Some mothers feel worried and get headaches when their child has a poor appetite. They go to great lengths to cook one dish after another and try every way to make the child eat, yet the child still stubbornly refuses to eat. So what causes poor appetite in children? What is the solution? Let's find out together with Yến Sào Sài Gòn!
Some causes of poor appetite and slow growth in children
Fear of being forced to eat
Psychological poor appetite is the main and most common cause in children who do not want to eat. Many parents do not understand their child's feelings, do not care whether the child likes the food, and do not know whether the child has eaten enough,… so whenever they see the child not eating or eating little, they try to force the child to eat by any means without finding out why the child has a poor appetite.
When the child will not eat, they coax and tempt the child with countless "tricks"; when coaxing does not work, they turn to threatening or deceiving the child, making the child frightened, eating with "tears in their eyes" and looking for ways to avoid mealtimes.
A boring menu with little variety
A boring menu with little variety is also one of the main reasons for poor appetite in children. Children have to eat the same dish for many days, it is repeated often, or the mother only prepares monotonous dishes that do not stimulate the child's sense of taste, leaving the child bored.
Parents letting children snack
Quite a few parents think that letting children snack will make up for nutrition not provided enough in rice and porridge meals,… without knowing that this is exactly what causes poor appetite, and it also harms children's health.
Snacks loved by most children, such as chips, french fries and sausages,… contain a lot of additives and may even fail to meet food hygiene and safety standards. They affect the child's still-delicate intestines, increase the risk of digestive diseases and weaken the immune system.
Moreover, snacks do not provide the full nutrition children need. Because of eating too many snacks, when mealtime comes the child no longer wants to eat rice and other food. Over time this forms a bad habit that not only causes poor appetite but also slows weight gain and height growth.
A child being sick is also a cause of poor appetite
When a child is sick, especially with intestinal flora imbalance or respiratory infections (cough, runny nose, sore throat, bronchitis, pneumonia,…), the body is weak and tired and the child often loses the desire to eat, so they often have a poor appetite. Therefore, parents need to pay more attention to the child's health as well as psychology.
Bird's nest: an effective solution for mothers when children have a poor appetite
Bird's nest contains Lysine – an amino acid that helps children enjoy their food, helps the child's body boost metabolism and improves nutrient absorption. In particular, it may help improve the absorption and retention of calcium.
This is the most practical benefit mothers can expect from bird's nest for children with poor appetite and slow growth.
TRYPTOPHAN found in bird's nest has two important functions: first, it is converted by the liver into niacin (vitamin B3); second, it supplies the precursor of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps the body regulate appetite, sleep and mood.
Essential trace minerals such as iron, copper and Mn found in bird's nest help the development of a child's brain. Zinc in bird's nest helps enhance the absorption and synthesis of protein and improves a child's sense of appetite, so it stimulates the child to eat more.
Zinc deficiency will affect cell division and cause disordered bone development, leaving children stunted with slow growth, delayed puberty and reduced reproductive function.
If your child has a poor appetite and slow growth, mothers should let the child try bird's nest regularly to feel this clear difference!