How to increase a child's appetite?

How to increase a child’s appetite – this question is a burning one for many mothers who are faced with the fact that their child eats very poorly.

The primary task for solving this kind of problem seems to be to determine the main reasons for this and take appropriate measures to improve the child's appetite. A child's refusal to eat in the required amount can occur for a number of reasons. The reason for this phenomenon can be the presence of certain psycho-emotional problems, selective appetite, i.e. the discrepancy between the offered dishes and the child's taste preferences, or snacking on milk, candy or cookies at an inappropriate time in addition to the main meals.

In cases where it is necessary to stimulate a child's appetite, it should be remembered that the use of such effective and efficient means as bitters for this purpose is not fully acceptable, since liquid dosage forms containing alcohol are not recommended for use in early childhood. In addition, it is often very problematic to get a child to accept the same medicine as for adults, which does not have a particularly pleasant taste. Therefore, in relation to children, of all the forms of drugs that contain bitters, those presented as tablets are justified. Or these can be special dietary supplements with bitters. A good effect for stimulating a child's appetite is achieved even if the phytocomplex contains only one bitterness - dandelion or wormwood. They should be given to the child to drink from 20 minutes to half an hour before eating.

Special teas brewed with barberry and juniper berries, anise and caraway seeds, rose hips, chokeberries and black currants are great for increasing a child's appetite. Strawberries, apples, sea buckthorn, citrus fruits and kiwi are also good for this purpose. Such appetizing teas should be consumed from 1 hour to 40 minutes before meals. The fruits and berries listed can also be used to prepare salads for a child in small portions of 30-50 grams.

In conclusion, the following should be said. When, in connection with decreased appetite, there are no negative consequences such as a decrease in growth rates or body weight significantly less than age norms, this does not cause an urgent need to take immediate measures aimed at increasing the child's appetite. However, it would still be useful to consult a pediatrician and examine the little patient.

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How to increase a baby's appetite?

A child's body is a complex self-regulating system that is able to independently determine how much food is needed and what kind it should be in order to facilitate the process of full development and growth of the child. Therefore, if the baby does not eat well, this serves as a signal about the need to determine what in the food he is receiving does not suit him, and what to replace those components of the menu with which he refuses. And also at the expense of what to ensure that he receives certain missing substances. The main goal that becomes for parents in this case is to stimulate the child's independent desire to eat.

Before approaching the solution of the problem of how to increase appetite in a baby, it is necessary to take into account that decreased appetite can be one of the symptoms of a particular disease state. A significant weakening or complete absence of hunger during illness can be provoked by a decrease in the level of production of all secretions involved in digestion, and a violation of the evacuation function of the stomach. Previously received food remains in it for a longer time, and as a result, hunger does not occur. The course of severe diseases significantly weakens the child's body, and the child does not have the strength to eat, he has no appetite.

A breastfed baby's loss of appetite may be due to the following reasons. If the nursing mother has flat nipples or tight breasts, the baby may have difficulty sucking. He may also not like the taste of milk. Difficulty sucking may be due to increased gas formation or constipation, or the problem may be due to difficulty breathing due to a runny nose. He may also have pain when feeding due to thrush.

There are a number of practical recommendations to increase the appetite of a baby. It is necessary to spend a sufficient amount of time outdoors. You should not demand that the baby eat the entire portion offered to him. It is better to let him eat a little, but more often. Also, do not force him to eat those products that the baby makes it clear that he does not like - in order to avoid the child having a negative perception of the process of eating itself. The key to success in this regard is food that looks appetizing and matches the tastes of the baby. It is important that the food is not only tasty, but also made from healthy and high-quality products.

The methods and means, the use of which can help with a child's complete refusal to eat, will be suggested by a doctor, a visit to whom is mandatory in this case. Such a medical consultation will help to determine the range of causes and prescribe appropriate drugs to eliminate this problem. And a healthy, active and cheerful baby, even if not a very important eater, will definitely eat as soon as he gets hungry. There is no reason to worry if his height and weight are according to age norms.

How to increase a teenager's appetite?

With the entry of a child into adolescence, transitional age, significant changes in his appetite can be observed. Very significant changes in the eating habits of a teenager can occur, even if nothing like this was observed before the age of 13-14. Teenage girls suddenly begin to refuse food in order to save their figure, and some boys may think that they are fat and need to lose weight. Based on this, we can say that the reasons for decreased appetite in teenagers are largely psycho-emotional in nature. The task of parents, before starting to look for ways to increase a teenager's appetite, therefore, should be reduced to approaching this issue with all parental understanding, and also determining whether it is necessary to contact a child psychologist. In addition, it is necessary to examine the teenager for disorders of the functioning of the organs involved in the digestive processes, gastrointestinal tract, pancreas. It is also necessary to check the state of the endocrine system, to find out whether the teenager is in nervous tension or experiencing stress.

Among the medications that help increase appetite, it is advisable to include vitamin formulations and biologically active supplements containing zinc in the diet of a teenager. A deficiency of this element leads to a violation of the sense of taste and smell, to a decrease in appetite. When replenishing the zinc deficiency in the body, a normalization of appetite is noted after 30 to 60 days after the start of using zinc-containing drugs.

Appetite also increases with the use of vitamin preparations in the form of capsules containing succinic and citric acid.

For teenagers suffering from asthenia and having a decreased appetite, it may be justified to prescribe herbal adaptogens: ginseng, aralia, eleutherococcus, pink radiola, Chinese magnolia vine, etc. Due to their active influence on the hormonal balance in the body, they can only be prescribed by a medical specialist.

Not the least important in terms of stimulating a teenager's appetite is a sufficient level of physical activity. After school, let him, for example, go to some sports section, walk more in the fresh air.

