Children with slow weight gain – When to see a doctor?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Ngo Thi Oanh - Pediatrician - Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.

Children's slow weight gain or no weight gain is a common phenomenon that occurs due to many reasons, but most of it comes from an unreasonable diet. However, it is still possible that the child is experiencing abnormalities in the body that make it difficult to gain weight.

1. The phenomenon of anorexia in children

The slow weight gain mainly comes from the child's anorexia.
According to MSc. Luu Thi My Thuc, Head of the Department of Nutrition, National Institute of Pediatrics, over 50% of children between the ages of 1 and 6 in the world suffer from anorexia. Although in Vietnam, this rate is relatively lower, only about 20% - 40%, but it is still a worrying number.
This anorexia becomes stronger when the child is 1 to 2 years old. If this condition persists, the baby's body will not be provided with enough nutrients and energy to develop normally. From there, it leads to slow weight gain, sick people, etc. At the same time, children are also likely to fall into the syndrome of retardation, malnutrition, growth disorders, susceptibility to chronic diseases, etc.
In addition, there are many factors surrounding the child that cause anorexia such as:
The child is sick (cough, fever, diarrhea, ...) The child has undergone a long course of antibiotic treatment, imbalance in the intestinal flora. Excessive use of vitamin A and vitamin D,... Children who are not given the right meals, snack too much, ... also affect the general development.
Besides physical factors, psychology also plays a significant role in stimulating or inhibiting children's eating habits. Usually, when children eat too little, many parents urge their children to eat more without finding other solutions. This creates more frustration, pressure, fear, ... and makes children lose their appetite even more.

2. Newborns not gaining weight – is it a concern?

In infants, a baby's growth tends to follow a common pattern – called a growth chart as follows:
In the first 6 months, babies can increase from 1.5 to 2.5cm in height per month and increase 140-200 grams per week. It is expected that a normal baby can double his birth weight around 5 months old. From 6 months to 12 months old, the growth process is somewhat slowed down because part of the baby's energy will be used in sitting, crawling, walking, running,... Normally, a baby can grow about 1cm per month and 85 – 140 grams per week. So, if your baby is gaining weight in this direction but a little slower, this is nothing to worry about. However, if the baby's growth is too little compared to the chart above, it is likely that the baby is having an abnormal problem in the body that affects the digestive process.

3. When does your baby need to see a doctor?

Sometimes, a baby's slow weight gain is just normal, a temporary setback, in growth.
However, there are also cases where the baby does not gain weight in 2 months or the baby does not gain weight at 3 months, then it is likely that the baby is suffering from digestive health problems such as: Food allergies, digestive disorders chemistry, milk intolerance, cystic fibrosis, malnutrition,...
To know for sure the baby's problem, a visit with a pediatrician is necessary.
In addition to signs that the newborn has not gained weight for many months, some of the following signs in the baby also signal that the baby is having a delay in development:
Tired, irritable and sleepy more than usual. Lack of age-appropriate social responses. The movements are often slow, with poor reflexes. In particular, the possibility of malnutrition in children who do not gain weight for many months is also very high. Usually, malnutrition is also accompanied by the following signs:
Pale, dry skin, often lethargy, passive. Poor functioning digestive system, frequent vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. Children function poorly. Hair loss, uneven hair, thinning hair. Or crying, not sleeping deeply at night. Steal sweat. Delayed teething, damaged teeth or prone to tooth decay.

4. Why should you send your child to a nutritionist?

Newborns are a passive group in providing nutrition. In the first years of life, babies cannot meet their own nutritional needs, but need help and care from parents. Therefore, nutritional examination for children needs to be fully implemented.
Early nutrition examination brings innumerable benefits in the child's development:
Early detection of abnormalities, diseases,... related to the baby's nutrition, including digestive disorders , obesity - overweight,... Identify and help parents know their baby's nutritional needs, thereby guiding the development of an appropriate nutritional regimen according to the child's age and specific condition. Contribute to supporting parents to take care of their babies properly so that they can develop healthily. Currently, Vinmec is one of the few hospitals with a full range of pediatric specialties, able to perform general examinations in conjunction with a nutritionist to help build a baby menu, neurological examination, mental problems, reflexes. In particular, Vinmec has strengths in physical examination with the cooperation of the rehabilitation center for children with autism - cerebral palsy.
If children's slow weight gain does not improve for a long time, parents should supplement children with supportive products containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help meet the needs of children. 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 also apply dietary supplements and functional foods derived from nature for easy absorption by the baby. The most important thing is that the improvement of the baby's symptoms must take place over the long term. 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 persistent with their children and regularly visit the website vimec.com to update useful baby care information.