1 month old baby doesn't want to eat. What to do if the child does not eat formula. What to do in such situations

27.10.2020

A healthy baby eats well and puts on weight. He is active, sleeps peacefully and cries a little. If the baby does not eat well, you need to understand the reasons.

If the child does not ask for food or refuses to eat, then the parents immediately have a question why this is happening. The most common reasons why a baby does not eat well are the following.

If the problem arose during breastfeeding, then perhaps the reasons are that there is little or, conversely, a lot of milk. If the mother has little milk, then the baby refuses the breast and does not ask for it. In this case, you need to introduce complementary foods. If there is a lot of milk, then it can enter the baby's mouth with strong pressure. He will begin to choke, and this circumstance will push him away and reduce his appetite.

If the child stopped eating at night, he may simply not want to eat. At the same time, the type of feeding affects the timing when this happens. At what age do babies stop eating at night? Babies who eat formula at night may not eat as early as 3-4 months. When breastfeeding, the baby can hang on the chest all night.

If the baby eats only breast milk for a year and day and night, you need to start weaning him from this. In this case, you can try to follow a few recommendations.

Every day you need to give more food, milk, he must drink such an amount that is equal to the daily norm. Before going to bed, you should have a hearty dinner.
You need to communicate more, play and pick up the child in the daytime.
A baby a year goes to bed earlier than his parents, and before going to bed you will need to wake him up to feed him. In this case, he will sleep longer at night and wake up a maximum of once.
It is necessary at the same time to wean the child from joint rest at night. It is better if the baby sleeps in another room.

You can start weaning from feeding at night from 6 months. In a year, the child will no longer ask for anything in a dream.

How many times a day does the baby eat? In the first months, a child who is breastfed should eat up to 12 times a day with an interval of 2 hours. And he can only eat in his sleep. How long should one act of feeding last? The time spent at the breast can be 15-40 minutes. But you should not increase it, as the child falls asleep and simply begins to play with the breast in a dream.

How many grams of breast milk should a newborn eat? In the first days when colostrum is produced, one teaspoon is enough, and nothing else needs to be offered to the child. Gradually, every day the amount of milk will increase by one teaspoon. By the fourth day, the baby should drink 30 ml of breast milk. On the fifth day, the amount of milk needed for the baby increases to 70 ml.

If a child eats only in a dream a year, it means that during wakefulness there are many distractions (sound, light, the presence of other people). A child a year can eat only in a dream simply because such a regime is set.

Poor appetite with artificial feeding

If a baby who is being fed mixtures refuses to eat, then there may be several explanations for this.

Formula is more nutritious than milk and takes longer to digest. The feeling of hunger comes after a longer interval. How long does it take to give the mixture? Do not give formula earlier than 4 hours after the last feeding.
Perhaps the taste of the mixture is not to your liking. You can try to buy a mixture of a different brand. The main thing is to make the right choice. Carefully read the composition, take into account the age of the child.

Wrong nipple. The size of the hole in it should correspond to the age and developmental features of the baby. If the child is sick, born prematurely, then you should choose a non-rigid nipple with a large hole.
Refusal to eat may be due to abdominal pain.
Teething, oral diseases, infections also lead to the fact that the child does not eat anything other than milk or formula.

If the child eats only the mixture, then you can not overfeed him. In this case, it is better to underfeed. Correctly calculate how many grams of the mixture you need to dilute, the instructions and recommendations of the doctor will help. You can calculate on your own how much mixture you need to make in the first week of life. To do this, the number of days from birth is multiplied by 10. For example, in 5 days he should drink 50 ml.

The day should be planned so that the baby receives the mixture in 3-4 hours. It is very important how long to give the mixture at night. At night, the interval is extended to 5 hours. The mixture is absorbed and digested by the stomach harder and more slowly, unlike breast milk.

Problems with new products

Often mothers face a problem when the baby refuses to eat complementary foods. Why is this happening?

Perhaps the previous portion of food has not yet been digested, and the baby is not hungry.
The baby may not like complementary foods; you should not insist on eating the dish.
Too hot or vice versa cold dish.
You should choose the right spoon for the first feeding. It should not be too big and metallic.
Inflammation of the nasopharynx or ear also causes refusal to eat.

It happens that the child is one year old, and he does not eat anything except breast milk. Breast milk fully performs its functions only up to 6 months, after which it is necessary to introduce complementary foods. By this time, the digestive organs begin to work quite well, and the child shows interest in new products. Such interest can be easily discouraged if you start complementary foods with the wrong foods or food that the baby did not like. A large portion and feeding through force can also push the child away.

If the baby does not ask for anything other than breast milk per year, then you need to take action:

Play more with the baby, distract from the need for the breast. How much milk does a baby need per year? After the child is one year old, 500 ml of milk per day is enough for him. If he gets more, he will not want to eat complementary foods.
Remove all sweets from the menu.
Choose a dish that your baby will like.

