Child 1.3 refuses to eat. Doctor Komarovsky's advice on what to do if a child has a poor appetite. What are the reasons why a child refuses to eat?

02.04.2019

One of the many questions young parents have is what to do if their children refuse to eat.

Most often, loss of appetite is temporary, but it happens that child refuses to eat systematically. Why is this happening and what can be done?

What is appetite

The word "appetite" from the Latin appetitus literally means "desire", "desire". This special sensation arises from the need for food, the next stage is the feeling of hunger.

Before looking into the reasons why child refuses to eat let's see how this feeling is formed. Work digestive system controlled by the brain, more precisely by its separate center - food, in which, due to the concentration nutrients(mainly glucose) separate areas are excited - the center of hunger and the center of satiety. If under the influence of stimuli the food center is excited, you want to eat. Then impulses are sent to the salivary glands, saliva is released, work starts digestive glands- and the baby begins to show signs of hunger: opens his mouth, licks his lips, smacks, makes sucking movements, even cries. An older kid will reach for a bottle, plate or spoon. If the food center is inhibited or blocked, the appetite disappears, and then the baby will refuse to eat, even if you offer him his favorite dish.

Here are some tips to help you understand why child refuses to eat and fix the problem.

Taste baby food

Often the problem is the taste of food - bitter, salty, too sweet. Food for children is recommended not to salt or sweeten (at least up to 1.5 years). Refusal can be caused by too high or low food temperature, large pieces, especially if the child choked a couple of times and remembered it. It is usually enough to make the pieces smaller, let the soup cool, or note which flavor the baby likes the most.

Is the child healthy

Exists whole line diseases that in one way or another affect the fact that child refuses to eat. In case of constant refusal to eat, the first thing to do is to visit a pediatrician or gastroenterologist.

These diseases will be revealed by examination, blood and urine tests, additional studies (ultrasound, ECG, X-ray). Recommendations in this case extremely simple - until the causes are eliminated, feed the child as he develops a desire to eat.

Pretty common reasons why child refuses to eat- pain during teething, especially molars, or with caries, as well as the development of stomatitis and gum problems. Sometimes it is difficult to figure it out on your own, you will need to see a doctor.

The needs of the child

Child of the first three years life is not able to describe their appetite, so parents have to evaluate it based on their experience and feelings. But it should be borne in mind that all children are divided into small children, who eat medium and large. Their metabolism is different, respectively, and the need for food too. Of course, parents are worried about the situation when there seems to be no illness, but the appetite is disturbed. However, sometimes this happens due to physiological reasons. The growth process is maximum in the first year - so the child eats a lot and often, quickly gains weight. But in the second and third year, its needs are reduced.

In addition, you should objectively assess the child's lifestyle - how much energy he spends, how much he walks, runs, jumps, how warmly he is dressed, whether he sweats. Appetite is affected by energy costs - in the summer, in the heat, fewer calories are spent, there is no need to heat the surface of the body. Therefore, in the summer child refuses to eat more often than in winter. An active fidget will spend more than a calm, quiet child, which means that they will eat differently.

There are objective signs that the child has enough food:

age-appropriate physical development, weight gain;
correct neuropsychic development, cheerfulness, activity;
normal exercise tolerance, without fatigue (the baby runs on the street on a par with everyone else, he does not have shortness of breath, he does not sit for a long time next to his mother, resting);
balanced character without lethargy and hyperactivity (both a lack of nutrients and an excess of proteins and fats disrupt nervous activity);
smooth skin, elastic muscles;
regular stool and urination.

In pediatrics, there are about 200 indicators child health, ranging from weight and height to the amount of salt excreted in the urine. Each has limits on acceptable fluctuations, and parents are very worried when a child does not fit into all parameters. However, the norms are just conditional guidelines. A strong deviation will force the doctor to examine the child in more detail. But this does not mean at all that your baby is obliged to add exactly 10, and not 8 or 12 kilograms, by 1 year, and there are exactly 250, and not 150 or 300 grams. Each baby is individual, and each has its own norm, which is known to parents and the doctor who constantly monitors him. This is the norm that you should adhere to, not comparing your child with the neighbors.

