Avoid anorexia for children: What should parents do?

The article was consulted professionally by Dr. Phan Nguyen Thanh Binh – Head of Nutrition – Dietitian – Pediatrics – Newborn Department, Share99 Central Park International Health Hub.

Anorexia is one of the most headache problems of parents today because it has many consequences affecting the normal development of the child such as stunting, weakening the immune system, developmental delay, lack of minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron, vitamins A, C, D,… Most malnourished children are caused by anorexia in children. In order to eliminate the child's eating complications, it is necessary for parents to have understanding as well as perseverance in the care of children.

1. Causes of anorexia in children

There are many causes of anorexia in children including:

  • Due to lack of substances since she was a fetus: The mother during pregnancy suffered from a lack of substances such as calcium, iron, zinc, necessary vitamins,… will cause the fetus to suffer from lack of substance and malnutrition. As a result, premature, underweight babies lead to laziness in breastfeeding from the first months after birth. Babies born normally, with enough weight, may be lazy to breastfeed, breastfeed or eat milk outside of the natural normal to reduce their amount of food or completely remove milk.
  • Feeding children supplements too early, a disproportionate diet high in starch is also one of the causes of anorexia. Usually in the first few weeks of eating supplements, children feel very appetite, then they eat poorly due to the need for vitamins of group B (especially vitamin B1), iron, zinc, magnesium are deficient.
  • Due to the change in the child:
    • When entering stages such as flipping, sitting, crawling, walking, learning to speak,… children are often anorexic.
    • Even when healthy, children have periods of eating less for a few days or weeks and still have normal fun.
    • These are the stages when children discover their abilities, learn and practice new skills, so they do not pay attention to eating.
    • This period is common in children 3 – 4 months, 9 – 12 months, 16 – 18 months,… After that, the child will return to eating normally.
  • Food that is not suitable for taste is also one of the causes of anorexia.
  • Children with anorexia: When the child has some diseases such as gastrointestinal disorders, infections,.. may cause anorexia

Avoid anorexia for children: What should parents do?

When a child has certain diseases such as gastrointestinal disorders, infections
  • When a child has tonsillitis,teething, tongue fungus, beneficial anesthetic or salivary gland inflammation, he will find it difficult to chew something, which in turn leads to anorexia in the child.
    • Gastrointestinal disorders: When a child has a digestive disorder, there are often manifestations such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting or constipation,… make the baby lazy to eat, slow to grow. It is a sign of contractile disorders, secretions in the stomach or intestinal dysbiosis.
    • be infected:
      • Compared to adults, the child's immune system is very immature, so there are not many mechanisms to protect against pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. Therefore, babies are very susceptible to cough, fever, fatigue,… due to infection of the respiratory tract (pneumonia) or digestive system (gastritis, enteritis,…).
      • When the child is infected, the content of vitamins and minerals is greatly lost, especially vitamin A, vitamins of group B, vitamin C, iron, zinc, magnesium,… lazy children to eat or not to eat.
      • In addition, infected children often take antibiotics, which can lead to intestinal dysbiosis, abdominal obstruction, ingestion and loss of appetite.
      • Parasitic infections: Worms, flukes also cause anorexia in the child.

2. Signs of recognition of anorexic children

Children are considered anorexic when there are more than 2 manifestations below:

  • Do not eat all the servings or meals usually last more than 30 minutes.
  • Eat less than 1⁄2 servings by age.
  • Keep food in your mouth for a long time and will not swallow.
  • Refuse not to eat, run away or cry when food is seen.
  • There is a nauseating reaction when food is seen.
  • Do not gain weight continuously for 3 consecutive months.

