Seeking Advice or a Mom Face with the Same Issue " Feeding Tubes"

my 8 year old son also has adhd (mostly the hyper part) i have had alot of problems at school with him and he is a very picky eater. our doctor says just let him eat what he wants as long as he is getting food.. my son is thin also. peanut butter is good , also ice cream. anything high in protein. fish etc. as far as him getting a feeding tube i don't understand why he needs it. he's not malnurished. just try to explain to him what will be happening as calmly as possible and be very patient. i know that is very hard with adhd children. my son can be very trying at times. good luck

Hi J.,
I have a son with severe ADHD as well and he takes Focalin XR which still doesn't work great but we have tried almost every medication out there. He has a very hard time gaining weight because of the medications he takes. The doctor is always telling us that if he doesn't continually gain weight, the medication will stunt his growth. My son is six. We have not had to deal with feeding tubes but I know what you are going through. We have to make him eat and we let him eat anything and everything so he will gain weight. Good luck to you!

i see that you posted this request 1 day after my daughters birth! she will be 2 months soon and still has her feeding tube! she wasnt eating properly in the nicu and they put a tube in her nose and then they realized it was due to a VSD (venticular septal defect) meaning she has a large hole in her heart! i learned how to insert her tube and feed her through it so i could bring her home while we wait for her to get bigger for surgery, and i have to say its a horrible thing i mean i understand its what she needs now, and i dont want to scare you but if i were you i would try everything under the sun first before i went and had a tube put in! im not sure where you are from but i take my daughter to a feeding and swallowing specialist at CHOP in voorhees nj they deal with this sort of thing everyday and maybe they would be able to help you better! i hope things work out!

L.!

My daughter had a feeding tube, for a very different reason, however i also have a son with ADHA and ODD so I can relate to that end too. The feeding tube is actually a blessing in descise. Initially it is scarry and nerve racking, but after a week or too you son will begin to feek better look healthier, sleep better and most importantly gain weight. My advise to you is stay calm, never let him know Mommy is nervous, but explain to him this is something new for you too and you are just a littlescared and its ok to be scared. Ask your childs doctor to refer you to a child life scecialist, they are located in the hospital. The child life specialist will be able to explain the procedure to your son in a way that he will understand and maybe evenlet him meet another patient or two woth a feeding tube. I am assuming it will be an NG (nasal gastric) tube and not a G (gastric/ perminant) tube? Maybe seeing another child who has mastered the NG tube will be comforting to you both... Good Luck and God Bless