It would also be a good idea to avoid having food at home that can harm your appetite (chips, hot dogs, sausages, sweet carbonated drinks, cakes, candies, cookies). In addition, you should try to set the table beautifully, with dishes of different colors, to give a regular meal a touch of festive mood, thereby stimulating your appetite.

By following a number of the above recommendations from nutritionists, it becomes possible to successfully overcome the problem of food refusal in children during adolescence.

Appetite enhancers for children

The simplest and most accessible way to stimulate a child's appetite is to offer the baby to drink some sour apple juice, 30 minutes before the main meal. This promotes active production of gastric juice.

Traditional medicine offers a wide variety of means to increase appetite in children.

There are many recipes using various medicinal plants. For this purpose, the use of barberry and juniper berries, rose hips, black currants, sea buckthorn, chokeberry, caraway and anise seeds is effective. The undeniable advantage of these products is that they have a pleasant and sweet taste, so the child will be more willing to take them than bitter tinctures and decoctions of wormwood, dandelion root, chicory, calamus, yarrow. Although the latter are distinguished by a more pronounced effect of stimulating appetite, since their use increases the gastrosecretory function. Phytopreparations for appetite should be given to the child from half an hour to 20 minutes before the main meal.

Various homeopathic remedies containing cina – santonica wormwood, colchicum, calcium and magnesium salts – have proven themselves to be effective in stimulating children’s appetite.

The pharmaceutical industry today offers many drugs that help increase children's appetite. Among them, we especially note Elkar containing levocarnitine (carniphyte), lysine, glycine, and the enzyme preparation Creon.

If a child eats poorly or refuses to eat, this should not necessarily become a cause for extreme concern for parents in all cases. All that is required in such a situation is to calmly and judiciously weigh and analyze all possible factors and circumstances that may cause the child to refuse food. Based on the range of possible causes identified, the appropriate means of increasing appetite are selected. It is important not to forget that the prescription of medications for a child's appetite can only be carried out by a pediatrician following a consultation with him.

Vitamins that increase appetite in children

When a child receives vitamins and minerals with food in all the necessary amounts, this is a significant factor that determines the active development of all systems of the child's body, most positively contributing to all processes occurring in it and beneficially influencing the strengthening of the immune system. On the other hand, when receiving various useful components in insufficient quantities, the child's vulnerability to various diseases increases, sleep is disturbed - insomnia occurs, the child becomes capricious, he has a lack of desire to eat. In this case, vitamins that increase appetite in children are included in the number of appropriate complex measures to restore the normal functioning of the child's body, along with the intensification of physical activity, analysis and optimal organization of the diet and correction of eating habits, as well as the prevention of stress factors.

Vitamin A is very important for developing a child's appetite and stimulating children's desire to eat. Thanks to it, it becomes possible to maintain mucous membranes in a healthy state, this vitamin also strengthens the child's immune system. A lack of vitamin A is indicated by peeling of the skin, an increased tendency of the child to get infectious diseases, and deterioration of vision in the dark. The consumption of broccoli, milk and dairy products, carrots, liver, and eggs will help to replenish the deficiency.

Decreased appetite is one of the main signs of a lack of vitamins belonging to group B. In addition, excessive fatigue or possible disturbances in the heart activity indicate the need to replenish their presence in the child's body. When in sufficient quantities, vitamins B 1, B 2, B 3, B 6, B 7, B 12 participate in the process of energy production in the body, help to normalize the functioning of the central nervous system and maintain an optimal state of the psycho-emotional sphere. Rich content of vitamins B is found in bread and brewer's yeast, cereals, nuts, meat and liver.

To improve appetite in children, they are recommended to take ascorbic acid - vitamin C. Its role is important in the processes of releasing energy from fats, as well as for modeling immunity. Ascorbic acid also helps to avoid such a negative phenomenon as bleeding gums. Vitamin C is found in many fruits and berries, in green leafy vegetables, in citrus fruits.

There is no doubt that vitamins are beneficial in terms of increasing a child's appetite, and they are quite significant. However, in order for the use of such vitamins to have the desired effect without developing negative consequences, a number of rules should be strictly followed: strictly follow the instructions for a particular prescribed drug and do not allow its permissible doses to be exceeded.

Foods that increase appetite in children

In order to help cope with such a common problem for many parents as a child’s lack of appetite, it is advisable to include certain foods in the child’s diet.

A number of the following berries and fruits can have a beneficial effect on the formation of appetite. Their use for preparing delicious teas for a child from:

• juniper and barberry berries;
• anise and caraway seeds;
• chokeberry and black currant;
• rose hips;
• sea buckthorn;
• apples;
• kiwi;
• citrus.

The products that increase appetite in children, listed above, can be offered to a child who eats poorly also in the form of a 30-50 gram portion of fruit salad from 1 hour to 40 minutes before the main meal.

All kinds of spices are well known for their appetite-stimulating effect. Using the simplest of them – pepper, cloves, garlic seasoning and others added to food will not harm children as young as three years old. A remarkable effect of stimulating children's appetite is achieved very easily even in such a simple combination as any of the above spices in addition to boiled potatoes.

Sour-tasting foods can help increase a child's appetite, since their ingestion into the body causes intensive production of gastric juice. It is enough for the child to eat half an apple, an orange slice, drink sweet juice or tea with lemon some time before starting the main meal - and he will not refuse the subsequent breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Honey can have a beneficial effect on regulating the child's digestive system, including in terms of appetite formation. It also promotes better weight gain.

To eliminate existing negative changes in the child's appetite, parents often need a lot of time and effort and a large reserve of patience. It can be said that the measures taken to increase the child's appetite will be successful to the extent that the causes are accurately identified and established, as well as how they follow medical and dietary recommendations, and the advice of psychologists.