Poor appetite in a 6-year-old child, Komarovsky’s advice does not help

Material tested:

Ageeva Oksana Olegovna, pediatrician

Parents are ready to give all the blessings of the world for the health and well-being of their children. It is not surprising that a baby’s refusal to eat can cause real panic among mothers and grandmothers. And after the words of a friendly neighbor, “How thin he is!” the desire to feed the child at any cost turns into a manic idea.

The child does not want to eat - what a horror! Or maybe he's just not hungry? - the mind tells caring parents. But, alas, parents rarely listen to the voice of reason when it comes to their beloved children. And it begins: “A spoon for dad! A spoon for mom!” - but this is real food violence.

Of course, one of the main functions of parents is to control nutrition, the quality and quantity of food offered to the baby. But not only this. In childhood, basic eating habits are formed, and this should not be forgotten.

And yet, what to do if a child of two or three years old eats very poorly and has practically no appetite?

Causes of poor appetite in children

At various points, almost all children, to one degree or another, briefly refuse to eat.
This may be due to illness, bad mood, or the body’s need for a little relief. Sometimes the assessment of “eats poorly” is purely subjective and parents simply do not have a very good idea of ​​how much their child should actually eat according to age standards.

When should a decrease in appetite in a child cause real concern for parents and the need to see a doctor? Let's try to figure it out.

• In the absence of a strict regime, a child may often refuse to eat because his body is not used to producing a feeling of hunger, especially if the child is allowed to have a small snack at any time with a cookie, an apple, or a couple of spoons of soup from his dad’s plate.
• Make sure you have a good idea of ​​how much your child should eat at one meal. Talk to your pediatrician about calorie intake for your child's age.
• Long-term loss of appetite may be caused by prolonged stress. If there is an unfavorable situation in the family or events have occurred in the recent past that could traumatize the child’s psyche, contact a specialist to establish the exact reasons
• Children often have a delayed reaction: at the time of a traumatic event they look calm, but after a certain period of time (sometimes quite long) they begin to mope for no apparent reason
• Decreased appetite may be caused by the presence of an underlying chronic disease. Contact your pediatrician to undergo a full examination and exclude the presence of the disease from the list of causes.

When wondering why a seven-year-old child eats poorly, think about what exactly you mean by “bad.” Perhaps the child refuses what you are trying to offer him, but willingly absorbs something else. Then we can talk about selective appetite, unless, of course, harmful products such as chips, snacks and other fast food are included in the priority list. There are many reasons for a decrease in children's appetite:

• monotony - the baby is simply tired of eating the same thing, his body is fed up;
• lack of a clear eating regimen - it is advisable to follow a daily meal schedule, in which the intervals between meals will be 2-3 hours. A seven-year-old child can sit at the table 4-6 times a day;
• uncontrolled snacking - in tandem with the previous point, is one of the common causes of decreased appetite in children. Regularly eating either candy or a sandwich, the child simply does not have time to get hungry enough by the time of a full meal, and, naturally, refuses to sit down at the table with you;
• reluctance to chew or eat on their own - some children, even older ones, really like to be spoon-fed, and when they are refused, they immediately demonstrate protest and reluctance to eat;
• infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, allergens - if the child feels unwell, accompanied by fever, cough, runny nose and other troubles, the child naturally refuses food;
• problems of the digestive system - diseases of the intestines, stomach, liver and other internal organs negatively affect the child’s desire to eat a satisfying meal;
• iron deficiency – may be accompanied by perverted or very selective appetite (with severe anemia). In this case, it is first important to restore the level of iron in the baby’s body and create reserves with the help of medications, and then work with appetite;
• serious diseases (tumors, metabolic disorders, problems with brain function, breathing, heart, etc.);
• psychological factors - parental pressure leading to an open conflict of interests, banal whims in order to get something better and tastier, unformed value of food, fixed negative memories about the process of eating (for example, adults scolded in early childhood if the baby did not finish eating ).

It happens that, without understanding the reasons, worried parents try by hook or by crook to feed their picky baby: they persuade, play, threaten, scold, force, feed in between (during games, for example), etc. Whatever the reason for the child’s refusal to eat, try to calm down and move from the question “how to get a 7-year-old child to eat” to thinking about how to help him and interest him in food.

Before you worry that your 7-year-old child is not eating enough, compare his diet with the average daily intake of proteins (80 g), fats (75-80 g) and carbohydrates (300-350 g). In general, this would be approximately 2500 kcal per day. Divide these numbers into 4-6 meals and try to create a menu based on these data.

