Archive for August, 2009

Ever Changing Appetite, Should I Get Worried?

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

“Yesterday, Adrian took 3 slices of pizza with a glass of fresh milk for lunch, he took a large serving of tuna sandwich for dinner, followed by half an apple. However, today, he had sudden loss of appetite and took only 2 plain crackers and keep telling me he is full. He didn’t eat much for dinner too. He is 4.5 years old and I think he has an erratic appetite. This is not the first time, it happened before too. Could he be having some pathology in his guts?” Ben, 36 years old

 

Dr. Stork says: Your child may sometimes have a tremendous appetite but, at other times, he may not want to eat very much at all. Such variations in appetite are normal; they occur in children just as in adults. Nevertheless, it helps to check if your child likes the way certain foods are served or whether he is ill.

 

Eager to know more about cultivating good eating habits? Please visit also:

 

Healthy Eating Habits for Children Nutritional Health

 

 

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My Child Is Not Interested In Food!

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

“I seriously need help here doctor. Sonia is 2 years old. Since two weeks ago, I notice that she seems to be more interested in things other than food. I’ve tried various ways to distract her and get her to eat her food but to no avail. She used to love her food a lot.” Jenny, 22 years old

 

Dr. Stork says: Your child is at an age when she is very interested in playing and satisfying her curiosity about her surroundings. This could lead to a temporary loss of interest in food. This should not cause concern but, if this problem occurs frequently, discuss the matter with a nutritionist, dietitian or a doctor.

 

Need more Tips on Feeding Young Children ?

 

Visit also:

Child Health and Well-Being

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Your Baby Sets His Mealtime, Not You!

Sunday, August 9th, 2009

“Beth cries about the average, I don’t always feed her when she cries as I can’t tell if she is hungry. She shouldn’t, as I make sure I feed her every two hours strictly. Recently, she has been crying more and I find it hard to pacify her, what could be wrong with her?” Joanne, 21 years; Beth, 6 weeks

Dr Stork says: During the first couple of months, most of your baby’s crying is probably due to hunger. You need to feed your baby whenever she’s hungry. This is called “feeding on demand”. That means you DO NOT schedule her feeding by the clock. Offer her your breast or a bottle when she cries, this may be every hour at first, especially if you are breastfeeding. I know this may be taxing for the mother but you will be able to reduce the frequency of the feed pretty soon as she grows. However, if she rejects the feed and continues to cry, you don’t force her either; look for other reasons for her crying, for example wet or dirty diaper.

Learn more at Feeding Baby

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Poor Appetite

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

“Peter is 3.5 years old, my worry is he eats too little and his growth will be retarded. His elder sister eats much more than he is eating now when she was 3.5 years old. I’ve checked with my friends and all their children at around the same age eat a larger amount than Peter.” Margaret, 35 years old

 

Dr. Stork says: You may notice that your child eats very little, when compared with his peers. There is no cause for concern if this occurs occasionally and he is growing well. However, if poor eating persists and your child exhibits poor weight gain, medical assessment will be required.

 

To know more about growth and nutrition, please visit:

 

Child Development and Food Nutrition

 

More related sites:

 

Tips on Promoting Healthy Eating Habits in Children

 

 

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What Goes In, What Comes Out! I Am Worried!

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Dear doctor, this morning when little Angela (14 months old now) was making her big poop, I saw some carrots in her stool, does that mean that she has malabsorption? Will this affect her growth? I am worried and scared.  Samantha, 20 years old

 

Dr. Stork says: Some children who take excessive amounts of vegetables may pass out intact pieces of the food in their stools, a condition called ‘toddler’s diarrhea’. You don’t have to worry about this normal phenomenon. Just offer a little less vegetable next time.

 

For more information on growth and nutrition, please visit:

Child Development and Food Nutrition

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Crying Toddlers

Saturday, August 1st, 2009

 

“Tony is 2 and a half years now, both John and I are getting very worried as he will cry at the slightest scratch or bruise he gets while playing. We are not able to console him and the crying usually gets worse and ended up causing distress to all three of us. Shouldn’t a boy toddler like him be brave?” Jessie, 24 years

Dr. Stork says: Toddlers tend to cry at even the most minor injury such as a small scratch, an abrasion, or a tiny bruise.

In our house, I always had “the magic cream” (a mild antiseptic cream) on hand, and my children responded almost immediately to attention, reassurance, and a thin smear of the magic cream.

Sometimes I had to sit down with them, hold them close, give them a big cuddle, and make very sympathetic sounds to show them that I knew how much it was hurting or how frightened they were and many young children are terrified by the sight of blood. Comfort and  the magic cream nearly always had a calming effect.

Whenever your crying toddler comes to you in distress crying over a small injury, be sympathetic. Say you know how much it’s hurting and don’t try to make him be brave. In a few moments he’ll skip off your knee and return to his play after a kiss to make it better, a cuddle, and a favorite drink or snack.

If necessary, put some interesting idea into your child’s mind to distract him from the injury, such as a special treat for tea, a special game with dad, a picnic, or an outing to a favorite place.

 

You may also want to visit:

Cultivate Positive Behavior in Your Child

Tips on Raising a Confident and Well-Adjusted Child

 

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