The child began to refuse food. Spoiledness and individual intolerance. Loss of appetite as a symptom of the disease

11/04/2017 10:43

anna

Hello! I have a similar problem. The child is one and seven years old. Previously, I ate well (porridge with milk and fruit, vegetable soup, cottage cheese) and could eat cookies several times a day. A last days she ate borscht, buckwheat soup, mashed potatoes with us, and between meals she increasingly asked for cookies, at times she became hysterical. And now for the second day she refuses to eat rice porridge with milk and banana, she also refused the offer of porridge with cabbage rolls. She only requires cookies. Please advise what to do.

23/03/2017 21:36

Kazakhstan, Chu

I read so many comments and was able to find comfort. My son is 1.10 months old. We are on breastfeeding, complementary feeding was excellent, until 10 months I ate everything except meat and eggs. Then we had stomatitis and painful teething, the child completely began to refuse everything. The only food on the menu was banana apple cookies and black bread, and now only GV, water, compote tea, black bread and various requests for cookies.... dad made the situation worse by offering him sweets. ....now it came to me that I should wean him off guards and then he would start eating and developing, but alas.....I chose weaning naturally, reducing feeding, but the boy began to completely refuse everything I offered.... with tears and bitterness..... tell me what to do. We don’t have travel doctors here... they only advise to “smear nystatin on your boobs” and wait until he gets sick and starts asking for food...... but my baby is very vulnerable and stubborn) he is gentle but firm. Any food offered causes vomiting reflex and disgust... They offered everything... salty and sweet, fried and steamed, mashed potatoes and shish kebab... but alas. I just agreed to a Kinder bar and fried potato pie

16/07/2015 15:24

Lugansk, Ukraine

We had everything one to one. .and at the hospital the doctor immediately asked, “Have I already given up sweets?” and sent me for a smear to check for worm eggs. The result was positive. So don't chalk it all up to whims.

06/02/2015 16:45

Russia

I have a similar problem! What do you mean don't force feed??? I don’t feed him for a day - he doesn’t even ask, and then he has stomach problems, pain, etc. plus he immediately loses weight, but we already have to fight for every gram..... someone would write real, effective advice

27/12/2014 12:30

Ukraine, Odessa

My baby (1.5 years old), in addition to being a poor and picky eater, also does not eat from the boat. At all. Even what he definitely likes. Only with your hands. They already changed the seating and offered to hold the spoons yourself and did not give food in any other way - in any way. Himself and that’s it, otherwise he won’t eat even those five or six pieces. The main food - formula and baby milkshakes - drinks from a bottle through a nipple. I at least tried to feed him this from the shelf - he flatly refused. He drinks water, but no milk. Tell me how to overcome this so as not to harm?

10/03/2014 12:33

Russia, Yaroslavl

Hello!! I would also like to turn to you for advice and your help!! Spring has begun for my 2-year-old daughter, she suddenly refused to eat, eats just a little bit, lost weight (I’m very worried! There’s no way to make her spit, hysterical, throw herself, lie around, nothing doesn't want to!! help please!!

13/11/2013 19:56

Ukraine, Krivoy Rog

Hello, please tell me! My Son is three and a half months old, he is artificial feeding, we used to eat Nutrilon, after three months we switched to Malysh (I gave both oatmeal and buckwheat), I ate normally for a week, and then I started crying, I want to eat, I drink tea (Hip), water, but I don’t want food! what to do? Switch to Nutrilon again???

26/10/2013 10:07

Ukraine, Sevastopol

Hello. Please tell me, the child is 1 year and 7 months old. the second day he refuses to eat! Outwardly, he is normal, there is no temperature, he is active, he goes to the toilet well, but he refuses to eat for a while (he used to eat well). Should I be worried?

09/09/2013 08:00

Belarus, Novopolotsk

Please tell me!!! We are 2.5 months old and we literally don’t eat for a week, we don’t wake up at night, sometimes in the morning we don’t even ask, we just walk, and if we eat, then the first 60 ml. willingly, but then, well, he just doesn’t want to. What should I do, force it or not, can it wake me up at night??? She eats 650-700 ml. per day approximately

27/12/2012 22:29

anna Ukraine, Kharkov

Thank you for the program and the article about little ones.
The child is 2 and a half years old. He drinks compote and eats sausages, pickles, cookies and waffles, and drinks Nan at night. Very active, but gets tired quickly on the street. The feces are like goat poop, there are elements of undigested food, and there is a lot of fructose in the daily urine.
What do you recommend? Do you think this is a stomach problem?
Thank you.

