Anorexia Causes and Symptoms in Children

Nutrition is one of the most important vital activities after respiration and it is of critical importance especially for infants and children who are in the developmental period. The state of appetite, which is also described as the feeling of hunger, can be defined as the desire to eat, which regulates the energy intake necessary for the metabolic activities of the body. If the loss of appetite, which occurs especially during the developmental period, is not controlled at the right time with appropriate interventions, it makes the child much more prone to serious health problems such as mental and physical developmental retardation, inadequacy in the immune system, and susceptibility to various diseases. In order to prevent such problems, the signs of anorexia in children should be noticed at an early stage and they should have accurate information about the causes of sudden loss of appetite, especially in babies.

Anorexia in Babies

In order for the baby to continue its healthy development in the first period after birth, first of all, it must maintain adequate breast milk intake and meet its daily sleep needs in full. It is very important that problems such as anorexia are recognized and treated as quickly as possible, as nutritional problems that arise in this process will directly affect both the mental and physical development of the baby. In order to understand whether the baby is fed adequately from the newborn period, regular weight monitoring is carried out every week for the first month, if necessary. In addition, other neurodevelopmental features are also considered. After the first 6 months, with the transition to additional food, the baby takes 20-30 g per day in the first 3 months, 15-20 g per day in the 3-6 month period, 10-15 g per day between 6-9 months, and then in the period between 9-12 months. is expected to gain at least 50 grams of weight per week. In order to detect nutritional problems such as loss of appetite, it is critical to evaluate weight gain correctly, especially in this process. It is controlled by various secretions of accessory organs. Anorexia problem in infants can occur as a result of some physiological and metabolic diseases, as well as due to purely psychological factors. can also occur. Malnutrition in the first months of life is usually recognized quickly. However, it is also possible to talk about anorexia problems that are overlooked until the signs of severe malnutrition appear in the child. For this reason, to create a healthy diet, especially in babies; It is necessary to know the causes of anorexia completely and especially not to overlook the situations that require doctor control.

Causes of Anorexia in Children

Anorexia in children occurs in 25% of healthy children and growth-development retardation. seen in approximately 35% of those diagnosed; It is one of the most common nutritional problems. Eating behavior in children is greatly affected by the mental and physical development process seen from infancy, the current level of interaction between mother and child, the functioning of various mechanisms related to the nervous system and metabolism, and many social factors.

Anorexia in children is organic and organic. It is classified as two different causes. Loss of appetite due to organic causes, mostly due to premature birth, in cases where oral nutrition starts late, in the presence of metabolic disease, inflammatory diseases, food allergies, unsuitable diets, cleft palate-lip tables that may cause deterioration in sucking and swallowing functions in the baby, macroglossia (tongue size). ) occur in neurological disease states such as gastroesophageal reflux and cerebral palsy, which lead to severe developmental delays with various problems with the nervous system. All these problems, besides causing loss of appetite, are important health problems that can progress very seriously. However, the problem of loss of appetite in children is caused by non-organic causes at a rate of 50%. These behavioral-based causes of anorexia, which can cause sudden loss of appetite in children and are responsible for most of all cases, can be listed as follows: exhibiting pressure-creating attitudes related to feeding.

Weak mother-infant interaction, especially in the newborn period, and Describing nutrition as a "duty" even in early childhood.

The family's display of excessively restrictive attitudes towards nutrition, such as being too repressive towards the consumption of vegetables and fruit-containing foods, while displaying a more harsh attitude towards the consumption of food from the junk food group.

The parent who sets very sharp limits on nutrition for the child, has harmful habits such as smoking, alcohol and ready-made food.

The child does not engage in physical activities appropriate for his age; having sedentary entertainment habits such as computer games

Attracting distractions such as watching TV or playing games during meals.

All of these are behavior-based causes of anorexia in children and can be treated with appropriate interventions if noticed at the right time. can be brought under control. It should be noted that if eating disorders are not detected early, they can cause more serious problems such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia in later life. The main factor causing the problem should be determined and possible underlying health problems should be treated. Non-organic, behavior-based anorexia problem can be controlled with some interventions planned by parents and other caregivers.

Support breastfeeding WHO recommends breastfeeding up to the age of two. breast milk should be supported. WHO also recommends starting complementary foods after the 6th month. Delaying the transition to supplementary food, for example, starting after the end of the 7th month, may cause the baby to refuse solid food and cause insufficient food and calorie intake, that is, the nutritional deficiency called malnutrition. it is recommended that the child be included in the meal in pieces, that is, eat by himself and eat together by sitting at the same table with the family.
Increase the level of physical activity appropriate for the age increases, albeit temporarily. However, it is not possible to say that this situation has a permanent effect on eliminating anorexia. Although the activity level increased once during the day increases the food intake for that day, long-term regular activity for at least 6 weeks is recommended to improve energy balance and provide permanent appetite increase.

Restrict distracting stimuli such as television and computers in meals. Exposure to various stimuli such as television, telephone and computer during feeding may cause loss of interest in food and loss of appetite in the long term, especially in children aged 3 to 5 years. For this reason, it is recommended to limit distracting stimuli during feeding, and if possible, to spend time with the child at the same table with the child until the meal is completed.

Treatment of Anorexia in Children

Recommendations for the treatment of anorexia in children It can be recovered as follows;

The child's age, general health status, the presence of possible metabolic diseases that cause loss of appetite, celiac and similar digestive system disorders and many other organic causes must be taken into consideration. Along with the child, other people who have assumed the role of parent and caregiver should be included in the treatment plan created by pediatric specialists, and behavioral-based factors that cause loss of appetite in the child should be correctly determined. In addition, additional food support can be provided with various supplements recommended by the physician in order to prevent the child from falling behind in terms of development while eliminating the existing anorexia problem.

Foods with high nutritional value in appropriate taste, form and smell should be prepared and meals should be arranged, for example 3 main meals, maybe 1 snack. However, the child's decision on how much to eat should be left to the child.

Small portions can be tried at first.

The child should not be allowed to snack throughout the day and consume excessive milk and fruit juices.

Food hours should be fun, children should not be forced, physical and emotional pressure should not be put under.

The feeding period should be 20-30 minutes, and it should be removed after the time is up. n and exercise stimulate hunger, but excessive exercise can negatively affect appetite, so the child should be rested 10-15 minutes before eating.

The child's attention should be on the food at the dinner table. TV, books, toys should be removed.

All family members should be at the dinner table.

If the child has reactions such as oral aversion when he sees the food, turning his back or vomiting It may be tried recently and tried again while awake and not wanting to stop eating.

The child's favorite foods and other foods can be added a little bit at first, then the amount can be increased.

Parents are role models for the child in eating. It may be possible to eat together with the family.

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