Food refusal in childhood: symptoms and treatments

The refusal to eat can be a disorder called selective eating disorder that usually develops in childhood, when the child eats only the same foods, rejecting all other options outside its standard of acceptance, having little appetite and lack of interest in new foods. Thus, it is common for children to like to always eat the same meals, rejecting new foods, and to have difficulty eating in restaurants and at other people's homes.

Often this disorder is seen by parents as being a tantrum of a spoiled child or freshness to eat, but this can be a disorder, requiring the child to be evaluated by a pediatrician and a psychologist to make its proper diagnosis, so that with treatment, the child will be able to have a more varied and nutritionally balanced diet.

Refusal to eat is common in children between 2 and 6 years of age, so parents are used to scenes like tantrums, taking a long time to eat, trying to negotiate the food that will be consumed, getting up from the table during the meal and pinching along the day. However, when the child constantly presents this type of behavior, he always eats the same foods, in addition to this phase, an evaluation with a doctor and psychologist is indicated.

Signs and symptoms of selective eating disorder

To identify this disorder you need to be aware of the following symptoms:

The child always eats the same foods, eating only 15 different foods or less; Avoid whole food groups, such as milk and dairy products or all fruits; Close your mouth tightly to avoid eating a different food anyway; Having tantrums at mealtimes, making the time stressful for the whole family; The child may experience nausea and vomiting when faced with the need to eat new foods; The child may prefer only cold or warm foods; The child may prefer flavored foods soft as light-colored ones like milk, bread, pasta; in certain cases it is possible to observe preference for certain brands of food; the child may not tolerate the smell of a certain food, having to withdraw from the kitchen or living room, and be anxious Some children may be anxious about food especially if it is easy to get dirty, such as meat with sauces, due to the requirement of the mother in childhood in the child does not get dirty.

These symptoms can persist into adulthood when the disease is not properly diagnosed, causing constant tension and fights in the family during meals.

The diagnosis of this eating disorder is made based on the clinical history of the symptoms presented by the child, which must be taken to the pediatrician to assess the severity of the food rejection. Keeping a food diary for 1 week, in addition to the feelings felt when eating the food, is a good way to start understanding the problem.

In addition, the doctor will also check for other problems that may lead to food rejection, such as difficulties in chewing and swallowing, food allergies and gastrointestinal problems. The child is not always underweight or has developmental problems, but may have difficulty in school with poor school performance, in addition to dry skin and weak hair and nails, due to a lack of nutrients due to poor nutrition.

What causes selective eating disorder

Exaggerated and persistent refusal to eat can be caused by psychological problems, social phobias, and taste changes such as the 'super taste'. Difficulty chewing, swallowing or feeling sick in the stomach or pain in the belly can also influence this disorder.

Treatment of selective eating disorder

The treatment so that the child can eat everything is usually done with medical monitoring and psychological treatment, where strategies are made to improve the meal environment and encourage the child to try new foods, through cognitive behavioral therapy. Some strategies that can help to vary infant feeding are:

Reduce stress and fights during meals, promoting a calm and peaceful environment and not leaving the child grounded if he does not want to eat; Do not give up serving new foods to the child, but always put at least 1 food on the plate like and eat naturally, which may have been chosen by her; Offer the same food varying the form of preparation, presentation and texture. For example: offering baked potatoes, sliced or sliced potatoes drizzled with olive oil, not exactly the same as mashed potatoes; Offer new foods and eat these foods in front of the child showing how tasty they are, because this habit favors acceptance of child; Trust the child's choices and leave him free to eat as much as he wants during meals; Show similar characteristics between some foods that the child accepts and new ones, to encourage him to try them, such as: pumpkin has same color as carrots, the taste of kale is similar to spinach…

Watch the following video and check out these and other tips that can help your child eat better:

In addition, if the child has problems in the development of chewing, speech, swallowing or gastrointestinal problems, monitoring with professionals such as speech therapist and occupational therapist will also be necessary because specific techniques will be implemented that can be used to improve the child's experience with the foods.

Here are tips to encourage your child's food variety:

Warning signs to go to the doctor as soon as possible

The selective feeding disorder can bring serious problems to the child, mainly the delayed growth and development due to the lack of adequate nutrients and calories. Thus, the child may be a little smaller and lighter than he should be, although this is not always a characteristic that catches the attention of parents. Lack of vitamins and minerals can also lead to bleeding gums, weakness in bones, dry eyes and skin problems.

In addition, the excess of the same nutrient, obtained by excessive consumption of the same food, can also bring health problems such as itching, tiredness, weakness and joint pain. Therefore, if these symptoms are present, it may be necessary to have a blood test to identify the deficiency or excess of some nutrient, which may require medication.