What to do to fix the problem

After the reason that the baby is not eating well or completely refusing to eat is established, a further plan of action will be outlined.

If the baby does not want to eat or eats only in a dream, while being active, playing, communicating, it means that he has enough nutrients. You can try to increase the time interval between feedings.

Perhaps complementary foods are introduced, which are offered to the baby from a bottle. Eating from a bottle is much easier than sucking on your mother's breast. Any complementary foods are given from a spoon, all bottles and pacifiers are removed.

Any disease requires a doctor's consultation. Therefore, if the baby refuses to eat due to illness, appropriate treatment should be started. Stomatitis, cough, otitis and other diseases can lead to loss of appetite and other complications.

During teething, you should use special teethers, gels. You can massage your gums. It is not necessary to offer new complementary foods during this period.

If colic periodically begins to disturb and this leads to weight loss, you need to give the child medication, do gymnastics and massage. It helps to put the baby on the tummy before each feeding.

A nursing mother needs to adjust her daily routine and adjust her diet. Do not eat too fatty, spicy, salty foods. It is necessary to abandon products containing dyes, stabilizers and flavor enhancers.

The article deals with why the child does not eat well and what to do about it.

Almost every parent is faced with a situation where his child starts a bad network. It is necessary to correctly identify the cause of such a problem, and then begin to eliminate it.

Why did the child become malnourished?

There are many reasons why a child may start to eat poorly. It all depends on the age of the baby, his health. Sometimes it happens that parents themselves come up with a problem, although their baby feels great, he is full of energy.

The main thing that parents should take care of is to stop being nervous and seek help from specialists. An adequate pediatrician will comprehensively study the health of the baby and draw an objective conclusion.

What to do if a premature baby is not eating well?

Sometimes babies are born prematurely. If a premature baby does not eat well, then most likely this is because he simply cannot do it, although he will be very hungry.

The fact is that premature babies are sometimes born so weak that they simply do not have enough strength to suck milk from their mother's breasts. They get tired of suckling so quickly that they stop suckling and, as a result, do not gain weight.

In this case, it is worth feeding the baby from a bottle. You can also use a syringe or a teaspoon.

IMPORTANT: It should be remembered that, having become accustomed to taking food from a bottle, the baby may forever abandon his mother's breast.

The child does not eat the mixture well: what to do?

Often mothers wonder what to do with a child who has become bad at eating formula. To begin with, it is worth understanding the reasons for this behavior:

The child gets sick. Pay attention to baby's temperature
The child is suffering from sore throat. Painful swallowing can be uncomfortable for a child. If necessary, contact a specialist for help
Perhaps the child is not yet hungry. Formula-fed babies need more time to digest food. Give the child 3-4 hours
Sometimes it happens that the child is not satisfied with the taste of the mixture. All mixtures differ from each other in composition and taste. Offer the child a different mixture, he may like it much more
Sometimes a child may refuse the mixture due to inflammation of the gums from teething. There are many medications that can help your baby cope with this inconvenience.
Sometimes the baby may not be satisfied with the bottle or her nipple. Try changing them, pick the right ones
The reason for the refusal of the mixture may be pain in the baby's abdomen due to increased gas formation or indigestion. Try to prepare the mixture according to the instructions, because. its violation can provoke the named ailment in the baby. Offer the baby dill water
There are cases when a child refuses the mixture due to its improper preparation - digestion is disturbed, diarrhea is possible. When the mixture becomes very thick, it is difficult for the baby to suck it out - the concentration of dry powder in the water is exceeded. The mixture should be prepared only according to the instructions.

A child under 6 months does not eat well: what to do?

Absolutely all the foods eaten by the mother affect the taste of breast milk. Sometimes there are dishes with a high content of certain types of spices, spices - after that, the milk will not always be to the taste of the baby, and as a result, he may refuse to use it.

In this regard, young mothers should refrain from taking spices and spices for some time.

But, if the loss of appetite in a child is delayed, then it is worth observing the child, identifying possible causes:

The reason for refusing food may be a short frenulum of the baby's tongue.
Also, the child may refuse to eat as a result of inflammation of the gums during teething of the baby.
Refusal to eat can occur as a result of inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity of the crumbs. For example, stomatitis, thrush
The reason for the refusal of the breast may also be a poorly decanted mother's breast.

If the above reasons are excluded, then we are talking directly about a decrease in appetite. Reasons for loss of appetite:

General illness of the child. Pay attention to your baby's body temperature
If the loss of appetite is accompanied and not by the weight gain of the baby, then we can talk about a disease of the gastrointestinal tract
Dysbacteriosis
There may be problems with the endocrine system
Possible problems with the nervous system of the baby
No set daily routine. Pay attention to catering. Give your child time to get hungry
Sometimes the causes of loss of appetite should be looked for from outside. For example, the room is very dry, hot. Other irritants are possible

IMPORTANT: If a disease has led to a decrease in appetite, then you should initially get rid of it, and then your appetite will improve.

