What to do if the baby eats little breast milk and does not ask for more. A baby does not eat well - reasons and what to do Why a child does not eat well at 2 months

After the birth of a baby, a number of difficulties arise that cause bewilderment and panic among young parents. Among them, there is often a situation when the child does not eat well, what to do in this case, and what are the reasons for the decrease in appetite, we will consider in more detail in our article.

Causes of poor appetite in a child

Among all the reasons why the baby does not eat well, most often experts call the following:

Incorrect attachment to the breast, excess or lack of milk in the mother.
Congenital abnormalities in a baby that do not allow sucking movements (short frenulum).
The baby has a tummy ache (physiological colic or dysbacteriosis).
Some diseases.
Distraction to the outside world and curiosity.
Genetic features (reduced need for food).
The appearance of teeth.
Bad psycho-emotional state.

Mother's milk

A common cause of reduced breast milk intake is improper attachment to the breast. Unfortunately, not all maternity hospitals teach this, so you should ask a specialist how to do it correctly.

At first, the mother may have little milk. To increase it, there are many recommendations:

drinking enough fluids;

decant after the feeding process;

give the child first one breast, and then the second;

as a last resort, you need to switch to a mixed feeding option.

If the child does not eat the mixture well, then the reason may be its wrong choice or individual intolerance to its components. Therefore, the selection should be carried out only by a doctor, taking into account the individual characteristics, needs and age of the baby.

An excess of mother's milk can reduce the appetite of a baby if it comes under pressure and the baby chokes. To eliminate such a problem, you just need to clear out before feeding. Breastfeeding can be caused by a new food accepted by the mother, it leads to a change in the taste and smell of milk. Therefore, a woman should eat right during this period.

Diseases

Even an adult loses his appetite during the illness. The same phenomenon occurs when the baby falls ill. Parents notice that the baby eats little and gains weight poorly and the reasons are as follows:

Many new mothers notice that the baby, when he takes the breast and makes several sucking movements, suddenly starts screaming and arching. Most often, physiological colic is manifested in this way, the cause of which is the imperfect digestive system of the baby. Food that enters the stomach and intestines begins to be digested, which causes cramps and pain.

The baby during the attack experiences severe discomfort, and ceases to eat normally. In this case, you should not worry, you need to consult a specialist. There are tools that allow you to completely remove or greatly reduce these colic. Normally, they are completely gone by 5 months.

The tummy can disturb the baby if he has dysbacteriosis. To confirm such a diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct special tests, followed by treatment, which should be prescribed by a specialist. The likelihood of developing dysbacteriosis in infants is high if the mother took antibiotics during breastfeeding. Or the baby had to be treated with antibacterial drugs.

Signs of dysbacteriosis are most often changes in the color and smell of feces, which in a child turns from yellow to green and becomes covered with mucus.

There are times when a newborn does not eat well and sleeps a lot. This happens if the baby has a sluggish pathological process, which can only be identified when passing tests.

The child also does not eat well when he has a headache. Most often, headaches when the weather changes are inherited if there are weather-sensitive people in his family with the next of kin. Meteorological sensitivity is especially manifested after 4 months, which is why a child at 5 months does not eat well. The reason may also be the first teething.

If, simultaneously with a headache, there is swelling and pulsation of the fontanel on the baby's head, then this indicates increased cranial pressure. To eliminate this phenomenon, it is urgent to start treatment and take special drugs.

If the baby asks for food, but after he takes the breast he throws food and screams, then you should pay attention to his breathing. If it is difficult and he has a runny nose, it is necessary to clear the nasal passages before eating.

With inflammatory diseases, the ears can hurt, and when sucking and swallowing milk, the discomfort increases many times over. To continue to feed the baby, it is best to express into a prepared sterile container, and give milk from a spoon. Finally, problems with the ears of a baby can only be solved with the help of a pediatric ENT doctor.

