Patient's question:
My child is 23 months old. Since she was young, her appetite has never been as large as that of her peers, but her weight and height have always been within the normal range. Recently, her appetite has significantly decreased. Whenever it's time to eat, she says she's full when she sees food and doesn't eat snacks either. She seems uninterested in food, not even snacks. Sometimes she only eats half of a small piece of cake. I haven't taken her to the hospital yet, but I wanted to consult online first to see what's going on. Please help me, experts. Thank you!Doctor's answer:
Hello: First and foremost, it is important to identify the reason behind the child's anorexia. If the anorexia is caused by gastrointestinal or systemic diseases or drug reactions, it is necessary to seek medical treatment as early as possible. Traditional Chinese medicine can also be used to treat symptoms of anorexia. For example, if the child has poor digestion or food stagnation, they can take concentrated Baohe Pills. If the child has a weak spleen and stomach, reduced appetite, and abdominal distension, they can take Xiangsha Liqun Pills. If the anorexia is due to irregular diet and damage to the spleen and stomach, and the child experiences reduced appetite, abdominal distension, or stomach pain, they can take Xiangsha Yangwei Pills. For food retention and post-meal abdominal distension or diarrhea, Jianpi Pills can be taken.In addition to medication, it is also important to pay attention to methods to make the child enjoy eating. Some children with anorexia cause great anxiety to their parents. To coax the child to eat, some parents use toys to distract them during meals, while others allow them to play while eating... Excessive indulgence by parents and a lack of understanding of proper feeding methods are also direct causes of anorexia in children.
So what should be done? Here are some suggestions:
1. Create a relatively quiet eating environment for the child so that he can eat in a relaxed and pleasant manner. The digestive system is affected by emotions, and stress can lead to reduced appetite. Therefore, adults should not talk loudly or laugh during the child's mealtime, and they should not distract the child by asking them to do this or that.
2. The child's food should not only consider various nutrients but also be diverse and easy to digest. It is best to have a variety of food options that are delicious, fragrant, and appealing in taste and appearance, so that the child develops a desire to eat when they see or smell them. Additionally, the dishes prepared for the child should be cut into small pieces, and the rice should not be cooked too dry to make it easier for them to chew.