Be patient when your baby refuses to eat solids

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1. The reason why children refuse to eat solid foods, anorexia

According to a nutritionist, anorexia is an eating behavior disorder, manifested by the child's refusal to eat one or more dishes, causing the amount of food ingested to be insufficient to meet the nutritional needs of each child. day. Consequences increase the risk of growth retardation, micro-mineral deficiency leading to malnutrition, stunting, intellectual loss, cognitive and behavioral disorders...
There are two main reasons why babies don't eat solids, only drink milk :
One is because the baby is not ready to accept new foods, only breast milk or formula is enough. In addition, the digestive system of a 6-month-old baby who starts to eat solid foods is still weak, has not yet completed the chewing function, so he cannot eat when his stomach is full of milk, eat too many meals a day... causing children anorexia, fear of eating. The second is that the mother makes a mistake when preparing baby food, for example, seasoning is too salty or using food that is too strong for children, the dish lacks oil and protein, and the menu is not diverse. , the appearance is not eye-catching... Food for children under 1 year old does not need to be seasoned because meat, fish, and vegetables already have the right amount of salt.

2. Baby refuses to eat solids what to do?

Answering the question of what to do with babies who don't eat solids, doctors give the following principles:
From thin to thick: When you first start eating at 6 months, you just need to cook very thin flour for your baby. , gradually increase the consistency and practice giving the baby porridge when it is 8 - 9 months old. Starting by eating diluted powder to prevent the child's digestive system from reacting harshly to strange foods, after a period of weaning, the child will have enough digestive enzymes to absorb complex dishes such as porridge, rice, vegetables. , meat... From sweet to salty: MSG is similar to the taste of breast milk, so it is quite child-friendly, often recommended to use first. After about 1-2 weeks, when the baby's intestinal tract adapts to the new food, the mother can give the baby salty powder with more nutrients. From little to a lot: The first meal you can eat a few spoons of flour is enough, you should not force your child to eat the whole cup. In the following meals, let your child eat from 2-3 spoons to 1⁄3 bowls, then half a bowl, 2⁄3 bowls... By doing so, you will not feel afraid because you are forced to eat too much, have time. gradually adapt. Eye-catching colors: In addition to ensuring adequate supply of essential substances, powdered foods should also be processed in a variety and attractively decorated to stimulate children every day. Just enough nutrition: Your child's food needs to have enough carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. However, the more nutrients a child eats, the more optimal development is. If your child's food is rich in protein, excess fat, the body will protest by digestive disorders, constipation or diarrhea, abdominal distension... making the child refuse to eat weaning. Therefore, in each cup of powder of your child needs to be balanced with the amount of nutrients to ensure absorption. You can grind meat, fish, vegetables... into flour and cooked porridge and remember to add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Normally, mothers should give their children solid foods in order to get used to MSG, after a while, switch to salty flour, then to thin to thick porridge, crushed rice, and normal rice. However, if the baby does not like to eat powder but still has a healthy digestion and has good bowel movements, the mother can also start with porridge.
In case the baby does not eat solids and only drinks milk, the mother does not necessarily force the child to eat flour or porridge, but can replace it with sweet fruit, homemade yogurt with powdered milk, cheese, cookies,... gnaw yourself.

3. Some other notes when the child refuses to eat solid food

For babies who do not eat solids and only drink milk, parents need to keep in mind the following notes:
Do not wean your baby early: Even if your baby is 6 months old, you should not rush to feed your baby a lot to replace breast milk. This is still the main source of nutrition for children under 1 year old. Sudden weaning not only causes children to lose important nutrients, but also affects their psychology, crying, uncomfortable with food. Patiently teach your baby to eat slowly: When you first get used to food, your baby may vomit or spit it out, but don't rush to make up the milk right away. Continue to feed each small spoon until your baby gets used to it, there will be no more vomiting. Scientific timetable: Do not give your child snacks within 2 hours before the main meal to create cravings. The meal should only take place within 30 minutes and then end even though the child has not eaten it all, without lingering. Do not eat street food or turn on the TV or tablet while eating to avoid distracting your child. Provide the right amount of milk: Avoid giving your baby too much milk before meals. It is best to drink at a certain time, usually 1-3 hours after eating, depending on how much or little you eat. The recommended amount of milk per day for children from 6 months to 2 years is 600 - 800ml. Some exclusively breastfed babies may not like formula milk with its sweet aroma and taste, so if the mother is not getting enough milk, consider choosing the right type. For children who are too difficult to accept a new diet, parents should respect their child's eating needs. Do not force your child to eat, instead put the bowl of flour away when the pendulum does not want to eat again, let the child decide the amount of food to eat.
If you have applied all of the above tips but still have not improved the situation of children refusing to eat solids, you can take your child to see a nutritionist to find out the cause of the child's anorexia and at the same time. build a personalized menu to fix effectively.
Besides, parents also need to pay attention to supplement the necessary micronutrients: Selenium, Chromium, Vitamins B1 and B6, Ginger, acerola fruit extract (vitamin C),... Especially biological zinc. to improve the taste, help children eat well, reach the correct height and weight, and exceed the standard, have a good immune system, strengthen resistance to less sickness and less digestive problems.
For more nutritional knowledge and child care for each age, parents should regularly visit the website vimec.com and make an appointment with the leading doctors, pediatric and nutrition experts of the National General Hospital. Vinmec when needing advice on children's health.