2 1/2 Year Old Does Not Eat Solids

I just found this website and finally feel some relief that I am not alone.




My 2/12 year old son is still on a bottle and baby food. If I give him anything else, it is either refused it or he throws a tantrum. His doctor just says "Get him off the bottle". Well I wish it were that easy.

He is seeing a speech pathologist 2x a week, but her main focus has been his speech. He is about 10 months behind and has very few words for his age. He is getting evaluated for occupational therapy very shortly.

He has been unofficially diagnosed with PDD, but after doing research on my own, I truly believe his issue is a sensory disorder. When he was 4 weeks old, he had surgery on his larynx and was intubated. During this time he was scoped several times (without any anesthetic). He also had terrible GERD up until 9 months. I think this is where his problem stems from, but the tests they run for developmental disorders do not take this into consideration.

I want to make sure my son gets the correct help. I am having a hard time getting the answers I want because I do not know the right questions to ask.

Does anybody have any suggestions, advice, or similar stories, I would love to hear any feedback.



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Mar 22, 2024
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starstarstarstarstar 		19 months old only having formula bottles
by: Anonymous

Hi ,before reading all these comments I was thinking I am the only one who is passing from this hard stage of parenting. My son is 19 months old. He still refuses all times of foods and only wants to drink formula. I have tried so many different foods and different consistency of food, but refuses all the time. When I put him in a chair he starts crying and gets upset. Tried to play with him and divert his mind but nothing work. He turn his head away or just doesn’t open his mouth.

We had took so many feeding therapy but didn’t see any changes and it was expensive. We had stopped taking that therapy.

I feel is hopeless and helpless. It’s really hard time. Don’t understand what to do and where to go. I am crying so many times it’s stressing me out a lot. He is developing right way. Other things are completely normal as well. But just want my child have all nutrients and vitamins.

Don’t understand what to do.
Jan 20, 2023
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Me too
by: J in LA

My heart is breaking reading these stories. My son has made progress. He was asphyxiated during delivery and the cord blood showed respiratory acidosis right at the cutoff point for brain damage. As such, we've been vigilant for problems.

He had terrible GERD and allergic colitis. He also had tongue tie, but it was unclear how significant it was. Because of the GERD, his pediatrician told us to start solid food at 4 months old. He wasn't ready - it all came back out of his mouth. As six months, he started refusing purees. He had had so many instances where he had sputtered, gagged, tried to cough it out or choked on his food that I was worried it was a behavioral issue. At this point, I could not see the sensory component.

From the time he was 6 months to 10 months old, I spent most of that time, arguing with my pediatrician, asking for an OT or SLP referral. The physicians kept telling me, he's not choking, he's gagging, and gagging does not lead to choking - which really isn't true when the child is panicked, it can and has turned the event into a crisis.

He kept telling me to save my money and just look at his OT friend's instagram for videos - but it was just baby led weening stuff, with a lot of toxic positivity and "you got this, mama."

I finally found a GI doctor that referred me to two OTs, Children's Hospital (which took about 5 months and some pressure from her to get into), and a private place, that was very good, but they kept surprise debiting my account, even for future visits. I hated stopping therapy from them, but financially I couldn't take it. I learned a great deal from the therapist here though. She explained proprioception and interoception - and why he grimaced when he smiled and splayed his hands and how it impacted his sensory processing. She felt that there were two things going on, both physical and sensory. He couldn't handle the bollus of food in his mouth. He didn't lateralize it. He smacked his tongue and soft palette together to chew (on the rare occasion we could get anything in his mouth. She affirm that I should not force food in his mouth. But most importantly, she explained how the treatment was through PLAY. She gave me enough info to keep the ball rolling when I had to leave. It took me months to recover financially from them causing my account to go negative twice.

I then went to an SLP who claimed to have feeding experience, and found similar billing practices, but at least not a surprise - everything had to be paid up front, no insurance, 250 an hour. They also were not getting it. Their focus seem to be on removing bottles to make him hungry. I tried to explain - it's like he doesn't know he's hungry and he just gets panicked and stressed and has meltdowns. He can't be fed like that.

I got his assessed through EI, and he has an SLP whose focus isn't feeding, but she's working with the physical issues, by practicing his bilabial sounds. They never found an OT who does feeding so when Children's finally took him in as an outpatient, this program offered to pay my deductible. Children's OT is hit and miss. Sometimes she gets it, and other times, she falls back into that baby led weaning school of thought and also tries to make him hungry before meals - but no surprise, he's is constantly hungry and asks for a bottle the minute the session is over with food everywhere and not a bit in his belly.

The progress has been through my insistence that play is a part of the treatment, his Child development specialist and SLP through EI totally get it. After a session with one of them - he eats a bit. He goes to the table and nibbles at foods he refused earlier. I had his tongue tie released to take that off the table (if I had it to do again, I'd have had it done with a surgical knife, rather than a laser). I aggressively treated his GERD for a while. He still has it, but that six months was enough to start him eating meltable crunchy food. He is 20 months, he eats non-meltable crunchy food daily. His swallow is imperfect, but safe enough. He will pick at whatever we are eating if he is in the right mood. It's not substantial, but it's something. His child-care person can sometimes get him to spoon feed himself puree - sometimes. But he is so big and his needs are so much that I'm still up all night giving him bottles. My job is in jeopardy because I'm half asleep all day. It's like having a giant 35 lb newborn that can talk. No daycare will accommodate my son - even County run ones that specialize in infants or kids with disabilities - they just thing he should eat.

Some of the things the therapists have done with him are play with shaving cream on his hands and feet (he hates the feet). They bring this smelly sticking sand. Play with beans. They take an exercise ball or peanut and roll him over it, so it presses on his stomach and he must push with his arms. And we've used a Z-vibe. I had some luck with the Gerber Chew and Soothe stick.
He lateralizes his food most times. He willingly eats crunchy food. He sometimes eats purees, and he is curious about soft solids and will occasionally eat a small piece of pasta or bean or broccoli. He knows how to chew, and sometimes will. Oh and

The tongue tie was a factor, I think, so there were several things going on that he had to overcome. The remaining issues are all sensory, I think.

I'm wishing everyone here a steady set of solutions and an eventual end to this struggle - it's so so impactful and difficult to get people to understand.
May 26, 2022
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		2 year old not eating
by: kay

Hi i have a 2 1/2 year old that's not eating . Something happen to him he used to be a picky eater now he suddenly stoped cold turkey and al he wants is milk . the doctors can't seem to see what's happening with him .
May 25, 2022
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starstarstarstarstar 		Back again with an update!
by: Audrey

Although we are approaching 6 years old and still only eating yogurt. We have attempted to chew. I can also get her to take her iron, and her vitamins as well as any prescription medicine the Dr could provide. I also have been given a diagnosis as ARFID (AVOIDANT RESTRICTIVE FOOD INTAKE DISORDER).

I have been doing a lot of research and know that there is hope. I will update again with information regarding what you need to do, where you can find help and a Facebook group for other parents in your shoes. It is a private group. Audrey update!
May 25, 2022
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		My son is 22 months and still won’t eat solids
by: Anonymous

I was feeling extremely down when I came across this site and read the comments from other parents and immediately my sadness lifted as I no longer felt alone.

My son was born with laryngomalacia and had surgery at 3 months. He had supraglottoplasty surgery. At six months my son would eat puréed food and do so for about 2 1/2 months then stopped cold turkey. At 1yrs old we had him evaluated for speech, OT, and swallowing through EI. He received swallow therapy in the office but didn’t seem to like the therapist so we stopped and a few months later started private treatment, although he seemed to like the new therapist better our schedules didn’t coincide so he’s no longer getting swallow therapy.

He’s now only receiving speech therapy once per week in our home which is great considering his fear of unfamiliar faces and we are still waiting for an OT to become avail to receive services at home considering my son responds well to being in a familiar environment. Most of these comments were from early on the year last year.

