For the child to gain weight. So that the baby gains weight better. Reasons for low weight gain. How to deal with this problem

In the first minutes of a child's life, the birth doctor weighs and measures the height of the baby. These numbers are of great importance, every mother knows them by heart until the end of her life. The weight of the newborn plays a big role in determining the life of the child, his physical development. Therefore, while in the hospital, babies are weighed every morning. What determines the weight of the child, what factors influence it, we will consider in more detail.

what is the normal weight for a newborn baby

What is the normal weight for a newborn?

According to modern data, the normal weight of a newborn includes indicators of the range from 2.5 kg to 4.5 kg. These are average indicators, a certain bar at which the weight of the child can be considered good.

Parents of average height and average weight are born children predominantly with weight at 3 - 3.3 kg. These figures to some extent can be considered optimal for a newborn. With such a weight of the baby, even with a narrow pelvis, a woman will be able to cope with a natural delivery. It will be easy for the child to pass through the birth canal and the number of possible complications, usually associated with the large weight of the child, can drop to a minimum. Therefore, even during pregnancy, it is necessary to control the weight of the unborn baby, for example, using the results of ultrasound, where the device automatically determines the weight of the fetus. The weight gain of a pregnant woman can also indicate a possible problem associated with a large fetal weight. A gynecologist will tell you what nutrition will help you maintain balance and gain the number of kilograms that fit into the established norms.

weight table (click to enlarge)

If the child was born prematurely, or these are children from twins, then in this case the weight of the newborn child will be below the norm, but this can only be called pathology when the weight loss is critical and does not show positive developmental dynamics. Such children usually gain normal weight during the first year of life and may even surpass peers who were of normal weight at birth.

An important factor is heredity. If at least one of the parents at birth had a "heroic" weight, then most likely, the children in this family will be born just large. If both parents are small and have short stature, the baby will be born to match them - tiny and not exceeding the bar of optimal weight.

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If the child is not gaining weight

It happens that a newborn does not gain weight well during the first four weeks after birth. Normally, the baby should gain in the first month of life from 500 g to 1.2 kg. If the figure is even slightly less than the lower norm, parents should sound the alarm. The sooner you identify the cause of underweight, the sooner you can make a decision and correct the situation. It's about your child's health. Factors influencing low weight gain in the first month of life can be:

• Malnutrition. The child receives a small amount of food and he simply has nowhere to take calories and increase weight. Make sure you are breastfeeding correctly, you can hear the sips when feeding. Give the baby the breast at the first request. If you are not breastfeeding for medical reasons, make sure your baby is getting enough formula and you are doing it exactly as directed. —
• mother and child stress. If there is a dysfunctional situation in the family, oppression, the mother is exhausted and forced to do a lot of homework and other work, the child does not receive attention and care, often cries, and is constantly in a state of anxiety. All this contributes to significant weight loss. If you want your baby to grow up healthy, provide him with comfort and satisfy his emotional need for communication with you. Have you noticed that in orphanages most of the kids have a small, thin physique? It has nothing to do with the fact that they are malnourished. This is connected precisely with the emotional perception of the world, with the lack of love of a loved one.
• There are some health problems. If you have the slightest suspicion of a violation of the health of your child, be sure to inform your local pediatrician about this - it is better to play it safe once again.
• breastfeeding mother smokes- it also affects weight loss in newborns (

Before we move on to tips on how to gain weight for a child, we will determine the age of your child, and also calculate whether there is indeed a deficit in his weight.

1. The optimal weight of a child under 6 months is calculated by the formula: 800 g x number of months + baby's birth weight.
2. Consider the optimal weight of a child at the age of 7-12 months as follows: 800 g x 6 + 400 g x day of the month half a year + baby's weight at birth. Remember, first we multiply everything, then we add the results, and then we add birth weight.
3. Now about how to calculate the weight norm for older children ... The starting point will be the weight norm for a five-year-old child, it is 19 kg. If your baby is under 5 years old, then for each year that is not enough to 5, subtract from 19 2 kg. If the child is older than 5 years, then for each year add to 19 3 kg.

How to gain weight for a child in case of underweight:

So, after you have calculated the required weight of the child, and found a deficit, you need to seek the advice of a doctor. Then review your diet. The cause of the problem can be, both in the composition of the diet, and in a person’s poor appetite (that is, a lack of calories).

