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When Kids don’t Eat

imageIs 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.

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Comments

  1. Forid Ahmed choudhury says:

    My 9 months of son is not take anything except his mother milk

  2. Mrs Shahid says:

    Hi Dr, my 1.5years grand daughter do not ready to eat😭 she is under weight. Plz suggest sone homeo medicine for her appetite n constipation. However she is very active, do take milk but always say no to all foods.
    Regards
    Mrs Shahid

  3. Kartik Manna says:

    Hi
    Doctor
    My baby (f) is 6years old. She is under weight and also short hight. She is not taken sufficient food. Shi is taken long time to eat food. And she is also having sesere constipation.

  4. Vikas Tathe says:

    Hi
    Doctor
    my Baby is 4 years old. underweight and height is also very short.
    Her Apetite is very poor and she is also having severe constipation

  5. Dr. Schwabe says:

    Hello Dr. Sharma.
    Namaste Sir, You are doing very great job. I have been following application of medicines on your way. and it really works.
    Sir I am not satisfied with your above statement. You have mentioned very less symptoms about appetite in babied and children. There are many more reasons and medicines for loss of appetite in children (2yrs to 5 yrs). I suggest you to revise this topic and put some more list of medicine with little detail please.

  6. Masood Jamal says:

    My grandsons aged 5 and 7 years old lost appetite and weight doesn’t increase in 2 years. Pl advice

  7. Hi Doctor, my 2.5 years old daughter often gets ear infection and because of that she has to take amoxicillin. This reduces her appetite considerably. She anyways is a very picky eater and have low appetite.please provide your guidance and medicine for appetite booster and to reduce ear infection. Please guide

  8. Qurratul Ain says:

    My son aged 2 years but does take bottle milk how he can take milk from bottle, please guide me. Son is very active by the grace of almighty Allah.

    • Qurratul Ain says:

      My son aged 2 years but does take bottle milk how he can take milk from bottle, please guide me. Son is very active by the grace of almighty Allah.

  9. Kumar Haridas says:

    Sir/madam,
    I have a 2.5 years old grandson who doesn’t like to eat at all. He often doesn’t eat anything for the whole day and whatever little he eats is done through tricks. He doesn’t drink milk at all . But what is most problematic is that he doesn’t eats anything but keeps screaming and squealing for the whole day getting irritated. He only breast feed, becausec of this my daughter also get irritated. Although he is very active. He is very thin. Please advise medicine.

  10. Sauna ara begum says:

    Hello sir/ mam
    I have a baby of 4 month age. He don’t want to eat mother’s milk. In this condition What homeopathic medicine should to give the baby.

    Mother B(-) blood group

  11. Dr Sharma I have a 2.5 years old daughter who doesn’t like to eat at all. She often doesn’t eat anything for the whole day and whatever little she eats is done through tricks. She doesn’t even drink milk properly. But whatis mist problematic is that neither she will eat anything but keeps screaming and squealing for the whole day getting irritated. This is due to being hungry. Although she is very active she looks very thin. We are at our wits end. Please help.

  12. M Fasih Sami says:

    Dr sarma my child age is13 years he should not break fast daily in 4 pm eat launch and he bit our clothes in our teet please suggest medicine.
    Also my child one kiney is small in size didnt growth after birth

  13. Dilpreet says:

    Hello sir ,
    My son is 2.5 years old nd doesnot it solids.. he was always on mashed or pureed food. After he was 2 years old he started having chips and crispy things only … But never on chapati or rice … He is only 11kg as of now .. Plz suggest some remedy for him

  14. My son is 6 years and is refusing to eat. Some times he will eat with no problems sometimes he just picks at his food and refuses to eat. He says he scared to eat. Today it was one of his previous favorites and he won’t eat it. His skin pail and he eyes have a gray circle under it. He is getting plenty of sleep.

  15. Poonam Aggarwal says:

    Good Evening doctor, I am a mother of 3.5 year old son. From birth my son refused to drink milk from bottle also the milk formula, somehow I managed to him cow milk. When he turned out 18 months he was not very keen on eating, i feed him food by showing t.v . By 2 year old he became severely sick due to re-current cold & cough & viral which result in more poor diet. Now when he is 3.5 year old but not suffering from any health issue, his diet is still very poor and his weight is just 12 kgs. I am very much worried of him doctor. Please help me out. Now he says to me that he doesn’t feel like hungry to eat anything even after 12 hrs of fasting.

    • Anjna Saini says:

      Hi Doctor, my son is 3.5 yrs old. He had his adenoid’s surgery on 12th feb and dental surgery on 13th of May. After his second surgery he is only taking milk , banana shake and pediasure milk, but refuses to eat anything. Please suggest some remedy. Thank you

  16. Hi doctor,

    M writing to u regarding my 18 month old baby boy bad eating habit .. he has stopped chewing food from last ten days n just not ready to take anything .. he refuses to take anything in his mouth .. not even mashed food .. he was eating to an extent better before ten days but now stopped all of a sudden .. I don do s any symptoms of teething or any stomach pain or indigestion prob .. sud I start with any zinc supplements so tat he start feeling hungry .. hoping for a remedy from u

  17. My son is 1.6 yrs old .. he eats very little and doesn’t drink cow milk still go for mother breast milk.

    How to increase he appetite as he run away when ever he sees food.

    Thanks,
    Shiva

    • Pavan Kumar Srivastava says:

      My daughter is 4 years old. She is suffering from fever now fever is normal but she does not want any things even milk

  18. Jogendra Mahato says:

    My grand son age 2years and 1 month is suffering from no appetite . Do not want to eat any thing from last one month
    He si normal , playing etc. But he has reduced and become weak
    One year ago on 29 april 2019 he suffered with blood in stool
    He was admitted at child hospital phoolbagan kolkata, where
    Surgery of intstine was done as it was diagnosed hole in intestine. But blood was still in stool . Therefore endoscopy, colonoscopy test was done but no reson was found .At present
    Rarely stool becomes black and after test found blood in stool
    Above takes place after every 4 or 5 months and subdued after 2
    Or 3 days his weight less than normal wt. Hemoglobin remains
    Arround 8 to 9 percent
    Kindly advice appropriate med./ treatment for normal appetite
    Thank you

  19. Adil Fazlee says:

    My son is 2.5 years old . When he was 8, he eats cereals, and other liqid meals but in 1.5 years old he used to milk and reduce eats meal . And now he drinks only fresh cows or tetra pack milk and not eat any thing. Plz advice any homeo medicine to boost his hunger system.
    Thanks
    Aadil

  20. RANBIR KUMAR LAL says:

    My boy is eight months old, and he is poor eater. Refusing to eat external food and breast milk.
    What I have to do?
    Is there any homeopathy medicine available ?

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