It may be more convenient to feed your little one in small portions, but more often, than to try to cram the entire portion into him at one time. Try to get away from the model of strict control over the amount of food eaten - your baby himself knows how much he wants to eat, let him be responsible for issues concerning himself.

Praise the baby, even if there is a lot of food left on the plate (we create positive emotions for the meal process). Use beautiful and appetizing table settings, serve accompanying products with dishes (canapés, sandwiches, crackers, pies). Many children with great zeal save the heroes depicted at the bottom of the plate from the flood.

Avoid TV, tablets, games and performances during meals - this distracts from the process and creates incorrect automatisms for the future. Sit down at the table with the whole family and demonstrate the rules of good manners - looking at you, the baby will soon also begin to eat willingly. Try to be patient with your child, be understanding of his temporary whims, and in this friendly atmosphere, your child’s healthy appetite will not be long in coming.

Should I force my child to eat?

Never, under any pretext, force your child to eat. If you force your child to eat something he doesn't like, conflict may occur. Continue to offer him a variety of foods, but don't get angry or upset if he refuses it.

Check whether the child eats additional sweets, etc. between meals. If your child looks sick or is growing slower than expected, consult a doctor. It should be remembered that what is much more dangerous for health is not a temporary refusal to eat, but an excessive or monotonous diet.

Reason one: I eat what I want

In the morning, the phone rings at the clinic. An alarming female voice says: “My boy refuses to eat. And this is not the first time. What to do?". To begin with, it is always a good idea to find out what causes lack of appetite. It often turns out that a child refuses some foods, but willingly eats others.

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But what should we do? It is important that the child in the family feels like an equal among equals, and not a darling of fate and the center of civilization. He doesn’t want to eat porridge - breakfast is over, lunch is in 4 hours. If you don’t eat soup at lunch, wait until dinner. At the same time, it is very important that during breaks between meals, food does not come into the child’s eyes, so that he does not have the opportunity to snack on his own, and that there is no talk about food in his presence.

Many people object: “Well, he won’t eat like that all day.” It's OK. Nature has created man in such a way that he can go without food (but not without drinking) for several days quite painlessly. Well, as a rule, things don’t come to this, provided, of course, that mom and grandma have enough patience. If that’s not enough, well, it’s your child...

The development of a child’s eating habits largely depends on the example of adults. It is difficult to demand that your child thoughtfully consume food if dad usually snacks on sandwiches on the go, and the family never gathers at the dinner table.

What should a child eat?

Often, parents whose children have left infancy believe that now the child can eat at a common table, and do not make any difference in preparing dishes for adult family members and for the baby.

Meanwhile, a child’s body is still fragile enough to be overloaded with adult food. Some adult foods are completely dangerous for children and can cause serious digestive problems, including chronic diseases.

Nine reasons why a child doesn't want to eat

REASON 6 Not tasty Such children are called capricious, but perhaps they only eat familiar food - pasta and sausages or potatoes and chicken. When arriving at a hotel or visiting someone, the baby does not find his food and may refuse any other food. WHAT TO DO: Try to regularly introduce your baby to new products from childhood. Don’t bring sausages with you when visiting, look for a compromise. Patiently and playfully. Invite your child to look in the refrigerator and choose his own food. If he doesn’t like vegetables, make a puree soup, try cutting out figures from cucumbers and carrots, you can turn fruits into cocktails, come up with funny names for everything, and involve even the smallest gourmet in cooking. Very often, children agree to try a new unfamiliar dish at a party when everyone else eats it with appetite.

Reason two: snacks

Another common type of falsely decreased appetite is associated with snacking between meals. The child ate poorly at breakfast, an hour later he is offered a sandwich, another hour later he eats yogurt, and at lunchtime he does not want to eat again. Or a schoolchild returns home while the adults are still at work. He takes it out of the refrigerator and eats a piece of sausage. Mom returns and offers him something to eat, but he has no appetite.

If you want your baby to have an appetite, you should not feed him between meals.

How not to feed your baby

We strive to feed the baby by any means possible and do it with such zeal that he develops an aversion to food. He stops listening to his body’s signals and understanding when he is full and when he is hungry. And the harder you press, the more the child resists. It's okay if he skips breakfast or lunch - he'll be hungrier for dinner.

Remember that children's bodies are not accustomed to social norms and the need to eat five times a day. If a child has no appetite, it means that he has not yet spent all the energy that entered the body with the last meal. A little patience and you will have an appetite.

