Need Help With My Daughter

[Guhlia]

Ok guys, I need some ideas... My daughter is 15 months old now. She seemingly has many food allergies (rash and/or hives with trigger foods). The really scary thing is her weight though. She weighs 19 lbs and has pretty much since she turned a year old. She has now fallen into the 3% range and isn't gaining. Her ped is starting to get really worried and we're going in to see the ped gi in two weeks. Her diet is VERY limited at this point (no dairy, eggs, gluten, corn, rice, apples, legumes, etc). She does drink soy milk which we're pretty sure is giving her a little excema (sp?), but our ped wanted us to wait to take her off of it until we got in to see the gi. Any suggestions of other things we can try or what could be the issue? She eats like a horse, probably larger servings than I eat... I'm really starting to worry now. The rest of her developmental milestones are pretty close to the normal range. I just don't know what to think anymore.

[Jestgar]

What does she eat? Maybe she needs a different balance of fat/protein/carbs.

[Guhlia]

What does she eat? Maybe she needs a different balance of fat/protein/carbs.

She has a very limited diet. To be quite honest I don't know what the fat/protein/carb ratio should be... Here's an example of a normal day for her. Keep in mind she's intolerant to every grain we've tried thus far...

Breakfast: 1 whole banana and 1/4 cup quinoa with df/sf choco chips

Snack: 1/4 diced fruit or veggie

Lunch: 2 uncured low sodium beef or turkey hot dogs, 1/4 cup green beans or carrots, 1/4 cup fruit dices (peach or pear)

Snack: handful of soy "chips" (baked soy/potato crisps)

Dinner: 1/2 cup chicken, pork, or beef cubes, 1 whole sweet potato, and 1/4 veggie dices (green bean, broc, carrot, or squash)

Drinks: approx 24 oz soy milk + water

Some meats are cooked in small amount of oil, some are not. She's pretty picky and prefers meat, sweet potato, or banana over everything else. When we give her something she likes she'll eat until her stomach hits the tray of her high chair. If we give her something she doesn't like, she refuses it.

The foods above are pretty much our only options at this point. Should I be giving them to her in different proportions? Is she getting enough fat?

[khockman]

Is she 100% gluten free? She sounds a lot like my daughter at that age. It was celiac and she was very sick until she went 100% gluten free. She drank soy milk, too for about 6 months after we got the diagnosis. I thought it was better than dairy. Anyway, I ended up taking her off of it and she did much better without the soy.

[Guhlia]

Is she 100% gluten free? She sounds a lot like my daughter at that age. It was celiac and she was very sick until she went 100% gluten free. She drank soy milk, too for about 6 months after we got the diagnosis. I thought it was better than dairy. Anyway, I ended up taking her off of it and she did much better without the soy.

Yes, she's 100% gluten free and dairy free. Our house is completely gluten free and we are VERY careful about dairy because she gets hives with any contact. What alternatives are there to soy milk? She's intolerant to rice and dairy and we aren't supposed to give her nuts because of all her other food issues. Is there anything else available? We too feel that soy is probably an issue, but we're not sure what else to give her. The ped said we need to give her some kind of "milk" because of her weight gain issues.

[Jestgar]

She has a very limited diet. To be quite honest I don't know what the fat/protein/carb ratio should be... Here's an example of a normal day for her. Keep in mind she's intolerant to every grain we've tried thus far...

The foods above are pretty much our only options at this point. Should I be giving them to her in different proportions? Is she getting enough fat?

Basic ratio is 30%/30%/30%, with a bit more in the different categories for specific needs.

It doesn't seem like it's enough fat, but you'd have to add up the numbers on all the labels to be sure.

Can you add some oils? Flax seed oil? Grapeseed oil? Check the pricey oils on the top shelf at the supermarket to see if there is something you think she could eat.

Does she not eat any nuts? There's always walnut oil which might be good in her breakfast cereal.

Add a hot dog to her snack?

Fish?

[jerseyangel]

Yes, she's 100% gluten free and dairy free. Our house is completely gluten free and we are VERY careful about dairy because she gets hives with any contact. What alternatives are there to soy milk? She's intolerant to rice and dairy and we aren't supposed to give her nuts because of all her other food issues. Is there anything else available? We too feel that soy is probably an issue, but we're not sure what else to give her. The ped said we need to give her some kind of "milk" because of her weight gain issues.

Angie--

Have you tried Vance's Dari Free? It's made from potatoes and versatile since it's sold as a powder--

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[Guhlia]

Basic ratio is 30%/30%/30%, with a bit more in the different categories for specific needs.

It doesn't seem like it's enough fat, but you'd have to add up the numbers on all the labels to be sure.

Can you add some oils? Flax seed oil? Grapeseed oil? Check the pricey oils on the top shelf at the supermarket to see if there is something you think she could eat.