I would love to hear your updates and the approach taken to overcome these challenges.
Sep 27, 2021
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		I feel so relieved!!
by: Anonymous

My 1 year old daughter who just turned one last month, completely refuses solids. She was a preemie at 34.5 weeks, and was fed using a tube. Although she takes a bottle, she refuses to sit up and eat with the bottle and refuses training cups. We've tried so many pureed foods and she throws them up. She really enjoys crunchy foods! The only "food" she eats "pureed" is ice cream. I'm struggling, since I know she needs to eat something besides formula. She's recently been evaluated for therapy and hopefully we will have a response this week.
Sep 01, 2021
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		2 1/2 year old has only eaten breast milk.
by: DR

I came across this post. Thank you for sharing. We have a 2.5 year old boy who has never eaten anything other than breast milk directly from his mother. He will not take a bottle.

We did microarray testing which came back normal. He's developing normally in every other way. He has about 200 words and is very social. In every other way he's a happy child.

He has signs of reflux so he's on Nexium. He also takes gabapentin for his sensory issues. He also takes a daily multi vitamin via oral syringe. He's in feeding therapy twice a week.

It's been and is a tough journey, as you all know. Thank you to everyone who has shared here.

DR
Aug 26, 2021
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Teats
by: Anonymous

The eating is so frustrating with autistic children. My 7 year old non verbal twin boy's are still spoon fed pureed food and still drink from baby teats. They won't drink from anything else and have went days without a drink when we've tried.

Issue is the teats they use bum classic size 2 are no longer available to buy having been discontinued by the company. Ive been having to buy them from Greece at £10 per teat but they've now got none left either. Not sure what we're going to do, my boy's are so complex with sensory issues. They've not once ate any finger foods or chewed something, very frustrating and hard to manage.

Good luck with your own battles.
Aug 21, 2021
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		18 month old not eating
by: Anonymous

My son won't eat anything. I feel like it is a sensory issue. He refuses to try anything. The only things he will eat is applesauce baby oatmeal sometimes yogurt and mashed potatoes. Sometimes pureed fruit. He is gaining weight like he should. I told his doctor but she doesn't seem concerned. Everytime I go to feed my son I just want to cry. I try to make it fun for him but it is discouraging because I feel like he isn't eating the way he should be. I do give him milk before bed so he can get some nutrients. It is nice to know that I am not alone and there are other kids like mine.
Aug 15, 2021
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Help
by: Anonymous

My son is 21 months and will not self feed at all. He has had severe Gerd that caused him to vomit everything he ate or drank up to 18 months. We are seeing some improvement with the vomiting but now he is adverse to any kind of food. Sometimes he vomits at the sight of food. He will touch the food long enough to throw it on the floor. I still feed him purees and he always gags and vomits. He wont hold his own bottle or drink from a sippy cup. Its like he doesnt know how to eat or drink. His tongue just pushes everything out. Please help!
Aug 10, 2021
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		23 mo male born premature and WILL NOT EAT FOODS! HELP
by: Anonymous

As a mom of 3, and a proud babysitting savnt as tween and teenager, even going to school for early childhood development, and I have worked in daycare/preschool facilities for many years, so I thought I had seen it all.

Then came Canyon. At 23 months old, he's still on the bottle, has a hard time with most cups and straws, and he absolutely refuses to eat any solids, at all,and 99.99% of the time that he is eating he wont chew, just swallows or tries to swallow immediately. If it doesn't go down easily the first bite he gags and often makes himself throw up from gagging so hard on anything with bulk. And will often refuse to eat anything for 24 hours at a time and longer. But, he now is consistently gaining weight and growing as he should. But the eating thing is a definite issue.

A little background, I was 24 when I had my oldest, a boy he is now 15, then at 36 got pregnant with my daughter who will be 4 in Oct. She was born at 39 weeks and weighed 5lbs. When Sevyn was 2 months old I got pregnant with Canyon. I had insane morning and all day sickness with all 3, but that was all for my first, then other tiny issues with Sevyn, but Canyon came 7.5 weeks early 2 and half minutes following my water breaking, at home, with no warning! My husband delivered him.

So that makes the last two only 14 days shy of a year apart! He stayed in the NICU for 21 days.BUT WAS TUBE FED for 14 of those 21 days. He has been delayed and behind in almost everything, but the FOOD issue for a mother if terrifying! I feel inadequate or that I'm not doing everything I could.

Ive cried many hours and racked my brain trying to think of things to do, vet nothing is working. He wont even try to feed himself. I just found this site, so Im just getting into all the stories, but I hope to find something here...
Jul 27, 2021
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		21 month still not eating solids
by: Ellie

My Daughter is 21 months. She still does not eat solids. She gags really hard and throws up on everything except her milk. We started with purees at 6 months but she never took to it. It took a good 3-4 months for her to even accept it but then she'll still gag and throw up all her formula.

Finally, at 11-13 months she was able to take the purees but never ate much of it, no more than 2-3 oz. We started to get thicker purees or with small chunks and even now at almost 21 months, she still can't handle it and throws up everytime. What I figured out was baby cereal puffs she likes and does ok with, although it did take me a good 4 months of working with her everyday for her to not gag and throw up with it but that's all she likes now.

She likes crunchy things that'll dissolve in her mouth. She does not chew. She puts anything crunchy in her mouth, waits for it to dissolve and get completely soft before attempting to swallow it. She's off purees now since she'll gag and throw up even at the sight and smell of it.

She can't handle any fruits or veggies even if cooked till soft or cut small. She doesn't put any of the fruits and veggies to her mouth and we've tried baby led weaning and she never put anything in her mouth. We did feeding OT for 6 months and that didn't help. She's super sensitive with her mouth and doesn't allow me to brush her teeth and she refuses to do it herself. She never teethed or put anything in her mouth as an infant. The OT said I'm doing a great job since my baby doesn't allow anyone to feed her or the OT to try anything with her.

I'm constantly trying different things and buying different snacks even though it's not healthy just to get her use to having any food in her mouth. She's still on the bottle for her milk but she loves drinking from an open cup, drinking from a straw, or a water bottle for water/juices. She prefers water to juices. She also does not like strong flavors and prefers sweets and doesn't really like veggie taste.

She's currently at average height and weight so the pediatrician isn't too worried. She does not have acid reflux and she was able to breastfeed fine as a baby. She's not talking that much and her annunciation and pronunciation is pretty bad but the OT said that's probably from lack of mouth movement since she doesn't move her mouth or tongue much when trying to eat.

Just praying she'll start eating real food soon 🙏. It's nice to see that I'm not alone since I haven't encountered this with any family or friends' kids.
Jul 06, 2021
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		My son 2 years old but can't eat solids
by: Abi

Thanks for all parents for sharing your experiences. It is a relief to know that my child is not alone having the case of not eating food but still I am concerned about the reason that makes him not eat.I almost consulted many areas of possibility but again the Dr's are not sure until they do a procedure like indescopy or else. My son can talk well. He is active and smart but he doesn't eat solids. He cannot swallow although his throat is fine according to Dr's.
Apr 28, 2021
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Glad to see I'm not alone
by: Anonymous

My son is 2.5 and will not eat any solid food. We just started seeing a speech therapist. He talks great, but they think it might be a chewing issue. He has never been easy to feed, but at least at some point he was eating purees which is not eating anymore. He is 100% still on a bottle. He will put food in his mouth and leave it there for up to 5 mins and hand it back to me and as for more. He spit up a ton when he was a baby, but all the drs said he is gaining weight so dont worry about it. They all say take the bottle away, but after 2 days of fits I always give in. Open to any suggestions.
Apr 05, 2021
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Update on my child
by: Eileen

Hello

I would like to give update on my child who turned 5 now. I wrote on this website 3 years ago. She is still a picky eater but did lots of progress. What helped me more is to cut the milk, milk was making her full, bevause of she was not eating sids i started giving one or two times slowly started giving 1 small bottle a day, at the same time my daughter alkways liked the soups, what i did was doing i was passing in the blender some of the soup, and just add small pieces to it, slowly slowly i started putting bigger pieces of chickens potatoes noddles. Regarding pasta and rice, you can just can mash them by pressing with fork, and than mix with another favorite food or baby puree from stores (sweet potatoes ) to makevtry new foods,if she tastes it she will have her favorites crackers or chocolat chips or play her favorite video. Right after she chews i would give her cracker or the tablet to reinforce her. You can also play games by asking to give kiss to new food, and than another time you ask to put in her mouth. There is a approch that is called SOS i higly recommand to use it, find the puctogram and plastify them. I made her eat apple by showing her videos of kids eating apples, than started leaving the apple in front of her, she suddenly started biting it.