When the baby does not want to take the breast or suck the mixture from the bottle, you need to explore his oral cavity. Perhaps there will be white spots or plaque, which are well removed with a damp swab. Such signs are possessed by thrush, the infection of which occurs during childbirth from the mother, or when the infection enters the baby's mouth directly through dirty toys or poorly sterilized nipples. To treat and prevent further development of stomatitis, the child's oral cavity should be treated with a solution of soda (a small spoon in a glass of boiled warm water).

Other reasons

There are other causes of loss of appetite that are not associated with diseases:

Curiosity. One of the most common reasons why a 5-month-old baby does not eat formula or breast milk well is distracting him from the world around him. Therefore, it is recommended to feed at this age in a quiet and closed room, where there are no sharp sounds and strangers.

The appearance of teeth. Soreness and itching of the gums leads to a decrease in appetite. In this case, you should feed the baby when he asks, temporarily neglecting the daily routine. And only after the normalization of the state, one should gradually enter the usual schedule.

There are children who eat little on their own. At the same time, they feel normal and are active.

A baby, just like an adult, can have a bad mood. If he is irritable or crying, he should only be breastfed or fed when he has calmed down. Mom can distract him with an interesting toy or a pacifier.

Very little time passes after birth, and the mother begins to understand well what actually happens when the baby does not eat formula, milk or complementary foods. In many cases, patience should be shown, and sometimes the baby should be shown to a specialist.

The article deals with why the child does not eat well and what to do about it.

Almost every parent is faced with a situation where his child starts a bad network. It is necessary to correctly identify the cause of such a problem, and then begin to eliminate it.

Why did the child become malnourished?

There are many reasons why a child may start to eat poorly. It all depends on the age of the baby, his health. Sometimes it happens that parents themselves come up with a problem, although their baby feels great, he is full of energy.

The main thing that parents should take care of is to stop being nervous and seek help from specialists. An adequate pediatrician will comprehensively study the health of the baby and make an objective conclusion.

What to do if a premature baby is not eating well?

Sometimes babies are born prematurely. If a premature baby does not eat well, then most likely this is because he simply cannot do it, although he will be very hungry.

The fact is that premature babies are sometimes born so weak that they simply do not have enough strength to suck milk from their mother's breasts. They get tired of suckling so quickly that they stop suckling and, as a result, do not gain weight.

In this case, it is worth feeding the baby from a bottle. You can also use a syringe or a teaspoon.

IMPORTANT: It should be remembered that, having become accustomed to taking food from a bottle, the baby may forever abandon his mother's breast.

The child does not eat the mixture well: what to do?

Often mothers wonder what to do with a child who has become bad at eating formula. To begin with, it is worth understanding the reasons for this behavior:

The child gets sick. Pay attention to baby's temperature
The child is suffering from sore throat. Painful swallowing can be uncomfortable for a child. If necessary, contact a specialist for help
Perhaps the child is not yet hungry. Formula-fed babies need more time to digest food. Give the child 3-4 hours
Sometimes it happens that the child is not satisfied with the taste of the mixture. All mixtures differ from each other in composition and taste. Offer the child a different mixture, he may like it much more
Sometimes a child may refuse the mixture due to inflammation of the gums from teething. There are many medications that can help your baby cope with this inconvenience.
Sometimes the baby may not be satisfied with the bottle or her nipple. Try changing them, pick the right ones
The reason for the refusal of the mixture may be pain in the baby's abdomen due to increased gas formation or indigestion. Try to prepare the mixture according to the instructions, because. its violation can provoke the named ailment in the baby. Offer the baby dill water
There are cases when a child refuses the mixture due to its improper preparation - digestion is disturbed, diarrhea is possible. When the mixture becomes very thick, it is difficult for the baby to suck it out - the concentration of dry powder in the water is exceeded. The mixture should be prepared only according to the instructions.

A child under 6 months does not eat well: what to do?

Absolutely all the foods eaten by the mother affect the taste of breast milk. Sometimes there are dishes with a high content of certain types of spices, spices - after that, the baby will not always like the milk, and as a result, he may refuse to use it.

