Failure to thrive community

[caffeine_girl]

A while ago I joined an internet group for parents with children who have been diagnosed with Failure to Thrive, and I've been getting back in to reading and responding to the messages.  Some of the mothers have school-age children, but most of the posts are from people with babies and toddlers.  It's unnerving to read post after post from mothers

Comments

[platkat]

Even though I have no idea what you're going through, not being a parent of a child who won't eat, or a parent at all, but you might want give Miss Izzy a little more time before you put in a feeding tube. It just seems wrong to meddle because it could further complicate things. I don't know. Whatever you decide, I hope Isabel starts eating more and gaining weight soon!

[caffeine_girl]

I agree, I would have to be convinced that being underweight was posing a serious risk for her. And we're not at the point where we have to make any drastic decisions -- and if I can keep finding calorie- and nutrient-dense foods that she will eat, we won't have to be. But I am in the position of wondering how far I would go to give Isabel the best chance of being a normal height. I know many parents go to great lengths to try to give their babies the best chance at being the next great mathematician, violinist, Olympic gymnast, pianist, or whatever, but I have always wanted Isabel to be at least average. So now I'm asking myself, if a feeding tube meant the difference between an adult height of 4'10" and one of 5'4", should we give her one?

But this is just one thing on my mind, along with lots of other things like whether or not Spongebob Squarepants is too violent for us to watch together, and how old will she need to be before she is allowed to get parts of her pierced or tattoed...