23/12/2012 11:27

Ukraine, Vinnitsa

My daughter is one year and 5 months old. and she also began to eat less: it’s winter, we walk once a day for only an hour or an hour and a half, she moves little at the same time - the overalls on the sheepskin don’t allow her to accelerate)) She mostly rides on a sled.
In the summer, I ate consistently 5 times a day, slept better at night (I walked 2-3 times a day, for a total of at least 4 hours, and ran).
Now, if you eat normally 3 times, it’s already good.
We also eat with “distracting objects,” but if my daughter categorically shakes her head “no,” I never force it.

14/12/2012 12:41

Ukraine, Kharkov

Hello. Help me please. We are 7 months old, complementary foods were introduced at 6, before that the baby was completely breastfeeding. We were born 3.450, now we weigh approximately 6.8, +-100 grams (at the clinic they take 200 grams for clothes and diapers). According to doctors’ standards, we do not reach 1.5 kg. At every visit from the first month (we gained only 300 grams in the first month) I was advised to supplement the feeding with formula, although there was always an excess of milk, I can say with confidence that in one feeding we eat 170-200 grams of milk (control weighing at half - ke). Now they threatened me with enzymatic deficiency and again insisted on supplementing with formula. Moreover, my daughter began to refuse to eat complementary foods. He only wants breasts. I’m worried that with such success we will not only not gain weight, but also lose it. My question is, please advise, is it worth trying the mixture? Or maybe he should wait, be patient, and try feeding him purees and cereals?

06/12/2012 20:12

Belarus, High

Hello! I have this question: my son is 2 years old and has been gradually eating less and less for many months. When I was breastfeeding, he willingly took the breast and ate everything you couldn’t give: soup, potatoes, meat, and more. She stopped breastfeeding and the child began to refuse other foods. Now it’s gotten to the point where he can eat half a piece of bread and butter all day and that’s it. From the smell of dairy and dairy-free cereals he is vomiting, only pea soup and only according to his mood, boiled potatoes and no fruits or vegetables. What should I do? How can you stimulate a child's appetite? He has low hemoglobin and we increased it through diets, but now his hemoglobin is normal, but the child does not eat. Maybe he's sick or something. Please tell me!!!

24/11/2012 00:39

Ukraine, Kolomyia

I have this problem: Donetsk River and 8 months. I gave breasts up to 1 rub. and 4 months. The first feeding was bad, I couldn’t see it, and over the years I stopped eating from a spoon, so I had to give it from a dance. Now it looks like the dances are the same. What will you please robiti?

19/11/2012 22:54

Ukraine, Krivoy Rog

For problems like Tatyana from Nikopol, you need to learn the main rule: “A hungry child eats!” Quote "And finally, at 11 months, my son refuses to eat at all." So I’m wondering what the child eats then??? If you take 3-5 spoons of porridge every half hour, then the child will get enough to eat in a day))) If there are such problems with food, then the tactics are as follows: get up in the morning and give him food. He eats - well, no - no problems either. We got ready and went for a walk outside for 3 hours. Don’t take any food with you, don’t go to stores for food, you can take unsweetened compote or tea with you on the road. Upon returning home, do not immediately feed, but continue to play. Offer food no earlier than 4 hours after morning feeding. If 6 hours pass, then that’s okay too. If, after what was suggested, he doesn’t want to again, then let him walk, give him something to drink before going to bed, and offer him food after sleep. If he doesn’t eat any more, then go for a walk outside. In the evening before going to bed, he will definitely eat everything you give))) When there are problems with food, there should be a clear regime, no snacks in between meals.

From the first day of his life, a child in a family becomes the object of everyone's attention. Young parents are ready to go out of their way to provide their child with the best, and this is natural. Childhood - great time, and it is impossible to describe in words all the wonderful moments that parents experience with their child. However, how many problems and questions stand in the way of this happiness, and one of the most popular stumbling blocks is when a child does not eat.

As a rule, when they see that a child refuses to eat, parents fall into real panic, especially if this is their first-born. They are driven by hyperintensified anxiety - after all, if a child does not eat, his immunity decreases, he can get sick, he can develop allergies, he can suffer from exhaustion! But don’t be so scared; in fact, most of the reasons why a child eats poorly are easily solvable. Let's consider them.