In this regard, young mothers should refrain from taking spices and spices for some time.

But, if the loss of appetite in a child is delayed, then it is worth observing the child, identifying possible causes:

The reason for refusing food may be a short frenulum of the baby's tongue.
Also, the child may refuse to eat due to inflammation of the gums during teething of the baby.
Refusal to eat can occur as a result of inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity of the crumbs. For example, stomatitis, thrush
The reason for the refusal of the breast may also be a poorly decanted mother's breast.

If the above reasons are excluded, then we are talking directly about a decrease in appetite. Reasons for loss of appetite:

General illness of the child. Pay attention to your baby's body temperature
If the loss of appetite is accompanied and not by the weight gain of the baby, then we can talk about a disease of the gastrointestinal tract
Dysbacteriosis
There may be problems with the endocrine system
Possible problems with the nervous system of the baby
No set daily routine. Pay attention to catering. Give your child time to get hungry
Sometimes the causes of loss of appetite should be looked for from outside. For example, the room is very dry, hot. Other irritants are possible

IMPORTANT: If a disease has led to a decrease in appetite, then you should initially get rid of it, and then your appetite will improve.

Depending on the reasons why your child refuses to eat, parents should choose ways to solve this problem. If you yourself are not able to identify the cause, or influence its elimination, it is best to contact a specialist in the field of pediatrics.

The pediatrician will professionally be able to assess the health of the baby, identify the cause of the loss of appetite, and, if necessary, prescribe treatment.

The child does not eat well - a specialist will help you figure it out

A child of 6-12 months does not eat well: what to do?

The main reasons why a child of this age may have a decrease in appetite are described in the section above.

But, there are reasons that are characteristic of this particular age of babies. As a rule, complementary foods are gradually introduced to the child at six months. In this regard, the reasons for refusing food can be the following:

The child does not like to eat from a spoon
The kid does not like the temperature of the offered dishes
The baby is not satisfied with the color of the food offered

The child does not eat well - does not like the color of the food

The child is not satisfied with the consistency of the proposed dish. For example, food not finely chopped

The only thing that a mother can do with such a problem is to cook food for the baby with love, not insist on eating it. If you force your child to eat by force, he may develop a negative attitude towards food, especially new foods.

A child does not eat well in a year: what to do?

The reasons why a child of this age may not eat well are the following:

The beginning of the disease. Pay attention to the general condition of the child
period after illness. Let your baby's body recover
Teeth continue to erupt. Inflamed gums prevent the baby from eating well
The child did not have time to get hungry. Avoid snacks. You can pamper your child with delicious food almost immediately after the main meal.
External factors. For example, in hot summer you want to drink more, but not eat.
Perhaps for some reason, the baby's mode has gone astray. It is a must to fix it
The child does not like the food you offered. He already has taste preferences.
The child may get bored with the same food. Offer your child a varied, balanced diet

The child does not eat well - tired of monotonous food

What a mother should do when a child does not eat well depends on the reasons for this behavior. Sometimes it will be enough to beautifully decorate the dish offered to the baby.

If the mother cannot figure out the reasons for the decrease in appetite in the baby, it is imperative to contact a specialist.

A child 2-4 years old does not eat well: what to do?

After two years, children have a period when they become very cautious and suspicious, they begin to be afraid of everything, including new dishes.

This period lasts for quite a long period of time. Sometimes parents have to wait until the baby is eight or nine years old.

