How To Overcome The Period Of Lack Of Appetite In Children?
The moment we feed our little one can cause us a severe headache if we notice that our baby is leaving part of his meal on the plate. To help him overcome the lack of appetite, pay attention to the tools that we will provide you in the following lines.
As mothers we need to be careful when we feed our children. We must insist that they consume their food, but without exerting too much pressure, because we could generate some apprehension in them, with the result of strengthening their refusal of food.
Therefore, we must be very subtle in using the strategies we use when trying to get them to eat everything. Loss of appetite is more frequent than we imagine, and can occur in children between one and three years of age, who already have enough character. to refuse to do something they don’t want or find unpleasant to do.
When you realize that the days on which your child does not eat his meal are repeated with considerable frequency, do not hesitate and consult your pediatrician. Undoubtedly, he will prescribe a series of rigorous tests to verify that his health is in good condition.
If that is the case, chances are you are advised to give your little one a vitamin complex that compensates for all the nutrients he does not want to consume.
Parents must at all costs avoid putting stress on their children when it is time to eat.
A golden rule suggests that as long as your baby loses weight from his lack of appetite, there is no region to worry about. In this sense, it is necessary that you check his height and weight every 15 days, in order to avoid a possible picture of malnutrition.
Another factor that we must take into account is that lack of appetite must be considered a symptom, the causes of which can be of different nature. In other words, the only way to help our children overcome their lack of appetite is to know what produces it.
Identify the causes of lack of appetite
According to Irene Chatoor, a child psychiatrist and eminent professor at the George Washington University of the United States, the lack of appetite in children can be due to several causes, which must be treated in order to eliminate the symptoms at the root.
For this reason, Dr. Chatoor started the program called “Identification and Management of Eating Difficulties for Children”. According to this program, the causes could be the following:
- The presence of a chronic disease . The first possibility to avoid is the fact that children or infants who have difficulty eating are not suffering from a disease affecting their appetite.
- Fear of eating. This fear arises in children after having experienced a traumatic experience, such as that of a piece of food that has gone wrong for them. Or, it could be the memory of the sensation of a pain in the throat due to some disease.
- Difficulty adapting to new flavors. Often, a child’s lack of appetite is not just due to his or her giving up on trying new flavors, smells and textures. When it happens, it is not a good idea to put pressure on them: this would only worsen their predisposition to certain foods.
It is absolutely essential to have confidence that children will consume the amount of food they need.
- Negative influence from parents. Often, mom and dad believe that the baby is not getting enough nutrition when, in reality, the truth is that he is already consuming all the nutrients he needs for his own development. When faced with the pressure exerted by adults, children usually react by refusing food.
- Lack of enthusiasm. A sad or discouraged child has a hard time eating, just like any adult can. Faced with this possibility, it is useful to ask him what makes him so downcast.
- An overly energetic child. When the child has an excess of energy, he will continue to be aroused, distracting himself and jumping from side to side. If this is the case, it is a good idea to let him know an hour before each meal that he needs to calm down so that he can devote himself to eating without any distractions.
How can we help them?
We must remember that with screams and despair nothing is solved. So, the first thing we need to do is arm ourselves with patience and goodwill when it comes time to feed the baby.
- Experts recommend that the rest of the family eat together with the baby, so that they can see for themselves how they should eat and thus learn the habit of family eating.
- Leave distractions aside. Turn off the television, put away the toys and electronic devices that the child usually plays with.
- Teach him that when it comes time for dinner or lunch, he should focus all his attention on the table and the food.
- Prepare fun dishes. There is no better way to present vegetables and greens than by drawing figures or puppets that can capture the child’s attention.
- Remember that it is of primary importance not to consider eating time as a problem. If so, the baby will sense your stress and refuse to eat.