What does your child eat most often? It is necessary that the composition of the food was not only energy-intensive, but also nutritious. Here are some healthy, wholesome foods to help you gain weight quickly:

• Nuts: almonds, peanuts, cashews, pecans.
• Vegetables with a lot of calories: corn, potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes and yams.
• Dried fruits: figs, raisins, dried bananas, plums. Even ordinary bananas are good for kids as a snack between meals.
• In order for a child to gain weight, he needs to drink more high-calorie drinks such as vegetable and fruit juices (of course, freshly squeezed, not store-bought).

In the modern world, there is an acute problem of increasing the number of children suffering from obesity. However, doctors note that the problem of underweight in children also remains relevant, and many children would benefit from gaining a few kilograms. However, this is not such an easy task: it is not enough just to let the child eat whatever he wants. Instead, you should change your eating habits, include nutritious high-calorie foods in your diet, and “secretly” add extra calories to your usual meals. If you think your child needs to gain weight before helping him gain weight, be sure to consult with a specialist.

Steps

Revealing the causes

Try to find out the reasons. Just like adults, some children are simply skinny and have a hard time putting on extra weight. However, other possible reasons why your child looks too thin should be ruled out.

• Children are quite picky about food, but if your child has a consistently poor appetite, this may indicate some physiological or psychological disturbance. Sometimes excessive thinness is associated with hormonal problems or metabolic disorders, such as diabetes or hyperthyroidism (increased thyroid function).
• Eating may be associated with discomfort due to gastrointestinal disorders or allergies to any foods.
• If your child is taking any medications, be aware that some medications may reduce appetite.
• Unfortunately, factors such as peer pressure can also lead to digestive disorders, even in preschool and primary school children.
• Perhaps your child is just very mobile and consumes more calories than is supplied to his body.

1. Check with your pediatrician. If you and your child have regular check-ups, your pediatrician may advise your child to gain weight. Feel free to ask your doctor for advice on what concerns you.

   • As noted, intolerance and allergies to certain foods, digestive problems and many other disorders can lead to excessive thinness in a child. The pediatrician will help establish the correct diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
   • In most cases, the situation can be corrected by changes in everyday life and daily habits. However, expert advice never hurts.

2. Follow your doctor's instructions when feeding your baby. Methods for gaining weight in an infant are certainly different from those used for older children. Serious illnesses are rare: underweight is mainly caused by improper feeding, insufficient breast milk, or gastrointestinal disorders.

   • If you think your baby is not gaining weight well, be sure to check with your doctor. The pediatrician will examine the child, prescribe the necessary tests, refer you to a nutritionist who will instruct you about proper feeding, or to a pediatric gastroenterologist.
   • Treatment will depend on the specific situation, it may include the following measures: supplementing with formula milk (in case of insufficient breast milk); feeding the child not on a rigid schedule, but when he wants; switching to another milk formula (in case of intolerance and allergy to the previous milk formula or switching to a more high-calorie mixture); introduction of complementary foods a little earlier than six months after birth. In some cases, a doctor may prescribe medications for acid reflux.
   • Timely weight gain at the beginning of life is very important for later health, so if you have the slightest problem, you should consult a doctor. The lack of weight can almost always be eliminated in time, and it will not affect the health of the child.

   Changing eating habits

   1. Feed an underweight baby more often. In many cases, the problem is not what the child eats, but the amount of food. Young children have a small stomach, so they need to eat more often than adults.

      • It is often recommended that children eat five to seven times a day, not including snacks between meals.
      • Feed your baby whenever he gets hungry.

   2. Give importance to meals. Without giving up light snacks, pay special attention to the main meals. Teach your child not to be distracted while eating and enjoy food.

      Set the right example. It may turn out that it would be useful for your child to gain a couple of kilograms, but, on the contrary, it would not hurt you to lose weight. However, even in this situation, your diet and your child's diet should not be very different. Nutrient-rich foods are good for everyone, including lean and overweight people.

      • Looking at adults, children take an example from them. If your diet is varied and includes healthy, natural foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, children will pick up your healthy eating habits.
      • Try to eliminate unhealthy food from the family diet, regardless of whether any of the family members should gain or lose weight.

   3. Encourage your child to exercise regularly. Like eating healthy, exercising is more often associated with weight loss than weight gain. However, if you combine exercise with proper nutrition, they will help you gain weight.

