Tips for choosing an appetite-enhancing vitamin that is safe for children

child A child's appetite is difficult to predict. One time she could be very hungry, but the next day it changed drastically, refusing all the food that was offered. Although it often makes parents dizzy, this condition is normal. Giving vitamins for children who have difficulty eating is an option. Can children under five be given appetite-enhancing vitamins? The following is the full explanation.

The content of vitamins to increase appetite for children under five

Before choosing an appetite-enhancing vitamin for toddlers, you should consult your doctor first. Ask if your child can be given vitamin supplements, especially if the child is taking certain drugs.

It's best to wait until your child is four years old when you want to give your child a vitamin supplement, unless the doctor recommends something else.

Some things that may need to be considered when choosing vitamins for children with difficulty eating are:

Pay attention to the ingredients in the supplement

In choosing vitamins for children with difficulty eating, it is important to know the content in these supplements.

There are several ingredients in vitamin supplements that act as appetite enhancers so that toddlers can gain weight. Here's the list:

Zinc

The condition of children under five who are deficient in zinc can cause a decrease in appetite. Appetite enhancing vitamins in your little one usually contain zinc which can increase appetite and zinc content in the blood.

However, giving vitamins must still be under the supervision of a doctor so that the dose given to your little one is according to his age.

Iron

Decreased appetite for children can make your child deficient in the vitamin iron. Quoting from the Mayo Clinic, iron plays a role in moving oxygen from the lungs throughout the body and helps muscles store and use oxygen.

Children who are at risk of iron deficiency, namely:

• Low birth weight (LBW)
• Children who drink cow's milk before the age of one
• Complementary feeding (complementary feeding) that does not contain iron
• Children who eat less iron-rich foods

Children aged 1-5 years need about 7-10 mg of iron a day. Consult a doctor if your little one has signs of iron deficiency, for example:

• Pale face
• Tiring easily
• Cold hands and feet
• No appetite
• The child's breathing is irregular

Doctors will usually prescribe vitamin iron for children. Giving this vitamin can be an appetite enhancer for toddlers, so that it can help the child's weight gain.

Keep in mind, even though the child has been given vitamin supplements, you should still encourage children to eat foods with balanced nutrition.

However, the goodness of natural vitamins and minerals found in foods such as vegetables and fruit is irreplaceable.

Fish oil

Fish oil is known to be an effective ingredient in stimulating children's appetite. In addition, fish oil can also improve the performance of the digestive system and reduce the risk of flatulence in your little one.

Fish oil is usually extracted from fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel or sardines. Appetite enhancing vitamins for children under five that contain fish oil are usually capsules.

Make sure to look at the serving sizes on the package to avoid excess fish oil.

Vitamin D

This one vitamin plays a role in the absorption of calcium in the body so that it keeps levels normal. This is what makes vitamin D very important for the growth of your little one's bones and teeth.

An appetite-enhancing vitamin for your little one that contains vitamin D acts as a bone and tooth strengthening agent. This supplement is usually recommended for 2-5 years at a dosage of about 15 mcg per day.

Calcium

Toddler weight is also related to the bone density of toddlers who are still growing. To increase bone density, toddlers are advised to consume enough calcium.

Your child has an allergy to certain foods? Choosing an appetite-enhancing vitamin for children under five who have allergies cannot be arbitrary.

Little ones who have allergies tend to experience deficiency of vitamin D, calcium, and omega 3 fatty acids. Apart from these three vitamins, children who have allergies are also deficient in zinc and magnesium.

If his needs are not met when the child is young, it will have an effect when he grows up.

Research conducted by Clinical and Translational Allergy found that 60 percent of children aged 4 weeks to 16 years and who have allergies, are deficient in vitamin D.

Children who have allergies also lack zinc and iron from daily food sources. So, it is important for parents to recognize food allergies in children so that they can provide vitamins for children who have difficulty eating properly.

Choose a vitamin that does not look like candy

How do you choose an appetite-enhancing vitamin supplement for toddlers? The first point is to choose a vitamin supplement that is not in a form like candy and which is not high in sugar.

It is feared that the child thinks the supplement is candy, so he wants to consume it again and again. This will cause the child's intake of vitamins and minerals to be excessive.

This is certainly not good. If you choose a supplement in a candy-like form, it's best to keep it out of the reach of children and explain to the child that it is not candy.

You can outsmart it by providing vitamins in the form of syrup with a taste that does not traumatize the child when consuming it.

Choose vitamins that pass BPOM

There are many vitamin supplements that claim to be a toddler's appetite enhancer at a low price. You need to pay attention to whether the product has passed the certification from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) or not.

The reason is, vitamins that do not or have not passed the BPOM certification are not tested for safety. This can threaten the health of your little one.

Adjust to the child's age

It is important for parents to choose appetite-enhancing vitamins according to the age of toddlers. The best time to give vitamins is when the child is 4 years old.

However, it will be different if a doctor's examination shows that your little one needs additional supplements, even though he is not yet 4 years old.

Follow the dosage instructions

When your little one has difficulty eating and you want to give more than the recommended dose, that is not the right step. Excess doses of vitamins can interfere with the absorption of other nutrients that are lacking.

