My 13 mo daughter was recently put on a high calorie diet to help her gain weight. Evie is currently on formula after a rather disasterous attempt at transitioning to milk (think fire engine red bottom and super fussy.) I was told to add either dry milk or carnation instant breakfast to her formula. We tried for the first time today - 2 tablespoons in each of her two 8 oz bottles (nothing extra in her two 4oz sippy cups), but she ate less solid food than she does most other days. My questions:
1. How do I best do this - a whole packet once a day, a tablespoon in each bottle, something in betweeen?
2. Could the instant breakfast be why she didn't eat her solids well? Is it too filling?
3. Should I just try to get her to drink it before bed?
4. Any other ideas for adding liquid calories?
Thank you everyone for your well wishes and ideas. They will be put to great use. My doctor suggested that I use both the pediasure and the carnation instant breakfast in different circumstances but she would like for Evie to be able to transition to whole milk. My daughter does have circles under her eyes which I am told could be a sign of an allergy so we will insist on it being tested. I am trying to walk the line between enough milk(my doctor wants 24oz) and enough solid food so I give solids first for the three main meals and milk first for her two snacks. Currently I am adding extra formula powder to most bottles as she actually seems to prefer it to the instant breakfast. I am coming along pretty well with her solid foods in learning to add extra calories with butter, cheese, eggs, and whipping cream (I just can't snack off my babies trays anymore). I live in a rural area so we saw a regular nutritionist and we see a family practice physician who is a mother of 5. Unfortunately pediatricians and pediatric specialists are hard to come by and we wont get a referal until or unless she actually gets diagnosed Failure to Thrive. Otherwise she is a happy healthy slowly-growing child.
Hello A.:) have you tried organic goat's milk??? It is easier on the tummys and has more fat......just a thought
I have a foster son that, when he came to me at 12 months, was underweight. The doctor suggested mixing soy milk (he is lactose intolerate too) with Pediasure (it has like 280 calories and comes in chocolate, strawberry and vanilla flavors).
I would give him 3 meals a day but for nap and night time bottles - I would give half pediasure, half soy milk. So, he would get all the food nutrients and calories and then an extra boost of over 300 calories in his bottles every day, too. It didnt take long before he started gaining weight.
A.,
I had a similar problem with my daughter after I stopped nursing. I found that she was extremely gassey with cows milk and did not want to eat anything after drinking the formula. I stopped the formula and tried Soy and rice milk and I added the Gerber cereal in the milk. She drank it better. I also increased her calories with hot cereals in the morning and finger foods like chicken tenders and mashed potatoes and peas for dinner. I would try and allow her to eat her food before you give her the milk. If possible give the milk in between meals so that she won't feel so full at mealtime. When she finishes her dinner give her something that she likes to drink, like apple juice. Then just before bed try the warm milk.
Good Luck!
The formula is high calorie- anything more is more calories.... I would continue just as you have been a little at a time until she starts to take more... my youngest son was borderline FTT at 12 months and we did weekly weight checks... He stayed on formula until about 18months and then we gradually changed over to milk. We gave him peanut butter sandwiches as solid food (good source of protein and calories) and also did some childrens ensure, but I think carnation breakfast would have worked. It was about warming the milk at that point. He didn't want it cold.
Anyway at about 15 months he started gaining weight again. His growth spurt was just later then expected. He has stayed at the 5th percentile since then and does just fine. Just watch your baby and keep in touch with your doctor.
Is she on schedual for most everything else-walking, talking (babbling), playing with her toys... if so keep up what you are allready doing and stay in touch with your doctor... Tests are next-but the extra calories help then great.
write me if you have anymore questions.
L.
Do you think she may be reacting to dairy in general and that's why she had the rash/fussiness and is having trouble gaining weight? If so, then maybe adding dried milk or carnation (which has milk in it).
If your daughter likes smoothies, try making a smoothie with frozen fruit like strawberries, a banana, half an AVOCADO (which has a ton of calories and healthy fats), a tablespoon of flaxseed oil (more good calories) and a non-dairy liquid like rice milk.
Good luck!
I am a pediatric occupational therapist, while I don't specialize in feeding issues I do have some experience in the area. I am a little surprised that they suggested carnation instant breakfast over Pediasure. You asked if the instant breakfast could be why she didn't eat as well. The answer is it is very likely. Did she drink more formula because it tasted better?? Even if she didn't it is adding calories which can make her feel full. When are you giving the bottles. I would suggest offering all foods first and follow up with a bottle. Has she been seen by a pediatric nutritionist or a feeding team? Feel free to respond if you have further questions.
