Baby Doesn't Want To Eat After Moving To Bangkok

[Mrs Jones]

Hi

I moved to Bangkok 3 days ago with my 1 year old and he refuses to eat anything. He accepts apple juice and nothing else, no formula, no fruit, no bread, ready made food, anything he liked. He gets dehydrated, his nappies are dry after whole day of having them on, He is really irritable and cries very often. I saw a doctor because he had fever at night, and he got him paracetamol, but nothing else. Did anyone else had similar experience? Any advuce?

[Mario2008]

Can't give you any advice, but dehydration is very serious. Let him drink a lot of apple juice and also play in water a lot. The skin is the largest organ and needs water also.

[lost_in_space]

Please go see another doctor. I can't tell of how many misdiagnoses I've heard of in Thailand. A friend who had dengue fever was diagnosed with an ear infection! It wasn't until the 3rd or 4th doctor that they got it right.

Keep at it until you get a good one (and there are many here) and some results.

BTW, where did you move from? Another part of Thailand? or another colder country?

[USNret]

If you crossed a lot of time zones & affected by jet lag, that can be a part of it. Disrupted sleep patterns will also affect his eating & his mood until he "catches up" with Bangkok time. Not disputing the other comments, but this can also be a factor.

[arthurwait]

Maybe as above , but my guess would be the heat. I've lived here years and don't feel like eating much at the moment, my mum hardly eats when she visits either. You've come at almost the hottest time of year as someone else said did you come from a colder country ?

Also my 1 year old isn't eating much either at the moment. Not sure if it's heat or his teeth.

And keep an eye on their body inside their nappy for fungal infections from the sweat. Small red dots/spots.

[MeMock]

Not eating is not a big issue but not drinking is! If his nappy is dry after a full day then you have problems. get to another Dr is my advice. Also when this is all over try and ween him off the apple juice. Best thing for kids (and adults) is water so try and make that the only thing if you can.

[scorecard]

Can't give you any advice, but dehydration is very serious. Let him drink a lot of apple juice and also play in water a lot. The skin is the largest organ and needs water also.

I agree with Mario. I'm not a doctor of medicine but I do know that dehydration of children is very serious, and without proper & fast treatment quickly becomes even more serious.

If you went to a local small doctors' clinic then I encourage you get to a hospital quickly.

Why? Because the 'doctors' at some small clinics are not qualified - fake.

[delgarcon]

I can't believe you are asking this forum for advice. Show a bit of sense and take your son immediately to Bangkok hospital.

[laurel2012]

1 year old travelling?my experience was always carry a bottle of drinking water and milk for this age,sweetness juice only little because baby brain need to be quick wave...so sweet things should be less.

at this country is hot climate particular bangkok hot from polluted,try to avoid loud area too...if the hospital you choose for your baby it should be clean aircondition room too.

drinking water is very important for your baby now even drink more normally...you may need more pampearse but love your baby so doesn't mean hard work...

good luck to you

[laurel2012]

one more thing I suggest about good food for him is mix banana with milk it is helpful for his digest and many system parts but the banana is has to call"Gluay Nam Wah" only and make your home cook not from factory....

[lostinisaan]

Please see a real doctor, not a guy who just made his way through this system...

Make some banana shake, those fruits contain a lot of useful minerals and vitamins. Good luck.

Edited April 5, 2013 by lostinisaan

[Newguy70]

Hi Mrs. Jones,

I am hoping that you have taken your child to the hospital at this point, just to rule out anything serious.

If nothing has helped, have you considered switching from formula to milk? Even a (50/50) mix if he/she is fussy. We took our son off of formula at the 1 year mark you may want to try this as well.

Anytime my son had issues with eating, we solved it though shakes. (milk, half a banana and a few blueberries) his favorite You have to blend it well and make sure you have the proper nipple for the bottle. I recommend the bottle by Avent sold in Central. and they have a specific nipple for thick drinks,

For example adding different types of fruit to his milk etc. This added on the pounds, especially when he was fussy about trying/eating new foods. Types of fruit we used and still use today (bananas, blueberries, mango, strawberries) blueberries/strawberries can be found in the frozen section of any Tesco if you are not able to find them in a market by your residence.

Hope all is well...

Edited April 5, 2013 by Newguy70

[NoshowJones]

I can't believe you are asking this forum for advice. Show a bit of sense and take your son immediately to Bangkok hospital.

I think you are wrong to condemn the OP for asking advice from this column. Yes, the baby should be taken to the hospital, even if he did not word it that way, it's obvious the OP only wants to know if any of the posters know if it has happened to any other babies that they know about.