If you want your children to eat well at lunch, don't let them snack between meals. Remove sweets and cookies from the table, do not make sandwiches. If the baby works up an appetite, he will not refuse soup.

Cartoons, books and dancing with a tambourine distract the child from eating. There is no need to stuff your spoon with porridge at any cost. You need to teach him to treat food consciously, taste it and feel full. Instead of cartoons, talk about food: what does it look like? What does it look like? What does it taste like? Do you want another piece?

Don't show your child how important nutrition is to you, no matter how difficult it may be. Do not praise your baby if he ate something healthy or ate in general. If a child notices this, he may begin to manipulate you: beg for toys, ask for a trampoline, and ride that pony in the park for a spoonful of oatmeal.

Food is just food, it gives strength and energy. Don't use it as a reward or punishment. If a child is crying, it is better to hug him than to calm him down with chocolate.

What should be included in the diet of a child from 1 to 5 years old?

• From dairy products, you can give kefirs, yoghurts, and cottage cheese every day. Children after three years of age can be introduced to whole cow's milk in their diet. It is advisable to choose product lines designed specifically for children (“Agusha”, “Tema”, “Rastishka”)

• It is better not to give sour cream and cream in their pure form, but you can use them in small quantities as a salad dressing or cottage cheese.
• Cheeses, especially hard varieties, can be given in very limited quantities, preferably after three years
• From meat you can give chicken, lean beef, rabbit. It is better to give meat in the form of minced meat and products made from it: meatballs, cutlets, rolls
• If you give boiled meat, check that there are no bone fragments in it, and that the fibers are soft and well-cooked
• Fish should be given at least twice a week, only boneless fillets, boiled or stewed.
• You should not give fatty fish (salmon, salmon, halibut, sturgeon); you should absolutely not give caviar, as it is a strong allergen.
• You should not give smoked and fried meat and fish, including sausages, grilled chicken, carbonated meat, etc.

• Pork, lamb, ducks and geese should be excluded from the child’s diet. Boiled sausages and sausages can be given occasionally and only of very high quality
• Eggs can be given 2-3 times a week in the form of an omelet or hard-boiled
• The child’s diet must include various cereals and bread in small quantities of coarse grinding every day.
• Sugar must be used very carefully. Up to three years old, they can slightly sweeten the drink. Honey and chocolate are contraindicated for children under three years of age.
• Preschool children should also consume sweets in limited quantities.
• It is advisable to exclude from the diet store-bought desserts with a long shelf life and many unnatural food additives (rolls, cookies, croissants, cakes, other confectionery baked goods)
• As a dessert, you can give products specially developed for baby food by trusted manufacturers (Heinz, Lyubyatovo, Gerber, Bebi, Hipp) as well as special products for children that are sold in pharmacies (Hematogen, bars -muesli, sugar-free candies)

• Every day, the diet must include vegetables, legumes, fruits in any form: raw in salads and grated, as part of first and second courses, compotes, cocktails, purees)
• It is better to avoid exotics and feed only what grows in your region
• You should not overuse jelly, as they have a high starch content, and, on the contrary, less nutrients than in compotes and decoctions
• To strengthen teeth, it is important to give your child “solid” foods every day: crackers, apples and pears, carrots
• The child should take the highest calorie food at lunch. The lightest meal is before bed

What should be in a child's healthy diet?

Nutrition should be balanced, consisting of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

• In the recommended diet for children 2-3 years old, proteins make up Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Children about 20% of all food, fats - 30-35%, carbohydrates - 45-65%.
• For children 4–18 years old, the diet approximately includes 10–30% protein foods, 25–35% fats and 45–65% carbohydrates.

For children, healthy eating is especially important as they grow and develop. They need protein for muscles, calcium and phosphorus to strengthen bones, and iron to deliver oxygen to organs and tissues, including the brain. To gain the required amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, a balanced diet should include six food groups:

1. Meat, fish and eggs.
2. Vegetables.
3. Fruits.
4. Dairy products.
5. Complex carbohydrates (whole grain bread, cereals, durum wheat pasta).
6. Legumes.

Among the products for the child there should be at least 2-3 from each group.

Reason three: individual development

As you know, children are very different, and their food needs are also different. One child is restless, runs around like a top, jumps endlessly, climbs everywhere. The other is calm, sedentary, prefers quiet games, loves to listen when books are read to him. The first one, as a rule, is thin, regardless of what and how much he eats - everything burns up in his energy furnace.

