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No Weight Gain. Found Intolerant To Lactose. Giving Ragi Porridge, Nestum And Rice. What Do I Do?
Question: Hi,
I am XXXXX and my daughter will be 1 yr old within next 2 days. Her weight has not increased for the past 3 months. On performing certain tests with my ped 2 weeks back, we found she is intolerant to lactose. So I have stopped all milk products now. I m giving her only ragi porridge once a day. Apart from that I give rice with dal and Nestum.
She likes eating snacks kind of food more like biscuits and all. But as per my ped advice I have stopped that too.
She is still not gaining weight. I have started adding little coconut to her diet recently. Now, her ped is telling she is allergic to some food as she is having little rashes around her mouth and adviced to find what food she is allergic to. So he has asked to stop all that I am giving her and continue with only Nestum and rice.
What do I do now? How can I maintain her diet. She is bit concerned about the taste of the food. She doesn't like plain foods and wil not eat them. What diet can I give her? Her birth weight was 2.56kg and now she is only 6.3 kgs and that too for the past 3 months.
I am XXXXX and my daughter will be 1 yr old within next 2 days. Her weight has not increased for the past 3 months. On performing certain tests with my ped 2 weeks back, we found she is intolerant to lactose. So I have stopped all milk products now. I m giving her only ragi porridge once a day. Apart from that I give rice with dal and Nestum.
She likes eating snacks kind of food more like biscuits and all. But as per my ped advice I have stopped that too.
She is still not gaining weight. I have started adding little coconut to her diet recently. Now, her ped is telling she is allergic to some food as she is having little rashes around her mouth and adviced to find what food she is allergic to. So he has asked to stop all that I am giving her and continue with only Nestum and rice.
What do I do now? How can I maintain her diet. She is bit concerned about the taste of the food. She doesn't like plain foods and wil not eat them. What diet can I give her? Her birth weight was 2.56kg and now she is only 6.3 kgs and that too for the past 3 months.
Brief Answer:
Look for medical condition. Specific diet plan.
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Thank you for your query on Healthcare Magic.
Birth weight usually trebles by the age of 1 year. So a child with a birth weight of 2.56 Kg should reach at least 7.5 Kg by 1 year.
Her present weight of 6.3 Kg at 1 year is low and it is below the 3rd percentile on growth chart.
Medical problems like chronic respiratory, infections, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and renal problems to be ruled out by a proper clinical examination and thorough investigations.
Infections like tuberculosis, worm infestations, chronic and repeated episodes of diarrhea will cause retardation in growth leading to failure to thrive.
Gastrointestinal problems like malabsorption syndromes, cystic fibrosis, gluten sensitive enteropathy will lead to defective absorption of nutrients thus causing failure of gaining in weight.
Underlying cardiovascular defects like congenital heart lesions, chronic respiratory problems such as infections, repeated episode of wheezing, and renal problems will also effect the growth.
So clinical examination and evaluation should be directed to rule out for any underlying chronic medical problems.
Food allergy will present with vomitings, loose stools, abdominal cramps, and rash around mouth. And you should make a diary of foods and any problems after giving them.
If she is found to have lactose intolerance, all lactose containing food products should be avoided.
Major (up to 90%) allergic foods are egg, soy, milk, and gluten containing products in children below the age of 1 year. Try to avoid these products if you are unsure of any particular allergic food.
Food items like rice products, pulses, legumes, and fats are least allergic, so you can try to feed the child using these items.
You can try locally available home made food. Add ghee to rice, Nestum, and you can give her dhal rice with adding little bit of ghee.
You can give her cooked vegetables, nonvegetarian soups (if you are Non-Veg).
Therefore I advise you to rule out any underlying medical condition with the help of your pediatrician by thorough clinical examination and investigations, and if there is no such problem try to increase her dietary intake as advised above and you can consult a dietitian for formulating a specific diet plan for her.
Hope I have answered your query, if you have any clarification please let me know.
Regards.
Look for medical condition. Specific diet plan.
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Thank you for your query on Healthcare Magic.
Birth weight usually trebles by the age of 1 year. So a child with a birth weight of 2.56 Kg should reach at least 7.5 Kg by 1 year.
Her present weight of 6.3 Kg at 1 year is low and it is below the 3rd percentile on growth chart.
Medical problems like chronic respiratory, infections, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and renal problems to be ruled out by a proper clinical examination and thorough investigations.
Infections like tuberculosis, worm infestations, chronic and repeated episodes of diarrhea will cause retardation in growth leading to failure to thrive.
Gastrointestinal problems like malabsorption syndromes, cystic fibrosis, gluten sensitive enteropathy will lead to defective absorption of nutrients thus causing failure of gaining in weight.
Underlying cardiovascular defects like congenital heart lesions, chronic respiratory problems such as infections, repeated episode of wheezing, and renal problems will also effect the growth.
So clinical examination and evaluation should be directed to rule out for any underlying chronic medical problems.
Food allergy will present with vomitings, loose stools, abdominal cramps, and rash around mouth. And you should make a diary of foods and any problems after giving them.
If she is found to have lactose intolerance, all lactose containing food products should be avoided.
Major (up to 90%) allergic foods are egg, soy, milk, and gluten containing products in children below the age of 1 year. Try to avoid these products if you are unsure of any particular allergic food.
Food items like rice products, pulses, legumes, and fats are least allergic, so you can try to feed the child using these items.
You can try locally available home made food. Add ghee to rice, Nestum, and you can give her dhal rice with adding little bit of ghee.
You can give her cooked vegetables, nonvegetarian soups (if you are Non-Veg).
Therefore I advise you to rule out any underlying medical condition with the help of your pediatrician by thorough clinical examination and investigations, and if there is no such problem try to increase her dietary intake as advised above and you can consult a dietitian for formulating a specific diet plan for her.
Hope I have answered your query, if you have any clarification please let me know.
Regards.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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