A little higher, we talked about signs of health - if the baby grows, develops, he is happy and satisfied with life, then his appetite is adequate to his needs, even if, according to his parents, he eats little.

What to do if the child refuses to eat

Often, young parents, after listening to the "valuable" advice of relatives and friends about the lack of fatness of the child, do their best to cram as much as possible into the child. In the course are games, persuasion, threats, dances, bribery and even performances. Each spoon is a holiday, and refusal to eat is grief and anxiety. As a result, eating turns into a battle.

Such feeding, unfortunately, brings little benefit, and most often only harms. Better baby does not begin to eat, usually he simply refuses to eat at all. The fact is that appetite is not just a desire to eat, it is also evidence of the body’s readiness to eat: enough digestive juices in the pancreas and liver, activation of intestinal motility and its release from the previous portion of food. If you force feed a child, most of what you eat will not be digested and food intake can be considered useless. Formed a big problem- the digestive system is overloaded, and the child is trying hard to feed, no matter what.

Do not focus on selectivity in food.

Parents often complain that child refuses to eat, avoids certain foods, such as dairy or meat. However, changing preferences is quite natural. Children up to 2-3 years old obey mainly instincts, so that selectivity in food reflects the real need of the child for food. this moment. For example, giving up vegetables or meat in favor of dairy products in the first year of life may indicate a need for calcium during tooth growth. You should not worry, although it is still necessary to offer other products from time to time, perhaps after some time the baby's preferences will change.

Give the right to choose

Even the smallest ones already have their own preferences - someone likes pumpkin, someone likes potatoes, and someone likes cottage cheese. If the child is picky - offer him a choice, from the realization of his own participation he will eat with great pleasure, even if he is only a year or two. It seems to many that it is difficult, but in practice it is simple - get the baby cottage cheese and fruit puree for an afternoon snack, whatever you want, then let's. At lunch, offer two options - meat puree or porridge. Go from the opposite. If the baby does not like porridge, and you want him to eat vegetable stew, offer porridge and stew - against the background of one unloved dish, the second looks more profitable. Or add to the rejected foods that the child will eat willingly. For example, if he likes pumpkin, add it to porridge or soup, it will give a familiar taste to the whole dish.

Let the baby take part in the preparation of food as much as possible - this will interest. If a child refuses to eat- it means that he is simply not hungry yet and you need to offer to eat a little later.

Avoid Mistakes

Eating will become more enjoyable if mom takes into account a few simple things.

Don't be in a hurry to introduce complementary foods. According to modern WHO standards, all children, regardless of the type of feeding, are recommended to introduce complementary foods at about six months. Enzyme system must mature and adapt to the new food, then the new food will benefit. Each new dish, so that the baby tastes and loves it, should be offered in the amount of ½ teaspoon about 10-15 times, gradually the baby will get used to the new taste and will eat with pleasure.
A strict feeding schedule should be followed - breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner should be clearly distinguished. This allows you to streamline the work of the digestive system, to certain hour enzymes are activated and the food is completely absorbed.
If the child is excited, ran, just returned from the street, cries or is upset - you should not put him at the table. Give him 20-30 minutes to recover, calm down and switch to food. Then the process will be easier. For example, if a child is passionate about the game, you can start warning him about an imminent dinner in 15–20 minutes.
Follow the rituals, involve the baby in them - make eating a meal no less exciting than playing or reading. For example, the ritual can be as follows: first we prepare a table, the baby spreads a napkin on it (he chooses it himself). Then the baby chooses a spoon from several proposed ones, washes his hands and sits down. He will try to eat everything to see who “hid” at the bottom of the plate today. You can purchase several identical plates with different pictures at the bottom, and every day there will be a surprise: who is there - a fish, a little man or a car.
Between feedings, do not give your child high-calorie foods, especially starchy foods and sweets, otherwise child refuses to eat as they discourage appetite for a long time. By the way, contrary to popular belief, juice is a very high-calorie product. It has a lot of sugar, it gives a feeling of satiety for a long time.
It is useful to decorate dishes and beautifully set the table. In addition, the place for feeding should be comfortable, matched to the height of the child and located so that the baby sees everything and can take part in family lunches and dinners.
great way work up an appetite - spend a lot of time outdoors with parents or peers, run, jump, ride on a swing, play outdoor games. Walking at least 1.5-2 hours a day is important for a good appetite.
Has a major effect on appetite psychological condition child. When the baby is constantly forced to eat, he develops a protective reaction at the sight of the table. the child refuses to eat.