      • Generally, an increase in muscle mass contributes to weight gain, especially in older children; this method is certainly more useful than the accumulation of adipose tissue.
      • As a rule, exercise stimulates the appetite, so encourage exercise before meals and see where it leads.

   Choice of nutritious high-calorie foods

   1. Avoid junk food. Yes, cakes, pastries, cookies, sodas, and fast foods do contain a lot of weight-gaining calories. However, eating them can lead to a variety of health problems (including even diabetes and heart disease in children) far outweighing the slight benefits of easy weight gain.

      • High-calorie but nutrient-poor foods, such as sugary drinks, do not contribute to healthy weight gain. It is better to eat food rich in both calories and nutrients: helping to gain weight, it provides the body with the necessary vitamins and minerals.
      • Don't tell your child that he should "get fat" or "grow meat on his bones"—instead, say that you both need to eat healthier foods.

   2. Eat a diet of a variety of nutrient-dense foods. Variety is important not only because it allows you to provide the body with all the necessary vitamins and minerals, it also maintains interest in food and helps to enjoy it. The monotony of food can discourage a child from eating.

      • A high-calorie, nutritious diet for weight gain in children should include foods rich in starchy carbohydrates (bread, pasta, cereals), at least five servings of vegetables and fruits daily, proteins (meat, fish, eggs, legumes), and dairy products (milk, cheese, etc.).
      • All children under the age of two need whole milk products, and your pediatrician may recommend that you give your child these products at an older age to gain weight.
      • Although a healthy diet should include foods rich in dietary fiber, you should not give too much to a child who is trying to gain weight. After a large serving of brown rice or whole grain pasta, the child will feel full and even overeaten for too long.

   3. Give your child healthy fats. We tend to think of fats as something bad, but that's not always the case. Many fats, especially plant-based fats, are essential to a healthy diet. These fats also help you gain weight, as they contain about nine calories per gram, while carbohydrates or proteins have only about four per gram.

      • Flaxseed and coconut oils work well and can be added to many dishes. Flaxseed oil is almost odorless, while coconut oil is often added for a pleasant aroma; they can be seasoned with a variety of dishes, from vegetable salads to smoothies.
      • Olives and olive oil also work well.
      • Nuts and seeds, such as almonds and pistachios, will provide your child with enough healthy fats.
      • Avocados will give your meals a creamy texture and will also provide your body with healthy fats.

   4. Choose the right snacks. Children who are gaining weight need to snack from time to time. As with the main meals, you should choose healthy, rather than high-calorie, but low-nutrient foods.

      • Opt for nutritious, high-calorie meals that are easy to prepare and can serve as light snacks. For example, you can make sandwiches with peanut butter, jelly and whole grain bread, make a nutritious mix with nuts and dried fruit, apples and cheese, or stuff avocado slices into pancakes.
      • As a treat, you can start with bran muffins, oatmeal cookies with nuts and honey, or yogurt, and only then offer guests regular cookies, cakes and ice cream.

   5. Track what and when your child drinks. It is important for children not to experience lack of water, but too much liquid creates a feeling of satiety and interrupts appetite.

   Increasing the number of calories in food

   1. Don't forget about milk. Dairy products can be added to a wide variety of dishes. By doing so, you will increase the number of calories and nutritional value of food.

      • Milk smoothies and shakes are a great way to get extra calories. By adding fresh fruit to them, you will improve the taste and provide the child's body with the necessary nutrients.
      • Melted or grated cheese can be added to just about anything, from scrambled eggs to fresh salads or roasted vegetables.
      • Try boiling soups with milk instead of water. If you give your child chopped vegetables or fruits, have them dip them in a sauce based on sour cream, melted cheese, or yogurt.
      • If your child is allergic to milk or you don't want to use dairy for any other reason, you have an alternative. Soy and almond milk are also loaded with calories and a variety of nutrients, while soft (silk) tofu can be added to a variety of smoothies.

All children are different, and each child has its own individual characteristics of the organism, therefore, the process of physiological development does not proceed in the same way. First of all, it concerns the weight gain of the baby. Naturally, some newborns are born quite large - up to 5 kg or more, while others may be born prematurely and have a small weight by the time of birth. However, regardless of the parameters at birth, there are certain norms, tangible deviations from which require mandatory consultation with specialists.

Children at birth have different weights, so the concept of the norm includes different meanings.

