How do you know when a child is underweight (underweight)?

Body weight is an indicator used to determine whether a child's nutrition is good or not. When a child has an ideal body weight, it means that their nutritional intake can meet all their daily needs. But not infrequently, a child's weight can be less than the normal range it should be. This condition indicates that the child has experienced underweight . Check out more about underweight in children through the review below, let's go!

What is underweight?

Underweight or underweight is a condition when the child's weight is below the average or normal range. Ideally, children are said to have a normal weight when they are equal to their peers.

On the other hand, underweight indicates that the child's body weight is not comparable or lower than his age group. Just like being overweight, children who are underweight are usually the result of a health problem.

Underweight children are a sign that their body is not getting enough nutrients to support body development. For example, bones, skin, hair, and various other body parts.

In addition, having a history of or currently experiencing certain medical diseases can also be a background for the condition of an underweight child. This is what then inhibits or makes it difficult to gain normal weight in children.

When is a child said to be underweight?

Based on the provisions of WHO, there are two indicators of nutritional status assessment that can be used to assess underweight in children. The first is the indicator of body weight based on age (BW / U), which is more specifically for children aged 0-60 months. The second is the indicator of body mass index (BMI) based on age (BMI / U), which is usually used for children 5-18 years.

Children aged 0-60 months are said to be underweight when the measurement of the BW / U indicator is between the number below -2 to -3 standard deviation (SD). Meanwhile, children aged 5-18 years are included in the underweight category if the BMI / U indicator is less than the 5th percentile.

However, it needs to be understood, the BB / U indicator generally does not give priority in assessing the nutritional status of children. On the other hand, indicators of body weight based on height (BW / TB) are often used. Not without reason, because the BB / TB indicator is considered to be more able to describe the overall growth and development of children.

What are the symptoms of underweight in children?

The easiest symptom to see if the child is underweight is that he looks thin. This condition occurs due to the amount of energy consumed is too low and is not proportional to the energy expended.

Or in other words, the daily energy intake obtained may not be able to meet the large daily nutritional needs of the child. In addition, various symptoms of underweight in children also include:

• Hair loss easily
• Weak immune system, making it prone to disease
• Tiring easily
• Difficulty concentrating
• Lack of energy when doing activities
• Bones tend to be brittle
• Growth and development of the body is rather slow

Another symptom that can also be had by underweight children is the appearance of bones and veins that are clearly visible on the skin. In fact, the purplish-blue blood vessels that usually appear on the skin don't stick out by themselves.

Medical experts claim that this is because the skin of underweight children tends to be drier and thinner. This is what further clarifies the appearance of the flow of blood vessels. However, the appearance of bones and veins under the skin is not always associated as a symptom of underweight in children.

What causes underweight in children?

There are various things that cause a child to be underweight, including:

1. Family history

Some children tend to have less weight influenced by physical characteristics of their families.

2. Fast metabolism

The rate at which a person has a metabolism is often associated with difficulty or ease in changing body weight. Children with a fast or smooth metabolic system tend to have more difficulty gaining weight.

In fact, even though the child has eaten foods with high energy content.

3. Experiencing chronic disease

Diseases that are experienced in a long enough time, can affect the nutritional status of children. Especially if the disease experienced is an infectious disease.

Usually, infectious diseases often cause symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite in children. Various symptoms like this can make the child's food intake decrease.

Other chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, thyroid problems, and digestive disorders such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, can also make you lose weight dramatically.

4. Have a mental illness

Mental health problems can affect a child's appetite. Whether it's depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia.

What are the effects of being underweight on children?

Like being overweight, there are also many risk factors that lurk when a child is underweight. Indeed, not all children with underweight will experience the adverse effects of this condition.

However, there are several risks that might arise due to the child's underweight, such as:

• Susceptible to osteoporosis later in life.
• Hair and skin problems are easily problematic, due to the lack of daily nutritional intake which plays a role in maintaining their health.
• It is easy to fall sick, because there is not enough nutrition that the body needs to fight infection.
• Feeling tired all the time, due to less than optimal calorie intake which should act as an energy source.
• The child's growth is slow or impaired.

How to treat underweight in children?

The main way that is usually done to deal with underweight in children is by adopting a healthy diet every day. In this case, a nutritionist will usually provide daily menu recommendations along with proper eating rules according to the child's condition.

Well, here are the keys to implementing a healthy diet so that the weight of children with underweight increases, namely:

1. Increase eating snacks

If your little one has trouble eating or has a decreased appetite, you can outsmart it by providing healthy snacks on breaks between main meal schedules. Choose healthy snacks that are high in carbohydrates and protein. For example oatmeal, bread, peanut butter, almonds, and so on.

2. Eat small portions but often

Not infrequently, children are underweight because they are unable to spend too much food. Instead, give children smaller portions of food but with more time. This method will help children get their nutritional needs.

3. Provide nutrient dense foods

In order for the child's condition to recover quickly, you should choose foods that are dense in nutrition. So, when giving food in a small portion, he will get adequate nutrition.

This could be one way to help meet their daily nutritional needs. Examples of nutrient-dense foods, for example, adding almonds on top of cereal.

In addition to the above methods, doctors may also prescribe anti-nausea drugs or appetite enhancers for cases of underweight children who are already severe. That is why new doctors will provide this option when home treatments are not considered fruitful.

But in addition, daily feeding for underweight children should also apply several things such as:

• Provide a variety of vegetables and fruits every day.
• The source of carbohydrates should not be forgotten. Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, or other types of tubers can be good choices.
• Give a glass of cow's milk or alternative choices, such as soy milk or yogurt.
• Make sure protein sources meet the needs of children, such as from nuts, fish, eggs, meat, and others.
• Unsaturated oil intake even in small amounts must be fulfilled.
• Fill your child's fluid needs about 6-8 glasses per day.

For children under 5 years of age, the need for fat is very important to support the development of body and brain functions. Overall, the child's daily diet should not contain too many additional flavorings and dyes, and no preservatives.

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