A common problem is the slowness of children. If the child does not have time to chew food, the mechanism of protective vomiting may work and there may be a fear of repeating it. To cope with such problems, you can try to draw, change the environment, tell an exciting story about food - in a word, try to break the negative associations between eating and negative emotions. The game "stubborn kid" helps a lot. Let your child feed you - and you refuse and indulge, showing what he usually does at the table, but avoiding the phrase "I will be capricious, like you ...". Such statements give a direct indication of the child and contribute to the development of negative associative connections with food intake.

Of course, the problem of appetite, when child refuses to eat, especially if it exists for a long time, will not be resolved in one day. Often this takes more than one week. Children are conservative and difficult to rebuild, including in food habits. But if you approach the issue creatively and interest the child, make him a participant in events, and not a passive executor of the will of the parents, success is guaranteed.

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Our children very often suffer from poor appetite or want to eat only a certain product. The child refuses to eat: let's try to consider the behavior of parents in this article on the site for moms site.

The child refuses to eat: reasons

Unfortunately, the stereotype that a child should eat, and the more the better, is firmly entrenched in the "mother's" mind. This belief was imposed on us by our mothers-grandmothers, who have the memory of famine times imprinted almost at the gene level.

But we, as modern and educated people, must understand that every person, even a small one, is an individual, therefore everyone has different food needs.

Let's see why the child does not eat well or refuses to eat at all:

He was systematically forced to eat. Such a procedure in itself subsequently causes an aversion to food;
Lack of regime and "pieces". Here the parents themselves are to blame, as they taught their child to have a snack with what and when they want. Particularly naive are parents who themselves do not adhere to any regimen, but want to accustom their children to it;
The child does not need to eat as much as "should be." As we have already said, each baby is individual, so he may not fall into generally accepted norms. In other words, if, for example, infant refuses to eat and eats not 100 grams of milk, but only 50, which means that this is its physiological norm;
Disease. A site for mothers, the site focuses on the fact that during an illness, a child, like an adult, cannot eat normally. At this time, all the forces of the body are thrown into the fight against infection, while it becomes difficult to digest food from the gastrointestinal tract. Hence the natural refusal of the child from food. Most often, for this reason, they refuse to eat babies;
The kid tries to attract attention by refusing to eat. In most cases, this behavior indicates psychological problems at the baby. This is how he manifests his will, which means that in other situations he is suppressed;
And finally, the child may simply not like the food offered to him.

One year old child refuses to eat: what to do?

You have already exhausted all the arguments: persuasion "for mom - for dad", threats, prohibitions ... What to do?

To begin with, understand that it is not necessary to force-feed a person, albeit a small one.

Firstly, you and him may simply disagree taste preferences: you love semolina, but the baby does not. Secondly, with this you can tritely inflict on your child psychological trauma he will stop trusting you.

Analyze the situation and take note of the list of reasons for refusing food, which we have given above.