Right now she eats soups, ruce, pasta, nuggets, french fries, yogurt, pita bread, regarding tge fruits, she eats only apple, banana, pear and cantaloups. She eats also apple sauce and gogo squeez. This takes lots of patience don't try to have a kid who eats lots of different things, just wait until your kids feels ready to eat the pieces every child is different.
Apr 05, 2021
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Two year old still on purees
by: Anonymous

Hey please help how did you start feeding your kid solids. Mine is 2 years old and still on pureed food. I try my best everyday to give her solids but she either throws or refuse to try solids.
Apr 03, 2021
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Any updates from anyone?
by: Anonymous

Hello mom/dads- I see posts from several years ago but no updates on how you overcame the issues or how your kiddos are doing now that they’re much older.

My son is almost 3 years old and does not eat any solids. He was on formula, yogurt and one type of purée (mango) but he got a cold recently and completely stopped drinking formula.

He is only eating yogurt and purée. He will eat crackers with ranch occasionally but they have to be small pieces and we have to feed it to him. He refuses anything else.

He goes to feeding therapy once a week and we see improvements but we haven’t really seen a major shift. His pedi said he is average weight and healthy.

He is smart little kid and is ok so speech wise, but the no solids thing concerns us very much.
Nov 19, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		om formula till 5
by: Anonymous

I struggled with feeding for 5yrs. My son threw up any baby food and solid. He weaned himself and refused formula and only on cow milk for a several months. Eventually he developed anemia and started head banging. His head banging was so severe that his speech digressed.

He was diagnosed with autism at 30 months. It was a long recovery from there. Eventually he started on solid and ate meat for the first time when he was 6 and started communicating around 5. Now he is in grade 4 and he is all A student.

I am still worried about his emotional health (you cannot be too careful) but I had no idea what caused his speech delay and food aversion until , like 8 years later. I am finally putting puzzle pieces together after all those years. What I can say is as long as your children have some sort of supplement or formula they are fine. Some kids may take a while to eat or talk and that is perfectly fine.

I don't recommend therapy and other treatments if you are not too sure until school age. Doctors and specialists are not as nearly good as parents.

Trust your guts!
Nov 19, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		3 yrs 2 mos DS with gdd / autism / sensory seeking behavior / spd / speech issue
by: mai

my son used to eat usual asian table food when he was still 6++months old. he would eat rice, leafy vegetables, bite directly from a banaba. he did teethed but he never put toys in his mouth and always pulls his hand off if you try to make him touch anything. we havent gotten him diagnosed but Im sure he had SPD. he is already 3 but still cannot say a single word. He once tried to say Mama though.


When his Eegs came back abnormal, and he started having seizures again, he regressed real bad. he gags/vomits at even liquid (milk) fed to him by spoon. trust me it was the worst time of my life. he fell underweight and only takes milk. we tried pediasure, diff milk flavors but nothing works. I tried searching the internet for all the things I can find about this, gave kid facial massages before eating, placed wet towel on his cheeks while I fed him to distract him from being overwhelmed by his SPD and even squeeze a little lime to get his mouth moving. He would usually just pouch his food and not chew.

He goes straight to swallow so its important to make sure he doesn't choke on his food. So I blended rice and whatever dish we have. even blendered spaghetti and carbonara. no tongue movement whatsoever. I think thats also the reason why he has speech delay. he needs to get his facial muscles and his mouth moving so that exercises would help him speak.

I was able to get him to eat blended solids and he gained his weight back. he is a happy and healthy kid and everyday I still find/learn something new about him. I already gave up my work but I was able to work homebased so I can focus on him, found a good AED to treat the seizures and had lots of work and lots of blenders broken just to make sure he gets all the nutrition he needs.

I found that I need to.move the food to his jaw and thats the only time he will attempt to chew because he pushes any food I put above his tongue now he is starting to eat noodles, french toast and potatoes. were atoll getting there. no one would understand how grueling and depressing the struggle is but us special needs parents.

Just hang on there and try to study our kids more.
Aug 22, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		2 year 3 months
by: Will

Hi everyone,

My 2 year old daughter won't eat solid or warm food, everything has to be pureed and she won't eat finger food. She can say about 15-20 single words and about 5 two words together. She has to go to speech and language, and OT and has to get her blood tested for DNA and also because she has had croup 12 times since she was born.

Her forehead is a bit broad and has a squint in her eye and also hairs on her back that's why they are checking her DNA. My daughter is very sensory.. if you give her finger food or she touches sand or play dough she keeps rubbing her hand like she doesn't like the feel of it, she also rubs her head up and down on window ledge and tries to rub her head on concrete walls... She would also rub her cheek up and down on the floor..

we took her to play park forgetting the time as it was 2 o clock and school kids get home... The park is right beside the school and about 20 odd kids came in running and screaming playing in the park, my daughter froze and stood with her hands over her ears and had meltdown, or when we do take her to the park when no one is there she doesn't want to go play... She just goes round in circles touching the swings and slides ect... If there is a few kids at park she won't go near them to play, she just goes on her own and walks in circles touching metal fence and rubbing her hand along metal fence to feel the vibration she gets in her hand.. so she has been referred to a child psychologist to see if she will be able to cope in mainstream nursery.

We are thinking she might be autistic but she can't be statements until she is 3. I don't mind if she is I'm just so worried about her eating, does her stomach not need to get solid food so it can break it down to develop her stomach?

She won't take a bath, when she was younger she loved bath time but now she takes meltdowns if you try to put her in the bath so it takes two of us to wash her head over the sink and something I would have to hold her down while my partner gives her a full body wash with the sponge... As you can imagine I dread feeding time and bath time as it gets very stressful for us all.
Jul 16, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		3.5 years only feeds by babybottle
by: Desperate and depressed

I am a desperate father from Brazil.
We've been on a struggle for more than 2 years, constantly frustrated by all professionals, treatments and methods.

My son has born premature, 6 months, with the weight of 700kg aprox. Stayed in a intense treatment at the hospital for 99 days of hard struggle and emotional stress. He suffered from severe reflux, which is still been treated with medicines.

Until he's 2 years, we witnessed moments he tried solids, but it nothing that we can call it a behaviour, it was just passaging moments of curiosity. Never really chewed or swallowed any of the things he tried.

So the only way he feeds is by babybottle. Mixes of milk powder, fruits, grains and vitamin complexes.

He never have been diagnosed in the austism spectrum, but we suspect he is autistic at some level as he have some repetitive behaviors, lack of eye contact, et al. Even though some times he goes after us for affection and to play.

His health is in danger, and if your child is in that situation I really hope for you to find a solution. We didn't found any yet...

If anyone wants to talk about it and share some thoughts about, please contact lucasbrentano123@gmail.com
Jun 18, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		My toddler is not eating solid food.
by: Anonymous

My son is 2 yr old 1 month, still on bottle, pediasure milk, not eating solid, so what im doing is that, im cooking rice with broccoli, carrots, and potato, then when its cooked i blend it. Then he will eat it, coz its blended. This is the only way for him to get nutrients from solid food.Its so frustrating coz he is refusing to eat rice, chicken, fish, anything that is solid. Actually he was perfect in eating solids when he was 5months until 7 mos.

