The Child Lacks Appetite After The First Birthday

A child’s eating habits change a lot after their first birthday. Even if parents offer the usual food, the child can now reject them and show no interest in eating. Lack of appetite has to do with age-related physical and mental changes. Many call it a decline in appetite.

From the first year of life onwards, a child’s body grows more slowly than before. This occurs as a result of two independent processes: On the one hand, their metabolism “slows down” with respect to the rhythm during the first months of life. And on the other hand, both physical activity and energy consumption increase.

So you should be worried if your child eats less than before after one year of age? Probably not. Here are some helpful tips to help you through this particular stage.

Characteristics of a child’s physiological lack of appetite

A lack of appetite can almost be expected at this age. It is estimated that about 30% of children aged 1 to 4 years show some type of refusal to eat. But only 1% have a disease (Lambrischini Ferri, 2007).

It is common for preschool children to have some form of difficulty during feeding. While this is not a health problem, it is a concern for parents and a source of family disputes at meals.

One of the most prominent aspects of physiological inadequacy is neophobia. This means “fear of the new” and describes the tendency to avoid new foods. This condition occurs very rarely in childhood, peaks between 2 and 5 years and decreases in adulthood.

Although it is a bit complicated for parents, it is assumed to be nothing more than a survival behavior in humans.

This is because neophobia has a protective function. While humans need to eat a varied diet, the consumption of unknown foods carries a risk of disease and toxicity (Rozin, 1976).

To define refusal to eat as physiological, we must therefore follow all the conditions below:

• A healthy child who has not shown signs or symptoms of digestive diseases.
• The child maintains a good development in terms of weight and height, according to the references for their age and gender.
• The child maintains an activity level and a mood that suits his age.

What can you do about your child’s lack of appetite?

First of all, you should be aware that this is a transient change that you can expect at this age. Just as you will have experienced colic or breastfeeding crises, you understand that no matter how difficult it is to cope with, there will come a day when you can stop worrying.

Here are some useful tips to put into practice when the situation becomes complicated.

Calmness and patience

The relationship between parents and children helps to shape eating behavior. For this reason, the more tense the situation becomes, the worse the result. And this applies not only to the quantity but also the quality of the food that the child eventually receives.

In order for a child to incorporate a new food into their diet , you must offer the dish at least 5 to 10 times over time. It is possible to change food preferences if we provide the food in different situations (Birch, 1982).

Offer a variety of foods

All people have preferences for certain foods and it is not bad at all. It is also true that we tend to copy our parents ‘or siblings’ eating habits when we observe these behaviors for many years.

In addition to social contexts and imitative behavior, there are genetic factors that are involved in food preferences.

In a study conducted by nutritionist Graciela Falciglia, she observed that the diet for children with major neophobia was more restrictive than for children without neophobia. In turn, these restrictive diets were significantly deficient in vitamins and high saturated fats.

For this reason, whenever possible, it is important to offer foods of all kinds. A useful way to achieve this is to make sure that there are many colors and textures on your child’s plate. This way, you will provide a variety of nutrients.

Make eating fun!

To be good, the context must be appropriate. It is important to ensure a calm and relaxed atmosphere, without disturbances (eg TV or mobile phones), where all diners can enjoy the experience.

It is important to avoid fuss at meals or to overly criticize the child for eating too little, too slowly, or too selectively. We must learn to respect their pace, their taste and their desire to quit quickly in order to return to play.

You also need to be practical and not prolong the activity too much. If your child ate his meal eagerly, even if it was only a little, until they showed signs of being full, then the meal should be considered over. Maybe they’ll stay at the table a little longer tomorrow.

It’s better without tricks

If the goal is to get your child to adopt healthy eating habits, you should not focus on getting them to eat today all you have in mind. Maybe they will do it in time… but it must be in their own time.

It is important to talk to your pediatrician or nutritionist about what nutrients are necessary for each stage of life and what foods you can find them in. Sometimes your child does not need to drink a glass of milk as a source of calcium, as some vegetables, as broccoli , can provide all the calcium your child needs.

Mixing different ingredients in a soup or sauce will surely provide them with a variety of nutrients.

Do not force them

There is no reason to force your child to eat, nor should you threaten or bribe them. It is important to offer the food and the necessary conditions for the child to adopt positive habits. On the contrary, all measures under pressure may have negative consequences in the future.

About your child’s physiological lack of appetite

Now that you have learned that this behavior can be expected in children from 1 to 5 years, you will be able to relax a little more at meal time. Remember to consult your pediatrician about healthy eating issues, so as not to overlook certain aspects related to children’s diet.