What should parents do if the child does not eat?

Caring parents try to surround baby with love and care, they monitor his health, buy only quality clothing, regularly visit the pediatrician, vaccinations, and, of course, want the baby to eat well But in some cases the child does not eat, and mom can't figure out what's wrong.

Poor appetite in a child is a problem for many parents. Each decides its own way: some are forced to eat, saying "for mom, for dad," and sometimes threatening, while others refer to various specialists, suggesting that the baby is sick.

However, often there are situations that the baby is healthy, but not eating. First, parents need to determine if there is a problem. If baby is gaining weight, but eats little, as it seems to adults, there is no need to panic. But if there is a shortage of body weight, feeding problems need to be addressed.

Causes of poor appetite

Nutritionists and psychologists found that often the appetite is deteriorating at kids aged 2 to 4 years. At this time it is the age crisis, the child thus shows their independence, sometimes he's just fussy.

There are other causes of poor appetite:

• The food is tasteless or too large portions. Often the child is offered a bowl of soup or cereal, you can hardly overpower an adult. Parents think that the baby ate too little.
• Frequent snacking between meals. For example, before lunch or dinner to allow parents to eat chocolate, cookies, candy. It satisfies your hunger and reduces the appetite.
• Failure to comply with the diet. The body can't adapt to the meals, if every day for Breakfast, lunch and dinner at different times.
• The period of illness. Even the common cold significantly reduces appetite, kid tries to drink more and often refuses all food.

Do not forget about the psychological factors, because of which the child does not eat. To spoil the appetite can problems with the kindergarten teachers, peers, etc.

How to improve appetite?

If health problems no, but the child still refuses food, it is not necessary to let the issue slide. You need to find out the cause and take decisive action.

• To set the mode of the day. For this you can schedule and feed the baby at certain times: Breakfast – 8.00 am, lunch – 12.30, etc.
• To offer children's portions, so that the child ate all the food, leaving nothing on the plate. Or he used to be undernourished – that's fine.
• Gradually introduce new foods. It is impossible to offer several new dishes for lunch or dinner, it is important that the plate was present the food baby has tried.
• Not force-fed. It will only worsen the situation, the baby will start eating less food and digs in.
• Ask the child to help in the kitchen. If he likes to cook, and to try it would be with great pleasure. It is also possible to create edible decorations for porridge, soup, mashed potatoes, etc.

If the parents are doing everything right, then 5-6 years, the appetite improves, the clarity to food will be less. Most importantly – if the child does not eat, do not force him to eat by force, it only reinforces the aversion to food.