If a small child does not want to eat...

If a child under one year of age does not eat well, then refusal to eat can be explained by two main reasons:

• he doesn't want to eat at the moment
• something is really bothering him.

If you have a baby, you should always be on guard. In any case, the parents of the baby must undergo medical examination with the child as often as possible, so if you think that the baby is not eating due to tummy problems, consult a specialist.

It also wouldn’t hurt to clarify how to feed the baby: what exactly besides breast milk or instead, what correct mode child nutrition. If no digestive problems are found in the baby, try to simply change the child’s diet. Most mothers feed their baby on a flexible feeding schedule, that is, when he asks for it, taking approximate breaks between feedings. You can try to make these intervals longer or, conversely, feed him more often, but in smaller portions. Some parents adhere to a strict schedule and feed the child by the hour, but not all children are satisfied with such a schedule. After all, his tummy is just adapting to this world, to new food and active growth, and he simply physically cannot eat when you decide.

When children do not eat from a year and older

In the case of an older child, the nutritional problem may be complicated by psychological barriers. But do not forget that at any age, both children and adults may have problems with gastrointestinal tract. As a rule, the sufferer similar diseases a child is easy to spot: his stomach hurts even from the most innocent food, he often feels nauseous and sick, he has problems with bowel movements, and many food smells cause him disgust or even a gag reflex. Such a child should be urgently taken to be examined by a specialist.

Just remember, this is no longer a dumb baby that you could put in your arms and carry wherever you want. This is already a personality, a nature with its own interests and principles, and sometimes a trip to the doctor can cause a scandal. You simply don’t have to tell him about going to the clinic in advance, but simply take him there as if routine inspection. It would be nice if you send a child who is especially sensitive to his nature for a walk while he talks with the doctor. Of course, it will be important for you to indicate to the doctor the color and consistency of his stool, and this may offend the child. If you do not see symptoms of the disease, and the child does not eat regularly, then it is worth considering several other reasons.

So, what are the reasons behind the tragic “child doesn’t eat well”?

As a rule, a child suffering from such diseases is easy to identify: his stomach hurts even from the most innocent food, he often feels nauseous and sick, he has problems with bowel movements, and many food smells cause him disgust or even a gag reflex. Such a child should be urgently taken to be examined by a specialist. Just remember, this is no longer a dumb baby that you could put in your arms and carry wherever you want. This is already a personality, a nature with its own interests and principles, and sometimes a trip to the doctor can cause a scandal. You simply don’t have to tell him about going to the clinic in advance, but simply take him there as if for a routine examination. It would be nice if you send a child who is especially sensitive to his nature for a walk while he talks with the doctor. Of course, it will be important for you to indicate to the doctor the color and consistency of his stool, and this may offend the child. If you do not see symptoms of the disease, and the child does not eat regularly, then it is worth considering several other reasons.

• What are you feeding him?
• Is there a specific diet for a child?
• Is he eating correctly?
• Negative atmosphere in the house!
• How do you feed the child, is it force-feeding?

Even if it seems to you that you have not clearly found yours among these reasons, you should sort them out.

1.He must eat baby foods. Fortunately, it is now difficult to meet parents who are trying to feed two year old baby sushi or smoked lamb every day. But nevertheless, consider your menu: as soon as the child has learned to hold food in his hand and bite large enough pieces that then go into his mouth, he can and should eat what the whole family eats. However, he still needs baby cereals, fruit drinks and fruit puree, he still needs to cook semolina or oatmeal. Overly fried, peppered, or baked in mayonnaise dishes are harmful even for adults, and a child may simply not tolerate them. If your child goes to kindergarten or school, find out his menu there, and try to bring his diet at home closer to the “abroad” diet.

2. In addition, every person, with rare exceptions, has dishes and products that he simply cannot stand. Give your child the same right - he may well refuse a certain dish or two, but if this list grows, do not succumb to provocations. It happens that aversion to certain foods goes away with age, but sometimes it remains for life. In any case, no matter how much you convince him that this is useful, and “just try it”, you will achieve nothing but increased hostility.

3.The child must have at least a rough daily schedule. Yes, yes, not only the diet, but the routine of the whole day. To prevent a child from starting to refuse breakfast, he must be hungry for breakfast. He hasn’t eaten anything all night (which is important), which means he’s probably hungry, he just needs to wake up this feeling. This is facilitated by morning exercises, And water treatments, and making the bed. Active movement + washed face - the best way for a healthy breakfast! This rule should be applied to other meals as well. A walk before lunch will help. fresh air, active movements, long hikes (relatively long). Before dinner, you can collect toys, clean the room, watch a cartoon together, meet dad from work, etc.

