Babies don't want to eat, make you anxious? this is the cause and treatment

After exclusive breastfeeding, the next "challenge" parents have to do is to teach babies to eat on their own. Introducing and teaching babies to eat is not an easy matter. In fact, not infrequently, there are babies who are very difficult or don't want to eat, which makes you confused.

In fact, it is feared that this condition can make the baby's nutritional needs not fulfilled properly. Why does this happen and how do you deal with babies who have difficulty eating? Let's look at the full review in the following article.

What causes babies to have difficulty eating?

Seeing a baby who has difficulty even refusing to eat may often make you shake your head. Instead of finishing all the food you are serving, he might play around with the child's food messing up all over the place.

Not only that, you may also see food stuck to the clothes, face, and even your little one's hair. In addition, the condition of babies who have difficulty eating can also occur when you feed them directly.

Instead of bribing the food you give, the baby prefers to reject it and push the spoon away.

Not infrequently, when you feed him and the baby accepts it, the next thing he does is melt the food in his mouth.

This condition can also be a sign that the baby is having difficulty eating. In fact, letting your baby eat on his own can help train his motor skills.

Your little one can also learn more about how to eat properly and properly. In some cases, if eating alone makes it difficult for your baby to do so, you can take another route by feeding them.

However, if after being fed your little one still refuses to eat, you need to know what causes it. Even though it makes you anxious, as long as the baby is growing and developing normally, you don't really need to worry.

Well, here are some of the causes behind the baby's difficult to eat condition:

1. Babies have difficulty eating because they are full

One of the reasons it is difficult for babies to even refuse to eat is because they are already full. Babies should have their own solid solids schedule to help manage when they should breastfeed, eat solid food, and eat snacks.

Adjusting the baby's feeding schedule in such a way can help familiarize the baby to eat according to the hour and teach him to understand satiety and hunger.

There may be times when you give complementary foods (complementary foods) when the baby is or is still feeling full.

So, instead of finishing the food, your little one will actually melt, eat food, or play with it as a sign of not wanting to eat.

Actually you don't need to worry, babies who find it difficult to eat when you give them food will usually ask for food as a sign the baby is hungry.

Notice when your little one hits the spoon, looks away, or covers his mouth, the signs that he is trying to tell you that he doesn't want to eat now.

Avoid forcing your baby to keep eating while he is still full. You can wait until your little one is hungry again and just feeds him. Apply a meal schedule for your baby to get used to being hungry and full.

2. Reluctant to try new types of food

Nearly every baby has problems trying new types of food. While there are babies who can easily taste the new foods you are serving, some of them may reject foods that are unfamiliar.

Introducing new types of food to your little one does take time, sometimes several days, weeks, even months.

During the period of introducing the new food, it is natural for the baby to look troubled, refuse to eat, refuse, and even spit out the food that is already in his mouth.

The point is don't give up if the new type of food you introduce your child rejects. The reason is that it requires repeated trials until we know the child is really refusing or not.

3. Babies have difficulty eating because they are sick

Just like adults, babies can also lose their appetite when their body conditions are not healthy.

When your little one has the flu, sore throat, or teething, it will be difficult for him to taste when you serve solid food.

For example, a baby's complaints because of the pain they experience seem to be greater than their desire to eat.

As a result, this makes it difficult for babies to eat, whether it's when they are eating alone or being fed. You have to be patient if your baby doesn't want to eat when he is sick and even loses weight.

Keep trying and catch up on your little one's weight again when it is healthy.

4. Does not like the texture and taste of food

Apart from having difficulty eating because they are reluctant to try new types of food, babies can also resist the texture and taste of foods that are foreign to them.

There are times when babies refuse to eat because they feel the texture of the food you are giving them is too liquid, thick, mushy, and so on.

This applies to new types of food as well as foods that the baby has eaten before, but is presented with a different appearance.

In other conditions, your little one can find it difficult and even difficult to eat because they tend to have their own preferences for the taste of certain foods.

For example, this happens when he likes the taste of sweet foods, such as when you give fruit to babies to meet the baby's needs for vitamins, fiber, and minerals.

This will make it difficult for the baby or unwilling to eat when given foods with a tasteless, sour, or slightly bitter taste, for example kale, cabbage, or lettuce.

How to deal with babies who have difficulty eating?

Seeing babies refusing to eat often makes parents worry if this continues. However, instead of feeling anxious, you can face this problem of your little one who is reluctant to eat with a cool head.

Every child is actually unique, so the approach taken to support their growth and development should be adjusted according to their respective characteristics.

You can apply the following ways to help deal with baby complaints that it is difficult or even doesn't want to eat:

1. Introduce the baby to new foods in interesting ways

If your little one seems difficult to taste new food because of the shape or texture that is not attractive, you can rack your brain to process these ingredients in different ways.

Help your baby to try new foods more easily by making them look similar to familiar favorite foods.

Take for example, babies love to eat mashed potatoes, but right now you want to introduce them to carrots.

Carrots do have a different natural taste from potatoes. So, you can outsmart by processing carrots mixed with potatoes and made a little smoother.

Try to feed your baby a little at first so that he doesn't get too "shocked" by his new experience. Try giving the same food to the baby for a few days.

If your little one refuses and overreacts during those few days, you can continue first by offering other foods.

It's normal for babies to be picky eaters. It is hoped that you will be more patient when introducing your baby to a new food approximately 8-15 times until the baby really accepts it.

2. Wait until the baby's appetite returns

When the baby is sick and makes it difficult for him to eat, you can wait until his appetite returns to normal.

The solution, you should continue to provide food to the baby as usual. Let the baby decide how much he wants to eat.

In essence, even if the baby refuses to eat when he is sick, you still have to offer him food to recharge his energy so that he gets well quickly.

3. Leave until the baby's desire to eat again

Avoid too force the baby to want to eat, quoted from the Family Doctor. Instead of encouraging your baby to be willing to eat, this will make it even more difficult or unwilling to eat because they lose their appetite.

You can continue to be patient and try to persuade your little one to eat, but still wait until his appetite returns to normal.

4. Pay attention to the meal schedule and food choices

According to the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI), providing regular meals according to schedule can more or less help increase the appetite of babies who do not want to eat.

Try to routinely allow at least 3 hours between main meals to help your baby recognize hunger and fullness. This method is expected to make your little one eat in sufficient portions.

No less important, you should avoid giving foods that contain too much milk. This is because milk can make children feel full quickly so that it reduces their appetite.

For babies aged 6-8 months, feeding can be done 2 times with breast milk 6 times per day. Meanwhile, for babies aged 9-11 months, feeding and breastfeeding are both recommended 4 times per day.

It is different for babies 12 months and over, it is recommended that 6 times be given to feed with breast milk or baby formula 2 times per day.

If the baby's problem is that it is difficult or does not want to eat repeatedly and even affects his weight, it never hurts to consult a doctor immediately.

The doctor can help find out the cause and treatment according to your little one's condition. In addition to aiming to make the desire to eat back to normal, proper handling also helps prevent nutritional problems in babies.

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