Feeding FAQ: 12-18 months – Other

How do I stay with the routines when my 1year old is suffering with a cold and not wanting to eat?

Can you please advise me how to stick to the routine when a baby is suffering with a cold. My 1 year old son is refusing food. I have taken him to the doctors and he was on antibiotics for an infection. This has now cleared but he has a cold. He is very sleepy, and grizzly if he is not asleep. I am worried that he is not eating. Is this normal? And do I need to give him more milk? I dropped his 2.30pm feed as he does not have a huge appetite at the best of times. I am wondering if I should give it to him until he is better.

He takes 16ozs of milk during the day and at present is eating about 16spoonfuls of food.

When your baby is ill it is better to relax a little the routine you have in place, to allow him time to recover. If your baby wants to sleep more in the daytime then let him do so as this will help his recovery, although you will need to monitor this a little to prevent excessive night time waking. Take a look at the article on the website that Gina has written, Adapting the routines for a baby who is unwell.

To tempt your son to eat a little prepare small, attractive meals. At his age his appetite will decrease a little. One year olds can become quite picky as to what they will eat but, if encouraged with a variety of dishes, plenty of finger food and the opportunity to feed themselves they should eat a balanced diet. When a baby of this age is unwell he is unlikely to eat much. Providing your son continues to sleep at night don’t push him to eat but keep offering him small tasty meals until he feels better.

Some good ideas to try would be small portions of shepherd’s pie or fish pie, as both these dishes require little chewing but are nutritious. Offer him a scrambled egg or small dish of baked beans for his tea, or try him with a small amount of thick vegetable soup. Follow these easy dishes with natural yoghurt mixed with pureed fruit. If your son refuses most of the meals you prepare, make sure you offer him plenty of fluid throughout the day. As well as water give him well diluted fruit juice or even some diluted Ribena which will keep him well hydrated.

If you feel that your son needs his 2.30pm bottle back in place until he is better, then try him with it. At one year of age he should be taking most of his milk feeds by beaker, so offer him a drink from one at this feed. Once he is eating properly again, you can replace this milk feed with a drink of water and a piece of fruit. This will not fill your son up too much which means he should have an appetite to eat a good tea later in the afternoon.

If your son shows no sign of being interested in food after a few days take him back to the doctor for a thorough check over.