Common weight indicators for infants up to 1 year

Baby's age, month	Weight gain, grams
	monthly	for the entire period
1	600	600
2	800	1400
3	800	2200
4	750	2950
5	750	3650
6	650	4300
7	600	4900
8	550	5450
9	500	5950
10	450	6400
11	400	6800
12	350	7150

By the age of one year, the weight of the child increases significantly

These parameters are not strict and certain deviations in both directions are quite acceptable in newborns. They are caused by a genetic predisposition. Parents with shorter stature tend to have smaller babies than taller, larger-bodied moms and dads.

According to statistics, large babies gain more weight than newborns with normal parameters or babies born prematurely. For them, an increase of 600-800 grams every month, up to six months of age, is considered the norm.

If the baby is gaining less than the lower limit, it is worth consulting with a pediatrician.

indicators of poor weight gain

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This article talks about typical ways to solve your questions, but each case is unique! If you want to know how to solve your particular problem - ask your question. It's fast and free!

Quite often, overly caring mothers and suspicious grandmothers begin to panic ahead of time and come up with unnecessary and unreasonable problems for themselves if the child is not gaining weight well. In order to avoid unnecessary worries, it is important to be able to understand why the child is not really gaining the required rate.

If such a situation occurs, in addition to significant deviations from the normal parameters shown in the table above, the infant may also have other symptoms. First of all, it concerns the condition of the skin. On the body, the crumbs do not have fat folds, and the skin becomes pale, uneven, inelastic, wrinkled and dry, like in the elderly.

A child with underweight is characterized by the absence of fat folds and pallor of the skin.

Secondly, the child is noted:

• lack of appetite;
• sleep disorders;
• a strong decrease in motor activity;
• moodiness and constant crying.

If, against the background of a small weight gain in a newborn, at least one of the listed factors was noticed, parents should definitely show the baby to specialists. This is especially true for families in which people are large in size, and the baby's physique is rather flimsy.

At the appointment, the doctor will examine the child, identify the causes and be able to correct the further actions of the parents to eliminate this problem, if any. Timely intervention is very important in such situations. However, if the little one is active, cheerful, eats well and does not spit up a lot, but does not gain as much as he should - these are just the characteristics of the body and you should not worry.

Wet diaper method

In order to check whether a child is gaining weight poorly, there is a well-known method of wet diapers. True, there is no scientific justification for its fairness, therefore it is up to the parents to rely on reliability or not. The meaning of the method is to count the diapers that the baby has wet during the day.

During the test, diapers are replaced with gauze diapers. The whole day, the baby must be fed exclusively with breast milk. The number of wet diapers received per day should be compared with the indicators that are the norm at the corresponding age. During the first 2-3 weeks of life, the number of urination per day for a newborn should equal his age in days. For 6 months, it is considered normal if the child pees from 10 times a day, and from six months to 8 months - at least 8 times.

In the event that a mother has difficulties or doubts about how she breastfeeds and whether her baby is getting enough milk, you should consult with breastfeeding specialists. Before asking for help, it is advisable to observe the baby a little. Knowing the doctor's habits, behavioral characteristics of the baby: how often he spits up, as well as the number of his wet diapers, will help to get a more correct picture and understand the reasons for low weight.

Reasons for low weight gain. How to deal with this problem?

The most important thing that parents need to do before taking any action to combat poor weight gain in infants is to find out the real cause of such a problem. Plus, you need to calm down and not be nervous in advance, especially for a nursing mother. Among the possible reasons leading to monthly small weight gain, the 2 most common ones should be distinguished:

• insufficient amount of breast milk that the baby receives for breastfeeding;
• indigestibility of the selected milk formula in children on IV.

A mixture selected for a baby may be poorly absorbed by his body.

Baby doesn't eat

Lack of mother's milk can be due to a number of factors:

1. incorrect attachment to the chest;
2. feeding according to the schedule, and not at the request of the crumbs;
3. refusal of night feedings;
4. mother's milk deficiency.

Sometimes it is difficult for an inexperienced mother who is breastfeeding to determine whether she has enough milk and whether the baby has enough. Signs that the baby is full and completely satisfied are his quick falling asleep after feeding and sound restful sleep for 2.5-3 hours. The reverse situation, when, after being attached to the breast, the baby cannot fall asleep for a long time and wakes up ahead of schedule, and the dream itself is quite restless, indicates that the milk eaten by the baby was not enough for him.

