Drink pediasure daily for low body mass

[Anonymous]

Picky eater 5 year old has body mass of 10, and he does not eat many types of food. He is on multi-vitamin daily, and he is recommended by pediatrician to drink 1 bottle of pediasure to gain weight/add calories. Anyone has child use pediasure to gain weight? Does it work? Are there any side effects for long term?

[Anonymous]

Do you mean he is in the 10th percentile?
Does he seem happy and healthy and have energy to do normal 5yo activities?

I would think healthy fats and proteins would be better than pediasure.

[Anonymous]

Do you mean BMI of 10? Start with pediasure. Did your pediatrician refer you to a nutritionist or other specialist (endocrinologist or geneticist,vetc.)?

[Anonymous]

BMI of 10 or BMI in 10th percentile?

[Anonymous]

It's full of crap. Buy the Whole Foods equivalent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you mean BMI of 10? Start with pediasure. Did your pediatrician refer you to a nutritionist or other specialist (endocrinologist or geneticist,vetc.)?

I would assume a BMI of 10 would warrant a referral to someone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you mean BMI of 10? Start with pediasure. Did your pediatrician refer you to a nutritionist or other specialist (endocrinologist or geneticist,vetc.)?

I would assume a BMI of 10 would warrant a referral to someone else.

Or hospitalization?

[Anonymous]

What do your paediatrician and nutritionist say?

[Anonymous]

I gave it to my son when he was little (3% on the weight charts), then stopped because I thought he was using it as a crutch to not eat breakfast. I was worried that he wouldn't "learn" how to eat enough calories to get through the day. It was a dumb mistake -- he wasn't drinking them between 3-5yo, then we started back. He's 12 now and still drinks them, plus eats breakfast, and he's now at 50% on the weight charts. I should have kept doing it when he was little.

[Anonymous]

My 2 yo drinks 2 bottle of pediasure a day. He eats very little real food. He has gained in height over the past 4 months, but hasn’t gained any weight yet.

[Anonymous]

A friend’s 9 year old still drinks them on and off whenever she drops below 3% on the weight charts. She doesn’t like them very much, but they’re effective at adding some weight/keeping her out of one-stomach-bug-would-be-a-serious-problem range.

[Anonymous]

My autistic kid drinks boost/ensure regularly at the suggestion of his doctor, because he's a picky eater, doesn't reliably recognize hunger cues, and wasn't gaining weight. But I wouldn't do it merely if your kid is small or without talking to a doctor first.

[Anonymous]

My 9 year old is in the 5th % for weight and has a BMI of 13. Her ped said that since she has been consistent in her percentiles since she was a toddler, eats a wide variety of food, and likes eating, she didn't recommend pediasure. The ped feels that since my daughter seems to have a set point for calorie consumption, pediasure would just replace calories she currently eats from real food with less healthy calories rather than increasing her overall calories. I do try to encourage higher calorie food choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 9 year old is in the 5th % for weight and has a BMI of 13. Her ped said that since she has been consistent in her percentiles since she was a toddler, eats a wide variety of food, and likes eating, she didn't recommend pediasure. The ped feels that since my daughter seems to have a set point for calorie consumption, pediasure would just replace calories she currently eats from real food with less healthy calories rather than increasing her overall calories. I do try to encourage higher calorie food choices.

PP here, OP will your kid eat more if you offer preferred foods. When my daughter was younger she was pickier-she got a lot of calories from pasta with butter and ice cream. With a really thin kid, I would definitely work to get calories from any food he will eat, and if he just won't consume enough calories no matter what then try a supplement like pediasure and also seek some additional expert advice. I know it's really stressful and you have my sympathies!

[Anonymous]

OP, my severe picky eater wouldn't touch anything like Pediasure. Will your kid drink it?

There's nothing magic about Pediasure. It's sugar water with some oil thrown in, and a little milk and soy. Plus a vitamin.

Water, Corn Maltodextrin, Sugar, Blend of Vegetable Oils (Canola, Corn), Milk Protein Concentrate, Soy Protein Isolate, Nonfat Milk. Less than 0.5% of: Natural & Artificial Flavor, Cellulose Gel, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Phosphate, Calcium Phosphate, Potassium Citrate, Tuna Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Ascorbic Acid, Monoglycerides, Soy Lecithin, Cellulose Gum, Salt, Carrageenan, Potassium Hydroxide, Inositol, Taurine, Stevia Leaf Extract, Ferrous Sulfate, Monk Fruit Extract, dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, L-Carnitine, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacinamide, Manganese Sulfate, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Lutein, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Folic Acid, Chromium Chloride, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenate, Sodium Molybdate, Phylloquinone, Vitamin D3, and Vitamin B12.

So if your child is willing to drink it, it's a source of calories and protein and vitamins.

But you could also try a milkshake, or a chocolate milk, or strawberry milk, or a yogurt drink.

I experimented and found a recipe for a milkshake that my severe picky eater liked, and a smoothie recipe as ell... very gradually adding some fruits blended in. He also drank a lot of hot chocolate (to which I added one small egg yolk).