9 month baby anorexia what to do?

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1. When does a 9-month-old child refuse to eat?

From infants up to 9 months old, anorexia can start at any time during the first three years of a child's life. However, some studies indicate that the condition usually arises between the ages of 9 and 18 months. That may be because this phase marks the transition from breastfeeding to spoon-feeding solids and then to independent feeding. However, not every 9-month-old child's refusal to eat occurs during this transition period.
A 9-month-old baby's low intake is not necessarily due to an injury or underlying medical condition. Furthermore, 9-month-old fussy eaters or all toddlers are different from psychogenic anorexia, which is more common in adults and adolescents due to obsession with appearance and fear of weight gain. Although parents will be worried about their 9-month-old anorexia, the condition is completely manageable and treatable.

2. Signs of a 9-month-old child refusing to eat

Consistently rejecting new foods introduced for at least a month
No longer liking foods that were previously enjoyed
Never showing hunger or cravings when seeing food good when others eat
Frequent tantrums related to food
Stop eating after the first few bites
No weight gain or weight loss
Malnutrition
Being distracted while playing during mealtime
Some children There is also sensory aversion to food, which is also considered anorexia in young children. At this point, the child only eats a particular food, is completely uncooperative when trying new foods, and when coaxed to introduce a new food, may turn around, spit, gag, or pretend to vomit. .
Children 9 months who refuse to eat like this before a particular food group increases the risk of nutritional deficiencies. On the contrary, when offered their favorite foods, these children will eat very actively or even quickly become overweight or obese.

3. What causes 9-month-old babies to be lazy to eat?

Research shows that the cause of anorexia in 9-month-old children in particular or young children in general is often related to the emotional needs of the baby and the conflicts of parents when confronting the child right from the start. start weaning.
Indeed, as a child grows, he begins to develop self-control, which is a condition of self-governance. During this stage, the baby's awareness of the world around him gradually allows the baby to want to make decisions for himself, including choosing food and how to eat. Furthermore, some children also deliberately refuse food to draw the mother's attention to their needs.
In addition, investigators have shown that factors such as maternal depression and maternal eating disorders can also cause anorexia in children. The evidence is that mothers with depression were less active when feeding their babies. When this happens, all of these can harm the emotional state of the baby and the baby may refuse to eat.
Besides, a child growing up in families with disordered eating habits or suboptimal child care conditions also causes children to have eating behavior disorders. Finally, if a parent's emotional and behavioral reasons are important for anorexia in children, then the adults themselves should see a psychologist for correction first.

4. What should a 9-month-old anorexic child do?

Correct anorexia in infants or 9-month-old infants as early as possible to prevent undernutrition or progression to malnutrition. There are three main treatments that can help improve anorexia in young children:
Encourage your baby to identify and communicate internal signs of hunger as well as satiety. Instruct or model for your child to eat a variety of foods. Make sure to provide enough energy and nutrition for the body at least through the food the child cooperates with. At the same time, nutritional care for anorexic children should focus on designing a meal menu that meets the following requirements:
Provide the necessary energy levels for healthy physical activity and development. develop according to the weight and height chart in young children. Provide a diet that is appropriate for the age and development requirements of the meal size and food presentation. Encourage your baby to choose his or her own foods and how to eat them, a form of self-directed weaning. Gradually make your baby less dependent on liquid calorie sources such as breast milk or formula as well as synthetic nutritional supplements. Also, while making these changes, the baby needs to be monitored for any changes in body weight or any other digestive problems, such as bloating, vomiting. , diarrhea or constipation. Finally, if the physician discovers that the parent's conflict with the child over new meals is the cause of anorexia in the child, the following corrective measures may be taken:
If the As ongoing conflict between mother and child is the main cause of 9 month old child's refusal to eat, intervention by the father or another adult may be recommended instead. The baby's father can act as a compensating or balancing factor between mother and baby; from there, you can encourage your baby to try more nutritious foods or eat a better amount.
The mother is consulted on this issue with the baby and asked to endure the difficulties in the beginning of solids training.
If the mother is very worried or has psychological and emotional problems, the mother can be referred to psychological counseling.

5. Tips to help 9-month-old lazy eaters eat better

Parents can follow these tips patiently to get any positive change in their child's eating habits step by step:
Let the child feel hungry on his own. Clearly divide the meals of the day. Meals should be spaced three to four hours apart and only give water between meals. Let your child be on a self-directed weaning diet. Offer your child small portions and let him or her ask for a repeat serving. Encourage children to sit at the family dinner table until their parents have finished their meal and show signs of fullness. A baby who learns to sit patiently will be able to have better eating habits. A main meal should not last more than 30 minutes, even if the child has not eaten enough. Encourage your child to feed himself, but do not use the amount of food eaten as a goal to promote or discourage him. Do not allow children to use electronic media, books, toys, etc. while feeding the baby. These are only temporary distractions and will not help your baby learn or understand the internal body cues of appetite, hunger and fullness. Do not bribe children by saying that parents will give them something if they finish eating. Do not encourage children to play with food. If the child is uncooperative and wants to get out of the feeding chair, warn the child. If your child continues to behave negatively, show him or her that they can only get out of the chair when the whole family has finished eating. In summary, poor eating habits in infants or children 9 months old have been shown to be associated with behavioral and psychological problems between parents and children rather than pathology. Accordingly, in order for a 9-month-old child to be anorexic, he should not eat his favorite food continuously or scold and punish him. Instead, from the very beginning of introducing solid foods, parents need to make their children understand that eating is something that needs to be done regularly and is an opportunity for children to explore their taste function as well as interact with other children. family members during meals. In the case of children with prolonged anorexia, malabsorption, and growth retardation, parents should supplement children with supportive products containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins. help meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well. Parents can simultaneously apply dietary supplements and functional foods derived from nature for easy absorption. The most important thing is that improving your baby's symptoms often takes a long time. The combination of many types of functional foods at the same time or continuously changing many types in a short time can cause the baby's digestive system not to adapt and completely not good. Therefore, parents must be really patient with their children and regularly visit the website vimec.com to update useful baby care information.