Well it was basically a waste of time as I thought it would be. I am not sure how I feel about going back for the 6 week follow-up appointment they want me to schedule. They basically declared her as "mildly underweight" and told me to increase her caloric intake and also they prescribed a zinc supplement. They said many toddlers are zinc deficient and that it causes a lack of appetite. I don't personally think Laina has a lack of appetite, especially since they said a normal sized serving of any one thing is the size of Laina's palm, which is pretty darn small and she eats plenty of "servings" of all kinds of foods. Anyways, the zinc supplement may not be covered by our insurance, so I don't know if we're going to do it. (I know, you can buy zinc supplements for adults over the counter. But for some reason for babies you need a prescription.)
Basically I'm not sure there was a point to me going, and therefore I'm not seeing the reason I should go back in 6 weeks. Considering it's 30 mins one-way from our house, and they didn't tell me anything I haven't already heard (well except they did use some formula to figure out her projected adult height, which should be around 5'3").
The thing I find the hardest to swallow (hahaha... I know, silly pun) is the list of recommended "high calorie foods for underweight tots". It is pretty much full of icky, unhealthy foods, save for a few decent options. 
I've copied the list below for your reading pleasure. The choices I think are a good option I put a smiley face by, the ones I think are particularly horrendous I put a frown by (horrendous either for high sugar, saturated fat, sodium, or nastiness content), and the rest are just neutral:
I've copied the list below for your reading pleasure. The choices I think are a good option I put a smiley face by, the ones I think are particularly horrendous I put a frown by (horrendous either for high sugar, saturated fat, sodium, or nastiness content), and the rest are just neutral::(Carnation instant breakfast mixed with milk
:| Ritz crackers
:(French fries
:|Fig Newtons
:|oatmeal raisin cookies (could be ok, depending on recipe)
:(Waffle with butter and syrup
:(french toast sticks
:) avocado (too bad Laina doesn't like it - I will keep trying though)
:) banana
:(chicken nuggets
:(hot dog (well, maybe ok if not the nasty-filled kind)
:(bologna
:o Braunschweiger - I have no response to this other than "what?"
:(vienna sausage
:(sausage link
:) egg :)
:) cheese :)
:| grilled cheese sandwich
:|PB&J
:| cream cheese sandwich
:)tuna salad
:| mac n cheese
:)yogurt (if not too high in sugar)
dips for fruit and veggies:
:( ranch dressing (the biggest :( of them all, but that one is just personal dislike for ranch)
:| sour cream
:( nacho cheese
:) PB
:( caramel dip
:( pudding
Come on people!!! These are supposed to be doctors in nutrition handing this pink piece of paper out, and it's full of processed meats and sugary syrups and caramel dips??? There has to be healthier sources of calorie-dense foods out there. Maybe a nice avocado/mayo spread on whole grain bread with cheese? Olives or olive oil, anyone? Or the buckwheat pancakes I posted about previously?
Jay did make a good point as he read the list that most of the "bad" foods wouldn't be so bad if they are homemade. Like the chicken nuggets. I'm imagining nasty McD's. But if I made them myself I could limit salt content and choose Canola oil for cooking. I just picture most everything on that list coming from some fast food joint and not being very healthy or nutritious at all.
So, comment with your ideas for healthy high-calorie foods. Laina still only has 2 teeth, but that doesn't really stop her from eating most things!
UPDATE 7/30/08: The doctor we saw yesterday at Children's Hospital called this morning after looking over the results of the blood work Laina had done at 12 months. He said most everything looks good, except her blood platelet count was low (or was it high? Shoot, I already forgot). Anyways, he said that warrants more testing - specifically wants more thorough testing of her iron levels. Also he said our insurance should cover the zinc Rx and there was something wrong with the way the pharmacy tech was trying to enter it into the computer. So, on Friday we are heading back to Children's Hospital to hopefully get our zinc Rx and also get some blood drawn. He assured me that getting Laina's blood drawn at the hospital will be a much better experience than it was getting her blood drawn at the local Quest Lab. I sure hope so as I do not want a repeat of that experience!
12 comments:
I have had some nasty Qwest Lab experiences too. I am not a pin cushion people.
I don't know how "good" they are, but I get the Tyson (I think) Dinosaur Chicken nuggets. They are all white meat, 99 percent fat free, and I bake them. I also know that they are the only kind my neighbor can eat and he is allergic to everything. Ainsley will eat about 1.5 with veggies and fruit. I would have never offered them to Aubrey at 15 months, but when I already have another kid eating them... Anyway, we have those for lunch once a week-ish and the kids seem to like them.
What about ravioli with whole fat ricotta? Oh, and you can get sugar free pudding too.
oh, the ravioli is a great idea. I have given her the frozen ravioli that i make once or twice. I should check the ingredients and fat content and make a batch up for her.
I have been cooking from "Deceptively Delicious" and it has great healthy recipes for mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, muffins, soups, etc. Some of the indredients included are applesauce, wheat flour, flaxseed, pureed veggies/fruits, etc. Even Michael likes the meals:) If you want to borrow it to see if you like the meals you are more than welcome! Good luck!
That's appalling! I think the range for "normal" weight is skewed since so many children in this country are overweight. What's wrong with being small? As long as she is healthy, I say keep on with what you're doing. I am not yet to the toddler stage so I don't know what foods they shouldn't eat, but what about salmon, hummus, and nuts/seeds? All loaded with fat and tasty too!
Jenna, please. Think of what your child needs, not what you want her to need. She is abnormally tiny & not walking... As much as it may hurt, you may need to change your strict food beliefs for her benefit. Look outside your box & put her first.
They have some toaster waffles that are whole grain. If you put some peanut butter on them instead of syrup, that's pretty good fat and not too bad with sugar. Plus, it's very tasty and easy to make for breakfast.
Anon: I hope that is a joke.
Tara: Great idea on the whole wheat waffles with toast! I will look for those!
Jenna- I've said it before, and will again, that there is nothing wrong with Laina. She is a bright, healthy girl! I will e-mail you some recipes when I have a chance to do a little research.
Hey Beth, thanks for the comment. I know there isn't anything wrong with her, but I guess at this point I figure it's not going to hurt to try and get more calories into her. But as I mentioned in the post, I don't want to do that in an unhealthy way. Let's get together soon!
I hope anon is teasing, too! Your daughter is fine! You are a mom who is more in tuned to your daughter than most moms are. Little Kitty was tiny like Laina, too, and she's perfectly healthy! Moms really do know best 99% of the time. You're an awesome mommy to a beautiful little princess!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braunschweiger
Ha, I missed that the first time. I used to eat this as a kid, nasty!!
homemade oatmeal with fresh fruit, homemade granola with fresh berries, olives!, nuts, sunflower seeds, avocado!!! (she has got to come around on that one=)), flavoring with olive oil,...i am getting hungry.=) look forward to hearing updates!
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