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The second is usually well-fed, although it may eat less than the first. Children's nutritional needs largely depend on the costs of physical activity, growth, heat production, and infection control. It got colder outside - the child began to eat better; growth accelerates during puberty - appetite improves; ran around on the street - “worked up an appetite.”

Along with differences in energy needs, each child has its own digestive capabilities (breakdown and absorption of food), and its own metabolic rate. And depending on this, the food needs of children of the same age can also vary significantly.

The measure of the adequacy of a child’s nutrition is not the amount of food he absorbs, but the level of his development: growth rate, fatness, timely development of new skills.

Often they go to the doctor not because the child is not eating well, but because: “I feed him and feed him, but his ribs still stick out.” And sometimes it is extremely difficult to convince your mother (and especially your grandmother) that this is how it should be, that this is normal.

And this should be so because children grow unevenly. Up to 3 years, the so-called “period of first fullness” continues, when weight gain is somewhat faster than the growth rate. But after 3–4 years, a period of stretching begins (the so-called “half-height growth spurt”). The child grows faster, and it seems that he is losing weight. And most children go to first grade thin and slender.

“Most, but not all,” you will say, and you will be right. Yes, indeed, children, among other things, differ among themselves and in their physique characteristics. Some are narrow with an elongated cylindrical chest, with long arms and legs and with a small amount of fatty tissue - asthenics. Others have a broad chest, strong bones, well-developed muscles and a tendency to increase fat deposition.

Reason four: loads

Of course, you had to watch the children. At home and on the street, they are able to run, jump, gallop, and tumble for hours. A child by nature is a bundle of energy that requires an outlet. As this energy is consumed, the need to replenish it arises, that is, appetite appears. It is extremely rare (I don’t even remember) that children who regularly engage in sports complain of lack of appetite.

In our clinic, a fairly large group of girl swimmers and girl gymnasts was examined. We conducted a preventive examination of Nakhimovites and cadets. No one had a bad appetite. And the point is not that they are poorly fed. They all just have a high level of physical activity.

High energy consumption - and the child has no problems with appetite.

It is possible that in the above example the phenomenon of “collective nutrition” is also important. Even in the old days, wealthy people with weak-willed offspring used to invite children from poor families to dinner. It turns out that a good appetite is contagious. And in our time, when a child eats in a group and when he knows that what he does not eat will be eaten with pleasure by his comrades, this has a very stimulating effect on his appetite.

But the relatives of the overweight boy complain about his lack of appetite. It turns out that he is exempt from physical education on some far-fetched pretext, after school he takes additional classes in a foreign language, plays the violin at a music school, and uses the computer in the evening. An ordinary modern child! What is there to be surprised about? Yes, even with a decreased appetite, he remains overweight.

How can we help here? We will have to break the entire established structure of family life. It is not enough to give your offspring useful advice. A personal example is needed here. You will have to go for a run with him in the morning, play football with him in the afternoon, ski in the winter, ride a bike in the summer, take him to the pool, go hiking. Or - admit your parental failure and leave everything as it is.

How can you help if a child has a poor appetite?

Firstly, children always imitate adults, set the right example for them. A regime presupposes the subordination of circumstances to certain goals and rules, and not vice versa. All family members must follow the established diet. Shared breakfasts and dinners cement the family and become a good family bonding tradition. Breakfasts in general are very important for a child; a child should not go to school on an empty stomach. It is well established, for example, that children who receive breakfast are more productive.

Secondly, do not make a “cult” out of food, this can lead in the future to serious psychological problems and a general deterioration in health, when the child becomes an adult and simply eats up the lack of love, attention and all his anxieties and problems, or, on the contrary, rejects I'm going.

Eliminate loud discussions, condemnation, stormy scenes, tearful discussions with relatives, manipulation, blackmail and persuasion from your child’s life. The more tragedy there is around an uneaten bowl of soup, the less room there is for a healthy appetite. The child should be relaxed , not tense. Focusing too much on eating does not promote calm. It is not advisable to distract him with anything (cartoons, games, all this is good after, and not during, food).

Below are phrases that can often be heard from the lips of parents and grandparents, but this simply breaks the fragile child’s psyche, while also being very harmful attitudes for the future.

Examples of destructive phrases:

• “Eat faster, otherwise we won’t go for a walk”
• “The last piece is the most powerful, finish it, otherwise you won’t grow, you’ll remain small!”
• “If you eat vegetables , then you will get candy”
• “Eat a spoonful for mom, for dad, for the cat, for the dog...”
• “Don’t you love mom? I tried, I prepared..."
• “Until you eat everything, you won’t leave the table!”
• Oh, what a good child - he ate everything...”

