Problems with food are experienced by 20 to 50% of infants. Pediatricians claim that in the future this can lead to eating disorders, growth disruption, learning difficulties. Parents try to feed their children with games and songs, use threats and cunning. Why does not a small child eat? What is the reason for refusing the mixture and complementary feeding, how to correct the situation and teach the baby to enjoy eating?
Why does an infant not eat well?
A poor appetite in a baby can depend on many factors, he himself can not tell Mom about it, so only he screams and refuses his breast.
Causes:
- the milk disappears. The kid takes a nipple, sucks, but can not get enough because of insufficient milk. In this case, you need to take a number of measures to restore normal lactation: decant after feeding, drink a lot, take drugs that enhance lactation (after consulting a doctor);
- a lot of milk. Milk strikes and the infant begins to choke. Before the beginning of feeding, you should pour a little milk to weaken the strength of the jet;
- I have a stomachache. The child sucks his chest, but suddenly starts to buckle and scream. Most likely, the baby has physiological colic, so he refuses to breast during an attack;
- curiosity. By 3-4 months, the baby begins to react to the environment, notice the approaching people and loud sounds, which distracts him from the process of feeding. The probability of feeding a child will increase many times, if you provide for the time of eating a complete silence;
- Teeth are cut. Painful sensations in the gums reduce appetite, so parents are advised to treat the gum with a special gel before feeding;
- the baby fell ill. A sick child can not be forced to forcibly - this can provoke severe vomiting. But drink should be given every 15-20 minutes to prevent dehydration.
What if the child refuses the mixture?
A hungry baby does not refuse the mixture, so if the child does not eat the mixture, it is necessary to look for the cause:
- Teeth are cut. The process is accompanied by fever, nausea, diarrhea, pain in the gums. If the baby does not want to eat the usual mixture that he used to love, you just have to wait until he has an appetite again;
- uncomfortable nipple on the bottle. Too small / large hole makes it difficult to suck, the baby strains or chokes;
- the child does not like the taste of the mixture. It is advisable to consult a pediatrician and change the brand of the mixture.
Why does not the child eat the lure?
The first 4 months the infant eats mixtures or breast milk. By the age of 6 months, for the full development of the child, it is already necessary to receive additional nutrients.
Note: you can enter the lure if the baby has learned to sit steadily and gained weight, 2 times the weight at birth.
What to do if the baby spits out vegetable mashed potatoes, meat, vegetables / fruits:
- give a new product on an empty stomach;
- sweeten the vegetable / fruit puree with a mixture or breast milk;
- if the child categorically did not like the new dish, do not make it, it's better to try again after 7-10 days;
- To introduce complementary foods must be gradually: 7 days to feed one puree, then try a new one;
- violence against the child is excluded - let him eat a little, but with pleasure.