4. How to feed a child correctly? Food intake conditions must comply with the norm. The child, like all family members, should eat in the kitchen at the table. You can drink a cup of tea or eat a donut near the TV or with a book, but nothing more. The kitchen should be orderly and relatively clean during meals. The air should be fresh (it is unacceptable for the room to smell of tobacco, fumes, paint, etc.), the child should sit on a stable chair at a stable table if he has already outgrown the high chair. It’s very nice if the child has his own cutlery - his own special plate, spoon, fork. It happens that a child flatly refuses to eat from another plate or with someone else’s spoon - don’t worry, this will pass over time. Numerous snacks between meals can also ruin the matter - you don’t need to take him a bag of cookies for a walk, just take an apple and a bottle of water if he really becomes very hungry during a walk, and it’s better that the child eats nothing at all on the street - this more reliable both in terms of nutrition and hygiene.

5. Negative atmosphere in the house. This is not a very common reason, but even a two-year-old baby is capable of going on a kind of hunger strike in protest of what is happening around him. Scandals and shouting between family members, your irritation, work problems brought into the house - all this can cause the child to eat poorly. He doesn't do this on purpose, he's just sensitive and attentive to the family's problems. Let us repeat, this does not happen often; many children cannot limit their diet even subconsciously, and some, on the contrary, eat away stress and problems. Still, think about it: do the decibels rise too often in your home?

6. Force feeding is not an option at all! This is one of the most popular reasons why a child does not eat. Do you want him to eat? Feed him! But pushing food into it is not a solution at all. Of course, it hurts you to see that he is again pushing the full plate away from him, and it is so difficult for you to resist asking him to eat “well, at least a little more.” But you have no idea how stubborn your child can be, and with what persistence (sometimes to the detriment of himself and his stomach) he can refuse food. Even a child with the best and most vigorous appetite can be turned into a “refusenik” if you feed him, in addition to food, kicks and moralizing. If he didn't eat anything at the table, let him go. Even if this little stubborn man goes hungry all day, nothing will be done to him, but he will get good lesson: Eat while they give it.

7. Numerous horror stories about children who did not eat anything and became so thin that they were carried away by the wind and their mother could no longer find them can not only not help, but also upset the baby so much that he refuses to eat again and even with tears before our eyes. Various awards and gifts for a good appetite This is also a sure way to the abyss - each time the child’s demands will increase, and in the end you can get to the point where the whole family will have to sing and dance for one spoon of puree. There is no need to promise anything, no need to threaten or punish - just let him go. As a rule, seeing that the mother no longer hangs over her soul and shows no interest in the contents of the plate, the child calms down and returns to a normal diet. The main thing here is not to overdo it in your indifference and not to throw the plate with the look of “I don’t even care where it lands on you.” Be friendly and supportive baby easy and not too intense a conversation, not about food or something exciting, but about extraneous topics: Aunt Masha is moving to new apartment, grandma called and said hello to everyone, it looks like it will rain tomorrow and so on. If you are not eating at the same time as your child, you can do your own thing in the kitchen or in another room. The atmosphere should not be tense, and this is not a performance - in any home where people love each other, there is no place for tension and irritation.

Remember the main thing!

The general rule that needs to be applied in the fight against “refuseniks” and small-minded people: don’t force it. You cannot scold a child for a poorly cleaned plate, unless, of course, he threw it at the wall along with all its contents. And in order not to bring things to such an epic ending, be patient and don’t give up. In fact, any child is a living, growing creature, and he wants to eat properly and nutritiously, and does everything for this, just on such a childish scale that you sometimes don’t see it. Your task is not to push him into the right path and help your baby.

No matter how similar nature makes us, all people remain individual, and children are no exception. Each child needs his own approach, no matter what: in nutrition, in clothing, in upbringing, in education. Loving and calm parents They intuitively and without prompting find this approach and walk with their child along the path of childhood. Even if this article were ten times longer, it would not cover all the subtleties and nuances in nutrition and the reasons why a child does not eat, just as it is impossible to cover all the children of the world with one hug. In any case, remember - no matter what problems you encounter in raising your child, you can easily overcome them with love and perseverance, and we will try to help you with this.

