Contents
- Baby’s refusal to feed can be frequent in the first months of life, when does it become pathological?
- What are the unmistakable signs of childhood anorexia?
- How can we explain anorexia in infants?
- What advice would you give parents when Baby objects to feeding?
- What about the “little eaters”?
- Is an eating disorder at an early age a sign of anorexia nervosa in adolescence?
- In video: My child eats little
Baby’s refusal to feed can be frequent in the first months of life, when does it become pathological?
First of all, let us point out that any baby can experience ups and downs in his relationship to feeding, because he can be bothered by intestinal pain or other transient organic causes.
We speak of infant anorexia when there is an impact on the baby’s weight curve. The diagnosis is made by the doctor who follows the child. He will notice an absence of weight gain in the little one, while the parents offer to eat normally.
What are the unmistakable signs of childhood anorexia?
When Baby refuses to eat, he turns his head away when it comes time to bottle feed. This is what mothers report to the doctor. They describe their worry, “it doesn’t take well”.
Weighing is an essential evaluation in the regular visit to the pediatrician. This is one of the strong signs of a food problem.
How can we explain anorexia in infants?
Anorexia in the little one is “a meeting” between a baby who has a difficulty at one time and a mother who is also having a difficult time in her life. The factors can be many and varied, and it is at this key moment that the problem crystallizes and becomes pathological.
What advice would you give parents when Baby objects to feeding?
Keep in mind that the time of the meal is a moment of pleasure! It is an exchange between Baby and the foster parent, you have to be as relaxed as possible, especially when the problems start… If the medical follow-up is regular, if the baby’s weight is harmonious, the worries are often temporary. Some mothers find it difficult to estimate how much their little one really needs. Rather, it is a set of signs, such as a baby who is a little soft, sad and who sleeps badly, who must consult the mother. Either way, it’s the doctor who makes the diagnosis.
What about the “little eaters”?
A little eater is a baby who gains small amounts with each meal, and who gains weight every month. Once again, you have to take a close look at its growth chart. If it continues to evolve harmoniously, even while remaining in a low average, there is no need to worry, the child is thus constituted.
Is an eating disorder at an early age a sign of anorexia nervosa in adolescence?
The baby who has known real difficulties in his first months of life will have a childhood with frequent eating problems. He must benefit from a regular follow-up, to clearly identify the risks of developing food phobias. Either way, the doctor will be attentive to his growth charts and his weight gain. It is true that traces of eating difficulties have been found during infancy in some anorexic adolescents. But it is very difficult to assess, due to the parents’ rather superficial discourse on the subject. But it is always good to remember that the earlier a pathological problem is taken care of in infancy, the higher the chances of “solving” it!