If food intake is dictated not by hunger, but by the will of the parent, the child does not develop the skill of feeling his body and satisfying its needs when necessary.

Overprotection is the most typical and common deviation among most parents (especially compassionate grandmothers). They literally think that a full stomach and health are somehow interconnected. That a well-fed child simply cannot be unhappy. While reading this article, think carefully about whether you are making the same mistake, because you have the power to change everything.

A child may try to please his parents, showing that he behaves well, eats everything, because he is praised for this, and scolded when he does not finish eating and eats poorly. Incentives and rewards in the form of candies and sweets contribute to all this. The child begins to understand that through food he receives attention, care, and love. That is why it is so important to form the correct nutritional ecology from early childhood. Parents themselves, without noticing it or often without realizing it, follow certain negative scenarios, which in the future bear fruit in the form of disordered eating behavior, inability to listen to their body and be aware of its needs in the form of feelings of hunger and satiety.

It is important to find solutions in time and help the child take the necessary actions.

If the child does not want to eat, then you can tell him that he should not eat, the next meal is dinner ( lunch , breakfast). Do not allow biting, if he refuses dinner, then you can allow fruit , kefir or light cottage cheese at night, thus teaching him the right habits.

Children with reduced appetite can receive food 5-6 times, but in smaller quantities; perhaps a smaller portion will be more comfortable for the child. Avoid unhealthy snacks for a healthier diet. At the same time, snacks can always be made the most healthy: cheese , boiled meat , a variety of vegetables, fruits, cheesecakes, homemade sandwiches with grain bread . Children are attracted to beautiful food, so you can be creative when packing lunch for children. Bright dishes, imaginative design of the dish (shaped cutting of vegetables, laying out sculptures, thematic and fairy-tale design of the dish, tinting porridge or mashed potatoes with bright juice in an unusual color) awaken the interest of some little ones. Keep portion sizes, let the portions be small, in pleasant and original dishes. Prepare meals that your child likes more often. If your child eats one thing, cook it, and regularly gently offer to try other dishes. Unloved foods can be disguised by pureeing them and adding them to soup or gravy, but this will be deception, which is also not advisable when raising children, even if you think that you are making the child better.

When parents pay insufficient attention to the child, mainly concentrating on the main, from their point of view, manifestations of care and concern - feeding and clothing, while ignoring other needs, then the child has to use available methods to attract attention. For example, if a child is taken care of only when he is not feeling well, he is forced to get sick in order to receive more love, this begins to happen unconsciously, so it is impossible to make connections to food, it is impossible for receiving food to be associated with love. When the baby understands that his mother is ready to do more interesting things with him than feeding, he will stop stalling for time. Stick to a schedule and feed at a certain time. Preferably - more often and little by little. Perhaps the child needs just such a diet.

Remember that in older adolescence there may be health problems, children can sharply limit themselves in nutrition to maintain their figure, girls can develop anorexia , and boys often take various hormonal drugs to increase muscle mass, which can also harm them. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the general well-being of your child, his psychological state and sudden mood swings.

And even isolated cases of force-feeding can go from simply poor appetite to childhood anorexia nervosa and habitual vomiting, to bulimia and similar eating disorders in older age. Children develop neuroses , and pathological behavior and lack of trust in parents are often noted.

Force-feeding causes a feeling of discomfort in any person (not only in children, but also in adults) - which only aggravates the aversion to food.

In families where the child was fed separately for a long time, an attitude may develop towards eating food as a kind of manipulation, akin to a medical one. In such cases, family meals together are very helpful for children; the child begins to understand that food is pleasant and normal. The child sees how the whole family gets together, in a good mood and everything goes, he is psychologically comfortable. But you should also not force your child to sit through such dinners; everything should be introduced gradually and without forcing. Moreover, if conflicts and quarrels occur during family gatherings and feasts, the child subsequently develops negative and painful attitudes.

By the way, the habit of eating according to a schedule, and not at will, can also be dangerous for some children. At the same time the feeling of hunger and appetite is ignored; the clock, rather than one’s own body, becomes the regulator of food intake. Although over time, your own biological clock may form, taking into account the particular regime.

Now, if you go to any shopping center or any fast food restaurant, for example, McDonald's, you are amazed at the number of children there. Often parents themselves bring their children there, for example, to celebrate holidays, so the child puts it all aside as a joyful event, and then the children combine joy with food, starting to eat up all their experiences with junk food. And food is a source of life and energy, not entertainment. And the parent is the main example for the child, including in nutrition.