Parents quite often encounter the problem when a child refuses to eat. The baby runs away from porridge or a sandwich, so it is quite difficult to feed him. Should I worry about this? Can lack of appetite affect growth and immune system crumbs?

Reasons for refusing food

First, you should find out why your child grimaces and cries at the sight of a bowl of soup, and then take the necessary measures.

• Satiety

As a rule, mothers and grandmothers decide for the baby how much food he needs, but the baby, even if he is a year or two old, knows his appetite better than his parents. Although children expend more energy than adults, they eat less.

It is necessary to understand that completeness is not a sign good health. Thin children with not a very good appetite are energetic and physically resilient.

Active children eat better than those who are used to a sedentary lifestyle. Kinders who sat at the computer or TV all day did not spend sufficient quantity strength, therefore the need for food is less.

The portions of a child and an adult are different, because the stomach of a baby is much smaller. If you overfeed your baby, your appetite will also decrease.

• Lack of interest

When moving, changing the daily routine, or for other reasons, the child’s meals are moved to another place or time. This can become stressful and reduce your need for food.

Children - good psychologists both in a year and in ten. A mother who is worried that her child is not eating well constantly prepares new dishes for her baby instead of rejected ones. Noticing this, the baby begins to manipulate his parents, demanding everything new and new food until he gets his favorite one.

Sometimes mom and dad, not wanting conflicts, begin to bribe the baby to eat. In this situation, the child again takes a dominant position and acts up until he gets everything he wants.

Frequent snacking of a child simply interrupts the appetite, which is why the baby does not want to eat at the main meal time.

• Mental disorder

Lack of appetite sometimes indicates that your child is feeling anxious, sad or depressed. Talk to him and find out what is bothering him.

If the baby refuses to eat, then perhaps he has unpleasant memories associated with eating. For example, he was forced to eat when he was sick, he didn’t feel like it, or he was offered dishes he didn’t like.

Often parents start active actions in order to feed the children, they persuade, coerce, bribe, threaten or distract. Breastfeeding causes the child to rebel even more.

• Symptom of the disease

Infections that your baby may develop will make him lethargic and indifferent to food. If at six years old a child says that he feels bad, then at one year the child will simply cry and refuse porridge. This reason is most common in children.

Let's eat right!

If there is a problem with appetite, parents should approach the feeding process differently.

• Breakfasts, lunches and dinners should bring the whole family around the table to socialize, talk and have a good time. Eating will be associated with a pleasant event, and the child will be happy to wait for this hour.
• You need to eat in a favorable environment, so you should not react with shouting and coercion if the child refuses to eat. It’s better to praise him when he ate well, learn to negotiate with him. Not a year will pass, but just a couple of weeks - and you will learn to approach this issue loyally and do everything right, most importantly, not with a scandal.
• Not all children eat the same - some need more, some less. Physiological features also worth considering.
• You should not force your baby to finish everything that is on the plate, but let him try each of the dishes offered - potatoes, cutlets, salad and more.
• Add food in small portions - it is better to add supplements later.
• Do not compare your child with his brothers and sisters or other children.

Psychologists recommend involving children in cooking, so they will develop a healthy interest, and they will definitely eat what they themselves have made. For example, three year old baby can easily pour pasta into boiling water or cereal into soup. An older child can already cut a salad or help his mother bake a pie. Don't be afraid to involve children in cooking - they will enjoy the process and their appetite will improve on its own.

We run, jump and play outdoors

Modern civilization is radically changing the lifestyle of both adults and children. Preschool and school education takes place in closed classrooms, surrounded by soft toys or at desks. Outdoor games with peers gave way to games on the computer. Therefore, it should not be surprising that healthy child decreased appetite.
Why not change your child's lifestyle a little by making an adjustment towards playing outdoors, playing sports, swimming and walking barefoot on green grass? This is important both at the age of 15 and 60 years. This activates energy expenditure, which the child will want to replenish with food. The problem will disappear by itself, and you won’t have to do anything supernatural.

Is there a problem?

According to statistics, up to 60 percent of children in school and preschool age have problems with appetite, that is, they are considered small-fed. Small portions of food fully satisfy their needs.

