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Suggest Treatment For Low Appetite In A 2 Year Old
Question: My son(2 Years 3 months old) refusing food everytime, only consumes milk in morning after he wakes up and a glass of milk before he sleeps in night. He may consume some fruits and a very little amount of food otherwise.
He have got a motion problem, he do a very little motion atleast 6 to 8 times a day, and motion is seems to be very sticky.
Please Help.
He have got a motion problem, he do a very little motion atleast 6 to 8 times a day, and motion is seems to be very sticky.
Please Help.
Brief Answer:
It might not be easy to make a child eat
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
Many children are fussy eaters and many parents frequently complain of difficulty in making their child eat. I will suggest the following:
* Avoid distractions like television during eating.
* Eat together with your family and make the child eat along with others on the same table.
* Keep the meal times fixed.
* Involve the child in minor chores. Take the child along when you go to fetch the groceries. Ask him to choose fruits and vegetables of his choice. Make preparations giving importance to his wishes.
* Avoid junk food and chocolates.
* Give a fibre rich diet. Try to include green leafy vegetables in the diet.
* You can give fibre supplements like isabgol on regular basis. Duphalac may be given as an alternative but I would strictly advise against Cremaffin.
* You will have to find ways to coax (but not force) your child to eat.
The motion problem that you mention, could actually be a normal finding. There is a phenomenon called gastrocolic reflex which may make the child pass stool after each feed. It is normal and may persist in many children. There is no reason to be concerned.
Hope that helps.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
It might not be easy to make a child eat
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
Many children are fussy eaters and many parents frequently complain of difficulty in making their child eat. I will suggest the following:
* Avoid distractions like television during eating.
* Eat together with your family and make the child eat along with others on the same table.
* Keep the meal times fixed.
* Involve the child in minor chores. Take the child along when you go to fetch the groceries. Ask him to choose fruits and vegetables of his choice. Make preparations giving importance to his wishes.
* Avoid junk food and chocolates.
* Give a fibre rich diet. Try to include green leafy vegetables in the diet.
* You can give fibre supplements like isabgol on regular basis. Duphalac may be given as an alternative but I would strictly advise against Cremaffin.
* You will have to find ways to coax (but not force) your child to eat.
The motion problem that you mention, could actually be a normal finding. There is a phenomenon called gastrocolic reflex which may make the child pass stool after each feed. It is normal and may persist in many children. There is no reason to be concerned.
Hope that helps.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
We do avoid distractions during eating, and ask him to sit with us and have food but he always refuses and get away from the place.
We also avoid him giving any junk food.
But what we expect that the child should demand us for the food and not we force to him.
Is there any way that his hunger could be increased?
About motion, it is not that he makes stool after every feed, it is he makes a stool and once we clean it after 20 to 30 mins again he will do it.
This continues from evening 6 to 11 daily.
Is it normal or what you say gastrocolic reflex.
Please Help.
We also avoid him giving any junk food.
But what we expect that the child should demand us for the food and not we force to him.
Is there any way that his hunger could be increased?
About motion, it is not that he makes stool after every feed, it is he makes a stool and once we clean it after 20 to 30 mins again he will do it.
This continues from evening 6 to 11 daily.
Is it normal or what you say gastrocolic reflex.
Please Help.
Brief Answer:
These are usual problems that many parents face
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back.
Unfortunately, I cannot offer you any short cuts to coaxing the child to eat. There is a difference between coaxing and forcing. Forcing means inserting the food against the will of the child whereas coaxing is somehow convincing the child to take the food.
Please do not try to increase the hunger. There is no good way to do that. Some doctors might prescribe cyproheptidine for the same but it is not good for health. Other doctors might prescribe vitamin tonics which are basically useless.
I would not worry about the stool frequency and would consider it to be due to gastrocolic reflex. In case you are apprehensive, you can get the stool checked for reducing substances.
Hope that helps.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
These are usual problems that many parents face
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back.
Unfortunately, I cannot offer you any short cuts to coaxing the child to eat. There is a difference between coaxing and forcing. Forcing means inserting the food against the will of the child whereas coaxing is somehow convincing the child to take the food.
Please do not try to increase the hunger. There is no good way to do that. Some doctors might prescribe cyproheptidine for the same but it is not good for health. Other doctors might prescribe vitamin tonics which are basically useless.
I would not worry about the stool frequency and would consider it to be due to gastrocolic reflex. In case you are apprehensive, you can get the stool checked for reducing substances.
Hope that helps.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
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