Feeding challenges among children can be frustrating and concerning. Let’s explore some common feeding challenges, their causes, and how to handle them.
Feeding challenges occur in most normally developing children.
Refusal or inability to feed certain types of food is one of the most common challenges that caregivers and parents face. Feeding challenges may lead to negative physical, nutritional, and cognitive development of a child.
Identification of feeding challenges is not an easy task. However, early identification helps you to cope with the challenge. Reviewing the child’s growth and feeding history, observing meals, and assessing health can identify the presence and severity of feeding challenges.
Ways to identify feeding challenges in children
Frequent constipation
Constipation occurs when a bowel movement is less frequent and stool is hard and difficult to pass. Constipation can result from eating low fiber diet, dehydration, and inactivity Constipation is common among children but you can do the following to prevent it:
- Eat plenty of fiber. A variety of fruits and vegetables contain fiber. Fruit skin in fruits such as apples is especially rich in fiber. Fiber is also plenty in fruit with edible seeds such as strawberries and blueberries.
Legumes whole-grain bread and cereals are also excellent sources of fiber. Feeding your child a well-balanced diet will help you achieve the fiber needed to prevent constipation.
- Drink plenty of fluids. Your child should drink enough fluid. Apart from water, fresh fruit juice and soups are fluids that prevent dehydration and help in digestion hence preventing constipation. Liquids containing caffeine and soft drinks can dehydrate you hence they should be avoided.
- Do regular exercise. You should encourage your child to go out and play with their peers rather than sitting in the house. Exercise helps reduce the time food spends in the colon, thereby limiting water absorption from stool.
Refusal to eat or refusal to eat newly introduced food
At times, children refuse to eat food they once ate without any problem and also refuse to eat newly introduced foods. The newly introduced foods may have different shapes, textures, and colors that they are not familiar with. Once your child refuses to eat a certain type of food, take your time to encourage them to feed. This may take a while before it’s accepted but frequent exposure will help.
You can also reintroduce the refused foods in different forms. A child may refuse one form of food and accept the other. For example, vegetables may be offered cooked with food or raw as vegetable salad. You can also make snacks such as samosa and sandwiches with vegetable fillings.
Do not pressure your child to eat. Instead, encourage them to eat small portions frequently. Forcing your child to eat can lead to negative consequences such as disliking certain types of food, overeating, and being overweight.
Unhealthy food choices
Healthy feeding habits in childhood provide the basis for good health later in life. As parents and caregivers, you should expose your children to healthy foods from an early age. Nowadays, children are too exposed to unhealthy food such as crisps, biscuits, cakes, and soft drinks. They are unwilling to eat healthy foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
You should help your children understand the benefits of what they eat. Educate them on the importance of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables to their body. Be a role model and eat together with your children. They are likely to try new healthy foods that they see others eating. Children tend to imitate the eating habits of the people around them.
Therefore, reduce their exposure to unhealthy food or remove such food completely from home. Stock your home with healthy food because children usually eat what is available.
Feeding challenges are among the most frequent health problems among children. The persistence of these challenges may lead to nutritional deficiencies and health problems that manifest later in life. Although most of the feeding challenges have no other underlying causes, children with danger signs and symptoms need closer examination by a qualified nutritionist or pediatrician so that causes are ruled out. This is crucial, especially in children with slower weight gain.