Does she not eat any nuts? There's always walnut oil which might be good in her breakfast cereal.

Add a hot dog to her snack?

Fish?

I asked the doc today about fish and nuts and she told me to hold off on them until we have her weight problem stabilized or at least diagnosed. She said that she didn't want to throw anything new in just two weeks before her gi appt. I could probably add some canola oil somewhere if it looks like she's not getting enough fat... I'm going to keep a food journal for the week before her appt and see if that gets us anywhere. Would increasing the quinoa help maybe? She really doesn't like eating it, but if I add some choco chips she tolerates it. It's the only grain she doesn't break out from at this point.

This is probably a stupid question, but how do I figure out how much fat is enough in a 15 month old's diet? Should I ask my doc how many grams and then count it out? Do fresh fruits and veggies contain any fat?

[Guhlia]

Angie--

Have you tried Vance's Dari Free? It's made from potatoes and versatile since it's sold as a powder--

Open Original Shared Link

Patti, we haven't tried Vance's. I'll talk to my pediatrician about it, but I'm pretty sure she'll veto it since it's fat free. Any ideas how to add fat to it? Would adding that to her diet be a problem since she already devours an entire sweet potato pretty much every day?

[jerseyangel]

Patti, we haven't tried Vance's. I'll talk to my pediatrician about it, but I'm pretty sure she'll veto it since it's fat free. Any ideas how to add fat to it? Would adding that to her diet be a problem since she already devours an entire sweet potato pretty much every day?

I'll bet that you could reconstitute it with the water and some oil to make the fat content the same as her soy milk. It has a pretty nice taste, so a bland oil shouldn't make a difference there. It's made from white potatoes, so I don't think it would make a difference with her sweet potato at all--as long as she's ok with white potatoes.

I can't help but think that the soy could be a real problem for her--if you and the doctor could see your way clear to a trial with the Vance's and off soy--even for a week--you'd at least have a good idea if soy is a problem.

[Jestgar]

I asked the doc today about fish and nuts and she told me to hold off on them until we have her weight problem stabilized or at least diagnosed. She said that she didn't want to throw anything new in just two weeks before her gi appt. I could probably add some canola oil somewhere if it looks like she's not getting enough fat... I'm going to keep a food journal for the week before her appt and see if that gets us anywhere. Would increasing the quinoa help maybe? She really doesn't like eating it, but if I add some choco chips she tolerates it. It's the only grain she doesn't break out from at this point.

This is probably a stupid question, but how do I figure out how much fat is enough in a 15 month old's diet? Should I ask my doc how many grams and then count it out? Do fresh fruits and veggies contain any fat?

Pretty much all fat comes from animal products. There are a few high fat plants, like avocado and olive, but most have minimal fat. If she's only eating that little bit of meat, it may not be enough.

How about avocados and olives?

[dilettantesteph]

Have you thought of Buckwheat? I had problems with Bob's, but then I found a company called Birkettmills that has a completely gluten free facility producing buckwheat foods. You can google them. One of their products is Pocono's cream of buckwheat cereal which might be good for your child. Good luck to you. Having a sick child is the worst thing.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

It looks like she's not getting nearly enough fat to me.

Try salmon--it's very high in GOOD fat.

Coconut milk, too.

[taweavmo3]

I haven't had time to read the replies so far, so I hope I'm not repeating what someone else said, lol.

When my kids were little, they drank soy milk too. I noticed after a few months, that they were not putting on weight. I finally had to take them off of it, it was causing too many problems. What I found that worked for us, since my 2 year old also tends to be on the skinny side, is adding fats into their diet. Avocados blend easily into many foods w/out changing taste, I also use alot of olive oil, coconut oil (in baking and as butter sub) and coconut milk. You could half the coconut milk with rice milk, Vance's, or even Hempmilk which is loaded with good Omega 3's. This seems to have done the trick for my toddler, she made it to the 20% at her checkup! I also bake with sorghum, almond meal or coconut flour to add more protein and fiber.

I know the doc said not to cut out soy, but that's how most docs are when it comes to milk. But really, kids do not need milk, they need the fat, which soy milk does not provide. And calcium of course, but that can be found in many other food sources. I think many healthcare providers push the milk subs, b/c they worry parents aren't going to provide a varied enough diet rich in calcium, and soy milk is an easy, quick alternative. But it really does more harm than good....and a quick search for calcium rich foods, as well as foods rich in healthy saturated fats will help get you started on a healthier track.

Hope that helps some, it can be alot of work trying to add in fat....let me know if you need any more ideas!

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Is she continuing to grow in terms of height? Or has that fallen, too?

Are you still breastfeeding? (Sorry if you mentioned it and I missed it.) If so, I would NOT wean at this time! If you weaned within the last month or so, I wonder if it might be worth relactating and pumping? Breastmilk goes directly to brain and bone growth, as that is the most important.

