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Is It a Behavioral Issue or an Appetite Problem ?
I had seen plenty of poor eaters in my practice, but this one had left me with no doubts that he was the worst amongst all. . With a history of bird’s appetite, this time he was breaking all records. It was nearly three days since he had taken a morsel. It looked as if he had taken recourse to some kind of Satyagraha. Any attempt to feed him forcefully would end up in a vomit. The young parents were nearly on the verge of a breakdown, when on the fourth day he ended his fast.
When kids don’t eat, why is it that they don’t eat? What makes them a poor eater?
The Eating disorders are complex disorders. It could be a simple behavioral disagreement to food or as some Research shows that its origins can have more than one reason – Biopsychosocial. A neurobiological brain disorder with a strong heritability component is also under investigation. Some individuals with eating disorders have an imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain that control hunger, appetite, and digestion. The exact meaning and implications of these imbalances remains under investigation. Behavioral disagreement occurs if the child is force-fed or over -fed.
When kids don’t eat, it can be very distressing for their parents, but is this disorder treatable?
Yes, but first it is important to understand the relationship between the child?s total family environment and his eating disorder. The individuality of each child is an important factor in assessing the most suitable approach for dealing with food refusal. It would simply be illustrated by a case that I treated without any medication. A child of two had developed a very obstinate food refusal. It was assessed that the disorder had no biological angle, but was a case of behavioral disagreement. The mother was feeding the child at an inappropriate time, seven thirty in the morning, as she had to leave for her job by eight, which had resulted in an overall refusal to food. A simple adjustment in the feeding time gave the desired results.
In another case a little one had developed disgust for food after her mother used harsh punishment for not finishing meals in time. Such a situations can become a psychological deterrent and the child may sub consciously develop a contempt for food.
Homoeopathic medicines are very helpful in treating eating disorders.. Antimonium Crudum, Lycopodium, Nux Vomica are a few of the important homoeopathic medicines. Antimonium crudum is very helpful for infants who vomit milk immediately after breast-feed. Some peculiar mind symptoms easily identify the child who requires this medicine along with a very weak appetite he is Cross and contradictive; whatever is done fails to give satisfaction. The little one is Sulky; does not wish to speak. Child cannot bear to be touched or looked and gets angry at every little attention.
Lycopodium has a very strange indication. Although the child may be very hungry, eating ever so little satiates him easily. Nux vomica is often an abused appetite stimulant. Nux should only be used only when it is indicated. It should not be used as an appetite panacea. Homoeopathic medicines should only be used with the advice of an expert homoeopath.
Eating disorder can result out of general ill health as in chronic disorders like asthma and recurrent coughs and colds, also at times a result of over or an improper medication. Such children need to be treated with a constitutional and holistic approach where the root cause is identified and remedied.
The child being referred as ?he? in the above feature is just a grammatical connotation. It does not favour any sex.
My 2 years old son don’t want to eat. Now his weight is 10 kg and birth weight was 3.1 kg. He is very weak too. What to do gor him?
Dr sharma, I babysit my grandson since he was 1year old he drinks pediasure once a day around 8am and around 9am I sit him on his chair he knows is breakfast time but whatever I cook he doesn’t like it he only wants yogurt, toast w butter, OJ , dry Cheerios and maybe sometimes a quarter of a banana . Every day same thing at lunch time no veggies no chicken no fruits he drinks lots of water maybe a peanut butter sandwich but I am running out of options, he behaves the same with my daughter, do you think we need help? Thank you very much
Martha (grandma)
Hello Dr Sharma
My 2.5 yearl old will only want chocolate to eat.he refuses to eat his meal.I eve tried offering him burger and he didnot eat it. all he eats few bites here an there. He was not so fussy previously. He just recovered from a throat infection and just stopped eating
Please help
Hi Dr. Sharma. I am Sirisha, mother of 16 month old boy. My son used to eat very good until he s one year. Now from paat 3 months he s not eating well. I am trying to force feed him but he s quarreling with me in his language n refusing. He will have some food first n he stops eating. I am trying to give liquids same thing happening. Please help me regarding this. Thank you
STOP force feeding him; he’ll have some food and then stop because he feels full. You’re overriding those feelings by trying to force too much food into his tummy. Babies growth rate slows down after 1 year and their appetite declines with it so any forced intake will be vomited out and cause him to hate food.
Do your child a favor and let him eat as much or little as he wants. Even better yet, give him finger food (you can roll rice and dhal into little balls) and let him feed himself!
Sir, i had a daughter who is 2 years old but always refuses to have food since we started feeding on solid food thus she is very thin. We have taken to several doctors and carried on several test but informed us that everything is normal. so please help us.
