How to properly care for stunted children?

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1. What are the signs of stunted children?

The status of stunted children can cause many dangerous complications for the baby such as mental and mental retardation, susceptibility to bacterial infections of the digestive tract, respiratory tract infections,... If not, Early detection and treatment can lead to death. Therefore, parents need to pay more attention when the child shows signs such as:
The child stands on weight for 2-3 months in a row, weight loss or weight gain is slow The child has anorexia, dark blue lips, pale eye mucosa, side hair The front and back of the neck grow thinner The child is often upset, moody, irritable, less flexible while playing and eating The baby does not sleep well, cries and sweats at night Slow to crawl, walk, stand, turn over , as well as slow teething. The muscles in the arms and legs are soft, and the belly is getting bigger.

2. Standard conditions to recognize stunted children

In addition to the above signs, mothers also have the following two ways to recognize stunted children with slow weight gain more clearly:

2.1. The first way: Based on the child's weight and age

At birth babies weigh about 3kg, double their weight after 5 months and triple after 12 months. Every year increase by 2kg; 20kg is the average weight of a 6-year-old baby. When the baby's weight in three months remains unchanged, ie the baby's weight line is horizontal or downward, it is a sign of stunting.
If there is no scale at home or where you live, you can measure the arm circumference of a child from 1 to 5 years old. A normal child has a measurement of 14 - 15 cm; If under 13 cm, the baby is stunted and malnourished.

2.2. The second way: Based on the height according to the age of the child

When a newborn baby is about 50cm long After 6 months, the child is 65cm long Until 12 months the baby has an average height of 75cm At 2 years old, the child has a height of 85cm Until 3 years old, the child has a height of 95cm Until 4 years old, the child is 100cm tall After that every year the height increases by 5cm, when the baby is 8 years old, he is already 120cm tall. However, mothers should not rush to conclude that their children are stunted, but force them to eat too much, scaring them. In addition to based on the signs of stunted children with anorexia as listed, you should take your child to see a doctor for the most accurate diagnosis.

3. How to take care of stunted children

One of the issues that mothers are most concerned about is how stunted children have to gain weight and eat better. Here are some tips to help parents who are struggling to find ways to help their children get out of this situation:
Ensure safety in eating: Let children eat cooked and drink hot, make sure to feed them food right away. Just finished cooking, do not let your baby eat seaweed in the street or near construction works, where a lot of smoke and dust will affect the baby's digestive organs. Clean personal hygiene: Regularly bathe and clean the child's body, do not give them too many sweets and practice brushing teeth after dinner, washing hands with soap before eating and after going. defecate, cut nails for children periodically. Limit children to play on dirty ground, put dirty hands, dirty objects or toys in their mouth to avoid diseases related to worms,... Always encourage children: Regularly encourage children, create an atmosphere enjoy the meal. Mothers absolutely do not raise their voices, scold, force children to eat will create psychological pressure, make children cry and increasingly afraid to eat, malnutrition in children becomes more severe. Additional knowledge: Parents should have the knowledge to take care at home while the child is sick, has diarrhea or worse, respiratory infection. In addition to giving the baby medicine, parents need to focus on proper nutrition to help the child recover quickly. Do not arbitrarily give your child antibiotics even though they have an infection, but need to follow the doctor's instructions. In addition to the above, parents need to pay attention to the following key points:
Diverse and quality menu: Eating plays an important role in the physical and mental development of the baby. Therefore, the daily menu of stunted children with anorexia needs to ensure adequate groups of essential nutrients with a variety of fresh and clean foods, deliciously processed, attractive to children's vision and taste. Increase protein, calcium and healthy fats: Increase the amount of protein in foods such as meat, eggs, fish, milk, shrimp, crab... or vegetable protein in sesame, beans, beans, peanuts. Adding calcium-rich foods such as milk, yogurt, cheese, crabs... In addition, adding the right amount of fat in the baby's menu also helps the digestive system absorb maximum nutrients in the food. eat. Eat small meals: Parents can split each child's meal because the child often refuses to eat a large meal, so that the child will not be bored while eating. Stunted children who are slow to gain weight can use more fruits, yogurt, ... in snacks to increase nutrition and be healthier. Reasonable activities: At any stage, children should have fun and be familiar with movement games suitable for each age, such as walking, running, swimming, cycling,... Children exposed to the natural environment will help improve resistance, promote health and comprehensive development, especially good for stunted children. Regular health monitoring: For stunted children with anorexia, parents should closely monitor their child's health status through measurements of the child's height, weight as well as the child's living and exercise habits. . When the child shows abnormal signs such as difficulty sleeping or getting sick, having digestive problems... it is necessary to take the baby to see a doctor immediately for timely support. In summary, parents with stunted children need to pay more attention and attention to eating and living activities to help their children quickly improve and develop comprehensively both physically and intellectually. In addition, dad also needs to pay attention to supplement the necessary micronutrients such as: Selenium, Chromium, Vitamins B1 and B6, Ginger, acerola fruit extract (vitamin C),... Especially biological zinc to improve 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.