5 Nutrition Tips For Babies With No Appetite!

Does your baby not want to eat much for a while? Has he started to push even the foods he used to love so much with the back of his hand? Has it been so hard to feed him lately? Don’t worry and read our article now.

Anorexia problem in babies is probably temporary. If there is an underlying problem, it is necessary to solve it!

What does anorexia mean in babies?

Anorexia can be briefly defined as a reluctance to eat. It usually starts suddenly, that is, the baby was eating normally before, but later developed an aversion to food.

As a matter of fact, loss of appetite in babies is a very common condition. But not all anorexia is very serious or not all anorexia is long lasting. Also, not every approach to loss of appetite is the same.

Almost every mother has felt that her baby’s appetite is not good at some times. Even if he didn’t think about it, his environment definitely commented on it. If her baby was slightly less overweight than other babies, she was immediately told about appetizing baby meals .

If your baby has no appetite, you should know that there is no recipe that will open your baby’s appetite. You just need some time and understanding the cause of the loss of appetite.

What are the causes of anorexia in babies?

“Why does my baby have no appetite?” Let’s take a look at the reasons for aversion to food that will answer the question:

Switching from breast/formula to solid food:

• New foods taste different
• Failure to offer the right foods to the baby during the transition to supplementary food,
• Situations such as late initiation of complementary foods cause the baby to experience loss of appetite. Some babies may switch to solid food more easily than others, while others may find it difficult. Loss of appetite can be considered normal during the transition to supplementary food, but it should be careful that it does not last long.

Teething period:

“Does the baby have no appetite while teething?” Let’s answer the question. Teething is a tough time for many babies! During this period, eating habits change. Your baby may not want to eat because of the pain in their palate.

Loss of appetite is common in teething babies. It is not a very long period.

Some diseases:

The most important reasons under this condition of anorexia babies are some diseases. How long the loss of appetite lasts depends on whether the disease is acute or chronic.

In the case of an acute illness, the appetite returns shortly after the illness ends. But in the case of chronic illness, alarm bells ring. It is not possible to regain the appetite until the cause of the disease is eliminated. Expert help can be helpful without wasting time. By the way, the most important causes of loss of appetite in suckling babies are diseases.

Psychological problems:

Psychological problems easily affect appetite. Many changes such as restlessness in your home, pressure of the baby to eat, changes in the eating environment or hours can affect the baby. In this case, it is necessary to eliminate these causes of loss of appetite.

Choosing a meal:

Sometimes, even if the baby does not have a general appetite problem, anorexia can be seen especially against some foods. He may not like the taste of some dishes. It is necessary to distinguish this from the general problem of loss of appetite.

Is the cause of the selectivity a physical ailment, a sensory problem, or is it purely psychological? At this point, the critical thing is to find the underlying cause and act accordingly.

Let’s also mention that at the beginning of the transition period to supplementary food, the reasons such as giving more sweet fruits to your baby and not being able to enjoy the pure taste of vegetables are among the causes of loss of appetite in babies.

In fact, anorexia is not a big problem. The duration of anorexia is more important than whether there is anorexia or not. Because if your baby’s loss of appetite is caused by a certain and temporary situation such as teething or a cold, it is important that you pass this period without worrying and putting pressure on your baby. After that, your baby’s appetite will come back.

What consequences can anorexia have?

If the baby is reluctant to eat and is not getting the daily nutrients they need, this can have some important consequences.

• The first of these results is insufficient weight gain. The weight gain of the baby who does not eat enough protein and vitamins and does not get enough calories will not be enough.
• If the loss of appetite lasts for a long time, there is also insufficient increase in height.
• The growth of the baby does not occur at the desired level. There are two periods in which growth takes place the fastest after the womb; one is early childhood and the other is adolescence. The baby, who cannot grow enough, misses the first of these rapid growth periods.
• Loss of appetite can sometimes lead to more severe pictures. Apart from not gaining enough weight, the baby may even lose weight.
• Malnutrition leads to attention problems and the academic success of these children decreases in the future. That’s what research says.
• Due to the weakening of the body’s resistance, the child becomes more vulnerable to diseases.
• If the baby’s loss of appetite lasts for a long time, some vitamin or mineral deficiencies may also develop. When a baby with no appetite can’t get enough of the vitamins and minerals it needs from food, it first uses what’s in its body stores. When the stores are depleted, the symptoms of vitamin and mineral deficiency appear.

Recommendations for anorexia babies

• If your baby’s loss of appetite is caused by a physical problem such as kidney, gastrointestinal problems or liver diseases, the underlying problem needs to be treated.
• If your baby’s loss of appetite is psychological, small precautions and daily rules may be sufficient. What to do for anorexia babies? If you think so, here are our suggestions for you:

1. Let the meal order and times be clear:

• Prepare a nice layout for meals and snacks. Decide on the times of snacks and meals and the content of these meals by paying attention to the hours such as your baby’s sleep time and the evening hours when the family is together.
• Pay attention to when your baby is the most hungry. Put a meal of the most nutritious foods in this time frame.
• You can think of the completion time of each meal as 30 minutes. Don’t take meals longer than that.

2. Take precautions against things that can whet your baby’s appetite:

• Do not give your baby the opportunity to snack outside of meals and snacks.
• Drinking a lot of fluids before meals fills his stomach. Therefore, reduce your fluid intake from about half an hour before.
• Serve meals on a small plate. You can add more food if needed. Having the plate too full can intimidate your baby.

3. Review the factors that may be disturbing:

• The temperature of the food is one of the most disturbing factors for the baby. Babies like warm food more, remember.
• “What makes babies’ appetites?” The problem is that it eats itself. Give your baby the opportunity to chew the food. If you are giving food with a spoon, do not give it quickly. If he can eat it, don’t feed him.
• Offer your baby food suitable for his eating skills. If the chewing ability is not sufficient yet, do not give meat dishes containing large large pieces. Instead, give him a small, finely chopped and well-cooked vegetable dish with minced meat. As his skill increases, move on to other dishes.
• If you think that you are not good with certain foods, that is, if he chooses food, do not force him to eat. Only give the food she doesn’t want to eat, hidden among others. For example, you can prepare vegetable meatballs for your baby who does not eat vegetables.

4. Keeping distracting stimuli in the dining area:

• Making use of technological devices such as televisions or tablets for easy eating. Because when the child’s interest shifts to these, he does not notice what he eats or how he eats.

5. Provide an environment where you can make your baby love mealtimes:

• Your baby may like the cuteness of kitchen items such as plates and spoons. Sometimes the figures in the plates can make it easier for the baby to finish the meal because the whole figure gradually emerges as the baby eats.
• Don’t think, “Let me get this job out of the way while he eats”. Devote mealtimes entirely to him. Chat with him a lot. You can also chat together at dinners where you can be together as a family.
• Put the food you want to eat in front of you with different and fun presentations. You can be sure that this one will attract more attention.