Feeding Challenges at 6 Months: Baby Refusal & Solutions

Question
I have a baby girl that is 6 months old 27 inches long and weight 15 pounds . She bornrd 19 1/2 inches and 7.9 pounds. Until 3 months of age she had really bad chronic projectile vomit which resolved. Everything she used to eat she used to throw up and cry. Today at 6 months she pretty much refuses to eat/drink, I already bought all kinds of bottles, colored, curved whatever you can imagine. Every day i struggle to make her eat,I manage to make her eat around 2-3 jars of baby food a day, and she pretty much drinks around 18 ounces of formula in 24 hours.I tried giving her baby cup but it didnt help, she hates anything that comes in contact with her mouth, she shut it close. She loves to play but she never put the toys in her mouth either. I am losing my battle, i dont know what to do anymore. The doctor is okay because she manage to gain 1 pound every 1 1/2 month. "As long she gains weight". But he doesnt know how I struggle for her to gain this misarable 1 POUND. PLEASE HELP ME.................

Answer
Hi Luciana,

This is a behavioral problem after a traumatic event experienced by your daughter. Any traumatic events will cause a fear to perform the same actions again. In her case, she associates food with a nasty burning sensation and pain during and after vomiting. It will take time to retrain her thoughts. You may wish to obtain a referral to a pediatric behaviorist for ways to help combat this problem.

Regards,

John Thai, MD