If your child, and he refuses to eat, try to resort to these tricks:

Try to establish not only the regimen of the child, but also your own. Make it a habit to have breakfast and dinner with the whole family;
Allow your child to eat by himself, but be prepared for a mess in the kitchen and tarnished clothes. But it can bear fruit - yes, something will get into the baby's stomach;
Give your child a choice: offer more than one type of product, but several at once, so you can determine taste preferences baby;
If your child refuses to eat, use the trick of many mothers - put different “applications” on the plate - animal faces, houses, mushrooms, etc. If your own imagination does not work, look for examples of such "creativity" on the Internet;
Work up an Appetite: Play active games and walk with the baby. The wasted energy will have to be restored, and the child himself will want to eat;
If the child refuses to eat breakfast, do not give him any food until the next meal, only water. Most likely, by lunchtime he will be very hungry and will gobble up the soup. The same rule can be attributed to the rejection of snacks.

What should not be done if the child refuses to eat?

“You won’t be forced to be nice,” and, as it has already become clear, this statement can also be attributed to food. Therefore, give up the habit of pushing food to a child by force. This will only hurt you. Psychologists say that children who are force-fed are more likely to develop neurosis in them, and this will not benefit their mother's health.

Stop arranging "dances with tambourines" during feeding, in the sense - do not distract the child with TV, cartoons, phone or toys. Over time, the child will have the wrong association, and without certain manipulations, he will no longer want to eat.

Why does the child refuse to eat?

There can be many reasons, but in each case it is necessary to find individual approach to little man. Therefore, try to analyze what exactly your baby does not like, then it will be much easier to deal with this problem.
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Site site - Supermoms

The problem of poor appetite is familiar to every mother, while there can be many reasons why babies refuse to eat. To feed the baby wholesome food Whether it's breast milk and formula or new foods, you need to find out why the baby is refusing to feed.

Breast milk and formula

If failure one year old baby eating porridge can still be taken as a manifestation of food preferences and try to replace New Product on some other, then the reluctance to suck on your mother’s breast or formula from a bottle should seriously alert you. An infant can only obtain nutrients through milk and artificial mixtures, so if he turns away from you and does not want to eat, urgently find out the reason for this behavior, because you need to do everything so that the baby eats.

Improper attachment to the breast

It may be uncomfortable for the baby to latch on to the breast, and along with milk, air enters his esophagus, causing pain. If your newborn turns around while drinking, trying to get a better grip on the nipple, or spitting up profusely after a feed, ask patronage nurse look at how you breastfeed your baby and show you how to do it right.

Strong flow of milk or formula

It happens that so much milk has accumulated in the chest that when it is absorbed, a strong stream of liquid literally hits the baby’s mouth, from which he begins to choke and choke. Of course, this “behavior” of your mammary glands may not please the baby, and the newborn will begin to refuse food. You need to pump a little just before feeding, so the flow of milk will noticeably decrease. A baby on IV will just have to get a pacifier with a smaller hole.

Changed taste

If the baby is attached to the breast, drinks, and then throws the nipple and cries, the changed taste of your milk may be the reason for this behavior. Think about whether you ate something sour, sweet or salty the day before that could affect its taste.

short bridle

If a newborn from the first days does not master breastfeeding or artificial feeding, he may have congenital pathology, which could be "overlooked" in the hospital. Too much short bridle on the tongue prevents some babies from sucking properly. This problem is quickly solved by surgery.

bowel problems

If the baby, after the start of feeding, throws the breast or turns away from the bottle, bends and cries, intestinal problems may be the cause:

Colic is the most common reason why babies refuse to eat. Almost all babies up to 4 months suffer from them. So that the child does not suffer from colic, you need to give him special teas that reduce gas formation, spread it on the tummy more often before eating and massage.
Dysbacteriosis can also lead to painful sensations during feeding, forcing babies to refuse food. It is possible to identify the insufficient population of the intestinal microflora using laboratory tests, as well as by visual assessment of the feces of the crumbs. If the baby's stools are greenish and mucus mixed, tell the pediatrician about this, the doctor will recommend you which probiotics should be given to the baby.

Headache

Toddlers can also suffer from migraines, and the pain will force them to refuse food. The child may react to the weather and to loud noises. To reduce pain, you can put a wet handkerchief on the baby's head or give Nurofen.

