Malnutrition in young children is a common problem among them. Although children nowadays have whatever they want to eat, they have developed a reluctance to eat. Difficulty in feeding children is a problem faced by every family. So many children still suffer from malnutrition in today's extremely rich food. So what are the reasons for malnutrition in young children? How to deal with it?
1、 Why do children suffer from malnutrition
1. Improper feeding: Failure to add milk substitutes in a timely manner or insufficient or diluted milk substitutes can lead to a lack of protein and energy in the baby, resulting in chronic malnutrition. Chronic malnutrition can also occur in babies who do not add complementary foods in a timely manner or are weaned suddenly after 4 months of age. Malnutrition in young or school-age children is often caused by picky eating, selective eating, and excessive snacking.
2. Disease factors: Multiple births, twins, premature infants, due to congenital deficiencies, have poor sucking, swallowing, digestion and absorption functions, and are prone to malnutrition. Recurrent respiratory infections, chronic diarrhea, parasitic diseases, chronic dysentery, and other illnesses can also cause malnutrition.
2、 Is being light in weight and short in stature considered malnutrition
In fact, there are significant individual differences in the growth and development of each child. There is a range of normal physical values for children. Currently, infants need to undergo monthly assessments before 6 months of age to monitor their weight, height, head circumference, etc., and then draw evaluation conclusions such as malnutrition and normal development based on existing standards.
3、 Symptoms of malnutrition in children
The foundation of health comes from nutrition, and for children, it is important to be alert to both overnutrition and malnutrition. The common manifestations of malnutrition are:
1. Protein deficiency: Clinically prone to fatigue, often accompanied by anemia, weight loss in children, delayed growth and development, and decreased resistance to infectious diseases.
2. Fat deficiency: Children are prone to fat soluble vitamin deficiencies, including deficiencies in vitamin A and vitamin D.
3. Carbohydrate deficiency: Children are prone to hypoglycemia, which often manifests clinically as fatigue and delayed growth and development.
4. Calcium deficiency: Children are prone to osteoporosis, abnormal bone and tooth development, and some may experience low calcium seizures.
5. Phosphorus deficiency: Children often suffer from loss of appetite and are prone to develop osteoporosis clinically, manifested as abnormal development of bones and teeth, and in severe cases, pathological fractures may occur.
6. Potassium deficiency: Children often experience muscle weakness, and in severe cases, arrhythmia may occur.
7. Insufficient dietary fiber: Clinically, it is often manifested as constipation, etc.
4、 What to do about malnutrition in children
Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment
1. Take 1 eel and 10 grams of chicken roe. Remove the internal organs of the eel, cut it into pieces and put them in a bowl. Add chicken offal and steam until cooked before consumption.
2. 30g sweet potato leaves, 10g chicken nugget, decoct soup, and serve with seasoning.
3. Mix human milk with malt, decoct and take orally.
4. Several hawthorns, a little brown sugar, decoct in soup and take.
5. Goose does not eat 3 grams of grass, stewed pork is edible.
6. Gold does not exchange for grass 60g, stew with tofu and take.
Western medicine treatment
1. During treatment, it is advisable to consume foods rich in vitamins or medications such as B vitamins. Other adjuvant treatments are provided, along with a sufficient protein diet.
2. It is generally believed that milk with sugar and vegetable oil is the best food foundation for infancy. As one gets older, solid foods can be added according to local customs to increase calorie supply. If there is no diarrhea or vomiting, 190 calories per kilogram per day should be given in the early stages, gradually increasing to 200 calories. People who cannot tolerate lactose should avoid using dairy products.
3. Small and multiple blood transfusions, plasma transfusions, intravenous or intramuscular injections; Multiple enemas with large amounts of placental blood can also be used.
4. Stubborn cases can be treated with steroids.
5. Acupuncture the liver, stomach, and body pillars, using short and strong stimulation without leaving needles.
5、 Does malnutrition affect a baby's intelligence
Some parents overly focus on their children's external manifestations such as weight and height, neglecting their intake of various nutrients, resulting in malnutrition in children. Childhood malnutrition is not always manifested as weakness and thinness. Obesity, delayed development, low cognitive and metabolic abilities, etc. are all considered manifestations of malnutrition. However, some forms of malnutrition do not have specific symptoms in the early stages, making them difficult to detect. Research has shown that early childhood malnutrition affects physical and intellectual development, cognitive function development, and learning ability after enrollment.
My baby is very fat, why is he still malnourished?
The order of subendothelial fat growth in infants under 1 year old during the first 6 months is generally: first on the face, then on the legs, then on the chest, and finally on the abdomen. When malnutrition occurs, the order of subcutaneous fat reduction is exactly the opposite: first in the abdomen, then in the chest, back, and waist, then in the limbs and buttocks, and finally in the face. Therefore, when determining whether a child is suffering from malnutrition, especially mild malnutrition, simply looking at whether their face is thin cannot accurately diagnose the condition.
6、 How to prevent malnutrition in children
1. Strengthen nutrition guidance and encourage breast feeding. Those who have insufficient or no breast milk should be supplemented with milk substitutes containing high-quality protein (cow, sheep's milk, soybean milk, fish meat, etc.) to prevent simple feeding with starch food, condensed milk or malt milk. Older children should pay attention to the correct combination of food ingredients, appropriately supply meat, eggs, and soy products, and supplement with sufficient vegetables.
2. Actively prevent and treat diseases, prevent infectious diseases, eliminate lesions, correct congenital deformities, etc.
3. Pay attention to physical exercise, correct poor hygiene and dietary habits, schedule meals regularly, and ensure adequate sleep.
As parents of children, we all hope that our children can grow up healthy and happy. In order to ensure the health of their children, it is necessary for parents to understand the relevant information about malnutrition, so that they can detect their child's malnutrition status early and take timely measures for treatment and prevention.