Depending on the reasons why your child refuses to eat, parents should choose ways to solve this problem. If you yourself are not able to identify the cause, or influence its elimination, it is best to contact a specialist in the field of pediatrics.

The pediatrician will professionally be able to assess the health of the baby, identify the cause of the loss of appetite, and, if necessary, prescribe treatment.

The child does not eat well - a specialist will help you figure it out

A child of 6-12 months does not eat well: what to do?

The main reasons why a child of this age may have a decrease in appetite are described in the section above.

But, there are reasons that are characteristic of this particular age of babies. As a rule, complementary foods are gradually introduced to the child at six months. In this regard, the reasons for refusing food can be the following:

The child does not like to eat from a spoon
The kid does not like the temperature of the offered dishes
The baby is not satisfied with the color of the food offered

The child does not eat well - does not like the color of the food

The child is not satisfied with the consistency of the proposed dish. For example, food not finely chopped

The only thing that a mother can do with such a problem is to cook food for the baby with love, not insist on eating it. If you force your child to eat by force, he may develop a negative attitude towards food, especially new foods.

A child does not eat well in a year: what to do?

The reasons why a child of this age may not eat well are the following:

The beginning of the disease. Pay attention to the general condition of the child
period after illness. Let your baby's body recover
Teeth continue to erupt. Inflamed gums prevent the baby from eating well
The child did not have time to get hungry. Avoid snacks. You can pamper your child with delicious food almost immediately after the main meal.
External factors. For example, in hot summer you want to drink more, but not eat.
Perhaps for some reason, the baby's mode has gone astray. It is a must to fix it
The child does not like the food you offered. He already has taste preferences.
The child may get bored with the same food. Offer your child a varied, balanced diet

The child does not eat well - tired of monotonous food

What a mother should do when a child does not eat well depends on the reasons for this behavior. Sometimes it will be enough to beautifully decorate the dish offered to the baby.

If the mother cannot figure out the reasons for the decrease in appetite in the baby, it is imperative to contact a specialist.

A child 2-4 years old does not eat well: what to do?

After two years, children have a period when they become very cautious and suspicious, they begin to be afraid of everything, including new dishes.

This period lasts for quite a long period of time. Sometimes parents have to wait until the baby is eight or nine years old.

Let's figure out what to do with it:

For starters, parents need to be patient. Not always the first time the baby wants to try a new dish, it can take up to twenty attempts. If from the twentieth time the baby did not want to try a new dish, you should take a break, and at this time you can introduce other culinary masterpieces into the baby's diet
At this age, culinary preferences are already clearly manifested. Do not neglect this. Give your child a choice. Ask him what he would like to eat, but this does not mean that you should follow the baby's lead and feed him exclusively with sweets
The child should not be forced to eat. This can cause a negative attitude towards food, and especially towards the proposed dish.
Encourage your child to participate in cooking. Children are more likely to eat meals prepared by themselves
Be sure to follow the routine. The child must clearly know when breakfast is and when lunch is.
Avoid snacking with babies. Give him time to get hungry
Help your child focus solely on food. It is necessary to turn off the TV, remove all extraneous sounds, do not talk to the baby without the need
Do not reward food with sweets. The child should not observe such a connection. It is better to offer a small but healthy dessert after every meal.
Teach your child about nutrition by example. If possible, sit down at the dinner table with the whole family, eat with pleasure
You can be creative and try to interest the baby in the cooked dish. You should beautifully decorate the plate for the baby, come up with a name for the dish, maybe even tell a colorful story about it.

A child 5–8 years old does not eat well: what to do?

The reasons why a child does not eat well at five to eight years old are identical to the reasons from the previous section. You can also find information on how to deal with it there.

The child does not eat anything after the illness

As already mentioned in this article, you should not force your child to eat strongly after he has suffered an illness. Initially, the child will not show increased appetite.

However, parents should especially take care of the child's diet during this period. Preference should be given to products that are tasty and healthy. The main thing is to stimulate your baby's appetite.

After an illness, it is worth offering fruit

The child does not eat in the garden: what to do?

Sometimes it happens that the child went to kindergarten and immediately began to eat badly. Let's try to figure out why this is happening and what to do about it.

When the baby is not with his parents, grandparents, but with a caregiver, he has a very difficult time.

IMPORTANT: The adaptation period in the kindergarten is the strongest stress for the child.

