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What to do if a child doesn't absorb food is a topic that many parents discuss. Every parent wants their child to grow up healthy and well-rounded. So let's find solutions for children who don't absorb food and suggest foods that children will enjoy.
Children not absorbing food - A common issue for many families
Before finding answers to the question of what to do if a child doesn't absorb food, parents need to know the signs and reasons why children don't absorb food.
Signs of a Child's Poor Appetite
There are several signs indicating that a child may have a poor appetite, such as follows:
A child's weight gain is slow, stagnant, or even declining. Weight is a precise measure of a child's developmental progress. If a child eats and develops normally, weight will increase steadily according to physiological standards. However, if the rate of weight gain does not meet physiological standards, it may be a sign of poor appetite.
Child Losing Interest in Food, Lack of Appetite
Children may be reluctant to eat or show no interest in meals. Children with poor appetite often exhibit signs such as reluctance to eat, loss of interest in food, or meal avoidance. The reason is that the food from the previous meal has not been fully digested, leaving the child feeling full. Children do not feel hungry and are not enthusiastic about the next meal.
Children may experience digestive symptoms such as vomiting, regurgitation, abdominal pain, or constipation, diarrhea. These are all signs that the child's digestive system is not functioning well. Parents should pay attention.
Reasons Why Children Fail to Absorb Food
To understand what to do when a child fails to absorb food, parents need to know the reasons behind this issue in children. There are 3 common reasons why children fail to absorb food as follows:
1. Inappropriate diet for the child's physiology and digestive capacity. This is the most common reason for children's poor food absorption. For example, feeding solid foods to infants too early (before 6 months of age). Foods that are too rough for children. Excessive food intake beyond the child's digestive capacity. Or parents arranging meal times, meals too thick, causing the child to not digest food in time and leading to poor absorption.
2. Children have an imbalance in gut microbiota. The digestive system of children always contains billions of beneficial bacteria. They help children digest and absorb food better. When this balance is disrupted, it will greatly affect the child and is a reason for poor food absorption.
Internal Causes of Children's Poor Food Absorption
Children have diseases related to the digestive or metabolic system. Typical examples include lactose intolerance, cow's milk protein allergy, intestinal inflammation, gastroesophageal reflux - esophagitis, gastritis,... These diseases reduce the effectiveness of children's digestion, gradually making it difficult for children to eat or absorb.
Mother's Tip: What to Do When Children Have Poor Food Absorption?
So what's the solution to the problem of Children Having Poor Food Absorption? Let's explore some solutions below.
Changing to a Proper Diet
Changing the diet is an effective solution to address the issue of children having poor food absorption. Here are some changes parents can consider for their child's diet.
A well-balanced and nutritious diet will support the condition of poor food absorption in children. Parents should prepare meals for their child with all 4 food groups: carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber. Adding fiber to the menu is the foundation to help the child's intestines function better.
Designing a proper and scientifically sound eating schedule for children. Children's meals should be spaced 2 - 3 hours apart. This is just enough time for the child to digest the food from the previous meal and feel hungry for the next one.
The mealtime should be around 30 minutes. Parents should not let the child eat for too long. Enzymes and digestive fluids are released most efficiently in the first 30 minutes of a meal. After this time, the digestive capacity decreases.
What to Do When Children Have Poor Food Absorption: Establishing a Proper Eating Schedule
Choose the texture and portion size of meals appropriate for the child's stomach volume and digestion capacity. Food that is too coarse or overfeeding can also be a reason for poor absorption in children.
Increasing Physical Activity
The next solution to the problem of Children Having Poor Food Absorption is to increase physical activity for the child. Physical activity brings many health benefits in general and especially supports digestion very well in children. Increasing physical activity helps children digest faster and feel hungry more quickly. Metabolic activities will be more efficient if children engage in physical activity. Here are some exercises to support the child's poor absorption condition that parents can apply:
- Cycling exercise.
- Abdominal massage exercise.
- Swimming for children.
Supplementing Probiotics and Nutrients for Children
Supplementing probiotics and nutrients is also an effective solution to the problem of children not absorbing food. Probiotics help restore the balance of gut microbiota in children. As a result, digestion efficiency will improve, helping children absorb nutrients better.
Probiotics help the body digest food and absorb nutrients better
The lack of certain nutrients such as iron, zinc is a reason for children's poor absorption. Supplementing these nutrients will enhance metabolism and stimulate children to eat better. Parents can supplement nutrients through daily food or consider using external functional products. There are many integrated products with probiotics and essential nutrients for children. Parents should seek reputable and quality products or consult with experts.
Foods to Improve Children's Absorption
In addition to finding solutions to children's poor absorption, parents should pocket the top 3 foods to improve absorption for children:
- Yogurt
Parents facing the challenge of children not absorbing food often limit their intake of eggs, thinking that eggs will make children feel full and harder to digest. However, this information is completely incorrect. On the contrary, eggs are highly absorbable food (about 90%), while the meat group is only about 70 - 80%. Eggs are also very nutritious and easy to prepare into many dishes.
- Eggs
Many parents, when faced with the issue of poor absorption in children, often restrict their intake of eggs. Parents think that eggs will make children feel full and harder to digest. However, this information is completely wrong. On the contrary, eggs are a highly absorbable food (about 90%), while the meat group is only about 70 - 80%. Eggs are also very nutritious and easy to prepare into many dishes.
- Good Fats
When children face issues with poor food absorption, parents should remember to supplement good fats for them. The energy requirement of children from the fat group can be up to 45%. Fats also provide more energy than other nutrient groups. Some good fats that parents can consider for their children include olive oil, walnut oil, Momordica cochinchinensis oil, fish oil, chicken fat, etc. Hopefully, this article has helped parents alleviate concerns about what to do when their children have poor food absorption. Wishing parents useful information to nurture their children into healthy and well-rounded individuals.
