Hi There-
I have a 19 month old daughter whose belly looks and feels very bloated. She's always had a tummy that stuck out a bit but she actually looks pregnant right now! Her arms and legs are very thin so to see her naked with this huge belly is almost startling! It is a bit hard to touch (not hard as a rock, but I definitely wouldn't classify it as "soft"). It doesn't bother her when I touch it and she otherwise seems fine. She has been eating/drinking well and has at least one BM (usually 2) a day, so I don't think she's constipated. One thing worth noting is that she had the norovirus about two weeks ago and then came down with the hives that lasted a week. Her case of noro wasn't classic. She vomitted on and off for about 5 days but would go 24 hours between episodes. She hasn't vomitted in a week and is back to her regular diet. When I brought her to the doctor for the hives I was told that it was a reaction to the virus. Any thoughts?
Unless she is able to perfectly articulate exactly what she is feeling using medical terminology and do a bit of research on her own, I would take her to be seen.
I would be running her to the doctor this morning. Something isn't right. Keep us posted!
Go back to the dr and get a second opinion. Mothers tuitiion is always very strong.
I'm another one who'd have my child at the doctors for this. Very thin arms and legs with a bloated belly reminds me of the pictures of malnourished children you see in magazines asking for donations. I'm not saying your daughter is malnourished, but it's possible that the virus and hives messed up her ability to absorb nutrients.
A checkup at the doctor's is not a bad idea.
Write down everything about what she was sick with and note any symptoms.
Does she have gas? (put your ear against her stomach and listen for blooping sounds - there will be some squishy intestinal noises).
Is she uncomfortable?
Is she peeing and pooping normally?
Tell him why you are concerned and see what he says.
It's hard to tell if her bloating is something that is larger than normal but if she's not uncomfortable and she's always been this way - few children under the age of 5 have flat stomachs.
There is a child belly shape that sticks out a bit that is quite normal and this changes as they grow and age and eventually a flatter belly happens sometime in elementary school (if they are not over weight).
A hernia would be painful and so would appendicitis (would be a fever too).
Have the doctor check her out.
Have her checked. Sounds like her body isn't able to process the nutrients she needs from the food she eats (malabsorption). She could have Celiac Disease. Or she could have other food allergies/intolerances. And being so sick could have totally thrown off her metabolism.
One thing you can do on your own: Do you give her a probiotic? That would help to start heal her intestines. My daughter likes Florajen3; you can open the capsule and pour it/mix it into your daughter's food. This would be what I would suspect first, that her body needs a little extra help healing her gut after all the vomiting she did while sick.
I was thinking along the same lines as Everley. Please get her to the doctor.
Dawn
Definitely take her in and get it checked again. So many things can lead to a bloated belly. Like B mentions, make note how and what she is eating and going to the bathroom. One thing I suggest is also noting what color it is. It could be her body getting back to healthy state.