If her only symptom at this point (on the limited diet she's on) is lack of growth, I would add in salmon immediately, and if she doesn't have a problem with that, then coconut milk (perhaps instead of the water she's drinking, or mixed with whatever milk substitute you are using).

If she can't tolerate eggs, you need to be very careful about vaccines, too--I have a friend whose children are allergic to eggs, and their doctor won't allow them to have the MMR vaccine because of it (apparently, it contains egg). Also, NONE of the childhood vaccines are dosed according to the weight of the child--it's one size fits all. So your daughter, in the 3% range of weight, would get exactly the same dose as a similar-age baby that weighs twice or three times as much. Multiply that times 3-4 vaccines that they usually give in one visit between 12-18 months, and you have a recipe for disaster.

My oldest was below the weight chart at birth, AND had a heart defect (which in your daughter's case, they would have found by now) and I had to be very creative to get him just up to the 10th percentile. And if I had known then what I know now about vaccines, he would have gotten WAY fewer vaccines, and only one at a time. (By the end of his first year, he had something like 125 times the FDA limit on mercury for an adult just from the cumulative amount known to be in the vaccines he received--and now they are adding the flu shot {35 micrograms of mercury per shot} to the recommended vaccine schedule for babies over 6 months.

If your baby is in the 3rd percentile for weight, then those 35 micrograms of mercury are going to have much more effect on her than on a baby in the 80th percentile. And if she has intestinal issues, that puts her at even higher risk, as does a family history of celiac.

I'm very disturbed by the pediatrician's attitude of "don't change anything until the GI sees her." Her health is at stake here. If it's that important, he should get on the phone with the GI and beg the GI to see her TODAY, so you can get moving on things to improve your daughter's health.

Good luck, and please keep us posted.

[khockman]

I didn't have time to read all the replies, but I will say that my daughter (Miriam, 2), doesn't drink milk at all. We do the specific carbohydrate diet with her for the most part. For a while she drank almond milk, but she quit liking it so now she just gets her calcium from the 24-hr yogurt. But I realize your daughter can't have dairy so that's out. Personally, I don't think a child *has* to have milk. As long as they are getting their nutrients from other foods, that's all that matters. Broccoli has lots of calcium. Also, as far as gaining weight, I don't pay that much attention to the weight now that Miriam is 2, but to the height. That's what my doc said to do. He said if she's growing in height, that's all that matters. My good friend's little girl has severe milk and egg allergies. She's 3 1/2 and weighs less than Miriam, only like 23 or 24 pounds, but she's growing in height and otherwise healthy. You can't always go by the weight once they hit 2, according to my pediatrician.

[khockman]

I'm sorry. I just reread your post and realized your daughter isn't 2 yet.

[Guhlia]

She's not growing length-wise either. She has good color though and is a VERY happy little girl. She doesn't seem unhealthy to me, just tiny. I know that dropping on the charts like that isn't healthy, but physically she doesn't appear ill.

Would coconut milk be a good milk sub? I was thinking of trying that mixed with vance's maybe. Because of the delayed reaction time of her rash, we can only add one thing every two weeks, so I think I'll start coconut tomorrow and see what happens. I would really like to get her off the soy as soon as possible. She won't drink plain water often and she doesn't like juice, so I need to find something she's willing to drink.

I know that she tolerates canola oil well. Might I add some of that into her diet until we can find healthier sources of fat? I can't add anythign else in if I'm trying coconut next. Does anyone know how allergenic coconut is, btw?

[jerseyangel]

Angie,

Coconut is a very nutritous food, but it's also not unheard of to be sensitive to it either. I'm terribly sensitive to it and need to completely avoid it. I would add it to her diet slowly and separately from anything else new and see how she does.

[zeta-lilly]

This is such a funny post to me because it rings so true. My 2 year old has always been skinny. She was at the 3rd percentile for the longest time. I think at 15 months she also weighed 19 pounds. We have some different feeding issues. It has more to do with texture than allergens. Plus my hubby's whole family is naturally scrawny, so she has no chance. We saw a nutritionist for awhile and she told us that it was okay as long as she was hitting her milestones. That helped us relax a bit.

Did she recently start walking? My kid's weight gain slowed way down when she started walking. She was just so darn active all the time. We've finally started making some headway. I don't know what the percentile is at this point, but she looks much healthier.

Reading what your child's diet is it looks very healthy and balanced, but I think she definitely needs more fat in her diet. Fat is extremely important for young children. Also, and I realize this is so un-pc to say, do you ever give her candy? It may be an easy way to get more calories in her diet and it's easy to find gluten free candy. We gave our daughter lindt truffles. They are so fattening, but unfortunately we just found out they're made with malt She just got over bronchitis and barely ate for nearly a week, so we've got to get back to fattening her up. Good luck to you!