If your child eats a lot, but you think that his weight is too low, stubbornly refusing to become round, then carefully watch your child. runs all day long , jumps on the street in the yard, dances to music from cartoons and performs a whole series of other active movements, then everything that such a child absorbs from food is processed into energy. And this is correct and very good! He has no need to put away unnecessary calories “for a rainy day” in the layer on his stomach or in his double chin. Such a child is most likely completely healthy. He does not have worms or hormonal disorders, but he has an excellent metabolism .

How to understand that a child is not eating anything?

• We can talk about real malnutrition in a child when his appetite has been reduced for several months. In this case, the balanced intake of products into the body that are vital for the full development of the child and maintaining immunity at the proper level is disrupted.
• Over time, poor nutrition leads to decreased muscle mass, weakened immunity, frequent colds, increased fatigue, poor grades and poor physical development. Ultimately, nutritional deficiencies lead to very serious health problems for the child.
• Some parents believe that the main thing is to replenish the volume of food consumed, and allow the child to eat only what he enjoys eating, even if this food is harmful
• Such conclusions are erroneous, since with a general deficiency of beneficial vitamins and microelements, weight gain occurs, which only worsens the child’s health

What does poor appetite lead to?

If children are poorly nourished at an early age, this can lead to problems with mental and physical development. Since the baby does not receive all the nutrients he needs from foods, he may lag behind in growth and development.

When a student is malnourished, he does poorly in school. Severe refusal to eat leads to anorexia.

Important! The most vulnerable are children under five years of age. Due to poor nutrition and lack of nutrients, they develop anemia and often get sick.

A monotonous and unbalanced diet can also cause damage to your health.

If a baby does not eat well for a long time, then we can clearly say that he is malnourished. At the same time, the child’s body does not receive all the necessary nutrients that it needs for development and growth.

Inadequate nutrition gradually leads to decreased immunity and low body weight; the baby often gets sick and gets tired quickly, learns poorly and develops poorly. Poor nutrition can have serious consequences for your baby's health.

Attention! Many parents give their baby any food, even harmful ones, believing that the main thing is to replenish the amount of food. However, this is a gross mistake, because such tactics lead to the baby quickly gaining weight, which only worsens his health.

Reason five: force feeding

Well, of course, it is impossible to force an appetite, but it is possible to force your child to eat without any appetite. And many go exactly this way. You can often hear: “Well, let’s force it right away!” We don’t force our child, we persuade him.” Indeed, what kind of tricks do household members invent to satiate their beloved child?

Of course, you can stuff porridge or puree into a child’s mouth, but will the food be digested with such feeding? The works of Academician I.P. Pavlov proved and subsequently confirmed many times that for normal digestion it is not enough to place food in the stomach. It is necessary that the food looks appetizing, that it smells delicious and causes the release of inflammatory gastric and intestinal juices.

Food taken fraudulently is poorly digested and not fully absorbed, and also disrupts the reflex activity of the digestive tract and contributes to the development of its diseases.

Well, it is completely unacceptable to feed a child under threat of punishment. Under the influence of fear, the production of digestive juices stops altogether, spasms of the stomach and intestines occur, vomiting and involuntary bowel movements are possible. This is how neurosis is formed - the syndrome of habitual vomiting.

Food means a lot to a child - it means his growth, his development, his energy and his health. But a decrease in appetite in a child is not a tragedy at all. Of course, this may be one of the symptoms of some disease, but more often it is the result of nutritional errors.

What tests and examinations need to be done to find out the cause of loss of appetite?

1. Blood test for vitamin and mineral composition
2. General blood and urine analysis
3. Fecal analysis for worm eggs and lamblia cysts
4. Ultrasound of the abdominal organs
5. FGS (fibrogastroscopy)
6. Examination by a gastroenterologist, neurologist, psychologist and endocrinologist

If an examination by specialists does not reveal any abnormalities in the child’s health and psyche, you must independently take measures to restore your child’s appetite.

• Vegetables in a children's diet can be replaced with cereals, whole grain breads and fruits
• If your child refuses meat, fish, or certain vegetables, replace one type with another.
• The child may not like the consistency or features of the recipe for a certain dish. Try cooking something new from familiar foods to get him interested.
• Often children refuse foods just because of their appearance, for example, boiled chicken yolk. It is important to back up your persuasion with your own example, to show how much all members of your family, including the cat, love this product. This technique works in most cases
• Don't forget that children are big conservatives. In order for a child to agree to change his opinion about a product, he must be offered to try from 8 to 15 times
• Prepare food with your child, this will increase the value of the dish in the child’s eyes and make him want to try it.