[NoshowJones]

I can't believe you are asking this forum for advice. Show a bit of sense and take your son immediately to Bangkok hospital.

I think you are wrong to condemn the OP for asking advice from this column. Yes, the baby should be taken to the hospital, even if he did not word it that way, it's obvious the OP only wants to know if any of the posters know if it has happened to any other babies that they know about.

I assume the mother is still around, although I don't have experience with babies, I believe that the mother will always know if something serious is wrong.

[saanya]

are you the Mother of the Father? a Mother would have this all figured out, if are the Mother and you don't have this all figured, then of course it's hospital time. and you need to get to a hospital (or baby clinic which is usually open after daytime hospital hours) that's good with babies, like today.

my wife is very dialed in on every single thing, right down to each and every mosquito bite, cough, sneeze and meal. I made the mistake of taking us travelling a few weeks ago, and sure enough baby got sick. she's a year old and they're better off in a stable environment where routine is in place, and minute by minute attention to detail is vital, even when they are fine.

doctors are in their clinic early and late, at 530pm. if you don't want the hassle of a hospital, and the endless travel and heat and mayhem which will also take a toll on the child, go to a baby clinic as near to home as you can.

[freedom4life]

Can't say I blame him...take him out of BKK.

[lostinisaan]

Can't say I blame him...take him out of BKK.

Ever thought about other reasons, like being sick?

[lostinisaan]

are you the Mother of the Father? a Mother would have this all figured out, if are the Mother and you don't have this all figured, then of course it's hospital time. and you need to get to a hospital (or baby clinic which is usually open after daytime hospital hours) that's good with babies, like today.

my wife is very dialed in on every single thing, right down to each and every mosquito bite, cough, sneeze and meal. I made the mistake of taking us travelling a few weeks ago, and sure enough baby got sick. she's a year old and they're better off in a stable environment where routine is in place, and minute by minute attention to detail is vital, even when they are fine.

doctors are in their clinic early and late, at 530pm. if you don't want the hassle of a hospital, and the endless travel and heat and mayhem which will also take a toll on the child, go to a baby clinic as near to home as you can.

Most doctors here make their "real money" by having a clinic. Reality is that there aren't enough good doctors, if somebody's really sick. It's not just like: "go to any baby clinic" you need to ask people who know where to go to. C'mon this is Thailand.

[cocopops]

his nappies are dry after whole day of having them on

I've no medical training, but this bit in particular would alarm me. See another doctor.

A friend of mine had a 2 year old who, for whatever reason, just stopped drinking liquids at one point. Ended up on a drip in hospital. No lasting damage done, but it was still a serious situation. There was never an explanation afterwards either. Kid just did it....

[veronicasyps]

I don't think you need to be concerned about the not eating, but you should definitely get him to a hospital. If he is severely dehydrated they will probably put him on a fluid iv for about half an hour. I highly recommend, depending on where you live, Samitivej hospital. They have a special,pediatric clinic. Check their website at samitivejhospitals.com for the location. If you are in the Pakkret area your best bet is Dr. Suda at Mongkunwattana hospital on Chaengwattan Rd.

My son took ages before he would eat anything but toast & eggs for months. That was 15 years ago. Now he can't wait to get back to Bangkok to eat EVERYTHING.

Hope this was helpful and good luck. Perhaps you are a little stressed out by the culture change also, which will reflect on him.

[saanya]

are you the Mother of the Father? a Mother would have this all figured out, if are the Mother and you don't have this all figured, then of course it's hospital time. and you need to get to a hospital (or baby clinic which is usually open after daytime hospital hours) that's good with babies, like today.

my wife is very dialed in on every single thing, right down to each and every mosquito bite, cough, sneeze and meal. I made the mistake of taking us travelling a few weeks ago, and sure enough baby got sick. she's a year old and they're better off in a stable environment where routine is in place, and minute by minute attention to detail is vital, even when they are fine.

doctors are in their clinic early and late, at 530pm. if you don't want the hassle of a hospital, and the endless travel and heat and mayhem which will also take a toll on the child, go to a baby clinic as near to home as you can.

