What can I do about a child that has poor nutritional health?

Question

I know of someone who refuses to have an overweight child, and from birth has selectively fed her daughter minimal food. Her daughter is now five years old, and still has poor health. Last year, she would only eat bread, and ended up constipated like you wouldn't believe. The poor thing screamed in agony while on her kiddie toilet. More recently, she believes that just because her daughter eats a hard-boiled egg, that she can be rewarded with a bowl of croutons and some salad dressing without any greens. Just the other day, her daughter was brought in to see her pediatrician because she hasn't eaten solid foods for 3 days. Not only does this child suffer from poor eating habits, she has speech problems (i.e.avid stuttering), and who know what else, aside from her lack of growing.

What can I do? This can't be right what she's doing! What's even worse is that this woman is PROUDLY a member of a local Mother's Club and school PTA member.

Help!

Answer 1

You need to explain to the person the importance of good eating habits and how if she continues to feed her this way it can effect the rest of her life. If this child isn't feed properly while in the brain developing stages then there could be some huge issues later in life. If it is because the child is a picky eater then this is different. Then, the mother could mix a juice of a many types a fruits and vegetables and then the child will only taste the fruit. Hope that this will help.

Answer 2

Does the child see a pediatrician? If so, presumably if there are really health concerns, they're being addressed.  Many kids go through phases where they'll only eat a certain food; that's not necessarily a sign of abuse.  (If you know for sure she was being offered only bread, of course that's a different story).  I think it's a poor choice to reward eating behaviors with treats, but if a treat for this kid is croutons with salad dressing, that's hardly the worst thing she could be eating (especially if she's underweight, as pediatricians often recommend oils for underweight kids).  

My point is that just because a child is small for their age, has gone through food jags, eats croutons with salad dressing for a reward, or stutters or something doesn't prove abuse.  And your idea of "minimal food," if it hasn't made her a weight that's of concern to her pediatrician, may not be so minimal at all.  Indeed, perhaps there's a family history of diabetes or something and the mom is making wise choices to avoid getting her child hooked on junk food, etc.  I've got two kids who are in the bottom 5th percentile for weight.  They're much loved, not abused, and eat healthily (and I've taken them to specialists and I make sure they're closely monitored by their doctor) -- and boy would I be mightily offended if someone decided that because they happened to be small that I must be abusing them!

You can recommend a speech therapist for the stuttering.  You can recommend a doctor's visit, specialist's visit, or nutrionist's visit for the weight and nutrition.  But unless you actually have reason to believe she has health issues that aren't being monitored by a doctor or that the mom is actually withholding food to the point of abuse or neglect, you need to stay out of it.

edit -- if you really believe the mom doesn't understand what nutrition the child needs (as opposed to a mom dealing with a very picky eater), why not organize through the pta a talk on feeding healthy foods to kids? if she's such an active member, maybe she'll go and learn something.

Answer 3

children need a BALANCED diet, and i am surprised really at the lack of concern that the child's pediatrician has shown. this woman is ABUSING her child, and she needs serious help. offer advice, and if she doesn't take it you need to call child protective services.

Answer 4

If you know who her pediatrician is, call the pediatrician and report what you've seen (not what you believe).  If you don't know who the pediatrician is, then call Child Welfare.

Answer 5

Call Child Welfare!  You will remain anonymous.  It's not that the child has poor nutritional heath by choice it's the parent that has no nutritional or parenting education.  They both need help.  What is the mother's health like?  Children learn from example.

Answer 6

Call CPS.

Answer 7

I would call the child welfare people and tell them how the woman is starving her child. No child should be treated that way. The mother obviously has mental issues.