Let's figure out what to do with it:

For starters, parents need to be patient. Not always the first time the baby wants to try a new dish, it can take up to twenty attempts. If from the twentieth time the baby did not want to try a new dish, you should take a break, and at this time you can introduce other culinary masterpieces into the baby's diet
At this age, culinary preferences are already clearly manifested. Do not neglect this. Give your child a choice. Ask him what he would like to eat, but this does not mean that you should follow the baby's lead and feed him exclusively with sweets
The child should not be forced to eat. This can cause a negative attitude towards food, and especially towards the proposed dish.
Encourage your child to participate in cooking. Children are more likely to eat meals prepared by themselves
Be sure to follow the routine. The child must clearly know when breakfast is and when lunch is.
Avoid snacking with babies. Give him time to get hungry
Help your child focus solely on food. It is necessary to turn off the TV, remove all extraneous sounds, do not talk to the baby without the need
Do not reward food with sweets. The child should not observe such a connection. It is better to offer a small but healthy dessert after every meal.
Teach your child about nutrition by example. If possible, sit down at the dinner table with the whole family, eat with pleasure
You can be creative and try to interest the baby in the cooked dish. You should beautifully decorate the plate for the baby, come up with a name for the dish, maybe even tell a colorful story about it.

A child 5–8 years old does not eat well: what to do?

The reasons why a child does not eat well at five to eight years old are identical to the reasons from the previous section. You can also find information on how to deal with it there.

The child does not eat anything after the illness

As already mentioned in this article, you should not force your child to eat strongly after he has suffered an illness. Initially, the child will not show increased appetite.

However, parents should especially take care of the child's diet during this period. Preference should be given to products that are tasty and healthy. The main thing is to stimulate your baby's appetite.

After an illness, it is worth offering fruit

The child does not eat in the garden: what to do?

Sometimes it happens that the child went to kindergarten and immediately began to eat badly. Let's try to figure out why this is happening and what to do about it.

When the baby is not with his parents, grandparents, but with a caregiver, he has a very difficult time.

IMPORTANT: The adaptation period in the kindergarten is the strongest stress for the child.

The reasons why a child refuses to eat can be as follows:

The day regimen in kindergarten does not coincide with the regimen that the child had at home. The child has to quickly adjust to the new daily routine
Dedsadovskoe menu is very different from homemade dishes. A child at this age can greatly sort out food, be wary of it.
Not every child knows how to use cutlery, while other kids skillfully handle them
It happens that a child does not ask for a potty
The child thus tries to attract the attention of the parents. In any case, parents will worry about the refusal of the baby to eat, perhaps they will even take them out of the garden early. The kids feel it too

In order to minimize stress for your baby, you should start preparing him for kindergarten in advance:

Gradually, a month before the first day in the kindergarten, begin to accustom the child to a new regimen. Morning rise, food, sleep should be as close as possible to Dedsadovsky
You can try to cook meals for your baby similar to those offered in a children's institution.
Teach your child to use cutlery on their own in advance. Potty train your child
Parents need to be patient. You should stay calm - children feel it too

It also happens that children begin to eat poorly, when the adaptation period is over. The reasons for this behavior may be the following:

Illness comes. Watch the baby, maybe something is bothering him
In the summer, when it's hot outside, your child's appetite may decrease. There's nothing wrong with that, offer more to drink
Perhaps the baby does not develop relationships with the kids from his group. Try to find out, it may be easy to eliminate the cause. If necessary, contact the teacher

The child does not eat at home: what to do?

Why it happens that the child does not eat at home, most likely the mother herself can answer. Watching your baby, talking with him, it's easiest for mom to draw a conclusion.

The reasons may be the following:

Illness comes. Pay attention to the state of health of the child, perhaps something is bothering him
The child is sick. Do not force him to eat during this period, offer to drink
period after illness. Suggest baby's favorite foods, don't push
Problems with the guys in the kindergarten, in the yard, at school, etc. Find out the cause and try to help
It is hot outside. Offer more to drink, do not force to eat
The child does not like the proposed dish. Don't force your child to eat something they don't like. It can cause a negative attitude towards food
The child did not have time to get hungry after the previous meal. Avoid snacking

The child does not eat vegetables: what to do?