Pediatricians advise paying attention to signs that indicate that your baby is getting enough nutrition:

• activity, cheerfulness, normal mental condition;
• weight gain and normal physical development for the child’s age;
• regular urination and bowel movements;
• elastic muscles and smooth skin;
• the baby tolerates it well physical exercise, without fatigue, that is, after running and jumping on the street with peers, he does not rest for a long time on the bench next to his mother;
• lack of lethargy and overexcitability, because a lack of nutrients can lead to disruption of the nervous system.

In pediatrics, there are more than 200 indicators of baby health (weight, height, salts in urine, etc.). Every parent worries if their child does not fit into some parameters. But norms are just conventions. If there are strong deviations from the indicators, the doctor will examine the baby in detail. Don’t worry if your baby gained 10 kg in one year, not 8 or 12, and eats 150 grams of food, not 250, as recommended. Each child is individual, and should not be compared with the neighbor. There is always a doctor watching your baby next to you, who will immediately detect it when a problem arises. Therefore, there is no need to worry.

If your child is developing well and is happy, happy with life, is growing, which means his appetite is adequate to his needs. In a year, the baby will grow up and eat more, so there is no need to “make a molehill out of a molehill.”

Appetite largely depends on energy expenditure and the production of growth hormone. In winter, many children decrease the production of this hormone, which reduces the need for food. It's natural physiological process and biological protection of the child’s body from excess food, which is not enough during the cold period (vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc. do not grow).

Pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky recommends that parents not turn food into an end in itself. A child refuses to eat, which means he has no need for extra calories. The main thing is that the child – at one or five years old – is active, with normal behavior, and the numbers on the scales are secondary. Anything eaten without appetite will not benefit the baby and will not be absorbed properly. Recipe from this legendary doctor simple - summer in the village. Sun, air, water, without clothes in just panties. Don’t think about food until the child asks. Be patient and the problem will be solved.

Many of our compatriots still believe that a good appetite is one of the most important indicators health. From the moment they are born, we strive to feed our babies to their fill at every meal. But if your appetite suddenly worsens, what should you do? The child refuses to eat various reasons, we will try to figure out the most likely of them.

Why can't you curb your appetite?

If a child has always eaten well and suddenly starts refusing food, any parent will worry. Before sounding the alarm, try to sensibly assess what your baby ate during the day. Sweets, chips and other fast food give a deceptive feeling of fullness. Do not be surprised if, after eating something like this, the child refuses to eat. What to do in similar situation? Skip or reschedule late time meal. From now on, make sure that your baby does not snack on useless and harmful food. Sweets should not be freely available to the child; it is better to hand them out in person several times a day. A sandwich or fruit eaten before the main meal can spoil your appetite. Try not to feed your baby haphazardly. Create a meal schedule for your baby, including three main meals and a couple of snacks.

You need to be hungry before eating

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 experiences hunger. If your son has been sitting all day drawing because... bad weather or systematically prefers computer games active, one should not be surprised by his poor appetite. What to do if a child refuses to eat due to lack of physical activity, is it worth forcing him to eat? It is not recommended to force-feed your baby, regardless of the cause of poor appetite. If you think the reason for not eating is sedentary life, it's time to make him more active. Even at home, you can play sports and 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 manuals provide different standards daily ration. These are caloric nutrition tables; some authors offer a list of specific foods with exact weights. Is it worth following such recommendations? Many responsible parents strive to raise own baby Right. But we should not forget that we are all individuals. A child's nutritional needs depend on his body size. Some babies really eat very little and look thin. Their mothers most often ask doctors the question: what to do if the child refuses to eat and is not gaining weight well? However, in most cases there is no reason to panic. If your child is active, has a keen interest in the world around him, and appears healthy, don't worry. To reassure yourself, talk to your baby’s grandparents. Very often children's thinness and poor appetite are passed on by inheritance.

Spoiledness and individual intolerance

Every child discovers the world of tastes and aromas from the moment complementary foods are introduced. Almost all children have their own food preferences. By the age of three, any child can name his favorite fruit, and his mother notices that he eats some specific dishes with greater 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 specific product - this problem familiar to many families. Persuasion to try “at least a piece” usually doesn’t work. Is it worth forcing or retraining a child?

People often behave in this way. But if a child does not agree to eat a small list of foods for a long time, it makes sense to satisfy his desire. Many adults do not eat onions, fish, garlic and other foods that have a pronounced aroma. If the baby does not agree to eat some valuable and healthy product, it makes sense to choose its analogue. Some mothers simply learn new recipes and do not admit to their child what exactly he is having for lunch today.

