9 Reasons and Causes of Children's Difficulty in Eating, Easy Tips to Overcome It

Kapanlagi.com - Maintaining children's intake and eating patterns is certainly very important for parents to support their growth. However, unfortunately, some problems are often faced by parents, especially when children have difficulty eating. The causes of children's difficulty eating can occur for various reasons that parents need to know.

Children's difficulty eating often worries parents, especially in toddlers. This condition can be caused by various reasons, either medical conditions or changes in the child's appetite. When parents find their beloved child having difficulty eating, they usually try various tricks to increase their appetite.

For example, creating various favorite characters to attract their attention and encourage the child to eat. Although these tricks often work, some conditions cannot be overcome by just creating the child's favorite characters. It may be experienced due to other reasons that parents need to understand.

If the cause is related to medical conditions, consulting a doctor is necessary to overcome children's difficulty eating properly. Some causes of children's difficulty eating below may be one of the reasons why their beloved child experiences a decrease in appetite.

As for the causes of children's difficulty eating, you can find out through several reviews below. The following causes of children's difficulty eating have been summarized by kapanlagi.com from various sources.

1. Food Choosers

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The first cause of children's difficulty in eating can occur because children are food choosers. According to jillcastle.com, as children grow older, they tend to become food choosers. This is because some children have a problem called ARFID. ARFID is an eating disorder characterized by a very limited desire to consume food.

This condition can make children have difficulty eating or even avoid food. For example, children become picky eaters and may refuse to eat. Additionally, children may also experience something called food neophobia, which is a fear of new foods and is one of the characteristics of food choosers.

Some children are also sensitive to certain foods, whether it be smell, taste, or texture. This may be the cause of children's difficulty in eating, even when various methods are used. To overcome this, it is important to understand in more detail the foods that children like.

2. Too Much Portion

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The next cause of a child's difficulty in eating can be due to a portion that is too much. This condition can be experienced by some children who cannot eat in large or excessive portions. In this case, there are some children who may not be able to eat in large portions and tend to leave food behind.

This can be one of the reasons why children have difficulty eating that parents need to understand. To overcome this, reducing the portion of the child's meal can be done while still ensuring the nutritional value of the food served. This method may be able to make the child enthusiastic about eating again and be able to finish their food.

3. Food Allergy

Finding that a child has difficulty eating, one of the causes may be because the child may have a food allergy. According to jillcastle.com, some children may be allergic to certain foods and cannot eat well enough. For example, some examples of these allergies are milk, soy, eggs, peanuts, or fish.

This food allergy can make parents have to monitor and limit the child's food intake. This may be the reason for certain food choices and make them tend to get bored with food. To overcome this, consulting with a pediatric nutritionist can be done so that the child can get a balanced nutrition related to food intake.

4. Too Many Snacks

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In childhood, it is often found that a child tends to prefer their favorite snacks. However, eating too many snacks can potentially make a child have difficulty eating. In other words, they tend to feel more full from eating snacks compared to their main meals.

This may be one of the reasons why a child has difficulty eating during mealtime. Both snacks and drinks can trigger eating disorders in young children. Therefore, paying attention to the appropriate portion of snacks for your little one can prevent eating disorders during mealtime.

5. Sensitive to Texture and Taste

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As mentioned earlier, the cause of a child's difficulty in eating can also be due to their sensitivity to texture and taste. Some foods may have textures that the child tends to avoid. For example, they may hesitate to consume foods with wet, slippery, rough, or mushy textures.

In addition to texture, some children may also be sensitive to certain tastes or aromas. This usually occurs in selective eaters. According to jillcastle.com, a selective eater may prefer bland or white-colored tastes. However, consulting with a doctor can provide appropriate advice regarding nutrition for your little one.

6. Too Full of Milk or Certain Drinks

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The cause of a child's difficulty in eating can also be triggered by them being too full of milk or certain drinks. Because milk can have a filling effect on the little one because it contains a certain amount of fat and protein. Although consuming milk is good for a child's growth and development, drinking too much milk can also have an impact on the child's main eating disorder.

The same goes for other types of drinks such as juice, which can make the little one feel full if consumed excessively. Therefore, parents can pay attention to the amount of milk or certain drinks before the main meal time.

7. Child's Focus Distracted

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The cause of a child's difficulty in eating can also be caused by their distracted focus. For example, when a child eats while watching TV or playing, this can cause the child to not be able to focus on their food. According to sarahremmer.com, parents usually use various ways to make the child want to eat with the technique of diverting attention. However, unfortunately, some children are easily distracted by certain toys at this time. As a result, they tend to focus on the toys but not on their food. The best way to deal with this is to let the child focus on their food and allow them to play after they have finished eating.

8. Not Feeling Well

Just like adults who usually tend to experience eating disorders when they feel unwell. This also affects children, which is also the cause of children's difficulty in eating. Because when sick, a child often eats less or even loses appetite.

This condition usually improves after the child becomes healthy again in relation to their eating patterns. However, consultation with a doctor is necessary so that the child can get balanced nutrition when feeling unwell or sick.

9. Bored with Food

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The cause of a child's difficulty in eating can also be triggered by the child getting bored with food. This happens when a child may feel tired or bored with the food being served. As a result, food rejection or difficulty in eating can be experienced by parents. According to sarahremmer.com, repeatedly serving the same menu can trigger boredom in a child.

10. Tips to Overcome Children's Difficulty in Eating

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Here are some tips to overcome children's difficulty in eating to increase their appetite, which can be done in the following ways. These are tips to overcome children's difficulty in eating that parents can try:

- Make the food more appealing to increase their appetite.

- Do not make the child feel pressured or stressed during mealtime.

- Serve the food when the child starts to feel hungry and adjust it to the baby's meal schedule.

- Understand the child's favorite foods and encourage the child to make their own food choices.

- Serve smaller portions periodically.

- Avoid forcing the child to eat when they are not hungry.

- Limit intake of certain snacks, especially unhealthy snacks.

Those are the 9 causes of children's difficulty in eating along with Easy Tips to Overcome them. Consultation with a pediatric nutritionist can be done to help overcome children's difficulty in eating and determine the necessary nutritional values for them.

(kpl/nlw)