With the onset of hot weather, parents are complaining that their children are not eating as the previously raging herpes virus is winding down. Anorexia in young children is a very common phenomenon, and parents with this problem can account for 1/5 of the total number of visits, so if it doesn’t happen that your baby doesn’t like to eat either, maybe the following will help you a little.
Anorexia in children is a superficial phenomenon, the use of drugs to increase appetite may not have a good effect, to solve this problem at the same time it is necessary to find the causes of anorexia in children, now we exclude one by one.
First, infection.
As the so-called disease from the mouth, the main way of infection is often through the mouth. When the temperature exceeds 20 degrees Celsius, the bacteria inside the humid environment grows geometrically, which is why food spoils more easily in summer. The solution is to temporarily mix all young children’s food, a small amount at a time, and not to continue using any remaining food. In addition, babies are always curious about the world around them and always like to touch various objects and then “eat their hands” from time to time, so be sure to wash your child’s hands regularly.
Intestinal viruses are everywhere, and often adults themselves may be carriers of the virus. Therefore, it is also important for the caregivers to clean themselves. It is a good idea to wash your hands carefully before touching your child (7-part handwashing technique) and to change into clean clothes immediately after parents return home from work if possible. In case the child has an infectious disease (cold, diarrhea), it is far more important to actively treat the disease than to simply regulate the appetite, and parents should understand that the anorexia is a temporary phenomenon caused by the disease, which can gradually improve after recovery, so there is no need to worry too much.
Second, the choice of food.
For the choice of food for young children, there are a variety of promotions on the market, but reliable advice is based on the following 3 principles.
1, the premise of choosing high-quality protein without allergies. The proteins that young children are exposed to are meat, eggs, milk, fish, poultry and mushrooms, which also cover the main proteins in Chinese recipes. Why should we emphasize the premise of “no allergy”? Because the higher the protein, the more difficult it is to digest, so it is not the higher protein food is more “nutritious”. The nutrients that are not absorbed will only increase the digestive burden of the child.
Moreover, food allergies can be far more harmful to a child than the nutrition these foods provide. A typical food allergy will result in facial eczema, phlegm in the throat, and changes in stool. If you see these conditions, it is often not difficult to determine, but if the symptoms are not very typical, it is more important for careful parents and experienced doctors.
2. Adequate carbohydrates can save protein. Whenever it comes to nutrition, there is bound to be discussion about how to control sugar isogenesis. Many parents, especially hot moms, always have a misconception. “The longer I’m hungry, the more weight I lose.” I’m sorry to tell you here that it’s not true. When carbohydrates are not enough to support the body’s glucose needs, the body is will immediately break down glycogen, still insufficient to take the protein originally used to grow the body to supply capacity, this is sugar isogenesis.
The reason why the protein that you have eaten so hard is not utilized is that you are not consuming enough carbohydrates. Therefore, a reasonable diet for young children should provide about 50% of carbohydrates. At this point, some parents will retort, “My baby eats a lot of porridge.” This choice of food is, in fact, unwise. Because, porridge is too much thinner than dry rice, nutrition are watered down.
Third, the food given to the child should be suitable for the child’s chewing ability. Many children 3-4 years old is still the main food is porridge, because parents feel that many solid foods they do not want to eat, which is the most common picky eaters. The difficulty of chewing food exceeds the chewing ability of the child. The top three on the least popular list: lean meat, leafy vegetables, and boiled eggs. It just so happens that these 3 are the best quality foods, but they are a nightmare for children who can’t chew them up.
Parents are nearly devastated when faced with these situations, the top 3 most common complaints: “I don’t know how many times I’ve had to fight, but I still don’t eat.” , “You don’t even know how long it takes to eat a meal oh!” “He refuses to eat, I can’t even do anything about it.” Actually, there is a way. First of all, to distinguish the chewing difficulty of food, steamed eggs and fried beef is always a different chewing difficulty, right?
When adding food to your child, pay attention to the observation, if he can not bite at all, you have to crumble the food more. But it should not be completely crumbled into a liquid, that will lose the opportunity to practice. It is usually moderately difficult to finish chewing and swallowing in about 15-30 seconds. Chewing exercises are muscle exercises, and like all other muscles in the body, they need to be done consistently to see results. Parental patience and encouragement are the keys to successful training. Try saying things like, “You’re chewing so hard!” , “You are trying very hard to chew your food, this will make you stronger.”
Third, the environment and mood of eating.
Upscale restaurants have the pursuit of elegant environment and considerate service, that is because psychology has long proved that the human mood and appetite for food is closely related. Children are no exception, and every meal is an experience. I recommend that the child have a fixed eating position so that he can quickly get into character, and that this position be comfortable and safe. Mealtime scenes for young children are chaotic, without exception. So, don’t get upset because your child is making a mess around, he/she is just a child. If your child can eat by himself/herself, please stop feeding him/her.
Eating is supposed to be a pleasant process, and research surfaces that a rigorous table experience increases a child’s risk of anorexia nervosa later in life. Prolonged table reprimands can cause children to develop a neurological reflex that eating is unpleasant, which can lead to emotional anorexic behavior. Try talking about the day’s happy events at mealtime and incorporate the joy of eating into other aspects of your life.
Fourth, micronutrient deficiency.
This seemingly serious problem has always been the main cause of anorexia identified by the general public. But in fact, far less than the impact caused by the first 3 reasons. And it is also very easy to deal with, as long as the first 3 things are done, the latter will be left to the health care doctor. After 3 months, the medicine will be taken and reviewed as prescribed.
Anorexia in children is a result of multiple causes, so parents should first eliminate the problems one by one, and deal with the problems that can be dealt with by the family first, and then let the doctor do the doctor’s treatment work, so that they can get twice the result with half the effort, and the effect is long-lasting.