The strict implementation of the recommendations of doctors and breastfeeding specialists will help to eliminate the problem. First, follows the baby to the breast. Secondly, feeding should not be on schedule, but when a hungry little one requires. If the reason lies in the insufficient amount of milk, the mother should do everything to improve lactation. With further malnutrition of the baby, it is advisable to contact the pediatrician, who will select baby food that is appropriate for the age of the child.

A consultant will help solve the mother's problems and establish feeding

Digestibility of baby food

When breastfeeding a formula-fed baby, it is very easy to control the amount of formula he eats. You should contact specialists in the case when the baby receives the required amount of the mixture every day, but the weight gain does not meet the standards.

Most likely, the composition of baby food contains components that the baby's body is not able to absorb. This usually refers to cow's milk protein. The way out is the selection by the doctor of another mixture suitable for the baby.

Other causes of poor weight gain

Poor weight gain can be the result of an illness suffered by the baby at an early stage in life. During the period when the baby was sick, the body threw all its strength and resources into overcoming the disease. So it is absolutely normal if, even with a common cold, weight gain can become below normal. After recovery, everything will be restored, and the missing grams too.

Another cause of such a problem as underweight is often physical stress. It can be provoked by massage, therapeutic exercises or swimming. Procedures of this nature tire the little one, in their process he loses a lot of strength and energy. In order to find out if this is the reason for a small weight gain, it is enough not to do procedures related to physical activity for some time. If the baby’s weight gain is restored as a result, this will mean that the matter concerned precisely excessive physical exertion on the baby’s body during the procedures.

Intense exercise, such as swimming, can lead to weight loss.

Deviations from normal weight gain can serve as the first signs of a neurological disease or the appearance of helminths in a child. Also, genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis, galactosemia or adrenogenital syndrome can lead to weight problems. Doctors are obliged to detect and treat violations of this nature at a very early age.

The lack of prescribed grams by a premature baby requires a particularly careful attitude to his health. In children who were born prematurely, there are usually pathologies and various disorders in the functioning of internal organs. Doctors always inform parents about the presence of a problem and prescribe appropriate measures, under which, by the age of one, the baby will be able to catch up with his peers in terms of parameters.

What is not recommended to do with the problem of poor weight gain in a child?

It is important to take into account that, unlike an adult organism, a child does not store energy - he should receive the necessary amount of nutrients for each feeding, otherwise this may adversely affect the health of the baby.

If the weight grows more slowly than expected, the behavior of the crumbs plays an important role. The lack of the necessary grams in an active, vigorous, with healthy skin and sound sleep baby suggests that he has enough weight gain for normal development. There is no cause for concern in such situations.

If the baby is active and feels good, he has enough of the nutrition that he receives

Otherwise, you need to understand that only a pediatrician can determine the true cause of problematic weight. The specialist must decide what actions to take to eliminate deviations from the norm.

In the case when a young mother notices that the little one has stopped gaining the necessary grams, she should stop listening to experienced grandmothers and relatives. Their advice is far from always correct, and instead of being useful, it can harm the health of the crumbs.

A fairly common situation is when caring relatives or acquaintances explain the lack of weight by the fact that mother's milk is not of very good quality or low-fat, calling it "empty". By this is meant that it does not contain the nutrients and vitamins that are required for the normal development of the baby. However, breast milk has always been and will be the best option for baby food, because the body of a nursing woman has the ability to determine what the child lacks, to make up for a number of missing components in milk. Artificial improvement of the properties of milk can harm both the baby and the mother. It is advisable to simply take care of lactation so that the baby does not feel a lack of milk.

Poor appetite and overfeeding

Many moms and dads consider poor appetite to be the cause of the shortage of the desired grams. As a result, parents try to feed the child and force him to eat as much as possible, which is why the child simply spit up more and more (we recommend reading:). Feeding through force with natural and artificial feeding will not give a positive effect. A hungry baby will definitely not refuse food, but overfeeding threatens with problems with the well-being and health of the crumbs.

Do not force feed your baby - this is also fraught with a number of problems.

According to Dr. Komarovsky, often the problem lies not in bad, but in selective appetite, which in turn is a common whim. The kid does not want to eat what is offered to him, but does not refuse other food that he likes more.

You don’t need to try to force feed the child, in this way it will only spoil your nerves and the psyche of the little one - it’s better to go for a walk outside with the baby, do various physical exercises or just play active games. So he will be able to work up an appetite and then, without coercion, eat the offered portion.