Most doctors here make their "real money" by having a clinic. Reality is that there aren't enough good doctors, if somebody's really sick. It's not just like: "go to any baby clinic" you need to ask people who know where to go to. C'mon this is Thailand.

do you have a baby here? you have to do something right?

you'll know if the doctor is any good in the first few minutes if you have a brain. but my deduction in this case indicated that if the person was asking in a forum, they don't know anyone else personally to ask, therefore you state the clearest and most sensible route. which is to avoid lots of travel, heat, exposure, yet find medical aid at a relevant place close by. then work from there until you can tell you have the right doctor.

my wife says for sure this was not a female asking this. they'd know from instinct, or they'd have anther female to ask. this sounds like a foreigner father, even though the avatar is MrsJones.

she also says this could be because the baby is getting to the point of being able to walk, which is when they eat much less. also, it could simply be from moving, some babies, kids this age, don't take well to moving. so they do this for a while. but that if the baby is drinking apple juice, that's something good, and to try and feed the baby chopped apples, that the similarity to the apple juice could be enough to trigger them to eat the solid as well.

could be many other things, yes, we all know this country is cr4p for doctors and you have to work it out yourself, and there's no shortage of people on TV or in this thread or any other who think they know it all, yet help nothing and simply whinge on others for having no sense. but what it has to do with actually helping anything is very little, and the OP will gladly agree as they scroll through the nonsense asking themselves "are these people for real?".

even people you know can send you to someone they think is good, but then that doctor isn't any good at what's wrong in your specific case. we were recommended this great MD for when my wife was pregnant, he seemed to do OK, but when it came time for our baby to be born, she was 2 months early. this guy said he'd do the delivery ASAP and sent us to the emergency room at the hospital. he never showed, student doctors had to do it. he'd avoid us and disappear till I caught him in the hallway one morning sneaking past. he acted like it never happened.

Method for collecting names of doctors & clinics:

we actually look up the best hospitals now, the ones where the high end insurance is accepted, where the rates are high as well as how popular they are. this usually means the better doctors are on staff here because they get paid much better than if they are stuck only working at the government hospital.

if it's a well known and well recommended hospital, we know there's a better chance a few good doctors might be on staff, it's no guarantee but does mean a slight better chance. sometimes it starts with a basic google search for hospitals in the area.

we then visit their websites and look up the names of the doctors in the departments we seek. how do we do this? their hours are listed along with their names in such hospitals,sometimes even on spreadsheets or PDFs that may or may not be up to date, or at least on a specific web page. it helps to have a thai on hand who can help in the web search. my wife's gotten used to this, knows we are just looking for leads, and can type a department or medical speciality term in Thai.

we then call in to that dept, and ask for an appointment on the day we know they are not there. we then implore the person on the phone "do they have a clinic?, where is it?, what is it called? we can only come that day we are from far away, can you please tell us?". this always gets us the info on the name of the doctor's clinic, and sometimes even it's location along with enough to use for driving directions. we do this for as many as 6 doctors, and try to get all of the info down and check a map before we go out to them.

then we go to a given clinic or clinics that day or early eve. we arrive in the area early to save time, if they open at 530PM we get there at 430PM and scout it out. usually there are many other clinics in the area as medical communities here tend to cluster in certain areas. in BKK it might be different because it's so vast. but in cities like Udon, Nong Khai, Khon Kaen, even Korat, this method works well. call it what you want, but until there's a comprehensive foreign language based medical directory that has a built-in reviews system, you'll be stuck clicking on google search results in forums just like this one or hospitals whose sites are 90% in Thai.

where one dctor says cut out your thyroid, another will say you have an infection, no surgery required. still another will say it's OK, give you paracetamol and send you off. still others will sell you lots of drugs and do nothing. at that point it's on you to have done the research about whatever condition. in the case of this baby, "ask other women" is a good answer.

my wife feels that no matter what, if the baby is drinking apple juice, stick with that and build from there. a checkup under relaxed conditions is a good idea. just keep time on your side and things can improve, sometimes it takes a while for them to adjust. especially if the environment is not ideal.

[LUSHGOAT]

For one thing the doctor you saw is an idiot go see a good one if your baby is dehydrated you shouldn't be giving him paracetamol as it destroys the kidneys. Who was the baby closest too in before you moved to Bangkok if someone was taking care of the baby then perhaps he is missing them pining if you understand what I mean. Bring that person to you for a week or so till the baby adjusts to the move. Hope this helps and the baby gets well. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

[bangarang]

Bangkok hospital is the place to be right now, not this forum. Just as long as the baby stays hydrated you should be ok but any symptoms could be causing the problem. Better to find out from a professional at a private international hospital. This is a very serious matter.

[rfukata]

Mrs. Jones,

First, where did you come from and what kind of climatic environment are you acclimated to?

The humidity, heat and air is horrible here (especially April, beginning of Summer) and perhaps it may take some time for

the kid to adjust to this environment. I would keep him indoors with Aircon on and try to feed & nourish him and gently

adjusting taking him outdoors.

I have 3 small children's 5, 3 &1 here in Thailand and I know how difficult it is. I hope all turns out well.

