Patient's question:
There was a period of 2.3 months when she refused to breastfeed. After that, everything returned to normal. At her peak, she used to eat 2306 (units unclear). For more than two months, she often ate 150 to 180 at a time. Now that she's 8.5 months old, she hasn't been eating well for several days. The past two days have been worse—she refuses the bottle even before taking a sip, crying and trying to open it with her hands. She manages to eat about 150 per day at most. She loves porridge, usually eating 3 bowls a day, sometimes 5. But since she's not eating well, I've stopped giving her porridge as well. At 5:30 AM, she ate 80 ml, and now it's been 6 hours with no other food—she only took another 40 ml. She also loves fruits but doesn't like milk. What should I do? I worry that she's not getting at least 500-600 ml of milk a day, and I'm afraid her nutrition won't keep up. Doctor, what should I do? I'm very anxious. By the way, my baby was 20.3 pounds (about 9.2 kg) at 6 months, and she's now about 21 pounds (about 9.5 kg), around 75 cm tall. She's a girl.Medical History and Treatment Effects:
- Had 3 episodes of wheezing/urinary tract infections treated at Shenzhen Children's Hospital, each lasting about 2 weeks and fully recovered.
- Once had a high fever.
Seeking Help:
Please help me understand as soon as possible.
Doctor's answer:
Some children have picky eating habits, and parents become very anxious. To coax their children to eat dinner, some use toys to distract them during meals. Others allow their children to play while eating... Excessive indulgence by parents and a lack of understanding of proper feeding methods are also direct causes of children's picky eating. Providing children with a relatively quiet environment for defecation can help them relieve themselves more easily and happily. Since the digestive system is affected by emotions, stress can reduce appetite. Therefore, when children are defecating, adults should avoid loud laughter and conversation, and absolutely refrain from teasing them to do this or that.