The reasons why a child refuses to eat can be as follows:

The day regimen in kindergarten does not coincide with the regimen that the child had at home. The child has to quickly adjust to the new daily routine
Dedsadovskoe menu is very different from homemade dishes. A child at this age can greatly sort out food, be wary of it.
Not every child knows how to use cutlery, while other kids skillfully handle them
It happens that a child does not ask for a potty
The child thus tries to attract the attention of the parents. In any case, parents will worry about the refusal of the baby to eat, perhaps they will even take them out of the garden early. The kids feel it too

In order to minimize stress for your baby, you should start preparing him for kindergarten in advance:

Gradually, a month before the first day in the kindergarten, begin to accustom the child to a new regimen. Morning rise, food, sleep should be as close as possible to Dedsadovsky
You can try to cook meals for your baby similar to those offered in a children's institution.
Teach your child to use cutlery on their own in advance. Potty train your child
Parents need to be patient. You should stay calm - children feel it too

It also happens that children begin to eat poorly, when the adaptation period is over. The reasons for this behavior may be the following:

Illness comes. Watch the baby, maybe something is bothering him
In the summer, when it's hot outside, your child's appetite may decrease. There's nothing wrong with that, offer more to drink
Perhaps the baby does not develop relationships with the kids from his group. Try to find out, it may be easy to eliminate the cause. If necessary, contact the teacher

The child does not eat at home: what to do?

Why it happens that the child does not eat at home, most likely the mother herself can answer. Watching your baby, talking with him, it's easiest for mom to draw a conclusion.

The reasons may be the following:

Illness comes. Pay attention to the state of health of the child, perhaps something is bothering him
The child is sick. Do not force him to eat during this period, offer to drink
period after illness. Suggest baby's favorite foods, don't push
Problems with the guys in the kindergarten, in the yard, at school, etc. Find out the cause and try to help
It is hot outside. Offer more to drink, do not force to eat
The child does not like the proposed dish. Don't force your child to eat something they don't like. It can cause a negative attitude towards food
The child did not have time to get hungry after the previous meal. Avoid snacking

The child does not eat vegetables: what to do?

Some parents say that their children do not want to eat vegetables at all. Do not be upset, many people go through this, over time everything will change. However, you can try to fix it:

Start by adding vegetables to every possible dish where appropriate. The child may not like it, but he will definitely get used to it.
Invite your child to help you in the garden. It is possible that by growing a vegetable on their own, the child will want to eat it with pleasure.
Serve dishes with vegetables, decorate even sandwiches for crumbs with them. Beautiful dishes captivate children, arouse interest
Let vegetables always be present on the table. They should be cut - the pieces are small, beautifully laid out on a plate
Always eat your own vegetables. Watching you, the child will begin to join.

IMPORTANT: In families where adults themselves eat vegetables, add them to various dishes, the question of children refusing to eat them is the least likely to arise.

The child does not eat fruit: what to do?

Sometimes it happens that the child refuses to eat fruit. Parents shouldn't be too upset about this. As with vegetables, this will likely pass with time. But, you can try to speed up this process:

Parents should eat fruit themselves. The child will not be able to resist if his parents enjoy using them
Fruit should always be on the table. Let them be available to the baby at any time
Finely chop and arrange fruit pieces on a beautiful platter
Add fruit to all meals where appropriate
Offer your child fruit puree. It may contain more than one fruit
Lay out a picture from pieces of fruit. The child may be addicted

What to do if the child does not eat Komarovsky complementary foods?

Naturally, at a certain age, the child should be introduced complementary foods. Its absence will lead to deficiency of iron, vitamin B12, folic acid
However, according to Dr. Komarovsky, nothing terrible happens when a child refuses complementary foods, but only eats mother's milk. He calls this situation the problem of selective appetite.
This problem is easy to resolve with outside help. The fact is that when the mother is nearby, the child perfectly feels the mother's milk, it is difficult for him to refuse it, but it is easy to eat complementary foods.
In the absence of a mother, it will be much easier to ensure that the child is hungry.

IMPORTANT: According to Dr. Komarovsky, hunger is the only way to get the baby to eat complementary foods.

Parents should get as close as possible with their child - this will help you identify the problem in the baby in a timely manner, find out the cause of what is happening and easily deal with the consequences of the existing problem.

VIDEO: If the child is not eating well

Hello!
Today I propose to touch on an important topic - a baby does not eat anything or a child prefers breast milk to all other foods. Is it a problem? What to do?

It so happened that in recent weeks I have been asked exactly this question in personal letters to the mail.

But let's start with letters:

Ludmila, hello! Thank you very much for your site and for your work. I would like to know if the course "Eating with Pleasure" will help me.

Our problem is that a 17-month-old baby (almost 1.5 years old) DOES NOT EAT ANYTHING AT ALL. He is on the GW, and apart from the sissy, he doesn’t want to take anything in his mouth. Good weight, looks healthy, but eats NOTHING, AT ALL. I can’t hear when they advise to offer this, that, the fifth or tenth, and let the baby try when he wants ... He never wants anything and will never try anything. At the sight of food, he runs away, when food approaches, he closes his mouth, turns his head and screams desperately. At 6-8 months he ate, and then abruptly stopped.

I understand that our case is quite rare. Will your course help? Or do I need something more "potent"? Sincerely, Julia.

Unfortunately, this situation occurs frequently and it must be corrected.

Breast milk in 100% of cases replenishes all the nutrients the child needs up to the age of 6 months.., after that you need to introduce complementary foods.