Some parents say that their children do not want to eat vegetables at all. Do not be upset, many people go through this, over time everything will change. However, you can try to fix it:

Start by adding vegetables to every possible dish where appropriate. The child may not like it, but he will definitely get used to it.
Invite your child to help you in the garden. It is possible that by growing a vegetable on their own, the child will want to eat it with pleasure.
Serve dishes with vegetables, decorate even sandwiches for crumbs with them. Beautiful dishes captivate children, arouse interest
Let vegetables always be present on the table. They should be cut - the pieces are small, beautifully laid out on a plate
Always eat your own vegetables. Watching you, the child will begin to join.

IMPORTANT: In families where adults themselves eat vegetables, add them to various dishes, the question of children refusing to eat them is the least likely to arise.

The child does not eat fruit: what to do?

Sometimes it happens that the child refuses to eat fruit. Parents shouldn't be too upset about this. As with vegetables, this will likely pass with time. But, you can try to speed up this process:

Parents should eat fruit themselves. The child will not be able to resist if his parents enjoy using them
Fruit should always be on the table. Let them be available to the baby at any time
Finely chop and arrange fruit pieces on a beautiful platter
Add fruit to all meals where appropriate
Offer your child fruit puree. It may contain more than one fruit
Lay out a picture from pieces of fruit. The child may be addicted

What to do if the child does not eat Komarovsky complementary foods?

Naturally, at a certain age, the child should be introduced complementary foods. Its absence will lead to deficiency of iron, vitamin B12, folic acid
However, according to Dr. Komarovsky, nothing terrible happens when a child refuses complementary foods, but only eats mother's milk. He calls this situation the problem of selective appetite.
This problem is easy to resolve with outside help. The fact is that when the mother is nearby, the child perfectly feels the mother's milk, it is difficult for him to refuse it, but it is easy to eat complementary foods.
In the absence of a mother, it will be much easier to ensure that the child is hungry.

IMPORTANT: According to Dr. Komarovsky, hunger is the only way to get the baby to eat complementary foods.

Parents should get as close as possible with their child - this will help you identify the problem in the baby in a timely manner, find out the cause of what is happening and easily deal with the consequences of the existing problem.

VIDEO: If the child is not eating well

Changes in the behavior of the baby, deviations from generally accepted norms are very frightening for young parents. One of the criteria for assessing the correct development of the baby is weight gain and the amount of milk eaten. This is especially interesting for grandmothers who love chubby cheeks. Sometimes, under the yoke of someone else's opinion, and sometimes the mothers themselves feel that the child eats little. There can be many reasons for this phenomenon, often they depend on the time of occurrence of this effect.

Why does a newborn eat poorly?

If problems with feeding the baby arose even in the hospital, then this may be:

Incorrect attachment to the breast. Nurses in the maternity hospital or breastfeeding specialists will help you fix this.
Lack of milk. The child sucks greedily, but the flushes are not enough. In such cases, tactile contact with the baby, the use of brewed dill seeds or other lactation preparations helps.
Too much milk, too much pressure. The baby may choke and refuse to breastfeed. Then it is necessary to express the first pressure, weaken it.
The taste of milk has changed. This is possible when using new products with a pronounced taste (beam, garlic, spicy food).
It is difficult for a child to suck due to congenital pathologies. For example, a short bridle. Such a problem is solved painlessly by surgery.

What to do in such situations?

The milk remaining in the breast can be expressed and supplemented with a spoon or syringe (do not forget to remove the needle). And forget about the strict regimen of your childhood - feed your baby on demand. More frequent feedings, even small portions, will allow you to gain weight well. And do not forget about the benefits of night feedings - they help, if necessary, to establish lactation and get the daily norm.

If the baby is bottle-fed, then change the mixture. This is especially true for hypoallergenic mixtures that have a specific flavor. Moreover, with growth, the work of the gastrointestinal tract comes in order, which allows the introduction of fermented milk mixtures.

Refusal to eat with age

There are times when babies begin to eat less with age. In this case, only a pediatrician can accurately identify the cause.