Child is distracted

A child may refuse to eat because what is happening around distracts him from the sucking process. If the baby stops eating as soon as they enter the room, you better discuss this issue with loved ones. It will be good if you can make the process of feeding an intimate and private event.

Disease

Sometimes the baby does not eat well or does not want to eat anything because of feeling unwell. Pain while eating can make him refuse to eat:

If the baby releases the nipple or nipple while sucking, gasping for air, it is likely that his nose is blocked. You should clean his nasal passages with flagella or an aspirator so that the baby can breathe freely.
When sucking, the pain that occurs due to inflammation of the ears may increase. To check if the baby is suffering from otitis media, gently press the tragus near the ear with the pad of your finger. If the auditory organ is inflamed, the baby will cry loudly in response to your action. In this case, you should immediately contact the ENT or pediatrician, and feed the baby during the period of illness from a spoon so as not to leave him hungry.
Thrush and stomatitis can also cause pain while eating. If the baby suffers from these diseases, in his mouth you will find white spots on the bright red mucosa. It is necessary to treat a child under the supervision of a pediatrician, and in order to temporarily reduce soreness in the baby's mouth, wipe the mucous membrane with a solution baking soda(1.tsp per 200 g of water).

Teeth

The baby's gums can hurt so much that it will force him to refuse food. If the child does not want to eat anything, and during this period he is actively drooling, try lubricating his gums with anesthetic gel.

Or maybe your baby is a “little baby”, which is why the child is saturated with a small portion. If the baby is active, cheerful, cheerful, gaining weight well, but at the same time, as it seems to you, he eats little, there is no reason to worry.

Lure

The introduction of complementary foods in almost all babies causes protest, because they are used to eating mother's milk or a mixture. New tastes and changing food textures often result in children not wanting to eat and waiting to be fed their usual food.

organism six months old baby already not enough of those nutrients that come to him with mixtures and milk, and his intestines are quite ready for digestion new food Therefore, it is very important to teach the baby to eat vegetables, fruits and cereals. If the baby refuses the purees and cereals you offer, you must find out why this is happening and fix it. Most often, the child does not eat complementary foods due to psychological reasons, and does not want to eat anything other than the usual milk or formula.

In order not to cause rejection of new food in the crumbs, it is recommended to introduce complementary foods gradually, mixing it with the usual ones. breast milk or mixtures. So the baby will get used to an unfamiliar taste day after day, and it will be easier for his intestines to learn to digest the "new". If you notice that the baby is not eating well, go back a step by adding the mixture or your milk to the puree in the "yesterday" ratio.
If the baby refuses to eat, try changing the consistency of the puree. Some babies like very liquid food, others - thick.
Babies copy us, and perhaps the baby refuses to eat complementary foods, because he does not see an example in front of him. If everyone eats delicious sandwiches at breakfast, and the child is given porridge, it is no wonder that the baby does not eat well and begins to act up. Try to eat wholesome food with the whole family along with the baby, make it a habit to make cereal for the whole family in the morning.
Do not insist or force the baby to finish eating food to the end. Puree is somewhat “heavier” than liquid, and if the baby ate a little, he could well get enough of a small portion.
Be more flexible and pliable in compiling a menu for babies. If the baby didn't like it pumpkin puree- temporarily remove it from the baby's diet, if he did not like rice - use other cereals to make cereals. If your baby doesn't like anything but milk and formula, give in temporarily and go back to breastfeeding or formula feeding, your baby is probably not ready to feed yet.
Be sure to follow the diet. The child should eat at the same time and know what foods will be on his menu. In the morning there should always be porridge, after a walk - vegetable soup, and after daytime sleep- cottage cheese or fruit puree. Conservatism is very important for children, so nothing needs to be changed in the established schedule.
Get your little one interested in eating. Let him choose which jar of food to open or which porridge to cook. Knowing that he himself decided to eat a certain product, the baby will eat it with pleasure.
If the child does not want to try anything other than the usual milk or mixture, arrange "show dinners" at which the whole family will gather and eat baby purees and cereals with appetite and praise. The kid will almost certainly get jealous and also want to try.

