Loss of Appetite | Reasons Among Children

Loss of Appetite | Reasons Among Children

Loss of Appetite | Reasons Among Children

You may be a first-time mom, or even a seasoned one, looking for possible answers on why your toddler suddenly had changed when it comes to appetite. They may have been a little bit withdrawn to any food you offer, whereas before, just its scent or idea is already invigorating for them. I understand what you feel, and I know that this is something that needs to be addressed.

Some would say that it is just a part of growing up, so we are not to overreact to such changes in appetite. But the truth is, such changes are crucial in their growth years! That is why we need to be adequately informed about these things. Upon doing my research about this, I came across experts and dieticians who gave their insights about the varied factors that might affect our toddlers’ appetite. Let me share them with you in this article.

Loss of Appetite | Reasons Among Children

CAUSES FOR THE LOSS OF APPETITE OF YOUR CHILD

Your toddler might be having an excessive intake of fluid.

Note that toddlers have a smaller capacity for stomachs compared to adults. That’s why everything that we ask them to intake, may be solid, or liquid has a significant effect on the way they eat. For instance, the usual fluid intake for a toddler should be about 1200 up to 1500ml only, inclusive of milk. It should be a 300ml or 10oz of milk, and the rest should be water. If such measurement is not monitored correctly, that might affect the overall appetite of the toddler. You may serve the liquid using a lidless baker to ensure this since the lid allows the child to drink excessively. You may also correctly spread out evenly throughout the day the measuring cups of liquid. Do not let your child take any fluid at least 30 minutes before a meal since they might already feel full before the actual meal. Lastly, while eating, allow them to have some liquid once they are halfway done with their meal.

Your toddler might be having unstructured meals.

Remember that a typical toddler would usually have three full meals a day with two to three snacks in between. At times, when toddlers crave something, even if it is not yet the actual eating time, we give in and allow them to take what they want. This is not advantageous with their appetite since it becomes unstructured and thus affects their taste. When it is time for them to eat what they are supposed to eat, they cannot anymore take it in since they ate something out of the usual mealtime. If they insist that they want to eat something, give them a slice of fruits. But if they are asking for something more, then it is not hunger anymore. It is more of boredom than hunger. To change their mood, then, you may go for an engaging activity.

Loss of Appetite | Reasons Among Children

Your toddler might be feeling too pressured about the meal times

Yes, structured meal times are critical, but make sure that its importance would not be so urged for your toddler, or else, they won’t feel optimistic about it and might result in further loss of appetite. At times, parents would insist on mealtime that toddlers would think they are being ordered rather than nurtured. The behavior of the parents towards mealtime should be something positive, caring, and encouraging. To fully develop this, you may ask your toddler to help you prepare for the meal by asking them to get their utensils and the likes. They will feel more involved in this process. While eating, train your child to do it properly by not having distractions of toys or gadgets. Also, let them sit until they finish the food. Remember that at this early stage, proper etiquette in table manners must be developed. Lastly, once you’re all done eating, allow your kid to help in the cleaning part. They may put their food utensils at the sink, for instance.

Your toddler might be feeling constipated.

For toddlers, constipation can hugely affect their appetite. That is why you have to make sure that your kid is taking enough fiber and liquid. To do this, you may include a high-fiber diet in your child’s meal. For example, of this would-be wheat biscuits, porridge, bran flakes, 2 to 4 portions of fruits and vegetables in the entire day, and enough liquid intake.

Suppose constipation has other symptoms such as lesser bowel motions than three in a week, straining and anxiety during bowel movements, as well as behavior indicating or showing that your toddler is withholding tools. In that case, it means that you have to do something about that constipation already by following the tips I’ve given earlier.

Loss of Appetite | Reasons Among Children

Your toddler might be having poor sleeping patterns

Sleeping less than usual as well as more time than usual are both forms of changes in your toddler’s sleeping routine. Any changes that might happen to this would affect their entire mood and thus jeopardize their eating appetite. So, to ensure that this would be avoided, coming up with a schedule would be perfect.

Through this short article, I hope that I somehow shared valuable something you may use if you encounter the same situation. Thank you, and have a great day!