Colic. After eating only a little, the baby begins to cry, arch and refuse the breast. The cause may be pain, the so-called infantile colic. The baby's digestive system is absolutely sterile and is just beginning to adapt to the reception of any food, and its progress through the gastrointestinal tract causes swelling and pain. Colic can also be caused by the air that the baby swallows while feeding. Therefore, check if he takes the breast correctly or hold the baby upright to release him. To relieve colic before feeding, children are given dill water or other carminative preparations.
. Symptoms of dysbacteriosis are similar to colic. The baby begins to eat, but with screams throws the breast. It is possible to make this diagnosis only after receiving the results of the tests. It usually appears after antibiotic treatment of the baby or from the mother through breast milk. Dysbacteriosis is accompanied by a change in the color of the stool from yellow to green, the appearance of mucus.
. Increased can cause not only food refusal, but also lead to. It can be established by conducting an ultrasound of the brain. It is also characterized by a pulsation of the fontanel.
. If the baby cries while eating and there are white spots in the mouth, and the mucous membrane under them is inflamed, then this is thrush. The baby could become infected with it during childbirth or by pulling a dirty toy into his mouth.
. The child is hungry, but a stuffy nose prevents him from eating. Don't panic, just rinse your nose or use baby drops. If necessary, rinse before each feeding.
. The swallowing reflex increases the pain in the ears. You can verify the source of pain by clicking on the tragus. In this case, supplement your baby with a spoon.

It's not necessarily a disease.

Healthy children can eat less. Babies with low weight, especially those born prematurely, get very tired while eating, and, accordingly, fall asleep on their chest after eating a little. But when trying to take it away, they wake up and continue to eat. Such feedings can be an hour and a half. But with age, they get stronger and become more active, due to which saturation comes faster. To get enough, the baby is enough for 10 minutes.

At 4 months, the child begins to actively explore the world around him, and is easily distracted by any extraneous sounds, smells. And if during the meal someone came in, the music played or the light turned on, the child would be distracted and forget about food. It is better to feed such children in a separate room with subdued light.

Babies may also refuse to eat when they are teething. Pain in the gums reduces appetite. To resume normal mode, you can use cooling gum gels.

Sometimes the baby does not want to eat because of the mood. He didn’t sleep enough or his parents didn’t carry him in his arms and the baby burst into tears and was unable to take the breast. First, he should be calmed, shaken, if necessary, let him take a nap and offer to eat again.

Sometimes, appetite decreases after prophylactic vaccinations. The immune system is trying to fight the virus and the baby becomes sleepy, trying to regain strength. After a couple of days everything is restored. Meteorological children react to changes in the weather by refusing to eat.

In general, if the baby is not worried about anything, he smiles, plays, gains weight normally, then there is no reason for concern. The changes may be temporary. You should not take your child to the doctors and think that something is wrong. It's just that he's small by nature.

When a baby of 2 months of life does not eat well, it is possible that he is overexcited. A calm environment during feeding stabilizes the situation. Refusal to eat can be caused by a cold.

A child needs significant energy costs for growth and development. Strength is replenished with adequate nutrition and rest. It often happens that a child at 2 months old began to eat poorly.
The main food at this age remains breast milk, if possible, or an adapted milk formula.

Breast milk is the best thing a mother can give her baby. Ideal for children's health, the composition of mother's milk nourishes with antibodies, hormones, enzymes and immunoglobulins. This natural protection allows immunity to form sufficiently.