Then suddenly when he was teething i think i remember, he got fever, cold, cough, and vomiting for almost 2 weeks. After that until now he is refusing to eat solids. Its really a struggle if your kid is not eating solids. 😢😂But i think as a mom, the most important thing is he is not underweight, healthy and active.
Jun 18, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Wont even try solids
by: Anonymous

My daughter is 2 and only eats stage 2 baby foods, fruits I puree in my blender and drinks carnations instant breakfast. Her pediatrician wants her off the bottle but thats where alot of her nutrients are coming from. So I continue to give her the little and bit weary about sippy cups or regular cups. She had open heart surgery at 5 months and was on special formula only for 3 months. I think being intubated caused her to have issues swallowing. She too is in speech and ot
Jun 02, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		There is hope.
by: Anonymous

Hello, I have posted on here before about a year or so ago. My son who will now be five years old in two weeks is now only eating peanut butter and Jelly Sandwiches and nutrigrain bars. He Drinks pediasure 2 times a day. He will also snack on ritz crackers and french fries.

He used to only eat stage two baby food and baby cereal up untill about 4 months ago. Although there is still very little variety in his diet, I am happy that he is now eating food that he actually has to chew and not just swallow.

He still goes to OT and Feeding therapy 2 times a week.

It was a struggle to get him to eat the pbj sandwich. One day we just completely took away the baby food and explained to him that he is not eating that anymore. He did not eat for three days and he eventually just started eating.

I wish everyone here good luck. I know how hard of a struggle this can be, just know that there is always hope, I thought my son would never progress from baby food, and he did. It is definitely a behavioral thing for him and time and patience has been key.
Jun 02, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		I know we all feel hopeless
by: Audrey

I have been on this page before and I myself have gone through the same struggles with my almost three year old daughter. we are currently trying so many different Therapies, behavioral, speech, physical, feeding and occupational. it seems to me that throughout all of my journey my child has eaten the most recently around other children or with other children. while other children are eating as well, so school and having snack time with other children 3 days a week has helped. she still does not do any eating at home we are obviously doing more behavioral therapies that incorporate feeding. This is done once a week out out of town so I will update to let everyone know how that is working as we progress. as for now we will never lose hope and will forever keep trying to feed our little angel.

also one more little tidbit of information is I know as a parent, as a mother I was scared to ask the question you know what question the question is my child starving is my child's going to die because she doesn't eat is she going to need a feeding tube well the answer from all of the pediatricians that I have spoken to said in my daughter's case no they do not believe that she is lacking any nutrients they believe she is getting all nutrients through her main source of Nutrition Milk bottle and they did not foresee a need for a feeding tube.

Any questions please feel free to email me at amayalafeliz@gmail.com or call at 347-586-2230 Audrey
Jun 02, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		Struggling
by: Anonymous

I'm running out of hope.
Jun 02, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		Wish people would update
by: Anonymous

I noticed we all have same issues. I also noticed that some comments are from years ago., I know people only go on forums as we may have issues . So I’m hoping people who have had their kids overcome this problem will take time give an update and let us know that there is hope and how they were able to get their kids to eat
May 26, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Tips that might be helpful
by: Anonymous

My daughter has autism and had many of these same issues. Letting go of the bottle was a major milestone. You guys might have tried this stuff already and what worked for us might not work for you but just in case thought I'd put this out there.

If your child is old enough for this to be safe then I'd say try crazy straws or even colorful bendy ones. My daughter was attracted to these because they are fun and it helped her want to get off the bottle. Also those food cutters that make tiny compact bites in fun shapes really helped.

Another thing that helped us a lot was eating around other kids. When another kid offered to share with my daughter, she was more interested and more likely to try it. Also why not try a soft chocolate cupcake or piece of cake? It's not healthy but it was the first thing our kid was willing to eat. We just gave it to her whole and let her eat it on her own, making a mess. From there she was willing to eat Yogurt flavored rice puffs especially if her sister was sharing them with her.

Just keep trying and you'll figure out what works best for your family. Our daughter is 12 now and eats most foods including tomatoes, tofu, and sushi.
May 14, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		2.5 and has improved in eating
by: Anonymous

Okay so I guess I’m here to give you all some hope! My daughter now 2.5 eats soups with big chunks, banana slices, softly cooked carrots, rice, chicken and just about anything you’d slice up as you would for an 8 month old.

But it wasn’t always like this! We had issues with her gag reflex because she skipped crawling, didn’t put any toys in her mouth growing up, so her gag reflex was very much at the front of her mouth til very recently and it interferes with accepting solids and brushing and etc. once I knew this, I started a goal plan where we’d let her "taste" all things purée and slowly add the bits of them in there softly. After millions of gags, piles of vomit, and tears we’re finally at a stage where she tolerates chunks as big as 1/3rd tea spoon.

Just don’t give up. Oh and my daughter had perfect speech the whole time sings talks and etc just cuz she skipped crawling and finger food she had 0 hand eye coordination, minute small motor skills, and extreme oral sensitivity.
Apr 16, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		same
by: Anonymous

my daughter is turning 2 tomorrow and she is also on baby food and she only eats one flavor, other than that she will not eat and throws a tantrum too. she is also getting speech therapy and will get occupational therapy. she will be seeing a GI DR. best of luck to your kiddo and to you.
Apr 08, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Never Give Up..
by: Anonymous

Hi People, My Name is Jessica. I Found this page when my Noah was two. Two is the most common age for a child to be diagnosed with autism. by two we def- need answers. all the pediatrician visit, all the (Don't Worries he will eat)

Well Noah will be 5 on the 17th. and He still has not taking a bite of food. he will gag just at the sight.. Im not sure if you have read any other postings of mine, but if not I Will tell you that the (Nutri ninja Has saved his life.. I made mixes after mixes until i found ones that were right for him. Boiled Egg Yolks, Sweet potatoes, cream cheese, avacadoes, peaches & nectarines. always make sure it has a banana Yogurt and blueberries too MASK the taste... Poke a Bigger hole in the bottle so blended food can come through.. also someone mentioned (pediasure & Water)

Not Sure if your child is the same but when noah was two i also started pediasure bottles.. noah had Diarrhea on those so i started giving him BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS. They are int he cereal isle. the brand is NESTLE. I Started out with half bottle cause he was only. not he drink the whole bottle with water.. also AMAZON HAS 11 OZ BOTTLES..

Philips Avent Anti-colic Baby Bottles Clear, 11oz, 3 Piece.. Also I started giving Noah Protien powder at 3 1/2 just One Scoop in his mix (the ninja cup) one scoop is usually 20 grams divided up in 4 or 5 bottles, is only 5 grams a bottles. i mix just a little less then have of the blended food mix, and the other half milk or Almond Milk.. noah lkes a dash of chocolate and for it to be heated up about 1 min in microwave..i only heat the milk then i add the mix.. this has gave me piece of mind, to know he is getting the food he needs on a daily basis.. we still try everyday with eating. he is comfortable around food now & beginning to understand eating more and more everyday.. youtube videos have helped..

Much Love Too You All.. xoxo Everything will be alright..ps sorry for the bad grammar.. lol
Apr 08, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		Help!
by: Anonymous

I'm so glad I'm not on my own as awful as that makes me feel,

My 2 year old little girl has always had an issue with food, I tried to wean her at the correct age, she would always clamp her mouth shut and refuse to even try. We then eventually got her to eat pureed veg and cheese sauce this eventually got to mashed veg and gravy. She then had a really bad cold and point blank refused to eat anything solid for a good 6 months.

She then all of a sudden tried jelly which she loved and had every day along with her baby milk which she is currently still having. She also tried custard, tinned fruit etc but she didn't like those.