• Eating should be a pleasure. Do not scold your child at the table, do not force him to eat - this can discourage his appetite even more.
• Offer your child a “false choice”: instead of asking “Are you going to eat or not?” ask “will you have porridge, mashed potatoes or pasta?” This is a method popular among child psychologists, which does not make it possible to give up food altogether.
• Have dinner, lunch and breakfast as a family whenever possible. For a child, the example of adults happily chewing their mother’s cutlets will be very contagious.
• Do not allow your child to make small raids to the refrigerator in the intervals between main meals. Spontaneous snacking curbs your appetite
• Do not allow your child to sit in front of the TV while eating. It’s a big mistake when parents allow their child to do whatever he wants and sit in front of a plate for an hour until he eats everything.
• Meals should last no more than 20 minutes, after which food is removed from the table until the next meal
• Active outdoor games, sports and walks in the fresh air significantly increase appetite. Plan your daily routine so that before each meal your child walks and gets active.

• Homeopathic remedies, which can only be prescribed by a specialist, help restore appetite well. The advantage of homeopathic treatment is that taking medications for a short time usually gives a long-lasting effect. However, it is necessary to strictly follow the doctor’s instructions, since dosage accuracy is very important in homeopathy.
• Elkar is a drug for correcting metabolic processes, improves metabolism and food digestibility. For children, this drug is prescribed as an additive to tea, compotes, and juices. Up to three years, the drug is taken strictly under the supervision of a doctor.
• Creon - normalizes the digestion process, is prescribed to children with decreased appetite and insufficient weight gain. Available in capsules. Young children who are unable to swallow the capsule are advised to sprinkle the contents into their food or drink.
• Vitamin complexes produced for children contain a full range of useful vitamins and microelements necessary for the child’s body and help increase appetite.

• Vitamin A is naturally found in carrots, eggs, milk, and broccoli. Vitamin A deficiency causes peeling of the skin, decreased vision in the dark, and frequent infectious diseases.
• B vitamins are found in meat, grains, and nuts. A lack of B vitamins in the body leads to decreased appetite, increased excitability, fatigue, chronic fatigue, and heart problems.
• Vitamin C is found in almost all fruits, berries and most vegetables. With a lack of vitamin C, a serious decrease in immunity is observed, and bleeding gums may occur.
• Zinc, contained in meat, seafood, and grains, normalizes carbohydrate metabolism in the body. Zinc deficiency leads to excess weight, absent-mindedness, and decreased ability to concentrate.
• Magnesium is important for energy production and lowering blood glucose. Found naturally in legumes, nuts and grains. Magnesium deficiency affects the processes of carbohydrate metabolism in the body
• Dried fruits, prunes and dried apricots, contain vitamins and microelements that are useful for increasing appetite.
• Bananas, beets, plums, zucchini and legumes are very rich in prebiotics (foods that improve digestion).

We suggest you read: Mixed feeding pros and cons

We increase appetite

After analyzing forums and websites where mothers meet with the burning problem of feeding their children, we have collected interesting, practical and useful tips on how to increase a child’s appetite. Take a few steps to do this.

Step 1. Arrangement of the dining area

What does a baby like to do at a young age? Observe others, fantasize and play. Therefore, to increase appetite, it is important that eating is associated with an exciting activity. Above the table, hang a cheerful, cute picture of a child eating food with appetite. While eating, play out the situation with this picture depending on your imagination.

Attractive tableware. The stores sell wonderful table sets for little ones. Child psychologists recommend changing children's dishes every 2-3 months to stimulate their interest in food and increase their appetite.

Appetizing food. The dishes are on nice dishes and the food is appetizing. It's time for mom or grandma to master the science of children's carving. Or buy plates with a painted face and decorate them with food in a fun way, changing the theme each time.

Self-cooking. You also need to cook appetizingly! This can (and should) be done together with an older child. After all, food prepared independently is always tastier. Don’t forget to diversify your baby’s diet – he will be happy to try something new.

Competent feeding. When you feed the baby, sit opposite him, so the mother controls the feeding process. Funny toys will come to her aid; they will help create a relaxed atmosphere and increase her appetite (finger gloves-toys cope with this role). Create and act out entire performances.

