The older the child, the thinner, is there anything to worry about?

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Children get thinner and weaker as they grow older, do not gain weight, ... can be caused by reasons such as: Not eating enough nutrients, vitamin deficiencies or even some diseases such as helminth infections, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder idea,...

1. The reason why children get older and thinner

There are many reasons why children do not gain weight or even grow taller. Common causes include:
1.1 Children eat a lot but not enough Many parents think that just feeding a certain amount of food with a certain number of meals is enough. However, in practice, it is necessary to determine the amount of food needed for the age of the child. Specifically, for a 1-year-old child, each meal needs a full bowl of porridge, a day should eat 4 bowls and drink 500ml of milk. If children eat less porridge, fewer meals are not enough to meet the child's energy needs for the day. This long-term situation will cause the child not to gain weight, and may even be thin.
1.2 Children's menu is low in nutrients Many parents are only interested in feeding their children a lot of food without paying attention to the nutritional balance factor. Specifically, a child's meal needs to ensure enough fat, protein, starch, vitamins and minerals. However, if parents do not add cooking oil when preparing food for children, the meal will lack fat. In addition, cooking oil also plays a role in dissolving fat-soluble vitamins. Without cooking oil, the child's body cannot absorb vitamins, leading to stunting and slow weight gain.
1.3 Supplementing with excess food There are many parents who often force their children to eat a lot without knowing that this will adversely affect the child's digestive system. If children are forced to eat a lot, they will easily have bloating, gas, digestive disorders and over time they will lose weight. In addition, parents should not let children eat too much meat because it will make children easily constipated. Therefore, parents need to build children a scientific and balanced diet with enough nutrients.
1.4 Vitamin deficiency Another reason why children get older and thinner is vitamin deficiency. Although vitamins do not play the role of providing direct energy to the body, they are an indispensable group of nutrients for the immune system, bones and muscles of children. Therefore, parents need to pay attention to the children's expressions to recognize whether the child's stunting is due to vitamin deficiency or not.
Some warning signs for children with vitamin deficiency:
Vitamin A deficiency: Poor vision, blurred vision, fear of light, dry skin, few tears, or peeling, rough skin; Vitamin C deficiency: Body aches and pains, yellow teeth, swollen gums, easy tooth decay; Vitamin B1 deficiency: Children with slow weight gain, little urine, anorexia, frequent crying, digestive tract diseases; Deficiency of vitamin B12 : Pale skin, mental lethargy, yellow hair, frequent vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite; Vitamin D deficiency: Children often show signs of fussiness at night, night sweats, trouble sleeping, hair loss, weak limbs, slow crawling, easily grumpy, etc.

1.5 Children's diet is not suitable Each child has a different body and body, so it is not possible to apply a fixed diet for all children because the absorption and digestion ability of children is not the same. together. To limit the situation of children growing up, parents need to increase - decrease the amount of food and milk to suit the needs of the child.
1.6 Children are too hyperactive There are some children who have eaten a lot, but because children run and jump, they are constantly active, so the body expends a lot of energy. These children have a high metabolic rate and consume a lot of energy, so they are getting thinner and thinner.
1.7 Children with certain diseases The older the child, the thinner and weaker the child may be due to a number of diseases such as:
The child has intestinal disease, allergy or lactose intolerance, which limits the ability to digest and food absorption; Children infected with helminths ; Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Children with anemia (due to diet or thalassemia).

2. What should be done when the child gets older and thinner?

Depending on the cause of the child not gaining weight, growing stunted, ... that parents can take corresponding measures. Specifically:
With the cause of nutrition: Parents need to pay attention to the energy needs of children in each age to provide enough nutrients for the baby. Parents should closely monitor the child's body development index to handle it promptly, avoiding the situation that the baby is increasingly thin and weak; With pathological causes: It is necessary to thoroughly treat diseases that make children skinny and difficult to gain weight: Children with intestinal diseases: It is necessary to thoroughly treat diseases of the digestive tract for children; Children infected with helminths: It is necessary to deworm and ensure the hygiene of children's eating and living; Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Treatment is by medication combined with behavioral therapy for children. At the same time, limit scolding and teasing children so that they do not have psychological stress; Children with anemia: Should go to the doctor, determine the cause of the child's anemia. If you have iron deficiency anemia, you need to take iron supplements as prescribed by your doctor. If anemia is caused by other causes, it should be treated early according to the right regimen.

Children getting thinner and thinner can be a warning sign of many health problems. Therefore, parents should take their children to see a nutritionist to have a doctor diagnose the baby's condition and suggest timely and effective intervention.
For children to be healthy and develop well, it is necessary to have a nutritious diet in terms of quantity and quality balance. If children are not provided with adequate and balanced nutrients, it will lead to diseases of excess or lack of nutrients, which adversely affect the comprehensive development of children in terms of physical, mental and motor skills.
Children who do not eat properly are at risk of micro-mineral deficiency causing anorexia, growth retardation, malabsorption,... If they notice the above signs, parents should supplement their children with products. The supplement contains lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help 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 learn more:
Signs of zinc deficiency in children
Micronutrient deficiency and failure to gain weight in children
Please regularly visit Vinmec.com website and update useful information to take care of your child. Take care of the baby and the whole family.