Anorexia in children

Anorexia is a common problem in children, which can have many different causes, medical or psychological. However, anorexia affects the nutritional status of children as well as the quality of life of the family. Learning about the causes of anorexia and having the right treatment are very important to thoroughly solve this problem.

1. Symptoms of anorexia

Anorexia refers to children who refuse certain foods or food groups that parents think are appropriate or necessary for the child’s development.

Some symptoms that are considered as anorexia:

  • When the children refuse to eat the required amount of food due to loss of appetite.
  • Time to eat often takes longer than usual (more than 30 minutes, maybe 1-2 hours/meal)
  • Children often eat only a small number of foods (limited taste).

2. Types of anorexia

Anorexia can be divided into the following types:

a. Anorexia due to wrong judgment of caregivers

Maybe it’s because the parents/grandparents are overly concerned. Children still have age-appropriate development, although they may have small anthropometric sizes, but are still within limits.

b.Children are hyperactive and less interested in eating:

+ Children are healthy, alert and active

+ Children enjoy playing and socializing with people but show little interest in eating

+ Children are easily distracted while eating, difficult to keep still at the table or chair

c. Children are apathetic and less interested in eating

+ Children have less appetite and eat less

+ The child shows apathy, apathy, little verbal (smiling, talking) and non-verbal (eyes, gestures) communication with the feeder.

d. Food aversion (too picky)

+ Children firmly refuse some foods

+ Children may become anxious if forced to eat foods they do not like.

e. Fear of eating:

+ Children show signs of fear when they know they are about to eat, resist feeding by crying, shrinking or refusing to open their mouths.

+ Obsessed with eating after experiencing a scary eating incident.

f. Anorexia due to pathology

Children have less appetite and eat less due to some of the diseases listed below.

3. Causes of anorexia

The cause of anorexia may be due to pathology or mistakes in dietary practice.

a. Due to pathology:

Children may have anorexia due to some local diseases such as: due to pain in ulcers in the lining of the tongue, mouth, throat … or due to systemic diseases such as: infections like respiratory infections, otitis media, malnutrition, anemia, acute rickets inhibit digestive enzymes…

b. Due to mistakes in diet practice:

– Psychological: the atmosphere is tense or being forced to eat too harshly.

– A diet that is not varied causes a lack of digestive enzymes or a lack of vitamins or trace elements that make up those enzymes.

– The timing of meals is not reasonable.

– Dishes are not delicious and attractive

4. Consequences

Long-term anorexia can lead to a spiral
Long-term anorexia can lead to a spiral

Anorexia causes a lack of important nutrients, these nutrients affect the child’s appetite and absorption capacity, making children more anorexic and malnourished. When children are malnourished, they are more susceptible to infections and more anorexic after illness.

Not only affects the physical development, but also leaves heavy psychological consequences for the child due to being scolded, forced a lot and the parents’ psychology due to anxiety, especially in lactating mothers, which can lead to reduced milk quality.

5. How to deal with anorexia

For breastfed babies: Give your baby more frequent feeds if the feeding time is less than usual. If the baby is not nursing, the mother needs to squeeze the milk into a cup and then use a spoon to give it to the baby to drink.

For older children who have already had complementary foods, parents should pay attention to the following issues:

  • Diet:

– Soft, varied, easy-to-digest, eye-catching foods should be given.

– Divide into small meals, each meal should not exceed 30 minutes.

– Change the food and give the child foods he seems to like more to encourage him to eat more

– Choose nutritious foods to help children recover quickly and catch up growth such as:

+ Foods rich in protein: breast milk, cow’s milk, soy milk, eggs, meat, fish, …

+ Foods rich in fat: feed both vegetable oil and vegetable fat, especially chicken fat because it contains fatty acids that are good for absorption.

+ Water, fresh fruit juice, and fruit to provide enough vitamins and micronutrients for children.

– Avoid giving children whole grain foods, indigestible such as corn, low in energy that take up large volumes such as vermicelli and potatoes.

– If there is no pathological damage, it is possible to supplement with digestive enzymes and vitamins and minerals that stimulate digestion such as zinc.

– Regular deworming, oral hygiene, treatment of infections if any.

 

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  • How to feed:

– Eliminate distractions during meals.

– Psychological care: find the cause with parents, encourage, not force, create a comfortable atmosphere for the child, can let the child touch, bring out a little food to create enjoyment.

References:

[1] Le Thi Huong and Luu Thi My Thuc, Nutrition in pediatric treatment. Hanoi Medical University: Medical Publishing House, 2020.

Article source: Nutrition Research and Development Institute (https://inrd.vn/)

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