If the baby, despite your tricks, still refuses to eat and does not want anything, perhaps the loss of appetite lies in his poor health:

He may be teething;
temporary loss of appetite - a common reaction to vaccinations;
the child may temporarily refuse food due to a cold and viral diseases;
loss of appetite is often noted in the off-season or when the weather changes;
insufficient expenditure of energy leads to a decrease in appetite - the baby did not move much and he did not need to replenish his strength.

Regular and balanced diet is a pledge proper growth and development of children of all ages. Therefore, parents often panic if the child refuses to eat. This problem is quite common and does not always require special intervention. The reasons for the baby's refusal to eat may be related to the state of health, the characteristics of the regime and physical activity as well as the process of eating.

Children of the first six months of life receive all the nutrients, vitamins and trace elements they need from breastfeeding. mother's milk. After the baby is 5-6 months old, you should introduce complementary foods and introduce him to adult food. On the different stages the development of the baby, the reasons for refusing to eat may differ. Therefore, before you try to force-feed the baby or start drug treatment, parents should learn how appetite and nutritional needs are formed, and also in what cases refusing food can be dangerous for his health.

How does a baby's appetite develop?

Lack of appetite is one of the main reasons why a child refuses to eat. Normally, a person's appetite appears before the feeling of hunger. Translated from Latin this word means desire or desire, therefore, when there is a need for food, a person develops an appetite. Main functions gastrointestinal tract regulated by the central nervous system, in particular - the food center, which is located in the medulla oblongata.

The feeling of hunger or satiety depends on the concentration of nutrients in the blood, hunger is especially acute when there is not enough glucose in the blood. In children younger age appetite and hunger are expressed in the appearance of sucking movements, smacking, or even restlessness and crying, and older children can more clearly express their desire to eat. The stimulation and functioning of the food center is influenced by the taste of food and general state baby's body.

What diseases can a baby refuse to eat?

If your child often refuses to eat, then first of all, a number of diseases that are accompanied by a significant deterioration in appetite should be excluded. Most often, the appetite disappears if the crumbs have chronic, sluggish pathological conditions. These include:

The above diseases, in addition to a deterioration in appetite, are accompanied by other specific and non-specific symptoms. So if the baby long time refuses food against the background of a deterioration in well-being, then you should immediately be examined by a pediatrician.

Physiological nutritional needs of children

Often a child may refuse to eat due to the fact that his body has enough nutrients to fully function. This happens when the baby is trying to give more food during the day than his digestive system can digest and assimilate.

You should not worry about the refusal of crumbs from food if he:

harmoniously grows and develops: anthropometric indicators correspond to the age norm;
has no deviations in neuropsychic development;
does not get tired of moderate physical exertion, actively plays;
does not have sudden changes moods (from lethargy to hyperactivity);
does not complain about urination and defecation.

You should also pay attention to the condition of the muscles and skin if the muscles have normal tone, and the skin is smooth and elastic, this indicates a sufficient intake of vitamins and microelements from food products. Appetite is affected by conditions environment and baby lifestyle. In the hot season, the baby may refuse food more often, as the body spends less energy to maintain normal temperature body. If the child is active and mobile, then he will eat more often and more than his quiet and calm peers. Teething may be the reason why a child refuses all food. Mothers of infants face this problem.

Refusal of food due to severe pain and inflammation in the oral cavity that sometimes appear during teething. This state not considered pathological, it is important to eliminate unpleasant symptoms with funds for local application and feed the baby when he gets hungry. Parents should also remember that the metabolism is individual for each person, so one child has enough relatively a small amount food, while others like to eat tightly and with pleasure. Therefore, if your baby is active, cheerful, grows and develops normally, then this means that he has enough nutrients and there is no need to try to force feed him.

