- When to go to the doctor
- What eating disorders may exist in childhood
- 1. Restrictive or selective eating disorder
- 2. Disturbance of sensory processing
- What to do to make your child eat everything
The child who has difficulty in eating certain foods such as meat, fruits, vegetables and greens, having a very selective diet, always eating the same, may have a psychological disorder and need treatment guided by the psychologist.
It is normal for a child to have a decreased appetite by the age of 2, however, certain children may experience eating disorders by choosing to eat only porridge, soup, puree, or rice with beans and shredded meat, for example, accepting none another type of meal. This is a cause for concern when it remains in childhood, being present even at 3, 4, 5, 6… years. And in that case, parents should seek professional help.
When to go to the doctor
In cases where signs and symptoms of an eating disorder are evident, the ideal is to seek medical help that is evaluated, and most likely, other professionals such as the psychologist should be sought to carry out cognitive behavioral therapy, which offers the tools for the child. work your thoughts and actions.
This behavioral therapy is called systematic desensitization, where the child is asked to write down what his daily diet is like, and is asked for a list of foods he would like to try someday, and when he is able to taste some new food, he is rewarded. For children suffering from anxiety, they are taught to relax when they are in front of a new food, creating tales and stories before eating them so that they can imagine themselves eating the food in a relaxed way.
In addition, it may also be necessary to seek an occupational therapist to apply a therapy called the Wilbarger Protocol to the mouth, where sensory integration is performed with the use of techniques that may include the use of a toothbrush, for example.
A consultation with a nutritionist is also indicated, due to the restriction of foods that can cause malnutrition, and you must develop an individualized nutritional plan, with the possibility of using supplements with formulas to offer the calories that your body needs.
What eating disorders may exist in childhood
Although not very common, there are some eating disorders that can cause a child to eat only a certain type of food, such as puree or porridge, at a specific temperature. Are they:
1. Restrictive or selective eating disorder
This is a type of eating disorder that usually arises in childhood or adolescence, but can also appear or persist into adulthood. In this disorder the child limits the amount of food or avoids its consumption based on his experience, color, aroma, flavor, texture and presentation.
The main signs and symptoms of this disorder are:
- Important weight loss or difficulty reaching the ideal weight, according to your age; Only eating certain food textures; Restriction of the type and amount of food eaten; Lack of appetite and lack of interest in food; Very restrictive selection of foods, which can go worsening with time; there is no change in body image or fear of gaining weight as occurs in anorexia; fear of eating after an episode of vomiting or choking; presence of gastrointestinal symptoms such as stomach upset, constipation or abdominal pain.
These children tend to have problems in relationships with other people due to their eating problems and may have significant nutritional deficiencies that affect their growth and development, as well as their performance at school.
Find out more details about this selective eating disorder here.
2. Disturbance of sensory processing
This disorder is a neurological condition where the brain has problems receiving and responding properly to information that comes from the senses such as touch, taste, smell or vision. The child can be affected in only one or several senses, and for this reason a person with this disorder may respond excessively to a stimulus, making sound, clothing, physical contact, light and even food unbearable.
When the taste is affectionate the child can present:
- Oral hypersensitivity
In this case the child has extreme food preferences, with a very small variation of food, can be demanding with the brands, resist to try new foods in restaurants and cannot eat at other people's homes, avoiding spicy, spicy, sweet or salads.
It is possible that you will only eat bland, puree or liquid foods after 2 years of age, and you may be surprised by other textures. You may also have difficulty sucking, chewing or swallowing for fear of choking. And you can resist or refuse to go to the dentist, complaining about the use of toothpaste and mouthwash.
- Oral hyposensitivity
In this situation the child may prefer foods with an intense flavor such as excessively spicy, sweet, bittersweet or salad, even feeling that the food does not have enough seasoning. And you can say that all foods have the 'same taste'.
It is also possible for you to chew, taste or lick inedible objects, eating your hair, shirt or fingers frequently. Unlike oral hypersensitivity, you may like electric toothbrushes, like going to the dentist and drooling excessively.
What to do to make your child eat everything
Some practical advice for making your child eat a greater variety of foods or in greater quantities are:
- Offer new foods preferably when the child is hungry, because they will be better accepted; for the child to accept new foods, try to eat this food, not giving up before trying about 8 to 10 times, on different days; preferred foods with the least accepted; the child usually eats better if he chooses some foods from the meal, at least 2; prevent the child from drinking too many fluids immediately before meals; the time to eat should be no less than 20 minutes and greater than 30 minutes, enough time for the child to recognize the feeling of satiety in his body; if the child does not want to eat, he should not be punished, because this reinforces the negative conduct, the plate must be removed and he can leave the table, but at the next meal you should offer nutritious food; it is important that the child and family are seated at the table, quietly, it is important to have fixed schedules those for meals; take the child to buy food at the market and help in the choice and preparation of meals and how it is served; read tales and stories about food.
Check out these and other tips in the following video:
In cases where a disorder is evident, it is possible that the process to regulate feeding takes weeks, months and sometimes years of treatment before your child can enjoy food in a 'normal' way, have adequate food and adapt, It is very important to seek help from health professionals, such as pediatricians and psychologists, for these situations.
