the bigger picture - he's hydrated, pretty active and happy. Look into polycose - flavour/texture free way to add calories.
    Wendy

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  4. Ruthie had a problem with eating before we were admitted back in January. Her cardiologist started her on reglan and pepcid and things became much easier. We were no longer battling her to eat.
    We pray for Adam daily. Actually twice a day: morning and evening prayers.
    Stay strong and be positive. Answers will come!

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  5. We had the same struggle after Owain's Glenn when he was 5 months old. I think it just takes a bit of time before they get back into a normal routine again.

    Hang in there!

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  6. Natalie had the same exact problem after her recent Fontan surgery (she's 3 now).. she didn't really have a good appetite until after being home for 2 weeks. I bought lots of whole milk and added strawberry syrup, because that's all she'd consume. She wouldn't even drink the Pediasure, which is a good idea to try. That and little bites here and there. She lost a few pounds and then once she felt well again she kept eating. I would say that he'll just do that and catch up..but like you said, he's already so tiny. Hopefully by now things are improving, if not, the doctors will help ya. Good luck! *heart hugs*

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  7. That's so common after surgery. You should to check out this website http://childrenandbabiesnoteating.com/ . It has a lot of information on kids who won't eat and why and what can be done about it. It's a great resource.

    Best of luck to you.

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