[Guhlia]

This is such a funny post to me because it rings so true. My 2 year old has always been skinny. She was at the 3rd percentile for the longest time. I think at 15 months she also weighed 19 pounds. We have some different feeding issues. It has more to do with texture than allergens. Plus my hubby's whole family is naturally scrawny, so she has no chance. We saw a nutritionist for awhile and she told us that it was okay as long as she was hitting her milestones. That helped us relax a bit.

Did she recently start walking? My kid's weight gain slowed way down when she started walking. She was just so darn active all the time. We've finally started making some headway. I don't know what the percentile is at this point, but she looks much healthier.

Reading what your child's diet is it looks very healthy and balanced, but I think she definitely needs more fat in her diet. Fat is extremely important for young children. Also, and I realize this is so un-pc to say, do you ever give her candy? It may be an easy way to get more calories in her diet and it's easy to find gluten free candy. We gave our daughter lindt truffles. They are so fattening, but unfortunately we just found out they're made with malt She just got over bronchitis and barely ate for nearly a week, so we've got to get back to fattening her up. Good luck to you!

She gets no candy other than the occasional Enjoy Life choco chips. With corn being out, that rules out most candies. I'd prefer to add calories with natural fats, etc anyway. She tends to refuse healthy foods if she's had a treat recently.

Question... When you guys are saying to add more fat, is that in addition to the soy milk or a suggestion for when I remove the soy milk? As it stands she's getting approximately 15 grams of fat a day just from the soy milk, plus all her foods. How much should she be getting? I read 44 grams online, but I can't imagine how to add all that fat without just feeding her junk.

[Cam's Mom]

My son is now 8 1/2 years old and when he hits the third percentile on the weight chart we cheer - it's the heighest he's ever gotten. He's often been off the bottom of the chart. He's so skinny that we lose him when he stands sideways. We've tried absolutely everything to bulk this kid up (and he does not have nearly the restrictions that your daughter has - just gluten-free and he doesn't drink milk, by choice, he hates it).

One thing we do is always have a bag of potato chips going for him. He usually hits that bag 7 times a day. Unbelievably he still does not gain weight. At his age he is still only 47 lbs. Just for point of reference, his twin sister (also Celiac/gluten-free) weighs 68 lbs.

Our ped. keeps telling me - some people are just skinny. Very hard for me to buy that answer considering his genetics and his food issues. I keep asking if there could be a thyroid issue but she says no, since he is growing in height (about 25th percentile for height).

I can't think of what else to suggest other than pototo chips with such a limited diet. I like the coconut milk idea, I think I'll try that too. I am sure it is very hard - good luck!!

[Jestgar]

She gets no candy other than the occasional Enjoy Life choco chips. With corn being out, that rules out most candies. I'd prefer to add calories with natural fats, etc anyway. She tends to refuse healthy foods if she's had a treat recently.

Question... When you guys are saying to add more fat, is that in addition to the soy milk or a suggestion for when I remove the soy milk? As it stands she's getting approximately 15 grams of fat a day just from the soy milk, plus all her foods. How much should she be getting? I read 44 grams online, but I can't imagine how to add all that fat without just feeding her junk.

Don't feed her junk. Try adding more fatty meats (dark meat instead of light, for example), try the coconut milk, try putting a little bit of canola oil in her cereal, etc.

Also have a look at how much fat she has on her body. Does she have the fat pad on her bottom? A little on her abdomen? If those are not there, then she really does need more calories, if those are fine, then you can make small changes in her diet to see if a little more fat starts her growing quicker.

[ptkds]

Have they checked her thyroid and other hormone levels? It may not be diet-related at all.

Just a thought!

[taweavmo3]

In response to your question about fat (b/c I can't the quote thingy to work, lol)........

I would suggest cutting out the soy milk, and getting fat from other sources. Coconut oil is easy to add in, and has 14g of healthy saturated fat per tbsp. (sounds like an oxymoron, but it is actually good for you!) I spread coconut oil on pancakes, waffles, banana bread, etc...pretty much anything that I would use butter on. Coconut milk has 14g of fat per 2oz, so a cup of that a day will give you a healthy amount of fat.

Like someone else said, if she'll eat red meat....you could do a chuck roast, or a beef stew drizzled with olive oil. What about bacon? She may bit a bit young for that, but you could chop it up small for her. Avocados are a primo fat source, and usually well tolerated. You could mash an avocado up in a brownie mix, or try giving one to her plain w/ olive oil and a little salt/pepper.

Will she eat rice pudding? You could make that with a mix of coconut milk and Vance's (I do this with my kids, they don't like a strong coconut taste)

Just some ideas for ya.....hopefully taking out the soy milk will help, I know it definately inhibited weight gain in my own kids. If you do some digging on soy milk, you'll find some surprising info that will probably make you feel better about taking it out of your dd's diet. Good luck to you!