Eating disorders in children aged 2-8 years

Eating disorders range from age-related variability in appetite to serious problems, including life-threatening diseases such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating. Parents of 2-8-year-olds often worry that a child does not eat enough or, on the contrary, eats a lot, eats wrong food, refuses certain types of food or behaves inadequately during meals (feeds pets, throws or deliberately drops food).

The examination includes ascertaining the frequency of occurrence of such problems, their duration and severity. Measure the weight and height of the child. Especially carefully it is necessary to examine children for serious eating disorders if they constantly express dissatisfaction with their appearance or weight if their weight decreases or starts to grow much faster than before. At the same time, most food problems do not last long enough to influence the growth and development of the child. If the child looks good and grows within acceptable limits, parents should be reassured and advised to minimize conflicts and coercion with regard to food. The prolonged and excessive concern of parents can participate in the subsequent development of eating disorders. Attempts to force a child to eat rarely increase the intake of food; a child can keep food in his mouth, or he may develop vomiting. Parents should offer the child food sitting at the table, without distractions such as television, pets, and should not express any emotions, putting food before the child. Food should be removed after 20-30 minutes without commenting on what is eaten and what is not. The child should take part in the cleaning of any food that he threw or deliberately dropped to the floor. These methods, together with the restriction of snacks between basic meals to one morning and one afternoon, usually restore the relationship between appetite, the amount of food eaten and the nutritional needs of the child.

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