Nutrition begins first physiologically and then psychologically in the womb. From the moment they first learn that they are pregnant, mothers begin to change their eating habits for the development of their babies. At this stage, not only the mother's influence, but also the father and family elders other than the mother begin to have an impact on the mother's nutrition. In fact, while in the womb, the child begins to become acquainted with the eating patterns of the outside world thanks to the mother's eating patterns and content. After birth, this process continues with breast milk. Healthy and normal feeding behavior depends on the good development of emotional communication between mother and baby. Many reasons affect emotional development. Anxious, intrusive, not being able to feel what the baby wants at that moment, mother's depression, conflicts between parents can be given as examples of a few negative reasons.
The eating pattern of children in later periods begins while they are in the womb. After birth, environmental factors and mother-baby interaction determine the eating pattern. The main source of nutrition for the baby in the first 6 months after birth is breast milk. Babies do not need supplementary food during this period. However, formula can be supplemented under the supervision of a doctor for reasons such as low birth weight or feeding difficulties. After 6 months, the transition to supplementary food begins gradually. In the meantime, it is recommended that children receive breast milk.
Between 6 and 9 months is the time for transition to semi-continental. During this period, children who are used to breastfeeding can reflexively push food out with their tongues. This situation can be interpreted by mothers as the baby does not like the food. The transition period to the semi-continent is important for the development of children's muscles related to eating and swallowing. It is possible that children delay their eating behavior and their eating behavior may not be established due to the late onset of this period by anxious mothers. Giving pureed foods for a long time delays this development considerably. As they get used to eating, this reflex disappears. After 9 months, with the development of their language, they are introduced to rough foods. Babies are already acquainted with the tastes of foods, thanks to the period they live in the womb and then through breast milk. Babies become protected against microbes from the external environment, thanks to the Immunoglobulins produced by the mother's defense cells in breast milk.
9. As children begin to get to know their surroundings and their own bodies from the first month onwards, actions such as taking the food they eat out of their mouths, taking it in again, smearing some of it around, pouring it, and throwing it are completely part of normal development. It is important not to get angry during these periods and to allow as much as possible so that the following periods will be comfortable and safe. After the age of 1, thanks to the further development of teeth and motor development, the period of self-feeding from bottle to spoon begins. After the age of 1, babies cease to be babies and start to become children. He now begins to eat at the same table, with his own plate, fork and spoon, like other family members.
He now begins to express his food preferences, thanks to his verbal communication and physical development. For this reason, this is the period when nutritional problems occur the most. Most of the time, family members interfere with this system by choking on something, sticking a fork in their eyes, spilling it around, soiling their clothes, or eating less. Overly anxious and meticulous parental attitudes (such as not giving him a fork, not letting him taste new foods, wiping his mouth after each spoon, etc.) prevent children from enjoying the pleasure of eating. The child's lack of pleasure in eating behavior also negatively affects the development of healthy nutrition. Normally, babies have a high appetite for growth and development before the age of 1, but after the age of 1, the amount of food eaten by children decreases as growth and development slow down. This decrease causes many parents to worry about whether they are sick, why they are not eating, or to increase their existing concerns.
Decreasing appetite with age, except for periods of growth, is a normal process. While you gain more weight in the first months, it is completely normal for this weight gain to decrease.
The most common nutritional problems experienced by families:
- Food refusal ( eating small amounts or not at all),
- Food pickiness (choosing a few types of food, always insisting on eating these foods),
- Inability to switch to solid or semi-solid food depending on age,
- Failure to develop self-feeding habits,
- Keeping food in the mouth,
- Swallowing problems(swallowing without chewing). or chewing too much),
- Vomiting a.
These problems are seen in approximately30% of normally developing children, and in approximately 60 percent of children with developmental delays. These problems can be seen in short periods and at low severity as a part of normal development. However, when the severity and duration of the problem increases and, accordingly, our child loses weight or there is a halt in his development, we need to get help from child and adolescent psychiatrists. According to scientific diagnostic criteria, Nutrition and Eating Disorders of Infants and Young Children are grouped into 3 subgroups. These are:
1) Rumination Disorder
2) Pica
3) It is a feeding disorder in infants and children.
Rumination Disorder:
Repetitive and voluntary regurgitation of stomach contents into the mouth after nausea, vomiting and disgust. It is a situation of being brought and chewed. This behavior begins when the child is alone, puts his hand over his mouth and vomits. Afterwards, he can do this using his abdominal muscles. They take pleasure in having their stomach contents come into their mouth. The age at which this behavior begins is between 3 months and 12 months and is more common in males. The emergence of this behavior is due to little or no communication and interaction between mother and baby, and physical and emotional neglect of the baby. Babies who cannot experience emotional pleasure can provide this pleasure on their own by developing such behaviors. The development of rumination disorders may also be triggered by the leakage of stomach contents into the esophagus (esophageal reflux).
Pika:
Non-nutritional. It is the situation where non-edible substances are persistently eaten by children.
To give examples of these substances,
- Hair,
- Plaster,
- Fabric,
- Sand,
- Chalk,
- Paint,
- Stone,
- Soil,
- Rubber,
- Pencil,
- Eraser…
Children are the result of eating these substances They experience anemia, diarrhea, constipation, stomach and intestinal problems. Pica usually begins when children walk and get around. All children recognize the items available to them at 9 months of development and beyond. They put it in their mouths with the match. In pica, both duration and the behavior of preferring the same substances develop. Pica is more common in boys than girls. Pica development is more common in developmental delays, pervasive developmental disorders and psychotic disorders. Although some studies show that anemia develops after pica, some studies show that pica develops after anemia. Studies have shown a close relationship between financial inadequacies, emotional and physical abuse, and family conflicts and pica. In addition, close relatives of children with pica also have a history of pica.
Feeding Disorder in Babies or Young Children:
Eating Disorder in Babies or Young Children has been on the forefront in recent years. It is an emerging problem. Problems related to malnutrition begin with the birth of the baby. The interaction between mother and baby is very important. If the mother is unhappy, anxious, uninterested or interfering, this is noticed very quickly by the baby. The baby needs a happy and peaceful mother to survive. Due to living conditions, most mothers have to work. Caregivers who take care of babies instead of mothers have responsibilities just like mothers. Sometimes traumatic events that occur during the feeding process (food leaking into the trachea, congenital anomalies, vomiting, etc.) can cause nutritional problems. Some children's sensory sensitivities are different from those of their peers. For this reason, picky eating behavior may occur. Eating problems are more common in some psychiatric disorders. Children with pervasive developmental disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder are especially picky eaters. Most of the time, families can insist on their children eating without being aware of this.
Another situation is babies' eating problems
- Ocephegeal reflux,
- Cystic fibrosis,
- Celiac disease,
- Metabolic disorders,
- Cardiac
It may be due to diseases.
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