My child dislikes eating, what should I do?
When a child eats too little or do not like to eat at all, parents tend to worry that their little ones’ nutritional levels will suffer or become underweight; if a child eats too much, the worry is that the child will become bloated and overweight. Parents are often helpless when it comes to a child’s eating habits, and some may even resort to reprimanding, causing kids to be even more defensive when it comes to eating.
In fact, many parents do not realise that the reason behind a child’s eating habits may be due to existing spleen and stomach issues. Let’s find out more about this topic and how TCM can ease the problem!
Common Symptoms that Suggest Spleen and Stomach Issues in
Children who Dislike Eating
A child (usually aged between 1 and 6 years old) would have shown signs that he/she has no cravings for food or even rejecting food (symptoms persisting for at least a month). Besides that, the child would generally be in good spirits and active, with the occasional vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, stomach bloated, abdominal pain, blood in stool and so on.
Why does this happen?
Reasons include improper feedings or diets for child, organ functions not fully recovered post-illness, congenital insufficiency and so on. Among the reasons, improper feedings or diets are the main reasons that causes spleen and stomach issues in children.
When food supplement is not introduced at the child’s appropriate age, a child eats snacks, cold or fried food or consume excessive dairy products, a child’s diet is not controlled and overeating is allowed, these will all lead to the spleen and stomach functions being affected thus affecting digestion and absorption of nutrients, which results in a child appearing to dislike food.
How can TCM help?
1) There are several TCM concoctions that yields positive results such as
Shen Ling Bai Shu San, Si Jun Zi San, Si Shen Tang, Xiao Jian Zhong Tang and so on. However, parents are advised against using the concoctions indiscriminately; it is best to seek professional TCM physician for consultation and based on the child’s body constitution, the physician can prescribe a customised remedy for the child.
- Ban Men acupoint：
Location：Tip of the fleshy part of the palm
Massage：Using thumb to gently massage
100-200 times
Dice all ingredients and cook with the washed rice and water for 30-45 minutes. Serve warm. Parents can also add in some meat such as fish, pork or chicken to add flavour to the congee. Recommended for child 1 year old and up. For child of at least 2 years of age, some saltless soy sauce can be added.
Health Tips to Note:
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