When someone won't eat but one food....

[Guest guest]

Listmates,

I know this is offtopic, but I asked permission to ask....Does anyone

have any resources on getting children (or anyone else) to eat more variety

who self-narrow the diet to only one or two foods?

I have heard from two parents lately whose children have refused to eat

other foods since they were babies, and neither has progressed in their

development. One of these children was a friend of my daughter when they

were two years old! She is seventeen now and they say she now has an IQ of

55, but she did not seem that impaired when they were little, although she

didn't talk at all. She still eats like this boy below whose father just

said this:

Hello,

I just joined your group and so hope someone can help...My 13 y/o son has

so many

problems, I don't know where to begin. He is completely non-verbal. Not one

word of

language. He makes " sounds " but no words. Never has. He has very little useful

communication in any form. Not pecs. Nothing. He has sleep problems too.

And just

recently, is having seizures. He had two frightening episodes. I thought i

would die on the

spot. I am a divorced dad and Ben lives with me...The reason I am writing

is this: Ben has

never eaten anything remotely close to a normal diet. He stopped eating

normally at age

2. he went years on only Oreo cookies. Then Doritos chips. For a few years,

I had eating

maybe six things (dry cereal, cheese, graham crackers...things like that)

His weight is ok

and every doctor I have ever spoke to about this, shrugged it off. And I

guess i did too.

But inside me I can't possibly imagine how he has survived on so little

nutrition. And now,

he has had two seizure episodes. And they were horrible. Frightening beyond

words. I

used to " force feed " him PediaSure and Ensure with a syringe but feared the

dairy

components. No Gluten but casein is in those supplements....Please - can

anyone suggest

a liquid food-type supplement for my boy that is safe? He is only eating

pretzels now.

That's all. I am so overwhelmed that I fear I am -and have been for years

-starving him.

At least his brain anyway. I am desperate for some guidance and/or advice.

I have no

family and no support and no doctor seems to think this is serious. I do.

I've talked to

countless numbers of parents but no one has a child with an eating problem

of this

magnitude. Picky eaters? Yes. but nothing like this. I am wits end and

riddled with guilt

that I have let it go on all these years. Now, he's having seizures! What

on earth have I

done to this child? Please, can anyone help us? Thank you for your time. I

know how many

needs there are on this site.

We also heard of a third child who has narrowed the diet this severely, but

is younger. These parents are at their wits end, and I know the friend of

mine has tried feeding therapies offered by speech therapists, but it isn't

working.

If any of you knows anyone who has had success in this area, will you let

me know?

Many thanks!

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