Also, grandmothers often have an influence on a young mother, making her nervous about the weight indicators of a one-month-old baby. They will always find something to complain about in the state of the baby and make the already excited mother worry. Afraid to seem uncaring and following the lead of the older generation, she begins by all means to fatten the thin baby according to other people's words.

What parent doesn't want their child to be healthy? Health is always associated with the weight and appearance of the baby. After all, healthy children should not look emaciated, but those who suffer from chronic ailments or simply often get colds are often thin. The role of weight in assessing the general condition of children in the first year of life is especially great: here, literally by grams, the weight gain of the baby is estimated monthly, and any deviations make parents worry.

Questions and jokes from “kind-hearted” relatives and friends (“Oh, how thin you are, probably, your mother feeds you poorly”) and comparing your own child with the chubby babies of acquaintances further increase the anxiety of young mothers. At this point, even mothers who are not prone to excessive anxiety begin to doubt: maybe he really is thin? And what to feed him? Indeed, what?

But before we move on to this issue, I would like to remind you that your child is not a piglet, and there is no need to “fatten” him to the delight of others. And the fact of a lack of mass should be established by a doctor (ideally, not even one), and not by the parents themselves, relatives and acquaintances. When assessing the weight of children, not only age is taken into account, but also other parameters (height, constitutional features, mobility of the child, etc.), which will be difficult to correctly correlate with each other for a non-specialist. If the mass is insufficient, then during the measures to restore it (special nutrition, sometimes biological additives, vitamins and drugs are required), it is imperative to find out the cause.

Nutrition for small children in the first half of life

Before the age of 6 months, there are several main causes of underweight, according to which nutritional selection will be made:

Premature babies and babies born with IUGR (intrauterine growth retardation)

Breast milk will help the newborn gain weight well.

Such children immediately after birth have a low (less than 2500 g) body weight, they are often transferred to the intensive care unit, where they immediately begin feeding with artificial mixtures. However, mother's milk will be optimal for them, so the mother needs to support and stimulate lactation even if she is separated from her baby. It is breast milk, even if obtained from a bottle after pumping, that is best absorbed and will help the baby gain weight. Well, when there is not enough milk or there is none at all, children are prescribed special therapeutic mixtures for premature babies, in the name of which there is the prefix “pre” (“Friso Pre”, “Pre Nan”, “Pregestimil”, etc.). In addition, artificial mixtures for premature babies are divided according to the weight of the child ("Nutrilon Pre" - for feeding children weighing up to 1800 g, "Nutrilon Pre 1" - for children weighing over 1800 g).

Special mixtures for premature babies, compared to conventional mixtures, contain more protein, fat and carbohydrates, therefore, more calories. They also contain more vitamins, macro- and microelements. Some manufacturers produce mixtures with partially digested protein ("Nan Pre"). The enriched protein-fat and carbohydrate composition helps the child gain weight faster, the additional administration of vitamins, macro- and microelements helps prevent the development of rickets and iron deficiency anemia, and partial hydrolysis facilitates the assimilation of the mixture in the immature gastrointestinal tract of a premature baby.

If the newborn normally tolerated the mixture assigned to him in the maternity hospital, then after discharge, no experiments are carried out and this same mixture is left either until the child reaches the age of 1 month, or until the weight gain is 3 kg. Then the question is decided individually (in each case by a doctor): whether a mixture is needed (with mixed feeding) or breast milk will be enough, if necessary, a subsequent mixture is selected.

False hypogalactia

They say about false hypogalactia when the mother (or pediatrician) for some reason believes that the baby does not have enough milk, but in reality the child receives enough. Advice: do not rush to immediately supplement the child, first understand the problem: carry out repeated weighings on the same scales, check weighing after feeding, consult another doctor if necessary, exclude pathology (primarily diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, enzymatic deficiency). Premature introduction of supplementary feeding will lead to the gradual extinction of lactation and the development of already true hypogalactia.

True hypogalactia

When the fact of insufficient production of breast milk is established, and no measures to stimulate lactation have an effect, we can talk about true hypogalactia. In such a situation, the baby constantly lacks mother's milk and requires either additional introduction of artificial milk substitutes - supplementary feeding (mixed feeding), or, in the absence of milk, a transition to completely artificial feeding.