Step 2. Self-education

Know, dear mothers, that the child’s appetite is greatly influenced by the mother’s mood. The baby immediately feels his mother’s nervousness and reacts with whims, refusing to eat. Learn to control yourself, at least for the sake of the baby’s health. Useful advice from pediatricians:

• The most difficult age for a child is from one to two years. At this time, the baby is already eating normal food, but is not able to “agree” with his mother about his desires. Be sure to learn to listen and understand, and not force the child.
• Control snacking and switch to healthy foods.
• Be sure to take your baby for walks in the fresh air to maintain immunity.
• Pay attention to your child; it happens that whims at the table are the only way to attract mom to you and be interesting for her.
• Begin introducing additional foods carefully—give your baby a new dish literally drop by drop. Check with your pediatrician for the procedure for introduction and timing of complementary feeding. Don't forget about vitamins!
• Be able to distinguish between your child's whims and possible medical problems.

Step 3. Learn to understand needs

In pediatrics, there are 100-150 indicators of children's health, and each does not have strict limits. This also applies to the height and weight gain of the child. Don’t worry - the pediatrician will not miss a deviation that is too obvious and will definitely additionally examine the baby.

If your neighbor’s peer is healthy, well-fed, fat, don’t worry about your own, thinner child. He does not look like a large peer, because each person is individual!

How to know that the necessary nutrients are supplied to a small body, and the child has enough nutritious food:

1. Normal weight gain, adequate for age and physical development.
2. Cheerfulness, activity, low fatigue (this point can be varied based on the baby’s temperament).
3. Balanced character without pronounced lethargy and hyperactivity (lack of nutrients and excess protein foods disrupt the functioning of the neuropsychic system).
4. Smooth skin, body elasticity.
5. Regular trips to the toilet without bowel retention.

Step 4. Correcting mistakes

To improve your child’s relationship with food, it is important to avoid some mistakes. You can’t yell at your child or force him to eat . Promise to buy a toy in exchange for the lunch eaten, praise for every spoonful of food. Here's what to do correctly:

• Wait until the baby gets hungry.
• Stop comparing your child with other children.
• Do not manipulate the child by promising something sweet for every meatball or potato.
• Be sure to ask the baby if it was tasty and if he liked everything.
• Maintain a constant diet. When the body gets used to the “internal food clock”, the baby himself will ask to eat closer to this time. To feed a small child and stimulate his appetite, give him food every 3.5-4.5 hours.
• Do not seat an excited baby at the table if he has run around or overplayed; half an hour before meals, engage the child in quiet games or read a book.
• If the baby refuses to eat, don’t insist!

And know that reluctance to eat and lack of appetite is a completely normal, temporary phenomenon! But the stress received by the little person in this period has long-lasting, unhealthy consequences. React intelligently to your baby’s behavior and habits, and your child’s appetite will definitely improve!

What can I do to help my 7-year-old child eat well?

• A decoction or compote of rosehip, chokeberry, sea buckthorn and barberry increases appetite well and is also very pleasant to the taste, unlike medicines. You can give your child a mug of this decoction half an hour before each meal.
• Fresh (in winter - freshly frozen and pre-thawed) garden berries: raspberries, currants, cherries, are rich in fruit acids that increase appetite. Give your child a few berries half an hour before meals.
• A small apple or carrot (you can do both together) 20-30 minutes before meals will increase the child’s appetite
• Mint or fennel tea, which improves digestion and metabolic processes, can be given between meals as a drink to improve appetite

If the child does not eat well

As you noticed, the tale used an element of rivalry. The child, trying to get ahead of his dining companion and receive well-deserved praise, strives to finish his portion as quickly as possible. Of course, this helps significantly with feeding when there are two or three babies in a family. What to do if the child is the only one? In this case, you can invite your baby’s friends or someone from the household to the table. In addition, eating together is in itself attractive for the child, since it allows you to once again communicate with friends.

Advice from a pediatrician

• Do not force your child to eat. Food is well digested if the child is really hungry. Teach your child to chew food thoroughly and not swallow it hastily.
• The first meal should be no earlier than 20-30 minutes after waking up, since the body needs time to “wake up”
• Do not feed your baby if he is excited, overwhelmed with emotions, too sad or, on the contrary, overjoyed.
• It is better to give meat only at lunch
• You can sometimes have fasting days and eat only vegetables and fruits
• It is harmful to drink food with water. It is better to drink water 20 minutes before a meal or half an hour after it
• Do not allow your child to be distracted while eating and watch his posture at the table: improper sitting puts pressure on the digestive organs and makes it difficult for food to pass through.