Last week she had another really bad cold and is now refusing jelly altogether so is literally just having her baby milk and a bit of cows milk.

We tried every suggestion that the health visitor gave us in the past but nothing has helped so I have no idea what to do.
Mar 30, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Autistic
by: Steve

I feel all your pain.

My 5 year old non verbal autistic twin boy's only eat pureed food that we have to feed them on a spoon. They won't touch food let alone put any solids in their mouths.

They're both still drinking from 6 month baby teats and we've tried dozens of different bottles with no success.

We're currently trying them on new types of bottles and neither have had a drink for over a day so far with no interest in the new bottle whatsoever. It is so stressful, wish there was an easy answer but all kids are different. We have to just keep trying.

Good luck with your own problems.
Mar 30, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		3 years 8 months won’t eat
by: Anonymous

My 3.5 year old son won’t eat anything solid. He drinks pedisure, and water. He will only drink the milk/pedisure from a bottle and will drink water from a cup. He will "eat" (only a few bites of) apple sauce, infant oatmeal, yogurt, loves vanilla ice cream, and will lick or chew a little string cheese. He usually chokes when the consistence of the food is a little thicker.

He seems in pain every time he has to eat or swallow. He has been in feeding therapy and OT since he was 13 months. He refuses to try new things or any thing and seems afraid of food and disinterested.

Everyday is a struggle, more for my husband and I. He is a happy boy.We have taken him to evaluate his throat, stomach, ears, nose, everything we can think of. He gets blood work regularly to make sure he is getting the nutrients he needs to help his brain develop. We are not giving up hope.

We continue to work at it and try to make eating fun. We are working at building a positive relationship with food. He cries bc his stomach hurts and he doesn’t connect that he's hungry. Thankful I came across this page. A lot of people don’t understand bc eating seems so simple to them. But for our kiddos, it isn’t that way.

Praying for all of the families in the same boat as ours.
Mar 30, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		3 years 8 months won’t eat
by: Anonymous

My 3.5 year old son won’t eat anything solid. He drinks pedisure, and water. He will only drink the milk/pedisure from a bottle and will drink water from a cup. He will "eat" (only a few bites of) apple sauce, infant oatmeal, yogurt, loves vanilla ice cream, and will lick or chew alittle string cheese. He usually chokes when the consitance of the food is alittle thicker. He seems in pain every time he has to eat or swallow. He has been in feeding therapy and OT since he was 13 months. He refuses to try new things or any thing and seems afraid of food and disinterested. Everyday is a struggle, more for my husband and I. He is a happy boy.We have taken him to evaluate his throat, stomach, ears, nose, everything we can think of. He gets blood work regularly to make sure he is getting the nutrients he needs to help his brain develop. We are not giving up hope. We continue to work at it and try to make eating fun. We are working at building a positive relationship with food. He cries bc his stomach hurts and he doesn’t connect that he's hungry. Thankful I came across this page. A lot of people don’t understand bc eating seems so simple to them. But for our kiddos, it isn’t that way. Praying for all of the families in the same boat as ours.
Mar 13, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Almost 2 years
by: Anonymous

My son is almost 2. He drinks a lot milk with baby cereal and greek yogurt. Also he eat puree but solid food nothing at all. I tried every meat , eggs , rice, pasta and nothing. He tried but only 1 or 2 spoons no more.

Fruits only banana and crackers only the ritz .

Some times i felt very frustrated. But i found this page and kind of i connected with every comment that i read from you !!!

Some advice please!!!thanks
Jan 25, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		Food aversion?
by: Anonymous

I am desperately researching this as my baby girl refuses solids all together and I cannot understand why. Wondering if any of you saw any change in your kids?
Sep 03, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		Help!
by: Anonymous

I too have a 2 year old daughter that has never eaten solid food. She won't ever put it near her mouth. Stage 2 baby food and bottles. Recently able to give Capri Sun Apple juice and water in a sippy cup.

She was evaluated at 10 months old and diagnosed with SPD. She also receives speech ot and feeding. Has been tested for multiple issues and nothing physically wrong. She will not take pureed foods or anything with solids at all. I'm on a routine of every 2 hours feeding her baby food (store bought) as she refuses any homemade food.

I've bought the zvibe to help massage the muscles of the mouth as suggested by therapists and still nothing. Reading these comments help to not feel alone but hurts that their seems to be no end in sight for this. I often cry and feel helpless that there's nothing more I can do.

I will never give up and if I figure it out will definitely update for all. Email me at amayalafeliz@gmail.com if you have any help or need any advice.
Sep 03, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		I’m with you guys
by: Anonymous

Same here 2nd stage baby food milk cereal bottles some things like chips and she chews and sucks chicken but spits it out .. we do everything possible to get her to try new stuff now I’m being investigated for neglect. we are strong and not going to let this break us!!
Sep 01, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		How i made my 2 year and half eat solids
by: eileen

Hi,

My daughter was not eating solids food properly. she was eating only soups with very small pieces, yogurt, lots of Cheerios and baby food.
She was also drinking lots of milk.

3 months ago, I cut the cow milk, sugar and gluten from her diet. Instead of cow milk, i started making cashew and almond milk myself at home. I started also making lots of homemade fresh fruit juice, homemade yogurt, 3 days after I started this diet, for the firs time accepted to eat a entire banana. the day after spinach, then pasta, then everything else.

She is still little picky eater but not like before. She eats most of the stuffs that I cook now with big pieces. Cutting the gluten, milk and sugar in my kids diet helped me a lot I suggest you to try it may be it will work for you too
Aug 19, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		21m won't eat solids
by: Anonymous

Just found this page on Google.

My daughter has had a few issues with feeding. She is 21 months old, and has little to no interest if you give her proper food. She's like "oh wow, tree" when she sees broccoli, but won't eat or try to eat any.

I finally got her off 4 month pouches when she was 10 months old. Its been a struggle but we're finally on 12m pouches and she still chokes on the lumps of potato and carrot in them.

We had a stage between 7 and 10 months where she would only have milk all day and no food.

I haven't got a clue, I'm wondering if it's anything that could be linked to her hypermobility.
Aug 03, 2018
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		4.5 yr old son still on custard
by: Anonymous

My son is 4.5 years old. He showed interest in adult food as early as 7 months old and would actually enjoy bits of what we ate when he was around us.

At 9 months, he got an infection, and would only drink milk and eat yogurt, nothing else! Then he lost interest in milk and it was all yogurt till he turned 21 months.

By then, we'd tried everything including tests to make sure he didn't have any problems with his esophagus. Then we tried custard which he reluctantly accepted at first and till today, it's all custard! He'll drink juices he knows, eat some types of cookies, taste cake, lick lollipop, but literally runs away from solid food, pureed or otherwise. The bad thing is his smell and taste senses are so strong that he can smell unfamiliar food from miles away and won't get near it.

He was diagnosed with SPD at 2.5 years. We've been on therapy for about 6 months now. He'll play around with the food now but still not eat!

Would be great to hear from parents with older kids who have overcome this situation and how they did it.
May 30, 2018
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Update To My Post From May 2016
by: jessica

Hello Mothers.. My Son Noah Now 4 yrs old, was 2 yrs old when i found this page.. update is he still is not eating.. he is 4 and has never put as single piece of solid food in his mouth.

noah loves to lick plain chips, doritos, and Mcdonalds Fries. It is a Constant struggle and i fear this will be a life long struggle for him..But Moms Dont Give Up// Noah Was Diagnosed at 2 with Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder.

Sometimes I Cry About As I Am At the Table eating And My Little The One Who Should Be Eating First Right Next To Me Has No Desire to. So I Had A Choice I Could Cry Be Upset About It Or Do Something So I Focused My Energy On How To Get Him Nutrition. I Started With Pinto beans Ans Boiled Egg Yolk, Mashing Them Up In His Bottle As Long As It Is Heated Up And Has A Little Chocolate In It He Would Take It.. But Then I Moved On He Needed More.. And Yes I Did Try To Blem Chicken hahah Lol Did Not Work..