3. To avoid turning children into food, what should parents do?

Many parents think that it is important to let children go out and watch television while eating, to create a happy and exciting atmosphere for them, to help them get a good meal, but that only makes them lose focus on meals, making them feel that the meal is not important, and the food will cool down for a long time. , metabolism, easy to give birth to bacteria that are harmful to the intestinal tract of the child. Therefore, to avoid anorexia for children, parents need to:

  • Parents need to help their children accept new foods that the family wants to supplement their children.
    • Present new food to your child's eyes eye-catchingly, then your child's parents will model and encourage them to touch food starting with their fingers up to the palms – arms – shoulders – cheeks – around the mouth.
    • If the child tolerates or shows interest in the above activities, it means that the new food has gradually approached the child's mouth but should not be rushed into the child's mouth but must let him experience more about the taste of food by smelling, tasting and by this time he will feel it is easy to eat them.
  • Feed your child with family trays so that they can know the family atmosphere and time when eating.

Avoid anorexia for children: What should parents do?

Feed your child with family trays so they can know the family atmosphere and time when eating
  • If possible, let your child scoop up his own meals, do not be afraid to clean up the fallen food, so it will help him to be skillful and choose his favorite dishes.
  • A child's meal is about 30 minutes, if the child has not finished eating within 30 minutes, clean it all up. Extending the time of eating or increasing the number of meals during the day only makes the child feel scared and bored, he will find ways to protest against meals such as: crying, running, vomiting, sucking food in his mouth,…
  • Children are eaten according to their needs: That is, eating just enough food that their stomach can accept.
  • Do not force when the child does not eat anymore, never be afraid of hungry children because when hungry he will ask for food on his own, which is human survival instinct.
  • Let your child mention his meal time, he will practice eating in mode order.
  • Do not feed or drink anything (except cooked water) such as cakes, sweets, cheese, milk,… 1 hour before meals. Because it also makes the child full of belly and does not eat the main meal. If the child is crying, demanding, try to ignore and ignore it, gradually he will practice the habit, to the meal he will eat better.
  • If you want to give your child milk or eat some more fruit, parents should immediately give it to them after their main meal.
  • Arranging side meals and main meals has a reasonable time gap so that the child has time to digest food.
  • Parents and caregivers need to persevere when feeding the child, do not scold the child to create a stressful atmosphere, when the child refuses to eat.

It's not natural that you're anorexic, refuses to eat, and sometimes cries when it's time to eat. Therefore, parents need to observe and understand the reasons why your child has such manifestations, thereby giving the best solution so that your child can be playful and enjoyable when coming to meals, helping them develop comprehensively both physically and mentally.

As a key area of Share99 Health System, Pediatrics always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:

  • Gathering a team of leading doctors in Pediatrics:including leading experts, highly specialized (professors, associate professors, doctors, masters), experienced, used to work at large hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. The doctors are well-trained, professional, mind-centered, knowledgeable about the child's psychology. In addition to domestic pediatricians, pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) always pioneering the application of the latest and most effective treatment regimens.
  • Comprehensive services:In the field of Pediatrics, Share99 provides a chain of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatrics and Vaccines,… according to international standards to take care of your baby's health with parents from birth to adulthood
  • Intensive techniques:Share99 has successfully implemented many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery – skull, hematoma stem cell transplantation in cancer treatment.
  • Professional care:In addition to understanding the young psychology, Share99 also pay special attention to the children's play space, help them play comfortably and get acquainted with the hospital environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical examination and treatment.

TS.BS. Phan Nguyen Thanh Binh has more than 15 years of experience in nutritional intervention, nutrition training and training, and has many scientific researches on the link between nutrition, lifestyle and health published in domestic and international scientific journals. Dr. Thanh Binh is currently the Head of Nutrition and Dietitian Department, Share99 Central Park International Health Hub.

For direct advice, please click hotline number or register online HERE. In addition, you can register for remote consultation HERE

Article reference source: National Institute of Nutrition

SEE MORE:

  • At what age is acute tonsillitis common?
  • Tonsillitis in adults: Do not be subjective
  • Symptoms of fever caused by tonsillitis in children and how to handle it

About: John Smith

b1ffdb54307529964874ff53a5c5de33?s=90&r=gI am the author of Share99.net. I had been working in Vinmec International General Hospital for over 10 years. I dedicate my passion on every post in this site.

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