My ds was an incredibly fast grower in his first yr, but has virtually stopped. He's grown 1/4 " in the past 11 months (since 9 months of age). He's still big for his age, but also has huge hands and feet (wore size 8 at 14 months) so I think he's built to be a big kid/man.

I know that all kids grow at different rates, and I don't think I would be overly concerned except that it's been such a long time and his diet is absolutely deplorable. I did start him on a vitamin/mineral supplement a couple wks ago and noticed his energy improved. His caloric intake probably doubled since then too so maybe he's finally getting what he needs to grow. I hope so. Would you be concerned about his slow growth or am I just starting to worry about everything health-related?

I have no idea whether that's normal. I do know that their growth is huge the first year and then slows after that. If you're really concerned, talk to your doctor.

Is his diet so bad becaue he's such a fussy eater? If so, try my trick. Buy something healthy that he absolutely loves (like it was oranges for us) and tell him he can have it for dessert, but he needs to eat all of his food first. Or is it 'deplorable' becaue he just refuses to eat? I have no hints for that, but I'd appreciate it if you could let me know if you find a solution to that problem!

Unless his diet indicates he's not eating well enough, then I'd say he's ok. Kids growth slows down a bit once they're mobile. I'm assuming he's walking or at least crawling quite a bit, rather active ?
They just burn a lot of that off at this age. As long as there's not big drop in the pounds, I wouldn't worry. Just take note of how/what he's eating to reassure yourself :)

His diet basically consists of milk and bread (which dissolves in his mouth). We've always been extremely careful about not even introducing sugar or processed foods. He doesn't even get fruit juice because of major blood sugar issues in both my and dh's family. The problem with his diet is that he's never been interested in pureed or baby food and seems unable to swallow anything else.

We have an appt scheduled for a very thorough med eval next month. I think I'm starting to feel a lot of guilt for not doing this sooner. In the past few wks we've seen his health really decline, he seems to have stopped growing, and he chokes/gags/vomits almost every time he does try to eat anything. So far his weight isn't a major concern though he keeps getting skinnier and honestly doesn't have another ounce to lose (his weight is 75 percentiles lower than his height so he's very skinny). I just know he's not reaching his full potential health-wise. It's such an awful powerless feeling to know there is something wrong with your child and not know what it is.

I would definately talk to a pediatrition about his diet. He seems to be missing out on lots of nutritional foods. Talk to your ped until you feel comfortable with their suggestions and if you aren't comfortable with that one - find another one. I would be a little concerned too but don't worry. He is in God's hands. [hug]

aww
well, yeah, with the gagging and little to no other food...then yeah...I fully agree with an appt to see what's going on

He could have a hypersensitive gag reflex, that's what Grant has and he won't eat anything but peanut butter, margarine, milk and formula, and it has taken 8 months of feeding therapy to get him to do this. I think it is a good idea to get him checked out and maybe look into therapy. You can PM anytime if you need to talk, I go through the same thing, although, ds has always taken enough formula to keep his weight good, though we are weaning him off formula now and I am a little concerned because he gets vitamins through this.

Thank you all for your replies! It sounds like I'm doing the right things. I'm just so frustrated with myself for not doing it sooner! And I think I'm starting to be concerned about anything health-related where he's concerned. I've taken him to 3 different drs in the last yr trying to get some answers but none have been helpful. He's also been in OT for the past 10 months but hasn't made progress. The next step is an evaluation by a multi-disciplinary feeding team at Children's Hosp which we have scheduled for Jan 2. I also plan to ask them about his nutrition and possible allergies. It's been hard to see his health decline, not know what's wrong, and feel responsible for not taking more drastic steps sooner. He has been eating (or should I say drinking!) A LOT lately. I will feel so much better if he grows a little!

I'm wondering if in the meantime you could offer liquid nutrition, such as smothies or Ovaltine or even Ensure- I can't remember what the one for kids is called. Also, maybe pudding made with whole milk, ice cream, things like that with a smooth texture that would provide some calories?