Loss of appetite as a symptom of the disease

What frightens parents the most is when a baby, who usually eats with pleasure, refuses food. If it's all day, it's time to take his temperature. may indicate the beginning infectious disease. Usually in initial stage illness, children look lethargic and sleepy. Parents should be alerted to refusal of food in combination with a disorder digestive system. Similar symptoms may be a manifestation food poisoning or other disease that requires urgent health care. How do you know if a doctor is needed if your child is one year old (refuses to eat)? What to do when the baby cannot talk about how he is feeling? Try to spend simple test: Offer some kind of treat. With a painful lack of appetite, the child will most likely refuse even his favorite fruit or candy.

Psychological problems

Stress is one of the reasons for decreased appetite. Parents of schoolchildren have probably noticed that on the eve of tests and exams, children literally stop eating and sleeping. How older child, those more reasons nervous in his life. But can a preschooler not eat because of stress? Maybe, little man many things frighten: from darkness to loud sounds and scary pictures. If there really have been some upheavals in your child’s life recently, what should you do? The child refuses to eat - the reasons for this situation often lie in psycho-emotional state. Try to find out what exactly is bothering the baby and overcome all fears together.

Normal or pathological?

If a son or daughter constantly eats poorly, any sane mother will ask the question: what to do? The child refuses to eat; the consequences of such behavior may not be the most pleasant. These include weight deficiency and developmental disorders due to insufficient nutrients. It is these beliefs that are promoted traditional medicine. There are many ways to assess a child's health. If the baby feels well, is active and cheerful, there is no reason for parents to worry. Pay attention to the regularity and quality of stool and urine. In a healthy child smooth skin, elastic muscles, pleasant complexion. If the baby tolerates physical activity well and his mental state is normal, calm down, he is completely healthy. It makes sense for parents to monitor changes in the child’s weight and height and periodically undergo general tests.

Doctor Komarovsky about the problems of children's appetite

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

Secrets of a good appetite

What can you do right now to make your child eat more and more willingly? Make every meal a ritual. It is advisable for the whole family to gather at the table. Watching others eat in itself stimulates the appetite. During a shared meal, the baby learns to eat carefully and behave correctly at the table. Try to regularly delight your child with new dishes and products. You can pay attention to food design and table setting. Surely the child will be interested in eating from a beautiful plate. You can draw some interesting designs directly onto your baby’s portion with sauce or jam. Don't forget about classic compromises - offer an interesting dessert after finishing the meal.

We hope that poor appetite will no longer ruin your mood, because you know what to do. Does your child refuse 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.

A child's good appetite is a source of endless joy for parents. There is nothing more pleasant than seeing your child happily devouring a cooked lunch, dinner or breakfast. But more often the opposite happens. Mom and grandmother tried to cook, and not just like that, but exactly what the little one loves. And the baby stubbornly refuses to eat and is capricious.

In some families, every meal turns into a real battle between the “unwanted” person and his persistent parents. They persuade the child, try to deceive him with various maneuvers and tricks, insist and threaten that he will not get candy unless he eats the soup. Is it necessary to try so hard and what to do if a child has a poor appetite, says the famous pediatrician

Evgeny Komarovsky.

Appetite varies Life is impossible without food, but appetite does not always come with eating. Natural appetite occurs when the body requires food to replenish energy reserves in order to survive. And the electoral one accompanies modern man The child wants cookies because he likes them, and does not want porridge because cookies are better.

Selective appetite reflects the real picture of needs only in infant, at 8-9 months he intuitively feels that he needs calcium and refuses to eat soup. Not because the soup is tasteless, but because milk is healthier. At the age of 1 and 2 years, children prefer dairy products for the same reason.

If one year old child fundamentally does not eat meat, this does not mean that at 3-4 years he will not begin to eat it with pleasure. It’s just that for a 12-month-old baby, vegetables and fruits, cottage cheese and milk are more important. And he understands this on an intuitive level.

Closer to 3 years, the problem of selective appetite, according to Komarovsky, is far-fetched - if the child does not eat vegetable puree and only requires chocolate and sausage, this is the usual pedagogical error mom and dad, and there is no need to look for any medical reasons for this behavior.

Why doesn't the child eat?

If a toddler refuses to eat, according to Komarovsky, he may have two reasons: he cannot or does not want to eat.