And the point is not that being on the GW, the child will begin to starve, but the fact is that in nature, everything has its own terms: at 6 months. the baby begins to mature the gastrointestinal tract for the digestion of food other than breast milk.

And first of all, you need to work not with the child, but with yourself. With his own approach to the issue of nutrition: change habits, beliefs and learn to understand how a child thinks.

Which of your actions help the child grow up, learn to eat, take responsibility for nutrition, and which, on the contrary, put him in the situation of a dependent, silent subordinate.

That the child closes mouth when food approaches” indicates that you are feeding the baby. Still. Where is his place in this process?

At 1.5 years old, the child needs independent food. He can decide for himself how much and what to eat. He can eat on his own.

The best option when from 6 months. we immediately start complementary foods correctly and understand WHAT and WHY we are doing. But even now the situation can be improved.
Could there be something "powerful" in this situation?

I'm very interested in what this means. Tie up a child and open his mouth by force to put food in there? Stop breastfeeding to force you to eat?

I don't care for these measures. This is child abuse and psychological trauma.

I gave a clear, applicable scheme for correcting the child’s eating disorders in the course We eat with pleasure: how to ensure that the child eats with appetite >>>

Read the description and start correcting the situation.

If you are in a similar situation, please ask your questions in the comments below.

A long-awaited event has happened in your family - a baby is born. At first, it seems to the mother that the difficulties are over, but it turns out that the child is already a person, like you, with his own desires and preferences. He can't talk about it himself, he just screams. And very often and loudly!

What to do if the baby is not eating well

The main thing here is not to be nervous, but to try to understand the problem.

There are situations when your baby eats very poorly - both the mother of the first-born and a more experienced woman can face this. Let's take a closer look at different situations and try to find out the cause of poor appetite.

Why the baby does not eat well and what to do in this case

Breastfeeding problems

While still in the maternity hospital, you notice that your child is not eating well. The reason for this may be improper attachment to the breast. Unfortunately, not all maternity hospitals teach this. ()

Milk problems. The milk is gone. The child willingly takes the breast, sucks, but does not eat up, because the mother has little milk. How to be? Try: drink more fluids, pump after each feeding, drink lactogenic tea based on dill seed. To be more with the child, to establish close emotional and bodily contact with him (“skin to skin”). And if the milk still disappears, supplement the baby with a mixture. Only one breast is given first, then the other, and after that the mixture. It is advisable to consult a pediatrician before switching to mixed feeding.
A lot of milk. If there is a lot of milk, and it beats with a strong stream into the baby’s mouth so that he starts to choke, this can also reduce the baby’s appetite. What to do? Express a little before feeding, weaken the stream of milk.
Milk can change your taste if you have eaten some new food. The child may refuse to drink it. What to do? Closely monitor the baby's reaction to your food ().

Congenital pathologies

If the child is physically unable to suck, that is, he may have some kind of pathology. For example, a short bridle. But this will become known immediately in the maternity hospital. Action is being taken by experts.

tummy hurts

The baby takes the breast, sucks a little, and then begins to “bow”. Most likely, the baby has ordinary colic, they are also called physiological. The child's digestive system is imperfect. The movement of food causes swelling in the intestines and pain. The child refuses the breast at the time of the attack, screams a lot, he is not up to food. What to do? – . Usually, by 3-4 months, colic disappears;
But it happens that the baby also takes the breast, starts to suck, then throws it with a cry. It is possible that the baby has dysbacteriosis and the stomach hurts a lot. This disease is confirmed by special tests. And the treatment is prescribed by doctors. You can suspect dysbacteriosis if you were treated with antibiotics (after a cesarean section), if for some reason the baby also underwent antibiotic therapy. The color and smell of the baby's stools change from yellow to green with mucus. This must be told to the doctor. More

Headache

If there are weather-sensitive people in your family, then the baby can also react to a change in the weather by refusing to eat and screaming. If such symptoms are pronounced, it is better to consult a specialist. Moreover, if the fontanel on the head at this time swells strongly, pulsates. This may indicate increased intracranial pressure. You need to take medication.

Curiosity

By 4 months, the baby begins to be distracted by others. He notices what you are wearing, that dad or brother has approached, music has played somewhere, etc. Feeding stops, the child is no longer up to food. How to be in such a situation? To close oneself in a room, to be in silence, without harsh light. Then the probability of feeding the baby increases.

fell ill

The child wants to eat, takes the breast, starts to suck, throws and screams. Pay attention to his nose: whether he breathes freely or sniffs heavily. Don't be alarmed if your breathing is difficult. What to do? Try ;
Ears may hurt. When he starts to suck and swallow, the pain intensifies. To prevent him from starving, we express milk into a clean bottle and give a little from a spoon. How to check if the ears are sick? We slowly press on the tragus (the protruding part of the ear to the cheek), if the child twitches, screams, then it is necessary to call the pediatrician and begin treatment;
White spots in the mouth(thrush or stomatitis), which may increase in size. Under them is a bright red mucous membrane. Be sure to treat, because the child may refuse to eat due to pain. Infection can occur:
- from mother during childbirth,
- if a woman does not wash her breasts before feeding,
- if dirty nipples, toys get into your mouth,
- if the oral mucosa has been damaged.

