Overcoming anorexia in children

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Dr., Doctor Phan Nguyen Thanh Binh - Head of the Department of Nutrition - Dietetics - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.
"What if I'm lazy to eat?" This is a question that many parents are interested in. Anorexia in children not only affects development such as rickets, malnutrition, ... but also reduces immunity, making children more sick. So, how to cure anorexia in children?

1. Identifying anorexic children

Anorexia is a common nutritional disorder in young children. When anorexia children often have manifestations such as: children eat less than usual, hold food in their mouth for a long time, refuse to swallow, refuse to eat certain foods such as meat, fish, eggs, milk or refuse to eat all foods, run away when it's time to eat, hear the clinking of spoons or bowls, or see that food has a nauseating reaction or the feeding parents refuse to eat but others feed it..
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2. How does anorexia affect children's development?

Long-term anorexia in children greatly affects the development of children, including:
Malnutrition The most obvious consequence is malnutrition, children do not meet growth indicators, physical condition. stunted, short, thin, pale compared to his peers.
Nutritional deficiencies cause children to have growth disorders During the period of development, children need a large amount of nutritional needs every day.
When children refuse to eat, it will lead to the source of nutrients loaded into the body not meeting the needs of the child's development, including substances that the body only needs in a very small amount, but if lacking, there will be consequences. very serious, such as: vitamin A deficiency causes dry eyes, dry cornea can lead to blindness, vitamin B1 deficiency can cause swelling; iron deficiency causes anemia; lack of vitamin D, calcium causes rickets,...
Children's brains are retarded Nutrition is one of the three factors that determine a child's development. Children with anorexia will face the risk of missing one or more important substances that affect the effective functioning of the brain such as Protein, Omega 3, Omega 6, DHA, Iron, Taurine, fat... are active substances. affect the effective functioning of the brain.
Immune system decline When the child's diet is not enough, the child's body is not provided with enough essential nutrients, reducing the resistance against external pathogens. Therefore, children are prone to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract, such as: sore throat, upper respiratory tract infection, pneumonia...

Affecting emotional index The higher the emotional index, or EQ, in a child, the better the ability to communicate, express, get along with friends, and adapt quickly to environmental changes. living school. This can be considered as a good foundation to help children perfect their personality and skills to succeed in the future.
However, children with anorexia often have low EQ, children tend to be passive, irritable, difficult to integrate... in the long run, it can lead to autism, poor study, loss of concentration and difficulty in achieving.

3. What happens when the child is lazy to eat?

Lazy eating in children is caused by many factors. Therefore, to treat anorexia in children, parents need to understand how to properly care for their children.
For babies born prematurely and with low birth weight, there should be a diet and medicine specifically for children. Prevention of rickets, iron deficiency anemia from the 2nd month of age, continuously until at least 5 years old children. During the treatment of infectious diseases, it is necessary to supplement the child with vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin C, group B vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, zinc,... Especially not antibiotics should be used. Relieve pain during teething or mouth ulcers. Often adults pay little attention to the pain when a child is teething and think it is normal, but actually when teething, the child is very painful, has a fever and does not dare to eat for fear of pain. Practice giving children a variety of foods and always change foods and recipes to make them eat better. Children should not be given complementary foods too early. When children are 6 months old, they should give them complementary foods. Do not force your child to eat too much because you want your child to gain weight quickly. Always feed children on time and eat with the family because the whole family gathers around the tray of rice and eats while talking happily helps the baby eat more deliciously. Should divide children's meals into small meals, parents can give children snacks at snacks such as yogurt, fruit, less sweet cakes... but they should not be eaten close to children. main meal.

Children should not drink too much water before and during meals, including drinks such as milk and fruit juice, because drinking too much before and during meals will make children feel full and no longer interested in eating. In addition, parents need to note, limit giving their children milk in the middle of the night because it will affect the next morning's breakfast. Make sure to provide enough nutrients for children. Do not let your baby use phones, toys, read books, read comic books, watch TV or use other technology devices while eating. For children with pathological anorexia, parents need to go to medical facilities to be consulted by nutritionists on appropriate diet and nutrition for each child, and it is important in Mealtimes must create a comfortable atmosphere to help children eat well. Avoid "pressing" children to eat, should not scold, threaten, but must find out the cause of anorexia in children to overcome.
In the case of children with prolonged anorexia, malabsorption, growth retardation, parents should supplement their children with supportive products containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, group vitamins. B helps to fully 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.