He can’t - this means that the appetite is present, but it is physically difficult to eat. For example, a mother’s milk does not taste good (the woman ate something wrong), the hole in the nipple is too small, and the porridge does not suck, etc. infants Quite often, during sucking, the intestines begin to actively work, and its peristalsis is not activated in time. The tummy is twisting, the baby is in pain, he stops eating and cries.

Quite often, the root of a child's appetite problem lies in the mouth. Stomatitis, inflamed gums during teething, microtrauma of the gums (scratches from toys that have been in the mouth, or nails) - all this makes the process of absorbing food quite unpleasant.

Sometimes there is no appetite during colds or ARVI. If the nose does not breathe, then access to oxygen is blocked during sucking, which is uncomfortable, and the child stops eating. If your throat hurts and it’s unpleasant to swallow, you will almost always refuse to eat.

Sometimes the child does not like the food itself - it is hot or too cold, salted or unsalted, large or pureed.

It all depends on the personal preferences of each individual child. If moms and dads manage to understand that the child wants to eat, but cannot, then it is best to consult a doctor to find and eliminate the obstacle that is preventing the baby from eating normally.

If a child eats poorly or does not eat at all, not because eating gives him discomfort, then he just doesn’t want to eat. However, you should not immediately accuse him of hooliganism and insist that the porridge be eaten. Reluctance to eat also has its reasons:

• Disease. Even if the parents have not yet noticed that the baby is getting sick, he himself, as a rule, begins to feel negative changes in his body in advance. In this case, a child who does not eat anything simply “turns on” the defense mechanism - on an empty stomach it is easier for the immune system to fight the pathogen. You should not force feed your baby; he does everything right, as his natural instincts tell him. But this is only true for acute infections. If the child has a long chronic illness, lack of appetite is bad symptom, but this happens rarely.

  Children's body easily gets used to new conditions for himself, and therefore, with a protracted illness, the baby begins to eat as usual, and in case of some illnesses, for example, diabetes mellitus, it is even observed increased appetite. Komarovsky gives certain recommendations on how to feed a sick child: not at all until he asks. And the mother should not be at all ashamed that she does not feed her sick child. This is the best she can do now for his speedy recovery.

• Refusal to eat “for reasons of conviction.” This happens to teenage children, especially girls. If she suddenly decides that she has become “fat” and needs to “do something about it urgently,” offer the child lighter and healthy foods(salads, boiled meat, fruits, milk). If a girl refuses to eat even this, then fasting becomes pathological and is quite comparable to a symptom mental illness, which leads to anorexia and the girl’s slow death or disability. In this situation, feeding by force is also not a solution, says Komarovsky, since it is necessary to eliminate the real reason hunger strikes. A psychiatrist and teenage psychologist or a psychotherapist.

• Refusal to eat for no reason. There are also children who, without any illness, eat little or practically do not want to eat. They, according to Komarovsky, still have their own reasons for not wanting to eat, such as, individual characteristics metabolism. After all, one child digests faster, nutrients are absorbed and digested faster, while in others the process is underway more slowly. Therefore, such a “slow” child refuses a cooked lunch, because he still has breakfast in the process of being processed.

Appetite depends on hormone levels.

If a child grows faster (his mom and dad are tall), that is, he will be larger and more often than his peer, who high growth genetically “doesn’t shine.”

The level of energy expenditure also influences the presence of appetite. If a child runs and jumps in the fresh air, then he will get hungry faster than if he sits in front of the TV and watches cartoons.

To restore a child’s appetite, it is often enough to simply adjust energy expenditure- take more walks, enroll your child in sports section. In the end, going for evening walks with the whole family before dinner will definitely give a positive result.

Parental errors

Very often parents try to treat a non-existent disease. If no serious acute pathologies and no infections were found in the child, it can be difficult for parents to admit that the child does not eat because he was not raised that way. And tests begin, and diagnoses are always found that “seem to not exist” and treating them is a waste of time and money.

Komarovsky advises to stop dragging your child around clinics and laboratories, leave him alone and simply change your daily routine and lifestyle - introduce more long walks, cool baths, exercise.

Many parents force their child to eat.

Evgeniy Komarovsky includes his loved ones among these actions cunning tricks: “Look, the spoon flew and flew”, “Eat, otherwise we won’t go to the park!”, “I’ll tell dad everything!” A cornered baby will eat under pressure, but without appetite. This means that less gastric juice will be secreted, the liver will cope with its part of the work more slowly, and digestion will be difficult. The benefits of force feeding are less than the harm.