Teeth are being cut

Maloezhka

It happens that a baby does not eat well because he is naturally "little". He eats little and gets better too little. If there are no deviations in the work of the central nervous system, then it means that your child is just like that on his own. If he is in a good mood, he is active and joyful, then there is no reason for concern.

Bad mood

It happens that a crying baby is not approached as soon as he woke up. The baby starts screaming louder and louder. When his mother still takes him in her arms, he is unable to grasp the chest. What to do? - Calm down. Give him a pacifier, and after a few seconds, offer a breast. If it doesn’t take again, return the pacifier and let it doze off for a few minutes. The baby calms down, then wakes up and eats calmly.

So, we tried to analyze the main reasons why a baby does not eat well. If the baby is active, then the appetite could disappear temporarily. And if the condition of the child causes concern, see a doctor immediately . You can call an ambulance. The main thing is to learn to understand your child. It's not that hard if you keep an eye on it.

Article last updated: 04/14/2018

An unimportant appetite in a newborn and infant is a serious reason for parental anxiety. Many mothers are worried because it is extremely difficult to figure out why the child does not eat well. Both newborn babies and babies at 4 months cannot explain and tell what specifically does not suit them. They demonstrate all their dissatisfaction with the help of screams and tears, or simply silent refusal and unwillingness to suckle the breast or drink the mixture. It also complicates the ability to determine the cause of poor appetite, since experts identify many negative factors due to which a small child may begin to act up, cry and refuse to eat.

Child psychologist

That a newborn baby, that a child at 5 months old can eat poorly for many reasons, among which there are features of lactation in the mother, health disorders, physiological characteristics at birth, and much, much more.

If the baby sucks poorly at the breast, you can make an assumption about "malfunctions" in lactation. For example, some nursing mothers have an excess of milk secretion, while others, on the contrary, are sorely lacking.

In the first case, the child simply chokes because of the too powerful “jet” of milk, as a result of which he may refuse to breastfeed. In such a situation, the mother needs to express a little before feeding. And then, when the child's appetite increases (for example, at 2 weeks), the need for this procedure will disappear.

The reverse situation is when the child does not have enough milk. In this case, the mother needs to take all the measures allowed and approved by the pediatrician that improve lactation:

more frequent attachment of the baby to the breast;
pumping after feeding;
drinking large amounts of liquids;
the use of special tea, which improves the separation of milk.

If all these measures did not lead to quality, the only way left is to supplement the child with a mixture. But before introducing an artificial product into the children's diet, you need to consult a pediatrician.

Sometimes women are not entirely responsible for their own diet, eating those foods that change. For example, spicy vegetables (onions, garlic) change the taste of breast secretions, as a result of which the baby refuses the breast. The way out is quite simple - with all responsibility to approach the preparation of the menu.

There are cases when the reason that the child eats little is incorrect attachment to the breast. Especially often this happens with inexperienced parents who are nursing their first child.

The solution is quite simple - a woman should seek help from a breastfeeding expert or even ask staff at the maternity hospital to demonstrate how to properly attach the baby to the mother's breast.

A newborn baby sometimes does not take his mother's breast because of the irregular shape of the nipples. If they are too flat, sunken, it is not easy for the baby to get milk.

Naturally, the child remains hungry, which is completely unacceptable. Usually after a day or two, babies adjust and adapt, but in rare cases, if the situation does not improve, the pediatrician may advise the use of special nipple covers.

Congenital Features

Often, babies are born ahead of schedule. As a result, the inborn sucking reflex is not formed to the extent that would allow the child to suckle the breast without problems. That is, a premature baby does not refuse to eat, but simply is not able to get milk, because he does not have enough strength.

Naturally, in such a situation, the mother must correct the problem. Feeding with a bottle (it is easier to suck), a syringe or a teaspoon will help her with this. It should only be understood that the habit of eating from a special container is fraught with a complete rejection of the mother's breast.

In addition, a violation of appetite can be caused by other congenital features. Typically, such anomalies are detected even in the maternity hospital, where they are immediately corrected, but this is not always possible.

Anomalies in the structure of the oral cavity. Birth defects of the oral cavity, which are popularly referred to as "cleft lip" or "cleft palate", can also cause a child to eat poorly and gain little weight. Usually the operation is carried out immediately (if children's health allows), but if the procedure is postponed to a later date, special pads for feeding may be required.
Short lingual frenulum. If a child is born with a short film connecting the bottom of the mouth with the root of the tongue, then it will be inconvenient for him to suck milk. When sucking, even a characteristic clatter is heard. Usually the problem is solved easily - the surgeon cuts the frenulum, and the newborn baby (and the child under 5 months old) does not feel pain at all.

