[u754268]

Hi. My daughter - 2 years 9 months wont eat. It takes a great deal of bribery to get every mouthful into her. Most times she just refuses. Can anyone recommend a pediatrician or health practicioner in Central who can advise us on what to do or perhaps check for any underlying health problems. Note - this is not a phase - she has had no interest in food since 1 year old and is well off the bottom of the weight charts. GP just says it will pass but it has gone on long enough now and we are worried about her development.

[leto]

No one comes to mind, but you could always take her to the hospital and ask for a referral. Hope you are all coping. Cheers.

[elephantine]

I can imagine your concern and I admit I also resort to bribery to make my child eat! However, I still find that the less pushy I am, the more he eats. For this reason, the helper is usually the one to help to feed him and as she doesn't worry and push as much, he normally eats so much better with her! On Sundays, when my helper is not around, he seems to make it a point not to eat so we will fuss over him and even though I do my best to ignore him, he generally eats much less on Sundays! So my suggestion would be to try and take the pressure off your daughter eating - perhaps by getting your helper or someone else involved in the feeding. Good luck!

[shaanmom]

I had the same problem with my son. He lost his appetite after a terrible cough/cold that lasted almost 2 weeks and was throwing up everything. I now take him to a homeopath at IMI and she has given him some meds and prescribed a fantastic all-natural vitamin supplement which has a natural appetite booster. So far so good (touch wood) - his appetite has increased and his overall health seems to have improved. Give it a shot, you have nothing to lose except for a few hundred dollars for a couple of visits.. but aren't our kids worth it?

[shaanmom]

By the way, someone suggested to me to get his stool checked for any bugs that may be lurking in his gut... Perhaps you could check with your regular dr about this?