The Nutri Ninja Has Saved Him from A Gtube I Blend Amazing Healthy Bottles.. This kID Is Our Little Vegan Baby..

Email Me For Recipes Or JUST more Info.. jessicapark1988@yahoo.com
May 29, 2018
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Please help me
by: Mon25

My 2 year old daughter is the same way. Still not eating. Can anyone please go be an update on how their little ones are doing? I need hope.
Apr 08, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		3 1/2 old still eats no solids
by: Worried

Hello all. My son who will turn 4 in June, is also still not eaiting any food. He only eats stage 2 babyfood, baby cereal, and pediasure. Ive looked all over the internet to try to find one success story of someone who has overcome this but cannot seem to find one.

He goes to speech and OT twice a week for about 5 months now. He has shown improvements such as licking certain things and actually eating and chewing an Earthbests snack bar, I am still very worried as he will be starting school soon. Since he was a baby he never showed any interest or curiosity towards food. Even the babyfood he eats now was an everyday battle.

He is average height and weight but I worry that what he eats now will not be sufficient as he keeps growing. Please help!
Apr 05, 2018
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Any Luck?
by: Anonymous

Hello everyone!
I see a lot of great posts here! Has anyone overcame these issues with their child?

I have 2 year old twins; one just refuses to eat solids! I’ve been told he will outgrow it, and to stop giving him dis solvable snacks and pediasure, but it’s just not that easy!

One day I just wanted to see his reaction, and I placed a small piece of meat in his mouth..about the size of a sunflower seed..he cried and fussed! A few hours later when he went to bed, I checked on him and realized he still had the meat in his mouth! I’m frustrated and am at my wits end!

Now he ONLY will take Pediasure, lil crunchies, and Cheerios (and room temperature juices/water).
Oct 17, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Texture struggles
by: Melissa

My daughter is 2 years and 7 months old, she still eats baby food step 2 and is still on a bottle also. She WILL NOT eat anything chunky or with bits of solid foods, it all has to be pureed.

I knew she had textures issues but along with eating trouble of being on step 2 baby food..she also doesn't speak many words just a few..I knew my other 3 kids never had these issues..

I also felt like something was different with her. She shows love and feelings of missing me when away from home but doesn't hug or kiss me but puts head on me. She doesn't play with other kids but seems to like to watch them play and be around them.

My daughter flinched a lot and seems startled at things that I wouldn't usually think would startle her at 2 1/2 years old. With all these things I told her doctor~ I Was referred to Early Intervention for speech and occupational therapy for feeding and speaking issues.

I was also referred for hearing tests and lastly I was told my daughter has red flags for light and autism spectrum. All I can say is don't stop looking for answers..keep going to doctors specialists..whatever you gotta do to help and support your child.
Sep 13, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Depressed
by: Anonymous

I gave birth to twin boys, one of them is diagnosed with oesteo genetic imperfect. They are 2 yrs old now, and he is very thin whereas the other one is big and eats everything. There's nothing that he likes.

I have to blend everything like soup, for him including sweet potatoes bananas, he has tiny teeth, and he doesn't chew at all. Most of the time he throws up, even with little granules he can't swallow.

I am so tensed, I have to make him burp after every meal, other wise after some time he vomits. He only talks with one or two words.

Plz help me how to make him strong and healthy, I know there's no cure for his health issues but at least I can make him eat something..
Aug 14, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE)
by: Anonymous

My son went to one of the best in the field in feeding. He used to have 5x/week for feeding+speech. Still nothing accomplish.

Please have your kid test for Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). It's done by GI. Procedure is called endoscopy. My son didn't show symtoms until recently he is more verbal and able to complain pain in the chest and stomach.

Good luck!
Jul 06, 2017
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starstarstarstarstar 		Refusing solids
by: Anonymous

My son is 2 1/2 he had bad reflux as a baby and was discontinued his medication at 18 months. He is getting assessed for autism. He refuses most solid food or very small amounts. I started to add puréed veg for 4 month olds in his bottle topped up with milk. It's like a vegetable milk shake. He drinks this well but would refuse any fruit or veg any other way. He is still non verbal but has started doing some makaton signs. I think it is either still reflux or sensory or both.
Jun 16, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		2.5yrs old won't eat solids
by: Anonymous

I'm experiencing the same..my daughter is 2.5yrs old and this has been going on for approx 6-8mths. I contribute her eating solids issues to the fact that she has been teething from 3mths on.

Her first bday she had 14 teeth, so beginning on solids was difficult. I allowed her to help me blend canned tomatoes with carrots, celery, peas & corn..whatever works..this is spaghetti sauce just heat it up first. Spaghetti is cooked. She eats like this, sometimes more sometimes less. I get her involved somehow, but it may work for 2-3 days and then 2-3 very little.

I also make her chicken fingers..she helps me pour flour on one plate panko on another. I also noticed if I take her out to a park, somewhere we can sit, she will eat what I've packed. Even a bread roll is a success. It drives me insane.

She loves chocolate anything and would eat that all day so I know she's fine and doctors said she's fine..they said don't give her the bottle..when I get her to eat her meals then the bottle will go.
May 29, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		2 year old eats only puree and won't even think about accepting solid food
by: Amy S

My 2 year old son sounds identical to what a lot of you describe! It's a relief to know that he is not alone. I began addressing this since he was 11 months old... we have done everything from GI doctor, ENT, all sorts of testing to ensure there is not "problem" and we have even seen Speech Pathologists and and Occupational Therapist. Yet here we are, in the exact same spot!

What we have found though evaluation was that he had a hypersensitive gag reflex which caused him to gag at anything that felt solid in his mouth. His gag appears to be much better but at this point, his reaction to the foods is mostly a conditioned behavior as it has been his normal reaction for over a year now. As hard as we try, we cannot get him to even hear of accepting a piece of solid food into his mouth. He turns away and refuses... even cries nonstop if you try really push the issue. It truly seems like a fear of the food.

He also does not chew anything... the purees (I puree everything) that he eats, he swallows directly without chewing or much moving it around inside the mouth at all.

All of this is a problem that I feel like I'm at the end of my rope. He talks some speaking in phrases or 3 word sentences at times. He mimics everything his older sister does and will pretend to eat but not actually eat. Any advice or suggestions are welcomed as I just don't know what else to do at this point.....
Apr 13, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Mom mom
by: Mom mom Anonymous

I am raising a 3 1/2-year-old grandchild he eats hardly any solid food and he drinks constantly. I try very hard I cook food and sat it in front of him sometimes one bite is all he will take.

I am giving him Pedia sure twice a day. he will eat some crunchy food. he is diagnosed autistic. he likes raisins and I will give him a Pringle sometimes just to get something solid in his stomach. I put food out and let it sit hoping he will pick something up and eat it.

Takes a vitamin every morning and I do talk to his doctor about this they say keep trying. it's very hard to know that he has not had much to eat.

sincerely mom mom Whiteman.
Apr 04, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		21 month old does not eat solids
by: Anonymous

I have the same problem. My daughter is now 21 months and I still blend her food! She gags when I try to make the texture more chunky and I really don't know what to do.

She doesn't talk, only says singular words like dada, flower, birdie, car, shoe etc. but nothing that helps me understand what's going on with her. She doesn't even call me mommy yet she calls me baba!

I don't know what to do because I want to send her to school (she gets bored so quickly at home) but the blended food is a problem and I don't know how to get her onto proper solid food. She was a severe GERD sufferer until 14 months and I heard that GERD sufferers struggle with chunky foods because during their GERD days all they feel in the back of the throat is unwelcome chunk.
Jan 30, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		2 1/2 year not eating adult food
by: Edan

Hi! I'm having the same problem, my 2 1/2 year old boy won't eat. He almost never slept through the night for two years as well. I could not function due to lack of sleep, and it could be the reason I could not teach him enough.

