not eating/sleeping after illness

help - my 9month old has had a few rough weeks - one minor illness after the other (gastro, sore throat, cold, fever)but i am getting worried as eating very little. he is still active but only a few mouthfuls (except for cereal in the morning), still taking milk. also after the fever only sleeping in my arms - yikes - i'm having trouble getting him back into any kind of routine and it has only been a few weeks. is it normal for him to be completely off his food and how long do you think before appetite returns (i have tried lots of different types of food) he has only just recovered from fever and might still have sore throat - i guess you will say wait and see but i'm starting to get a little worried! it has been weeks since he has been really interested in food.

Very normal, even for adults. You might want to try him on baby vitamins that have zinc in them. Zinc can stimulate the appetite. He may wish to try feeding himself instead as well.

Good luck...it must have been hard on both of you!