The principle - breasts on demand is still relevant. The duration and frequency of feedings do not have a definite framework. The baby himself knows how much and when to eat. It is not necessary to supplement the baby with water if he is breastfeeding. For artificially fed children, the daily ration of ml is up to 900 ml of the mixture. At one meal, the baby should drink about 120 ml. The number of meals is from 6 to 7 times during the day. Formula-fed babies must be given water. Also, on the recommendation of a pediatrician, the baby can be supplemented with herbal teas.
If a baby at 2 months old eats less than normal, this may be due to the environment. The kid during this period grows up sharply, moves to a new level of perception of the world. Now he is interested in everything that happens around him. Eating for a long time is not included in his plans now. To stabilize the situation, it is necessary to change the feeding conditions. Changing the place for feeding to a more peaceful one will be the right decision. Feed your baby in a quiet, calm atmosphere with minimal sound so that he is not tempted to turn his head from side to side, looking up from food. If the situation does not change, you should contact a specialist. Because often a child at 2 months refuses milk and formula due to excessive overexcitation. The pediatrician will prescribe safe sedatives.
When a baby at 2 months constantly wants to eat, there is a possibility that he does not eat up. In this case, a “wet diaper test” is required. This test consists in counting the number of urinations during the day. Indicators of the norm is the number of used diapers more than 12 pieces. The number of urination is within the normal range, the general condition of the baby is not disturbed, he is active, cheerful and cheerful - you should not worry. Appetite can be different in certain periods of time. This is absolutely normal and not scary.

A difficult situation when a baby at 2 months refuses to breastfeed. This case involves the partial or complete transfer of the baby to the mixture. Breast milk can stop suiting the baby for a number of reasons: the mother's treatment with medicines, changes in diet, pregnancy during the feeding period. An adapted mixture will become a necessary and complete replacement in this situation.

A child at 2 months of age screams, cries and chokes during feeding. This situation is typical when the baby is sick. Nasal and throat congestion, inflammation of the middle ear (otitis media), coughing prevent the baby from eating. Pain during swallowing makes the child refuse to eat. Timely and effective treatment prescribed by a specialist will quickly return the child's appetite.

Some mothers are forced to switch to formula milk when breastfeeding is not possible. However, here parents may encounter a problem when the baby does not eat the mixture. But this nutrition is extremely important for the crumbs, even if he is already switching to complementary foods. The volume of complementary foods at first is not enough for the baby, so it should be supplemented with breast milk or formula until the baby completely switches to adult food. In addition, some babies switch to artificial feeding before the start of complementary foods.

artificial feeding

Modern milk formulas are developed using new technologies and are maximally adapted to the composition of breast milk. Today, various types of food are produced that are suitable for different categories of children, including newborns, allergies, premature babies and babies with insufficient body weight, a child with a lack of any vitamins or elements.

Of course, no formula can replace mother's milk, but sometimes parents have no other choice. In this case, it is important to choose the right food for the crumbs and organize artificial feeding. When a baby does not eat formula or a baby refuses breast milk, he does not eat enough and does not receive the important elements and nutrients that the baby needs for harmonious growth and development. In this article, we will learn what to do if the child refuses formula.

First of all, it is important to understand why the child does not want to eat. Having determined this, you can eliminate the cause, and then the baby will eat properly and fully, according to the norm and recommendations of pediatricians. Let's take a closer look at the reasons for the refusal of the child from the mixture.

Features of nutrition of infants

Often the child is not hungry and does not need as much food. Children older than 4-5 months are already switching to more infrequent feedings, the intervals between which become longer, but at the same time, one portion size also increases. Therefore, by the time of feeding according to the old regimen, the baby may not yet get hungry.

As practice shows, a newborn eats about seven to eight times a day with an interval of three hours. Milk formula for crumbs at 4-6 months can be given every 3.5-4 hours. If the child feels well, develops and grows normally, there is nothing wrong with the fact that he will eat less, no. If the baby refuses to eat, offer the mixture again after 30-40 minutes.

Don't overfeed your baby. Due to overfeeding, the child will not only refuse the next feeding, but will also feel uncomfortable. As a result, flatulence increases and weight increases, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting may appear. Some children may develop obesity and even diabetes. To avoid complications, stick to a normal diet.

The daily norm of the mixture for a child up to four weeks is up to 120 ml. For children of one to three months, it reaches 150-180 ml, at three to five months it increases to 180-200 ml. After four to five months with the introduction of complementary foods, the daily volume of mixtures is gradually reduced.

