Dietary nutrition is a means that promotes the child's recovery and deserves due attention. The nutrition of a sick child should be correct and complete.
The role of eating a sick child
In the period of illness, the child's body needs more nutrients. In acute diseases, the consumption of vitamins, mineral salts, carbohydrates increases, and the breakdown of proteins (in tissues) also increases. But all this is so necessary for the body.
You can not allow the child's weight to be reduced, it is necessary for the baby to get the food in the right amount. Many nutrients take a major part in the recovery of the body during the period of illness.
Despite the lack of appetite, to reduce the enzymatic and secretory capacity of the digestive apparatus, children are good at digesting food even at high temperatures. Reduce the amount of food you need only in the first days of illness (and with some sharp ones). This is necessary if the child has excessive vomiting or diarrhea. However, even in this case, it is necessary to strive to switch to a full-fledged diet as quickly as possible (cautiously and gradually). At the same time, one must take into account the age and individual needs of the child, as well as the general condition, the period of the disease, the degree of severity and the condition of the child before the illness.
Nutritional Requirements for a Sick Child
At normal body temperature in a sick child, food should be varied, contain high-quality proteins (dairy products and milk), vitamins and mineral salts, and be delicious. The need for nutritional components in sick children is higher. But in some diseases (for example, with diarrhea) fats can be excluded from the diet completely. Foods from which food is cooked must be benign, because food should not burden the digestive system and is easy to digest. This can be achieved by excluding from the food difficult to digest products (various seasonings, spices, legumes). The way of cooking is also of great importance. With some diseases, the composition of products remains the same, but its way of cooking changes (vegetables are cooked to the full preparedness, they make mashed potatoes, etc.). While he is sick, you do not need to feed him with new types of food.
During the illness of the child, it is necessary to give him fluids in large quantities (decoction of rose hips, tea with lemon, fruit juices, soups, etc.). The amount of food and the intervals between its intake (regimen) should remain the same as they were before the child's illness. This is when the child does not have vomiting and has a good appetite. If the general condition is severe, the appetite has sharply deteriorated and the child has vomiting, it is better to give the baby food more often, but in smaller quantities. The required amount of liquid must be given every 10-15 minutes in small portions.
Nutrition of a sick child in early childhood
Dietary nutrition is very widely used in diseases of the digestive system. In children, they are found most often. Diarrhea is predominantly an infantile disease. Most often, it is caused by an infection, but it also happens to be associated with feeding errors. In these cases, dietary nutrition contributes to a speedy recovery. It is best that a diet appoint a specialist. Before the arrival of a doctor, you must stop all feeding, give your child only water or tea. The water diet can last from 2 to 24 hours. If the child has mild dyspepsia, then one feeding is skipped. However, the child often and in abundant quantities need to give fluids (tea from a dogrose, tea from apples, etc.).
If a child has an infectious disease (scarlet fever, measles, flu, pneumonia, etc.) and has a high fever, no appetite, frequent vomiting, then the diet should be determined from the severity of the disease. While keeping the temperature you need to give as much liquid as possible. Food should contain a lot of carbohydrates, vitamins and salts.
Weakened children need to give more concentrated food (you can add to regular foods milk powder, honey, egg yolk). With anemia, give food that contains a lot of vitamin C and iron (meat, liver, vegetables, etc.).
To choose the right and proper nutrition for your child, you need to consult a doctor.