If childbirth took place with the use of anesthesia, then part of the painkillers can get into the child's body. As a result, in the first days, newborns are lethargic, which also affects the lack of activity during feeding.

A decrease in appetite or its complete absence in an infant at 5 months may be due to the first teeth coming out. In such a situation, refusal to eat becomes a completely natural and temporary phenomenon.

The baby not only loses appetite, but also the gums begin to swell, the temperature rises. The child also feels pain, so it is necessary to help him. So, in the case of temperature, you can give an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic agent.

In order for the baby to quickly begin to eat with appetite, it is necessary to smear his gums with special gels with cooling, soothing and analgesic properties several times a day. Also in the pharmacy it is recommended to purchase special teethers that massage the gums.

Pain in the tummy

If a month-old baby does not take the breast well, constantly throws it, tries to pull his legs to his stomach and cries loudly, it can be assumed that he is worried about intestinal colic. In this case, parents should stock up on patience and knowledge on how to alleviate this condition.

Experts advise putting a warm diaper on the baby’s stomach, massaging the navel area, and giving special anti-colic drugs. This will improve the functioning of the still imperfect digestive system, and at about 4 months the unpleasant symptoms will go away on their own.

It also happens that the child begins to suck milk, but then refuses the breast with tears. Probably, poor appetite in the baby and a painful condition are caused by dysbacteriosis caused by the mother taking antibacterial drugs.

Only a doctor can confirm the presence of this condition after a special examination. Parents may suspect dysbacteriosis by signs such as an unpleasant odor of feces, green stools and the presence of mucus.

A child that at 3 months, that at 11 months may refuse breast milk due to malaise. A common problem in the first year of life is thrush. It is recognized simply - by white spots on the child's tongue, gums and palate.

Oral candidiasis occurs in infants the following reasons:

If the newborn eats little due to thrush, it is better to seek help from a doctor who will tell you which drugs or folk remedies can be used in a particular case. The easiest way is to treat the oral cavity with soda or saline.

The mother needs to treat her breasts with the same remedy to prevent relapses. In addition, you need to take care of the cleanliness of toys and feeding equipment in the future, as well as strengthen children's immunity, especially if the child was born prematurely.

If a baby, for example, at 11 months old does not eat well, breathes heavily during feeding, sniffs, throws her breasts and cries, mucous accumulations interfere with her normal breathing. To alleviate the condition, you need to very carefully clean the nasal passages with cotton swabs or flagella.

Another reason why a newborn does not eat well is inflammation and pain in the ears. The child would like to eat, but sucking leads to discomfort, so he may refuse the breast. In this case, you need to contact a pediatrician for treatment.

If a child at 2 months or older does not want to eat due to sore ears, the mother can try to express breast milk and supplement the crumbs with a teaspoon. This method of obtaining nutrition for the baby is less painful than breastfeeding.

Bottle use

If your baby is not eating breast milk well, you need to think about how often you use feeding containers and pacifiers. It is noted that children suck mixtures from a bottle and their mother's breasts in completely different ways, while using a different number of muscles.

This is because the liquid flows freely from the container, so that the child does not make any effort to extract it. But breast milk must be obtained. If this is the problem, then the mother needs to re-accustom the baby to take the breast.

Another reason why the baby does not eat well may be increased sensitivity to changes in weather conditions. A sharp jump in atmospheric pressure can provoke a headache, loss of appetite and other negative symptoms in a baby.

If such signs are excessively pronounced, you should consult a pediatrician and a neurologist. Probably the source of the problem lies in the high . Then you need to take certain medications.

Curiosity

Usually he is only interested in feeding and sleeping, but he reacts weakly to external stimuli. Another thing is a 6-month-old child, who is more active, inquisitive and willing to learn about the world around him.

While eating, the baby can be distracted by any irritant: a loud noise, a bright or new toy, a pet, a person who has entered. Switching children's attention to feeding is quite difficult, which is why you should create the most calm environment before a meal.

In addition, a poor appetite in a tiny newborn may be due to a bad mood. If a sobbing baby is not approached immediately after the first tears, he begins to cry even harder. Therefore, when brought to the chest, he simply cannot capture the nipple due to overexcitation.

In this case, the paramount task is to calm the baby by any available means. You can stroke him, kiss him, offer a pacifier, shake him a little, and only then offer breasts again. Usually calmed baby quickly starts the meal.

There are cases when a child does not eat much due to individual characteristics. These babies are also called "babies". If the doctor notes that the baby is active and cheerful, developing according to age norms, then why worry?

Above were the main reasons why a child does not eat well. If the mother carefully monitors children's reactions, she will be able to understand the condition of the baby and normalize his appetite. But in case of unpleasant symptoms, you should definitely consult a doctor.

Why does the child eat formula poorly?

This issue is placed in a separate section, although some aspects related to the nutrition of artificial people coincide with the problems of children who are breastfed. And yet, artificial babies have their own reasons for not eating.

