What should I do if my child is picky eater?

Picky eating is a common behavior in early childhood. At present, there is no uniform definition of picky eating, which is mainly manifested in eating less, eating slowly, not interested in food, refusing to eat certain foods for more than 1 month, reluctance to try new foods, and strong preference for certain textures or certain types of food.

The incidence of partial food is high, and epidemiological surveys suggest that about 1/5 of children aged 1-3 years have a strong preference for a certain food, with the highest incidence at 3 years of age.

There are many reasons for picky eating, and common reasons include:

1. Delayed introduction of complementary foods

4-7 months old is the taste sensitivity period of young children, 6-12 months old is the key period of chewing and development of young children, at this time, if the parents choose the type of food is too single, the production method is single, the food substance is not suitable for children's needs, and the time for adding complementary foods is inappropriate, it may lead to picky eating.

2. Parent/parenting parent feeding anxiety

Picky eating can cause anxiety among some children's parents/parents and give children a certain amount of eating pressure, which may further aggravate the child's picky eating behavior.

3. Picky eaters for parents/nurturers

Picky eaters have a familial nature, and the proportion of picky eaters is higher than that of other groups, and picky eaters may be the result of children imitating parents, siblings or nurturers.

4. Variation of taste genes

Studies have found that genes also play a role in picky eating, such as genetic variants that are sensitive to bitter tastes can cause children to refuse to eat vegetables.

5. Unpleasant digestive tract and respiratory experience

If children have a history of choking cough, throat diseases (herpetic angina, tonsillitis, etc.), endotracheal intubation, nasal feeding, etc. will also affect the child's eating to a certain extent.

If children are picky eaters, if they are limited to a few foods, do not worry too much, food can complement each other, do not eat this can choose that, as long as the child needs enough nutrient intake can be. There are several foods in the same category that are willing to accept, and it is also possible. Parents do not need to stress too much about eating everything, too much emphasis will make children more afraid to resist food. On the contrary, parents relax their mentality and create a good eating atmosphere, which will make children more courageous to try new foods.

Picky eating lasts for a long time, and the variety of food is more limited, which may affect the growth and development of children due to long-term insufficient intake of certain nutrients, and there will be trace element deficiency or constipation.

Picky eaters can also lead to children being criticized by teachers on campus or causing social isolation because they eat differently from other children. Therefore, it is necessary to gradually improve eating behavior and expand your child's diet.

If the child appears to be picky eaters, parents should relax their mentality, objectively think about the actual impact of picky eating on the child, and help the child with a positive, optimistic and wise attitude, rather than simple and rude.

Here are some suggestions:

First of all, parents/caregivers need to have a correct understanding and expectation of the child's diet;

Repeated exposure of children to unfamiliar foods may require 10-15 positive experiences and be graded;

Try using non-food rewards to provide motivation;

Adopt a relaxed and positive attitude when eating, avoid negative emotions and give eating pressure;

Parents/nurturers take the lead in trying unfamiliar foods, encouraging children to imitate;

Limit your child's snacks and drinks (such as milk, juice, and soft drinks) to promote appetite for a full meal;

Encourage all family members to eat together and eat the same foods.

Author: Wei Jia (Psychologist, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University)

Editor: Wu Jinjiao

Editor-in-charge: Gu Jun

Image: Visual China

*Wenhui exclusive manuscript, please indicate the source when reprinting.