Both my husband and I've doctoral degrees and speak multiple languages. I'm a teacher and a linguist who had experience in teachin K students effectively, but I feel very inadequate when it comes to train my own child to eat regular food.

My boy learned all sounds and alphabet by coding them with objects and organizing letters in alphabetical order when he was under 2. He is obsessed with spelling. When I hide his letters, he gets mad. I never taught him or wanted him to learn these things early because he can get bored at school.

He also counts until 20. All learned from TV. Yet, he doesn't speak to me. He sings songs do pretend games and dances. He doesn't even call me mom and calls me by my first name!.

He eats all junk solid food like chips, chocolate, cookies etc. When I give him new food, he looks at the food disgusted and throws it. He was growing far better than his peers when I was spending all my day long to invent new types of liquid food. Once I stopped and let him be hungry, he slept less and stopped growing rapidly, and I had to put him on bottled creative food again.

Here is a list of food that helps him to grow that might also help moms if they are desperate to invent nutritious liquids:

Morning milk

Brunch: Mixture of egg yolk (well cooked due to risk of bacteria), Labne cheese ( a special cheese that is only made purely from cow milk that can be drinkable if mixed with other liquids- can be found in Mediterranean or Middle Eastern markets), 2 carrot juice and 1 little apple juice. I drain them all and it all fits in the bottle.

Lunch: I prepare chicken soup or beef shank juice from scratch add very little chicken or meat in it and add thin vermicelli while cooking chicken ( keeps him full). I put all in food processor an drain and have it readily available in fridge. He never accepts it alone. So, I add lettuce juice, sugar snap peas, and one little fruit to give sweetness like a little pear etc.

Then: I squeeze blueberries (they are not rich in sugar unlike other fruits) and mix it with homemade plain yogurt.

Dinner: I cook some diced pumpkin in water and drain and mix it with vegetable juice. Lettuce juice makes him sleep longer. I use it a lot.
Good night milk.

Yes, I've no time for myself most of the time. Please share your thoughts. I'm so torn apart due to lack of sleep and refusal of regular food. I'm against labeling kids early, yet I'm a first time mom and I'm worried like you guys. I never force him and he drinks a variety of food but only if I put a bit freshly squeezed juice in it. I cannot give him to daycare because he doesn't speak and eat. If the situation improves, I will write an update.

If there is an expert or a mom who survived this situation in success, please let me know. My email address is edan201@yahoo.com
Jan 11, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Update To My Post From May 2016
by: jessica

My Son Noah WAS Diagnosed Sep, 8th He Is Autistic
He still does not eat anything solid. I Blend Everything In mY NINJA He Only Takes It In A bottle. We Have A Sensory Class Every tuesday Been Doing That For 7 Months Now He Is More comfortable Around Food, He Even Sits at the table with his plate And Fork He WILL Poke around At his food But Will Not eat He loves to feed Me And Dad.. Also He Still Is Not Talking Has a few words HI, BYE BYE, GO. vERY Vocal Though Just Not Real Words We say He Speaks Minion lol He Is Amazing.
Jan 11, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Has any of your children overcome these problems
by: Anonymous

Third born is having the exact same issues as ye are all describing. Feeling overwhelmed and worried reading all yer comments. Have been complaining about it since it started happenin at about 12/13 months have been told to cut out the milk and he will get over it and eat. (Like it's that easy) tried and failed. I am at my witts end. Have any of ye any updates on yer kids?
Thanks in advance
Sep 25, 2016
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		2 and a half yr old daughter not eating solid food
by: Meggy

I have the same prob. I have a 2 and a half yr old daughter. When she was younger she ate solid foods but now she refuses.

Like other moms, i try to give her diff types of food that she might eat but she only licks them or barely touches them. If i insist and put them to her mouth she would spit or throw them up and would cry. She goes to kindergarten and teachers tell me that she wouldn't eat anything. No snacks nor lunch.

But she is active during playtime although i notice that she has become so clumsy maybe because she isnt eating anything .So at night before she sleeps i give her bottled milk and at least 2 more like 1am and 4am. Also when she wakes up before going to school. Sometimes she also refuses to drink her milk in the morning which leaves me worrying because she will not eat through the day in the kindergarten. I dont know what is wrong.

She is perfectly normal and very smart at her age. She has no speech prob. In fact, she is bilingual. She started eating solid foods at 4mos with the baby food. She ate normally until she turned 2 yrs old. But then to my wonder it seems like she got tired of eating... :(
Jul 09, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		My 18 month old won't eat solids
by: Anonymous

I am struggling with my 18 month old right now which is why I am here. He will eat crackers, cookies, certain dry cereals, even chicken nuggets (the only meat I have been able to get him to eat) but he wont try to eat anything else.

I have offered him veggies, fruits, pasta dishes, etc and he flat out refuses. When I try to put a bite in his mouth just so he will taste it, he spits it out and then throws the rest on the floor.

None of my other kids ever did this, they at least tried eating. The only time he gets a bottle is just before nap and bedtime, other than that his liquids are offered in a sippy cup which he will drink from.

I am more frustrated than anything because I don't know if it's behavioral or if there is a medical issue going on. He has an apt this Monday with his pediatrician and I am going to address it.

When he was about 6 months he too was diagnosed with GERD but then come to find out it was his formula that he had a milk sensitivity to. Now he drinks Lactaid due to lactose sensitivity so we don't deal with the stomach issues anymore. He is scheduled to see a speech therapist also because he only says few syllable words. This is very frustrating.
Jun 09, 2016
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Same here
by: Anonymous

Same here my son is 2 and half year old and he is on milk bottle and hardly touch solid food. He likes McDonalds fries and I make him fries at home in olive oil he eat them little bit. He eat chips,roti (pakistani bread) and ginger ale. He is going to speech therapy too.
May 11, 2016
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Thank You For Sharing.
by: Jessica

My Son Is 2 Yrs Old Same Thing, HE Only Drinks From his bottle, Nothing else. He will not even sit in his high chair. He flips out. NO SOLIDS ever! He will not even touch most foods His ped Says same thing "get him off bottle" like the problem is simple. Its Not, Its Hard Most nights sitting down for dinner and my baby the one who should be eating first will not touch food While I eat I Cry inside and sometimes out Loud. He Will Also be starting speech therapy soon.. Also Look Into ARFID It Is A new One Out There.. I Believe My son has ARFID and also sensory issues...
Apr 14, 2016
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Children with trouble eating
by: Anonymous

Some of your children sound like they need an eval for EoE. AU
Apr 05, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		3 year old won't eat solids
by: Anonymous

My 3 year old son will not eat any solid foods! He basically lives off of yogurt, sometimes baby food sweet potatoes, apple juice, whole milk and pedia sure. I offer him cereal, crackers, French fries, chips, pop tarts, bananas etc basically anything I think he might eat. All he does is lick the flavor off and put it down.

He is healthy, and knows a lot for his age. He keeps up with his 5 year old brother in every way. My 5 year old eats just fine so this really stresses me out.

Doctors have said to let him starve it out and eventually he will eat but it's so hard for me to do that when he's telling me his belly hurts :( I always give in. Not sure what to do at this point but he will be starting vpk in the next year so it's really important that he starts eating solids.

