Need to fatten up my daughter
Discussion
Hi everybody, just looking for some ideas. My 13 year old daughter was I'll in intensive care for 10 days over Christmas and in hospital for a further 10 days with a combination of flu, streptococcus, pnumonia and sepsis. She's home and on the mend now but we are struggling to get enough food in her. She's lost about 10lbs so far and needs to stop losing as she is very thin now, just skin and bone really. Her tastebuds are also really sensitive now ( raspberries too sharp, chocolate too rich). Anyone got any ideas?
mrscrazypav said:
Hi everybody, just looking for some ideas. My 13 year old daughter was I'll in intensive care for 10 days over Christmas and in hospital for a further 10 days with a combination of flu, streptococcus, pnumonia and sepsis. She's home and on the mend now but we are struggling to get enough food in her. She's lost about 10lbs so far and needs to stop losing as she is very thin now, just skin and bone really. Her tastebuds are also really sensitive now ( raspberries too sharp, chocolate too rich). Anyone got any ideas?
Milkshakes with peanut butter in them?Absolutely. She needs three good, balanced meals a day. Don't over-face her or she'll become frustrated, as will you, if she leaves half of it.
Make it fun too. Chilli, cheese and nachos, lasagne, stew, dumplings, roast dinners. Proper home cooked food made from fresh ingredients is what the girl needs. Get her involved in the cooking process and enjoy it with her. Maybe go out for a special meal to celebrate her recovery.
Hope that helps.
Make it fun too. Chilli, cheese and nachos, lasagne, stew, dumplings, roast dinners. Proper home cooked food made from fresh ingredients is what the girl needs. Get her involved in the cooking process and enjoy it with her. Maybe go out for a special meal to celebrate her recovery.
Hope that helps.
On a similar vein to the above but more regarding carbs than protein (which is to repair muscles!), how about porridge/oats (add a little honey if she likes it). Have you asked her what she likes? Frankly, she just needs to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing in January. Eat burgers, kebabs, chips, pies, cakes, pizzas, crisps, pasta, noodles, rice, white bread, potatoes. Fun stuff!
There are special nutrition shakes available from the pharmacy that taste of more or less nothing and have a lot of calories in them.
I'd make it clear to your daughter that she can have anything she wants. Make sure she's got plenty of snacking stuff to hand too, even if she's munching the odd sweet or whatever, when she's just sat around not doing too much it'll add up.
I'd make it clear to your daughter that she can have anything she wants. Make sure she's got plenty of snacking stuff to hand too, even if she's munching the odd sweet or whatever, when she's just sat around not doing too much it'll add up.
davepoth said:
I'd make it clear to your daughter that she can have anything she wants. Make sure she's got plenty of snacking stuff to hand too, even if she's munching the odd sweet or whatever, when she's just sat around not doing too much it'll add up.
Looking forward to next year's thread "My 14 year old daughter is obese. Any good diets?".
Edited by ShadownINja on Friday 14th January 16:29
The hospital has given us some of enrich milkshakes for her but she can't stand the taste of them. They do have an interesting aftertaste! I've been giving her anything she wants but so far all that's guaranteed to be eaten is dried mango and haribo starmix. She's 5'6 tall and is now down to 7stone, she's havingto carry a cushion around to sit on because she's so thin, she had problems absorbing the liquid feed while intubated and only had about a third of her requirement that way.
Some of those build up shakes are grim, but do work. Another trick is that we used to freeze Ensure shakes to make them more palatable - they come out like ice cream. Those kind of things (Ensure, Nurishment etc) are quite good.
I may be wrong as I am not a dietician, but she has been catabolic while she is in ICU and now should be anabolic (ie. building up muscle etc). She will need a heavier balance of protein in her diet, not saturated fats. Your daughter may still be feeling pretty rough, so don't force things too much! She will start to sort herself out when she feels better.
I may be wrong as I am not a dietician, but she has been catabolic while she is in ICU and now should be anabolic (ie. building up muscle etc). She will need a heavier balance of protein in her diet, not saturated fats. Your daughter may still be feeling pretty rough, so don't force things too much! She will start to sort herself out when she feels better.
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