[robertson468]

I would agree that the best advice by far is get your Baby to a reputable hospital that has a pediatrics department. Dehydration is serious and if allowed to continue can do irreparable damage to several important organs in the little one's body. Good luck and act quickly.

[konfuzed]

Go to either BNH Hospital or Bumrungrad - Dr Gunn at Bumrungrad was dr for my eldest... I've used a couple of Drs at BNH and both were pretty good - can't remember their names.

My brother stopped eating most things when he came over here when we were kids, but mum persevered and discovered he would eat McDonalds and Spaghetti Bolognese.

But get to a real paediatrician in a real, well-respected hospital asap...

[krisb]

Hope the op comes back.

I'm keeping my eye on this one.

[GoodWesternGuy]

As a father of 5 I am utterly astounded that you have a child that has a dry nappy 3 days in and you have not booked him into a decent hospital. Dehydration can be fatal. A forum is NOT the place to seek medical advice. Please take your child to hospital. As for the utterly idiotic advice that "A mother will always know when something is wrong' - Sure that is why people go through 6 years of medical school right?

Get your child to hospital!

[Mrs Jones]

Hi,

I'm still here and I've been just reading the comments, though didn't have time to read ll of them yet.

So let's start from the beginning

I took him to the hospital just after arriving. Yes, the first night. We flew from London, so it was very cold, and he didn't want to eat and drink on the plane, so when we arrived he was already worn out and feverish. Doctor gave him paracetamol because except for the fever, he didn't have any other symptoms of any sickness. he told me to look come back if the fever continues for 2-3 days. It actually does, only during the nights and it's lower and lower, so after a dose of paracetamol he is fine. Sure, I realise he was jet lagged, tired, changed time zones and came from - 2 to + 40, so I expected some major problems, but hoped he would eat mashed fruit, yogurts, fruit, light things. I even expected throwing up, diarrhea etc. but it didn't happen which is great.

Water and apple juice - he never liked water. He's very "stubborn" baby if it comes to what he eats and drinks. Never wanted water, the drink has to be a little sweet. So i give him diluted apple juice, the natural one, no sugar added. I'm not fan of sugary, sweet things but at the moment I think it's what makes him going. He started actually drink a lot of that juice so i don't mind as long as he wants it.

bananas - I know they are good and he loved them. Not so much at the moment, I think i have to be patient and keep on trying. I also want to try coconut water as it's supposed to be ultra hydrating and nutritious.

Travelling with the baby. I'm not just travelling, it's a permanent, or semi-permanent move for work. It's a reality of being a single mum in London and here in Bangkok. Here, I'm able to rent a place, have a nanny and easy life, while over there I'd be surviving on a few benefits, unable to provide him with things I can provide him with in bangkok.

And finally the last but not least. he's started eating. Slowly but he has. It may sound surprising but he went for McDonald's. We went to Ikea today to buy him a high chair and on the way home stopped at McDonald's. he had 2 chicken nuggets and some fries. Novelty? Not bland baby food? Was it also his high chair that felt familiar? not sure but then he had some fruit and rice krispies and even fruit mash so I'm really happy. Maybe it's also third day and he's getting used to the weather? He is also more playful, likes the outdoor (though I let him play in the evening and just for a short time) but he absolutely loves my friend's dogs and plays with them in the yard. So I believe it all looks good

So thank you everyone for your advice, it's really helpful. i actually believe that your experience may be similar and relevant and it helped. So here are other 2 questions - electrolytes. Any brand you'd recommend for babies? The European brand I have is awful, truly terrible and he won't have any. Even adding a bit to water/juice makes it awful.

vaccination - I have to get him a few and I'm not sure if I should do it now, as they may cause some extra fever, or wait a week or two.

Thanks a lot in advance

[Mrs Jones]

are you the Mother of the Father? a Mother would have this all figured out, if are the Mother and you don't have this all figured, then of course it's hospital time. and you need to get to a hospital (or baby clinic which is usually open after daytime hospital hours) that's good with babies, like today.

my wife is very dialed in on every single thing, right down to each and every mosquito bite, cough, sneeze and meal. I made the mistake of taking us travelling a few weeks ago, and sure enough baby got sick. she's a year old and they're better off in a stable environment where routine is in place, and minute by minute attention to detail is vital, even when they are fine.

doctors are in their clinic early and late, at 530pm. if you don't want the hassle of a hospital, and the endless travel and heat and mayhem which will also take a toll on the child, go to a baby clinic as near to home as you can.

I'm a mother but what do you mean by mother has it figured out? Like mothers have some special knowledge they are born with ?