What to do to normalize the diet

In some cases, it is the parents who are to blame for the fact that their children eat irregularly and insufficiently. The culture of food should be instilled with early age and there are a number of common mistakes, all of which can be the cause of not eating.

If you want your baby to eat regularly and adequately, follow these simple rules:

It is not necessary to introduce the crumbs to adult food early. There are clear recommendations for the introduction of complementary foods for children who are on natural or artificial feeding. If you introduce complementary foods early due date, this can lead to premature rejection of the breast and subsequent digestive problems.
After the introduction of complementary foods, a feeding regimen should be formed. It is advisable to feed the baby every day at the same time, highlighting the main meals and small snacks.
After intense physical activity or in a state of neuropsychic excitement, you should not force the baby to eat. Give him some time to rest and calm down.
It is better to accompany each meal with certain rituals that you have developed together with your child (choose dishes and set the table together, invite other family members).
Eliminate extra snacks that impair appetite before the main meal: a child may refuse to eat if during the day he received sweets, cookies or other goodies between meals.
Try to actively spend time with your baby, regularly walk on fresh air.

It is very important to create the right atmosphere at the table, do not rush or distract the baby while eating. If the baby learns to eat on its own, then you should not take away the spoon from him so that the feeding goes faster. Parents need to remember that if one year old baby refuses to eat, but at the same time leads active image life and its development is normal, then there is no cause for concern, and attempts to force-feed the baby can lead to mental disorders, digestion and overweight body.

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Many of our compatriots still believe that a good appetite is one of key indicators health. From birth, we strive to feed our babies to satiety at every meal. But if the appetite suddenly deteriorated sharply, what to do? Child refuses to eat different reasons, we will try to deal with the most probable of them.

Why you can not interrupt the appetite?

If a child has always been eating well and suddenly starts to refuse food, any parent will be worried. Before sounding the alarm, try to reasonably evaluate what the baby ate during the day. Sweets, chips and other fast food give a deceitful feeling of satiety. Do not be surprised if after eating something like this, the child refuses to eat. What to do in similar situation? Skip or reschedule for more late time food intake. From now on, make sure that the baby does not snack on useless and junk food. Sweets should not be freely available to the child, it is better to give them personally several times a day. A sandwich or fruit eaten before the main meal can ruin your appetite. Try not to feed your baby randomly. Make a meal plan for your baby, include three main meals and a couple of snacks.

Before a meal you need to get hungry

Surely you have noticed that on some days it is so difficult to overcome laziness that sometimes we literally forget to eat. Food is a source of energy for our body. Appetite is directly related to physical activity. The more active a person leads, the more often he feels hungry. If your son has been sitting up all day painting because of bad weather or systematically prefers computer games mobile, one should not be surprised at his poor appetite. What to do, the child refuses to eat due to lack of physical activity, is it worth forcing him to eat? Force-feeding a baby is not recommended, regardless of the cause of poor appetite. If you think that the reason for not eating is due to a sedentary lifestyle, it's time to make it more active. Even at home, you can play sports, play outdoor games. Invite your child to help mom clean up or dance to fast music.

Do you know how much your child should eat?

Many child care allowances provide different standards daily ration. These are nutritional calorie tables, some authors offer a list of specific foods with exact weights. Is it worth it to follow these guidelines? Many responsible parents strive to raise their own baby the right way. But do not forget that we are all individual. The need for food in a child depends on his physique. Some babies really eat very little and look thin. Their mothers most often ask doctors the question: what to do, the child refuses to eat and gains weight poorly? However, in most cases there is no reason to panic. If the child is active, keenly interested in the world around him and looks healthy, do not worry. For own comfort chat with the grandparents of the baby. Very often, children's thinness and poor appetite are inherited.

