In the first years of life, most parents worry that their child is not gaining weight or developing to standard, leading to the child being a poor eater or malnourished. Mothers, don't worry – with just the 3 simple steps below, you can help your baby eat well and gain weight to a scientific standard
1. Understand how to correctly assess weight gain in young children
Parents often assess a child's health by height and weight. This is tracked using the child's growth chart over each stage, within the standard limits for age and sex. Parents should weigh and measure at least 2 times, spaced about 8 weeks apart, to monitor the child's height, weight and health.
There will be periods when a child gains weight slowly, but parents should not worry too much. Only when a child fails to gain weight for 3 consecutive months or loses weight do parents need to strengthen nutrition to help the baby gain weight better. Many parents think that the more weight their child gains, the better. This leads to being overweight compared with the standard, which also affects the child badly, so parents should also watch their child's portions, as it can easily lead to a risk of obesity.
Parents should understand well the pattern of their baby's weight development in order to care for the baby's health and raise the baby scientifically, helping them grow up healthy and well-rounded in both body and mind.
2. Always maintain healthy activities for your child
Play and exploration activities not only bring children a new world but are also an opportunity for them to recharge their energy in a balanced way. Parents should set aside about 30 minutes a day for their children to play. Let children explore and move freely, with play activities suited to their needs and interests such as colouring, fishing, arranging letters, digging sand, etc.
When children move a lot, they tend to like eating and enjoy their food more. Parents do not need to force their child to eat – the children will take care of that themselves.
3. Keep a balanced mindset and add foods that help your baby eat well
Keeping a balanced atmosphere at your child's meals is also necessary for the child to enjoy eating. Encouraging your baby to feed themselves together with the family in a cheerful, comfortable atmosphere will make the child feel "independent" and bring more excitement to every meal.
Mothers also need to pay attention to balancing the nutrients in their child's meals. Don't force your child to eat, or feed foods rich in protein and fat, etc., just because your child is not gaining weight steadily. A study by Weber of the University of Munich, Germany, showed that if children get too much protein in their early years, their risk of being overweight or obese is 2.43 times higher than that of normal children. Therefore, keeping nutrition balanced is extremely important for children. It also affects how well children eat. If a child eats the same dish with the same nutrients over and over, it also makes them lose their appetite and become a poor eater.