Why won’t baby eat?

Feeding problems for a baby can range from sudden splashes of saliva to carrots smeared through hair to refusal to eat. Whether they're humorous or downright scary, there's a way to deal with them.

First, relax. While feeding difficulties are frustrating, if your baby is growing and developing normally, you usually have nothing to worry about.

Common Feeding Problems

Refusing food

Babies refuse food for many reasons: they may be full, tired, distracted, or sick. Maybe the baby's feeding schedule just doesn't match your feeding schedule. Don't worry, baby will always eat when he's hungry, so if your little one taps with a spoon, turns away, or closes his mouth, he's telling you he's had enough for now. Just make sure your child is getting healthy food and that unhealthy food doesn't fill him up prematurely.

Try to trust that your baby knows how much food he needs and never force him to eat, which can turn feeding time into a battle. However, if you are concerned about not eating, always talk to your pediatrician.

Avoiding new foods

Almost all children go through a period of rejection of new foods. Fortunately, most children grow out of this phase, although it can sometimes take weeks or even months.

Help your child accept new foods more easily by making sure the new foods are similar to familiar favorite foods, such as mashed carrots and mashed sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes and mashed potatoes. Then, starting with very small portions, gently introduce the new food to your child three times during meals. If they refuse, don't overreact; just switch to what you know they like. Try offering the same food at another meal.

Fussy baby, picky eater

This is the cry of many parents: my child is a picky eater.

There are many reasons why babies can be picky eaters. He may be teething, tired, not yet ready for solid food, or he just doesn't need as much food as you give him. Familiar products keep your child comfortable during stressful and busy times. Although picky eating may linger for a while, it rarely lasts long.

Gagging

Most babies are ready for solid foods between 4 and 6 months of age, but for some, solid foods may be difficult at first. Result? The baby may appear to be choking while feeding.

If your child has trouble swallowing solid food, try putting less food on the spoon. If your child is still throwing up, they may not be ready for solid foods yet. Your child's healthcare provider may also look for other causes of persistent vomiting.

Making a mess

This is sometimes referred to as "feeding the floor". There is often a sloppy phase where the baby seems to spend more time playing with or dropping food than eating it.

These classic signs of food independence often appear in a baby around the ninth month, when they are preoccupied with feeding control and interaction with food. While it's often uncomfortable to let your child hold the spoon, this step is important to help your child learn, grow, and become more independent.

Food allergies and food intolerances

Food allergies that activate the immune system occur in 8% of children and can appear suddenly, with symptoms ranging from diarrhea, vomiting, skin rash or abdominal pain to breathing problems and swelling of the face/body. The most common food allergies in children are milk, soy, eggs, wheat, tree nuts, and shellfish, although children can be allergic to any food.

Food intolerances are more common than food allergies. While the symptoms may be similar, food intolerances affect a child's digestive system, not the immune system. Common food intolerances include issues with lactose, corn, or gluten. Symptoms of food intolerance include gas, bloating, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Spitting up, reflux or vomiting

Spitting up seems to be an almost universal activity for babies. The good news is that spitting up usually goes away by the time babies reach their first birthday. You can reduce your baby's risk of spitting up by spitting up regularly, avoiding overfeeding, keeping him upright during feedings, and avoiding playing with your baby right after feedings.

Reflux occurs when the contents of the stomach back up into the baby's esophagus. To manage reflux, feed your baby a little less or more slowly with each meal; changing or loosening a baby's diaper; keep them upright after eating for at least 30 minutes; limit active games after eating; Raise the head of the crib by tucking the mattress under the child's head.

Vomiting when food rises with more force can have many causes. Although vomiting usually goes away on its own, call your pediatrician if your child seems dehydrated, has been vomiting severely or has been vomiting for more than 24 hours, you see blood in the vomit, the child seems to be in pain, or is unable to hold down fluid. Severe vomiting in infants can be caused by a physical condition called pyloric stenosis, which prevents food from moving through the intestines from the stomach. This condition, which usually occurs between 4 and 8 weeks, requires surgical correction.

Feeding problems with a baby can be caused by many things, so it's always a good idea to talk to your baby's healthcare provider if you're concerned, especially if your baby isn't growing properly or isn't growing well. .

Call your child's pediatrician if your child seems to be losing weight, is lethargic, seems dehydrated, is vomiting, has nausea, or has persistent or food-related diarrhea, stomach pain, or simply if you have questions or concerns.