Spoiledness and individual intolerance

Every child discovers the world of flavors and aromas from the moment we introduce complementary foods. Almost all children have their own food preferences. By the age of three, any kid can name his favorite fruit, and his mother notices that he eats some specific dishes with more appetite than others. But if the baby, on the contrary, does not agree to eat certain products, what to do? The child refuses to eat, citing his own dislike for a particular product - this problem familiar to many families. Persuasion to try "at least a piece" usually does not work. Is it worth it to force or retrain the baby?

They often behave in this way. But if the child does not agree to eat for a long time small list products, it makes sense to satisfy his desire. Many adults do not eat onions, fish, garlic, and other strongly flavored foods. If the kid does not agree to eat some valuable and useful product, it makes sense to choose its analogue. Some mothers simply learn new recipes and do not admit to the child what exactly he has for lunch today.

Loss of appetite as a symptom of the disease

Parents are most frightened when the baby refuses to eat, usually eating with pleasure. If it's all day, it's time to take his temperature. may indicate the onset of an infectious disease. Usually in initial stage sick children look lethargic and sleepy. Refusal of food in combination with a disorder of the digestive system should alert parents. Similar symptoms may be food poisoning or other illness requiring urgent health care. How to understand if a doctor is needed if the child is a year old (refuses to eat)? What to do when the baby can not talk about his health? Try to spend the simplest test: offer some treat. With a painful lack of appetite, the child is likely to refuse even their favorite fruit or candy.

Psychological problems

Stress is one of the causes of decreased appetite. Parents of schoolchildren probably noticed that on the eve of tests and exams, children stop eating and sleeping in the literal sense of the word. How older child, topics more reasons get nervous in his life. But how can a preschooler not eat because of stress? Maybe, little man many things are frightening: from darkness to loud sounds and creepy pictures. If recently there really were some shocks in the baby’s life, what should I do? The child refuses to eat - the reasons for this situation often lie in psycho-emotional state. Try to find out what exactly worries the baby and overcome all fears together.

Norm or pathology?

If a son or daughter constantly eats badly, any sane mother will ask herself: what to do? The child refuses to eat, the consequences of such behavior may not be the most pleasant. This is both underweight and developmental disorders due to not enough nutrients. These beliefs are propagated traditional medicine. There are many ways to evaluate a child's health. If the baby feels well, is active and cheerful, there is no reason for the parents to worry. Pay attention to the regularity and quality of stools and urine. At healthy child smooth skin, elastic muscles, pleasant complexion. If the baby is well tolerated physical exercise and his mental condition okay, calm down, he's perfectly healthy. It makes sense for parents to monitor changes in the weight and height of the child and periodically take general tests.

Dr. Komarovsky about the problems of children's appetite

Modern pediatricians pay considerable attention to indicators physical development children under three years of age. Some experts even prescribe appetite stimulants or biologically active additives children who are slowly gaining weight. And really, if a child refuses to eat, what to do? Komarovsky - specialist the highest category- advises resorting to the treatment of poor appetite only in extreme cases. Believe me, in our time in a prosperous environment, not a single child will die of hunger or malnutrition. Parents should create every opportunity for natural hardening and encourage the child to outdoor games. If the baby will walk a lot in the fresh air, play with peers and learn something new every day, the problem of appetite will be solved by itself.

Secrets of good appetite

What can you do right now to make your child eat more and more willingly? Turn every meal into a ritual. It is desirable that the whole family gather at the table. Watching others eat stimulates the appetite in and of itself. During a common meal, the baby learns to eat neatly and behave correctly at the table. Try to regularly please the child with new dishes and products. You can pay attention to the design of food and table setting. Surely the child will be interested in eating from a beautiful plate. You can draw some kind of sauce or jam directly on the portion of the baby interesting drawings. Don't forget about the classic compromises - offer an interesting dessert after the meal is over.

We hope that a poor appetite will no longer spoil your mood, because you know what to do. Is the child refusing to eat? Recommendations for this issue can be reduced to simple advice: Never scold or force feed. It is better to wait until the baby is hungry, and try to feed him in peaceful ways.