If any of you have advice on what you did that worked please share! Thanks!
Mar 10, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		20 month old wont eat solids
by: Anonymous

Hi My son will be 21 months in 2 weeks and also refuses to eat solid foods. he eats pureed baby food, yogurt and porridge but refuses to eat anything he has to chew and gags when he tries. At some point we were making a little progress as he would take small pieces of chicken, mince, veggies. bits of rice or muffins but when he started teething his molars he got a little sick and wouldnt take anything except milk for 2 weeks. Since then he refuses to try any solids. Im really worried because he will be going to nursery school soon and I want him to be able to eat well while at school.
Feb 17, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		my son is 30 months old and woukd not eat grown up food
by: sharan

My son is 2 1/2 years old and still on the bottle. he dont want to eat no food not even cerel and baby food. he is healthy and strong and speak well and very active. the daycare will keep the bottle away from him but when i pick him up he will fight and scream for his bottle. i am helpless. i want him to be happy and eat so i still keeping him on the bottle seen that is all he is having.
anyone please advise me what to do my email is sharan0708@yahoo.com thank you
Feb 08, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		I HAVE A 2 YEAR AND A HALF SON WHO WILL ONLY EAT LONG LIFE CUSTARD AND THATS IT
by: Anonymous

HI everyone,

my son is similar to all of your little one.
when he was four years old i tried him on baby food and he wouldn't eat it kept spewing up, i waited for another month as i thought he might have been slow in eating but nope i got the same response but this time the spew ended up on me lol.

he has been through speech pathology and seen pediatric wards at the hospital and his regular doctor and the child health nurse but not one person has been able to give me answers and has wanted to help.

my son was admitted to hospital not long after he had his 6 weeks needles as not even a day after he had his needles he went blue, he was all floppy we got the ambulance there and when we were in the ambulance his breathing was slowing down they had to give him some sort of glucose to help him.

the doctors had told me he had and infection but they told his regular doctor he had anaphylaxis well you should have seen my face when they asked me for his epi pen at the doctors surgery when he went in for his next lot of needles.

getting back to my point i think some how this has a connection to his eating problem as he had all kinds of tests from a lumber puncture etc.
im stuck as he will only eat the custard in the long life, he wont eat the good brands of custards or anything.

ive tried the big boys foods, vegetables all mashed up, baby food, mashed weet-bix and every time he carries on something shocking he will even put his hand down his throat to make himself throw up.

does anyone have anything that could help me please im really stuck
Dec 03, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		Not eating solids is not always a disorder...
by: Anonymous

This is not going to be the popular answer here but I think that some of these kids may not have a sensory processing disorder. I have seen this over and over again in my daycare.

I have children that will in fact eat normal "big person" food while here in daycare. But will only eat baby food or softer foods and bottles at home. The problem has been that the child has missed a very important stage in developing the ability to chew and learn about new foods because they were given bottles, baby food, and the ever popular food pouches and when they showed no interest or fuss over regular foods, parents returned to giving them the softer foods.

I on the other hand used numerous methods to encourage trying new foods. I did not offer baby foods etc. And after some fuss each child began eating regular food. Yes, even the children that gagged or spit up. They eat completely normally here but still refuse to do so at home.
Sep 30, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		3 year old eating disorder
by: Anonymous

I cannot believe how overwhelmed i feel just by reading all the comments above, simply because i am in a very similar in fact exact situation. My son turned 3 on the 24th September this year and he still does not eat "big people food". He only eats yogurt, noodles (not even a lot like 2 forks full), and baby cerelac cereal. He refuses to eat anything else and weve recently put him on a vitamin to increase his appetite as well as cut down his bottles.

Some people look at me like i am crazy or lazy but they dont see behind the scenes just how hard my husband and i try. At school his teachers try as well but all he does is vomits all over his clothes the minute he takes the food in which is very hard to get him to do. He is so smart and very strong but pronounces some words incorrectly and i firmly believe its because of his eating disorder. He used to eat purity mielies and corn but at the age of 5 months he was in hospital for 2 weeks and during that time underwent some major procedures from lumbar punctures to blood culture tests because they couldnt see what was wrong with him. However after that experience he only wanted custard and vanilla purity and zero foods.

My heart is so sore because he goes to bed sobbing since we have said no to cereal in the night and no to milk until he eats at least some vienna or cheese. I would love to hear any progress stories or methods we can try and how long it took for some results. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences. It helps. bianca_huet@hotmail.com
Dec 08, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Help
by: Anonymous

You know my son is 21/2 and he won't even eat baby food. I have tried everything but nothing. He drinks about 6 bottles a day of s26 baby formula 1-3years old. I have tried to get him to eat, he likes french fries and noodles but only when he wants them, he won't eat any other kind of food.
What should i do to get him to start eating.
Jul 20, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		2.5year old on bottle and not eating table food
by: Anonymous

My son is 2.5 years old with sensory processing disorder! He will not drink hardly anything from a sippy cup! He loves his bottle! He does fine during the day at daycare with out bottle but when he gets in the car he ask for his bottle! If I don't have a bottle he throws a fit! I have tried every kind of sippy cups and straws to get him away from the bottle! He only gets it at night! He will not eat table food enough to get filled up! I have to feed him baby food to make sure that he is eating!
Nov 22, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Perfectly healthy almost 3 yr old but wont eat "big people food"
by: Anonymous

My daughter is almost 3 years old, and shes super smart and has no problem talking or saying any words, she knows her alphabet and how to count to 20 in both English and Spanish, but she wont eat "big people food"!! Its so frustrating because i want to see her eat something so i give in and give her baby food, but she hates stage 3 because of the chunks,and then my mother in law tells me to starve her eventually shell give in to eating something when she is hungry but can you really do that? how can you not give in to give them milk or something. Has anyone had any success with anything, the only thing shell eat is chicken fries, chicken, french fries, waffles, and the usual chips and snacks and what not, but even when she eats that she wont eat a lot of it. do i just quit the baby food once and for all?
Jul 16, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		My 3 Year Old Won't Eat Solids, AT ALL!
by: Shanda

Hi! I have a 3 year old daughter and every since day 1 when I introduced her to solids she's hated them. She won't put anything in her mouth ot let us for that matter.... She's at a healthy weight and is so very smart... It boggles my mind as to why shes's so scared of what we call "Big People Food"... The most we can get her to eat is actual babyfood and milk/pediasure. She has to drink 3 a day to get her correct amount of nutrients and vitamins. We talked to many people and they all say she's stubborn.... Makes me feel like I've done something wrong along the way and would really like some more answers... It's confusing and stressful and I just want her to eat normally... Any tips from anyone?!?!
Oct 25, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		Hyperactive Gag Reflex
by: Melissa

Have you tried looking this up? Maybe this is the problem. My daughter gags on real chunky baby food and they say to try using a vibrating tooth brush to wake up the mouth or a nuk brush to help push the reflex back. I googled that and it tells of SO many moms that have the same problems that we are having with our 2 and even 3 year olds that won't eat table food. I hope this helps.
Oct 07, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		2 year old won't eat solids!
by: Melissa

My little girl is 2. She was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. She will only eat stage 3 baby food and that is only if it is not real chunky or thick. She still drinks from the bottle. I have found that the sippy cups that have the straw in them have actually started to work. We have her in speech therapy 2x a week and we are also working with early intervention teams. They also believe that she has sensory integration disorder. So, I know what you feel! Just pray and keep your head up.
Oct 06, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		I am right there with you-I have a 3 year old girl with the same problem!
by: Carrie

I have a very similar problem with my daughter. I have her in feeding programs and we have been working with an OT specially trained in feeding disorders. She has severe SPD and I am beside myself just trying to keep her healthy. It is working, have hope and get help from people who can give you some great ideas and where to start. Please email me if you need any ideas or help getting somewhere. I live in the Sacramento, Ca area and Easter Seals is wonderful as are a few OT's I can recommend here in this area. cmiskawi@sbcglobal.net
Good Luck!
Oct 05, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		hope this helps
by: Anonymous

When my daughter was that age i just took the bottle away and use a special cup I got my O.T. to order for me. it is made w/ one side cut out like a "u' shape. so you could actually see her drinking from it. I also use slippy cups that had a soft tip to help her get use to the idea. she has SPD as well.
Jan 02, 2020
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starstarstar 		Study ongoing
by: Anonymous

There is a study ongoing at Childrens Hospital in Denver related to developmental delays and intubation. I wonder if there is anything else you might find to help you.

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