First food

Many babies don't eat formula at the start of solid foods. The taste of adult food may seem more interesting and varied to babies than fresh milk. In this case, it is recommended to reduce the amount of mixtures, but you cannot completely refuse such supplementary feeding!

The first complementary foods for artificers begin to be introduced as early as four to five months. As the first adult dishes in the baby's menu, they include vegetable purees and dairy-free gluten-free cereals, then the child begins to be given fruit purees, juices and compotes. How to properly introduce complementary foods into the baby's diet, will tell.

Switching from breastfeeding to artificial feeding

After the end of lactation, lack of breast milk, with a serious illness, separation from the mother and for other reasons, parents are forced to transfer the child to artificial feeding. Then the baby can be naughty and not take any milk formula. In this case, you need to be patient, choose the right food and taste that the baby will like and will not cause digestive problems.

Health problems

Health problems reduce appetite or force the crumbs to refuse food altogether. Common colds and fever can be among such problems. After all, adults during the flu or SARS also want to eat less, and many cannot eat at all. In addition, newborns and babies up to 3-5 months often suffer from colic and bloating.

Other problems in this category include pain in the ears and throat when it hurts for a child to swallow. The baby cannot comfortably eat milk formula from a bottle and with a blocked spout. In this case, special ones are used that easily and comfortably remove accumulated fluid and mucus from the nasal passages. For colds, pain in the ears and throat, jaw, with severe indigestion, be sure to contact your pediatrician!

Cutting teeth and pain in the gums are a common reason for a baby's refusal to eat. During this period, the baby experiences pain and inflammation, because of which he feels discomfort and cannot eat normally. Some children even have diarrhea or nausea, which also causes them to refuse food.

Eating and having a bottle with a pacifier in your mouth only reinforce the negative feelings. In this case, you need to wait and do not force-feed the baby. By the way, special children's reduce pain and discomfort.

Selection and preparation of the mixture

An improperly selected and prepared mixture is a common reason why a baby does not eat the mixture well. Today, manufacturers offer a lot of different mixtures, and it is important to choose the right nutrition. Remember that the composition can cause allergies in a child, disrupt the functioning of enzymes. In addition, it may not taste like it. It is especially difficult for babies to switch to artificial mixtures if they have been on breastfeeding for a long time.

It is important to choose a mixture according to the age and needs of the child. When choosing, consider the characteristics of the body of the crumbs and consult a pediatrician. Prepare food according to the instructions and dilute the powder correctly!

Often a change in the mixture and taste that the baby is used to leads to the fact that he eats little or refuses to eat. Therefore, if you have found a suitable formula, do not change products unless it is necessary for age. But in rare cases, it happens the other way around, when the crumbs are already tired of the taste. Then try another product. But before changing, be sure to consult a pediatrician!

If your child is allergic, choose a hypoallergenic goat milk formula marked “GA”. For newborns and babies up to six months, highly adapted and adapted products with the designation “1” are chosen. For children older than six months, partially adapted and casein mixtures with the label “2” are suitable.

For children older than a year, milk formulas “3” are chosen, and for a premature baby and with a lack of weight, the product “0” or “Pre”. Fermented milk mixtures are classified as clinical nutrition and are given to babies with frequent constipation and regurgitation, stool disorders and digestive disorders. You will find more information on how to choose and prepare a formula for babies, as well as a rating of the best products.

Uncomfortable nipple

If the baby refuses the formula bottle, it may be uncomfortable for the baby to eat. An improperly fitted or new, still hard nipple can reduce appetite. Choose a comfortable soft nipple with a suitable shape and a medium-sized hole. Too large a hole will lead to increased milk flow, as a result, the baby will choke during feeding and swallow excess air. By the way, this leads to bloating and frequent profuse regurgitation.

Too small a hole, on the contrary, makes it difficult to supply milk flow. As a result, the baby lacks strength, air and nutrition itself. It is advisable to use the same pacifier model that the baby is used to. In addition, when choosing, follow the recommendations for the age of the child, which are indicated on the product packaging.