The main problem is the correct choice of mixture. Finding a substitute for mother's milk, which would be to the child's taste and at the same time not harm the baby's digestion, is not very simple. So, a mixture adapted, specially designed for the smallest, is suitable for newborns.

The fifth month of life is already a completely different age period, therefore, nutrition should also change. After all, the baby has grown up, which means that his caloric needs of food have also grown. In addition, at this time, the first complementary foods for artificers are usually introduced.

In addition to the wrong mixture, there are other reasons why a child does not eat well at 3 months:

uncomfortable nipple. Even small children already have their preferences. Someone likes denser latex nozzles, while others prefer silicone nipples. Parents should purchase several devices at once so that the child can choose the best;
abrupt transition to a milk replacer. If the baby is accustomed to eating exclusively mother's milk, switching to artificial nutrition can lead to negative or temporary refusal of the mixture. In this case, gradual accustoming to a different diet is important;
nutritional value of the mixture. Milk replacer is more nutritious, besides, it will be absorbed by the body longer. Consequently, the artificial child will feel hungry not after 2.5 hours, but, roughly speaking, after 4 hours. This aspect should also be taken into account so as not to overfeed the baby.

Thus, when feeding a baby with a milk replacer, it is important to choose the right formula, silicone or latex bottle cap, as well as optimize the feeding regimen. In this case, the children's appetite should soon return to normal.

A child is born with an instinctive-reflexive type of behavior. That is, all his actions are subject to certain instincts, which include the sucking reflex. The baby still does not know how to overeat, so normally he eats as much as necessary. If the mother thinks that the child is not eating well, you need to check if he is gaining weight.

Specialists have developed special tables that stipulate how many grams a child should add every 7 days, every 30 days and every 12 months. Reconciliation with the standards allows parents to understand how well the food is organized, whether there is enough milk for the baby or whether it needs to be fed.

After birth, the baby's body weight decreases within 7 days. However, you should not worry, because this is a completely natural process. Meconium (feces of a newborn) comes out of the child's body, in addition, the child is in a stressful state. After a week, the weight will begin to increase.

Consider the average weight gain during the first 12 months:

Less weight gain does not mean that the child has any problems. Such indicators are very conditional, since everything depends on the characteristics of the infant itself.

As already noted, a weak appetite does not always mean pain or pathology. In any case, an experienced doctor can dispel all worries.

Correcting the situation

The child does not eat well, what should I do? With this question, many mothers turn to specialists. We have already talked about some ways to solve the problem, it's time to talk about more specific and particular cases.

Feeding frequency

The question of why a child constantly suckles at the breast is not entirely correct when it comes to a newborn baby. Very young children eat very often - at least every 2 - 2.5 hours. You need to "take advantage" of this feature.

If the baby does not want to eat right now, then perhaps the next feeding will want to try milk or formula. You should increase the number of meals for a while to catch the moment when the child's appetite is optimal.

The duration of the meal

If before you calculated the time during which the baby was near the chest, now this practice should be abandoned. Try to increase the duration of feedings, let the child suckle milk at the pace that is typical for him today.

Offer the baby first one breast and only after emptying apply to the other. Back milk is especially nutritious - it is fatter and more nutritious. With a sudden change of breast, the baby will not receive the required number of calories, having consumed only liquid foremilk.

If the baby does not want to eat during the day, or at this time his appetite is not very good, try breastfeeding at night. Lay the baby in your bed so that both you and the baby come to the moment of feeding in the most relaxed state.

It is curious that the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for the production of milk, is secreted more actively at night, so such feedings can be considered more productive. Perhaps the child will eat more food at night.

Refusal to wrap

If the newborn is not eating, try not to wrap him up when feeding. On the contrary, bodily contact with the mother's skin will allow it to become more active. This method is especially suitable for sleepy and "inhibited" babies.

Is the baby passively behaving near the chest? Take off his undershirts (you can just cover the back with a blanket), throw off the top of your clothes and thereby create a close bodily interaction.

Sling application

As you know, the appetite grows at the sight or smell of your favorite dish. The same is true with newborn babies. If they are constantly near the mother's breast, they will want to eat more often.

Try carrying your baby in a so-called sling, a fabric bandage that allows you to take your baby with you almost anywhere and at the same time frees up your hands. In addition, constantly moving the mother will not allow the baby to fall asleep during feeding.

Mom's rest

Another useful tip, which, unfortunately, is not always easy to implement, concerns maternal relaxation. However, this recommendation allows you to really improve the quality of lactation. So try to get more rest yourself.

Try to give yourself more time: increase the duration of walks, try to sleep during the day, take every opportunity to get some rest. Of course, for this you need to enlist the support of family and friends.

The advantages of such an attitude are obvious: if the mother sleeps well and rests, then the amount of stress hormones that slow down the release of milk will decrease. As a result, improved lactation and the disappearance of some feeding problems.

A few words in conclusion

Thus, reduced appetite in an infant can be due to a number of reasons of a physiological or psychological nature.