Remember that you can only supplement a child under the age of 6 months with specially designed formulas for artificial feeding (usually marked with the number 1 next to the name: “NAN-1”, “Nutrilon-1”). The selection of the mixture should be carried out on the recommendation and under the supervision of a pediatrician.

Do not listen to the advice of omniscient grandmothers and neighbors and other "natural and healthy" food. The gastrointestinal tract of a baby up to six months is not able to cope with the digestion of any other food, except for human milk (or at least adapted mixtures imitating this milk). Otherwise, you risk not only not getting the desired result (weight gain), but also providing the baby with such unpleasant conditions as functional digestive disorders, gastritis, etc.

What and how to feed a child from 6 months to a year to gain weight

Complementary foods for children with insufficient body weight, as a rule, begin with porridge.

From 6 months, complementary foods begin to appear on the menu of babies. But the principles of introducing complementary foods for children with malnutrition (lack of mass) are exactly the same as for children with normal weight - you should not rush to include new types of food in the diet.

What helps you gain weight:

1. Scheduled feeding. After six months, it is recommended to accustom the child to a certain daily routine, even the breast can already be given not on demand, but “on schedule”. Complementary foods, all the more so - feed the baby at the same time, which will normalize the processes of separation of digestive juices and, in general, will positively affect the state of the child’s gastrointestinal tract, the percentage of digestible food will increase, which means weight gain will go.
2. Feeding should be frequent - at least every 4 hours. Night break - 6 hours.
3. An increase in the daily calorie content of the diet is carried out only after consulting a doctor. It is recommended to increase primarily the intake of carbohydrates (due to cereals - they can be given twice a day, sweet fruits and vegetables) and proteins (mainly due to milk mixtures). Be sure to give the child daily meat, cottage cheese, kefir - introduced by age. The fat content on the menu is usually not increased.

What to avoid:

1. Overfeeding. Overfeeding leads to an overload of the gastrointestinal tract,. With frequent overfeeding, digestive upsets with episodes of diarrhea and vomiting are possible - as a result, the child will lose, not gain, weight.
2. Force feeding. Force-feeding often causes the baby to vomit after eating. In addition, with this approach to nutrition, children develop an aversion to the very process of eating, and each time it will be more and more difficult to persuade the child to eat.
3. The introduction of fatty foods and easily digestible carbohydrates (sugar, pasta). An excess of fats and refined carbohydrates disrupts metabolic processes and creates the preconditions for the next one. And getting rid of extra pounds will be much harder than gaining them. Fats are poorly digested and lead to a breakdown in digestion.

What and how to feed a child older than a year to gain weight

Which will help the child gain weight:

1. Regularity of feeding - we feed according to the schedule and at least 4 times a day.
2. Varied diet. Children often refuse monotonous, boring dishes, but willingly agree to new types of food. Experiment, pick up new foods and dishes (according to age, of course).
3. Pay attention to food presentation. A plate of porridge decorated with berries or jam in the form of a smiling face, cutlets with “eyes” and “tails” made from pieces of boiled vegetables and herbs, a figuratively laid out side dish and other decorations sharply increase the child’s interest in food.
4. If possible, feed the baby at the same time as other children - friends, cousins ​​​​or siblings. As you know, for the company kids eat much better.
5. Avoid snacking, especially buns and sweets between meals - they create a false sense of fullness.
6. Before meals, it is good to give sweet and sour fruits and berries (cherries, apples), which stimulate the secretion of gastric juice and increase appetite. In addition, salted fish (herring, mackerel), pickled vegetables, salads from fresh vegetables have a juice effect.
7. Enrichment of the diet with fermented milk products, pre- and probiotics, since underweight children often have problems with stool and intestinal dysbacteriosis.
8. Additionally, after a year, you can use special mixtures for children with low weight - Pediashur, Klinutren Junior, Peptamen Junior - these are high-calorie, protein-enriched mixtures with a rather pleasant taste.

Please note that all of the above recommendations are for relatively healthy children who have a moderate decrease in body weight compared to the age norm. In the case of a gross lag in physical development and with a pronounced lack of weight, it is required, after finding out the causes of malnutrition, to carry out a full-fledged treatment, including the appointment of drugs. And medical nutrition for children with severe malnutrition is built only under the constant supervision of a pediatrician, with a daily calculation of the daily calorie content of the diet and determining the need for basic nutritional components.