Baby/toddler Who Won't Eat or Drink

My dd had a "learned aversion to food" at that age (that's what the doctor called it). She ate almost nothing, weighed less at age 2 than she did at age 1. And yes, we force fed, cried, tested, everything. She was in a pediatric feeding therapy program at age 2. It is scary, frustrating, and very few people understand what you're going through.

A GI specialist determined she could not tolerate apple juice, red/purple grape juice, pears and cherries. Her intestines were spasming due to extremely high calcium levels. We put her on rice "milk", and removed all fruits except for pure 100% white grape juice and removed dairy. She learned to eat again with the therapy and with all those triggers removed.

It may not be the same thing, but maybe your sister-in-law will feel encouraged knowing she's not the only one.

That sounds really tough. What does his pedi say? Despite all the feeding issues, is he growing? Is he hitting his developmental milestones?

have they tested him for celiacs or a milk allergy?

I was going to ask the same as Megan C. Has he been seen by a gastroenterologist, tested for food allergies, celiac, cystic fibrosis?

I wish I had some advice or direction to give. This sounds horrible. You can't help but wonder Why and how does something like this happen. All I can do is offer prayer. There is in the very least, always Hope. Such a misunderstood word and a word often skimmed over as meaning nothing or very little at best. But it is a giant word really. Hold on to them and pray for this lilttle guy. I send prayers to him.

He is going to end up with a feeding tube. Six ounces of fluids a day is
not enough. He must be dehydrated. How much does he weigh? I feel
bad for your brother and his wife. Tough situation. What happens when
they force feed him? Guess I have more questions than suggestions. If I
were them, I would find another doctor and another and another if necessary. I would keep going until I found one that could help. Have you
ever seen the show Mystery Diagnosis?
Encourage them to keep seeking help until they find the right doctor. My heart goes out to them. Keep us posted.