A.-
When my son wasn't gaining as fast as he should (he was in the 10% for a while), I added a bit of extra powdered formula to his bottles. An extra half-scoop per bottle seemed to help. Ask your pediatrician if this is okay. It's got to be healthier than the sugar-filled Carnation stuff :)
Good luck! My son is still thin at age 6, but now he is on target for weight and extra-tall. His growth and brain development weren't damaged by the low weight issues. Hang in there!
Check with the nutritionist at the children's hospital nearest you. Usually Pediasure is recommended; there's also a supplement called ProSource, that may need a doctor's order; I use it for one of my patients and have not looked for it on the store shelves--it's a liquid that comes in small packets.
Be careful with Carnation instant breakfast. My sister-in-law is allergic to caffine and after drinking one of these, found out that Carnation instant breakfast has caffine in it. She called to find out why it wasn't labled and was shocked to discover that they are not required to list it. It is bundled with some generic term at the end of the ingrediants list. She suffers sever migraines when she comes into contact with caffine, and that was how she discovered it.
My 13 mo daughter is in the 5th percentile and has been there since she was 6 months. My pediatrician recommends calorie dense solids, but not extra milk or formula. I am still breastfeeding and offering some formula, but I add olive oil and organic butter to her vegetables, feed her full fat yogurt and smoothies, meats, egg yolks, avocadoes and lots of cheese.
I imagine they are checking your daughter for anemia, which can lead to slow growth.
I can't answer your question directly, but you might want to check how cystic fibrosis kids add extra calories to their diets. My cousin has it, and I know his mom has to add more to his diet, including high calorie liquids like Carnation. Best of luck.
Hey A.!
When my son was younger they did the same thing except they told me to use Pediasure or Boost (when he was older) we actually supplemented him with that until he was 5 or 6 (he's still thin) maybe you can try that... we gave him at least one a day and just regular food and of course whole milk. The ped. said that Pediasure was definitely better for kids than Carnation Instant Breakfast or even Ensure that adults would drink. Hope this helps! :o)
Hi A.,
Get in touch with the nutritionist at your local children's hospital and see what she recommends to help with the FTT symptons your baby is having.
There is a web site: www.hmc.psu.edu/childrens/health/info/f/failuretothrive.htm
Join a support group with mom's who have twins too. http://www.nomotc.org/
Hope this helps. D.
When my daughter doesn't want to eat and I want to make sure she gets enough calorie intake I give her Pediasure. She loves it and it has everything she needs. Hope this helps, good luck.
S.
My daughter, who is now 14, was diagnosed as FTT when she was about the same age as your little one. She fell off of her growth curve and into the zero percentile. That said, she was fine developmentally and was growing, but very slowly. I took her to a pediatric specialist who indicated that although she was quite small, she was well-proportioned and as long as she was eating and hitting her developmental milestones we shouldn't worry.
She had some problems with the move from breastmilk to dairy, so we used soy products until she was about two. She tolerated them much better. She also enjoyed yogurt and smoothie drinks.
She has remained tiny over the years--when she entered the sixth grade she wore size 8 girls clothing while most of her friends were moving into the junior sizes. A freshman in high school, she now weighs about 95 pounds and is just 5ft tall and unlikely to get much bigger. She can still wear clothing from the girls department, and her shoes are also child-sized. For her bone structure, she is perfectly proportioned, and while she is a head smaller than all of her classmates, she is athletic and healthy.
As for your question about the instant breakfast drinks, I would certainly think that would fill your little one up. Have you ever tried to drink one? I've never been able to finish a whole glass as I get so full from the product. Like some of the other readers, I am a little surprised that your physician recommended this rather than pediasure or something similar. Are you seeing a pediatrician? I used a family physician for most of my children's health care (we lived in a rural area with no pediatricians. When I had questions, I always requested a referral.
I would encourage you to stay on top of your daughter's growth. . . read as much as you can. . .ask lots of questions. . . try different foods. . . get a second opinion on her growth from another physician. . . but keep in mind that your little girl may just be petite, and the best things often come in small packages.
we added pediasure to my 13month olds diet and it works really well.
Most kids love full fat yogurt. You can try the fruit/yogurt drinks with minimal fillers and no-low-fat milk. Also, you can also try Cottontails drinks for toddlers. They're high in calorie and nutritious (like ENsure for kids).
If she's not hungry, forcing her to eat will make it worse. She'll have a negative feeling about food. It's best to give her whole, fresh foods and let her eat when she wants.
I did not read through all of the posts very carefully, so forgive me if I repeat something.
My 3-yr-old son has a milk "sensitivity" - it is not an allergy, but his diapers get atrocious, and he has trouble sleeping (his tummy hurts). We buy the Lactose-free whole milk at Food Lion, and it works wonderfully for us. We tried it because he can tolerate cheese, yogurt, etc - it was just milk that upset his system.
He also gets the purple-eyes, but for him it is because he is borderline anemic (we give him chewable vitamins with iron to combat that).
Good luck!!