My son don’t eat alot,he’s almost 4 years old and hes really slim and he likes dry food tgat have no use to his body,i buy a b complex tonic that his doc prescribed and he’s eating better now,should i worry about him getting slim or its just a growing precess??
My child’s just 4years completed,he’s weight 12kg only.never food demand,3year ago he was suffering diarrorea,many doctors consulted him but no proper result,we are always worring for him,plz help me…
Hi, My son is 1Y9Months old and wight only 10kg. He was 10 kg at 1 year and hasnt increased weigh since then.. only height has oncreased. He used to be a chubby baby and now is completely a lean baby. Offlately he has compeltely lost his aptite and jsust would not eat anything.. I have put him to day care and techers say that he eats properly there… If he does thn why doesnt he eat at home. evem on weekends he would not ea anything entire day.. I mean just very small quality and his meal is one. He will finish his milk in 3 instalments.. And i cannot force anything to him. He seem to have becom so stubborn that he will vomit bif anything is forced to him. He is not even eating favourite things he used to like earlier. Dont know what should i do.. I also loose my temper many times and shout at him or hit him.. Which i know is ot correct approach. Please guide, can i give him some homepathic medicine wich can icmrease his apetite.
My son 18 months old he is thin specilly his legs. he is not eating anything.In earlier stage he was still drinking some amnt of milk like 200 ml but as if now he dont take milk too,only takes 100 ml sometimes. suggest me the best med for his poor apptite.
Can u help please l have four years old baby she don’t like to eat Any thing so what I do
Hello Doctor,
My daughter is 4 and half years old. She doesn’t like to eat. she only eats foods that taste neutral like curd,yogurt ,chapati or plain rice without vegetables or dal,that too in less quantity.That too we have to feed her.At school also they provide variety of food but she doesn’t eat.Please suggest.
Hi Dr.
My daughter is 8month old and she doesn’t have food or feeds….when she sleeps…..she will take food…otherwise she doesn’t have food ..day by day she is becoming skinny…so please suggest some medicine to her….
Thanks doctor
Hi Dr.
My daughter she is 3 years old and she refuses to eat everything that’s why she is very skinny her weight is only 11 kg and height is 87cm .I M tired of feeding her all the time.pls suggest me some medicine for her.
Thanks
My child is three years and three months old. He only eats milk chapati sugar , all have to be made in a liquid form in grinder. It’s not that he has never eaten any solid food . It’s from beginning I had to work a lot on his eating .
Please help me . Awaiting for your advise and consultation.
Regards
Seema
My son is 5 years old and he doesn’t eat anything. He only drinks 2 glasses of milk everyday. He smells every food, be it any fruit or vegetable and after smelling doesn’t eat. Till 2 years, he used to eat everything but now he has stopped eating everything. Plz suggest me some medicine for him. awaiting ur reply.
Regards
Pritish
Observation: In the U.S, most non-Indian kids really enjoy eating and usually self feed before age 1! A lot will cry for food and then gulp it down and a common complaint from their parents is that they WANT to EAT too much and get very upset when NOT given food. Why are Desi kids so different? Is it genetic? Is there some kind of chemical in the Desi child’s brain that prevents them feeling hungry?
My daughter is 4 1/2 years old but she look like three years old kid. She still bed wets. Very Lean. Pls advice medicine.
Respected Sir,
My boy child is 3 years old and borned sizerian. He neither eat food nor drink milk properly if do forcefully he does vomit immediately. His weight is just 12 kg.
Kindly suggest some useful medicine in homeopathy.
Regards
Vivek Sharma
Hello sir,
My 8 year son is not eating food properly… He takes very less quantity… No fruits at all…he is only 19 kg…
He also have constipation… Clear his bowel alternate days or sometime once in two days.. He took medicine for constipation when he was 2 and half years of age also…they gave nux v …
He is normal in his activities… Goes to school …plays well….sweats a lot…
He looks very thin…what do I give him for weight gain…?
Respected Dr.vikas Sharma jee i have a baby girl aged 2.5 years ,it is very very difficult and hard for us to have her eat , she only and only takes milk and kurkure she has made it very much stressful for us and she is aneamic and always sick last week i gave her Tubercollinium 200c a couple of globules only one dose . please guide me how will she eat .
Hello doctor dis is Soniya.I m worried abt my 2 year 8 month baby girl.she does not take food .her weight is 1o kg.if forcefully we gives food to her, after sometime s she does potty…….about her medical history , at the time of birth she was 2 KGS n after that she was suffered by jaundice n it was near about 23. This may be the reason of her weak appetite n digestion… Plz doctor help me n tell me about if she has any internal organ problem…