If you are in doubt about which vitamins are suitable for your child's condition, you should consult a doctor.

Also keep in mind that basically appetite-enhancing vitamins are given according to the baby's body condition. That is, it does not mean that the vitamin is really pure to stimulate appetite, but only sufficient nutrients that are lacking because he does not want to eat.

Therefore, a doctor's recommendation on what vitamins are needed is very important.

Conditions that make toddlers need appetite-enhancing vitamins

Quoting from the Mayo Clinic, appetite-enhancing vitamins are not needed for toddlers with good and healthy growth.

Children with a good appetite do not need these vitamin supplements. This is because he can get all of his nutritional needs from consuming various foods every day.

However, there are several conditions that encourage children under five to be given appetite-enhancing vitamins, such as:

Not getting balanced nutrition

Toddlers who do not eat regularly and do not get a balanced diet for toddlers need appetite-enhancing vitamins.

If this condition has been going on for a long time, giving additional supplements is important so that children's nutrition is still adequate.

But before giving supplements, consult your pediatrician first, in order to get a dose and a prescription for vitamins that are suitable for your little one's condition.

Food intolerance

What is a food intolerance? This is a condition when the body cannot digest certain substances contained in food and drink. This is different from a food allergy related to the immune or the immune system.

Food intolerance occurs when a chemical reaction between food substances enters the body, in a child's digestive condition.

If your child has this condition, the symptoms will appear several hours after food is consumed. It could even be for a longer time, for example 48 hours after eating or drinking.

Food intolerance makes your little one's appetite decrease dramatically.

The composition of the food is not quite right

From the official website of the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI), it is explained that this is one of the most common causes of difficulty eating in children.

Factors of inappropriate food composition, texture and method of administration also affect the child's appetite.

Often times this is due to the lack of animal protein composition in the children's diet. In fact, food sources of animal protein can add to the taste of food according to the toddler's eating schedule.

The child is constipated

Pain or discomfort in the body also affects the child's appetite. This often makes parents decide to give toddlers appetite-enhancing vitamins.

Constipation or constipation is a condition of constipation in adults and children. The frequency of defecating in children is usually once a day.

However, when children experience constipation, their bowel habits change and become only once a week. This condition can make it difficult for children to eat, even not wanting to try new types of food.

Diarrhea

Apart from constipation, diarrhea also often causes a child's appetite to decrease dramatically. Diarrhea is caused by a viral or bacterial infection, this makes the child dehydrated and have frequent bowel movements.

Diarrhea in children makes it weak and powerless because the fluid in the body is reduced through feces that are not solid in texture. Sometimes this condition requires vitamins for children who have difficulty eating.

The picky eater

The little one who is very picky in terms of the toddler's diet really needs appetite-enhancing vitamins. The reason is that he may not be getting enough nutrition from food.

In a journal entitled Proceeding of the Nutrition Society, the consequences received by children who are choosy eaters or picky eater is:

• Lack of zinc and iron
• Constipation
• Stunted child growth

These three things indicate that children need additional appetite-enhancing vitamins to support the growth of children under five to run well.

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Vegetarian child

Children who are on a vegetarian diet, really need additional supplements because of the possibility that their nutrition has not been fulfilled.

Quoting from the NPR, a vegetarian diet in children does not provide enough vitamins and minerals for children. Various nutrients that are usually inadequate are vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and zinc.

If you are worried about your little one's nutritional needs, you can consult a doctor first. Usually, doctors will recommend vitamin and mineral supplements for children.

Children eat less nutritious food

If your child is accustomed to eating processed foods or drinking soft drinks, he needs additional supplements.

The reason is because children do not get enough fresh food, so they are most likely not getting the proper nutrition for toddlers. It does not get enough of the vitamins and minerals that the body needs.

If the child does not have an appetite for food, you should gently seduce the child first so that he wants to eat, but don't force the child.

Create a pleasant atmosphere when eating so that children enjoy the food. Also try to provide food that your child likes so he will eat, and limit consumption snack so that the child is not full when eating big.

If these methods have been done but the toddler's appetite has not increased, maybe you can give appetite-enhancing vitamins to stimulate your little one's appetite.

Have certain health problems

Adult appetite often decreases when they feel that their body is not healthy, as well as children. Some of the health problems that make it difficult for children to eat are:

• Sprue
• Flu
• Rash on the skin
• Sore throat
• Fever
• Urinary tract infection

These health problems often disturb the child's appetite and they don't feel good about eating anything.

Other conditions

Quoting from About Kids Health, several health problems sometimes cause a loss of appetite for toddlers. The condition is having a sore throat, rash, fever, cough and runny nose.

But besides illness, there are several things that cause children to lose their appetite, namely:

• Your little one eats at mealtime breaks so that he is full at mealtime.
• Toddlers consume too much water (for example, drink juice) between meals.
• Toddlers aged 1-5 years are experiencing a period of growth.
• The activity carried out is not too much so that the energy does not burn.

If you don't experience the above but your child is still active, there is nothing to worry about. Keep monitoring your little one's health and seeing the toddler's development, whether it is progressing or experiencing setbacks.

If you experience setbacks, immediately consult a doctor for an examination and administration of appetite-enhancing vitamins for children under five.

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