What a problem that keeps mothers very anxious! It is nothing but fear for the health of their children, especially in the process of growth and development, which is critical to shaping their lives. The responsibility for proper and healthy nutrition is a great responsibility that falls on the shoulders of the parents, especially the mother owing to her love and attention to the smallest details. It is the nature of motherhood that begins with an embryo in the womb and her keenness to follow the instructions and take care of her food and nutritional supplements necessary for supporting her baby’s development, and continues after giving birth until her baby ages and his hair turns gray.

For a mother to see her child eating abstention and ongoing weakening, is undoubtedly a painful feeling for her. She tries and tries, tirelessly to open his appetite and desire for food, diversifying foods and changing its appearance, and it may come to forcing him to eat. Her attempts may be healthy and correct, but her intense anxiety may lead her to do some wrong behaviors that may harm his health, such as spoiling healthy food and behavioral habits and using harmful mixtures and medications.

How can you overcome this problem in the safest possible way?

In this article, we will talk in detail about:

1. What is loss of appetite (Anorexia)? 
2. Types of loss of appetite in children.
3. Signs and symptoms of loss of appetite.
4. Causes of loss of appetite.
5. Tips for treating loss of appetite in children.

1. What is loss of appetite (Anorexia)? 

Loss of appetite is a common symptom in children, and it is often transient, but if it is chronic, it may cause serious physical and psychological disorders.

The brain is responsible for the regulation of hunger and satiety; it allows the body to obtain its nutritional needs and not to overconsume more. The hormones produced by the pituitary gland regulates the secretion of insulin, glucagon and pancreatic enzymes, these substances are responsible for consuming, distributing and storing food as fat in the body. Any disturbance in this balanced process will lead to appetite problems that result in a disorder that leads to severe refusal for food or eating less than the normal quantities.

2 - Types of loss of appetite in children:

• Severe loss of appetite:

This loss of appetite is often temporary, as a result of bacterial or viral infections, and it ends with the recovery from the infection. It is common between the ages of 7 months to a 1 ½ years, where the child is exposed to many types of infection while the immunity is the formation and strengthening phase, and it also may result due to teething because of gum pain, irritation and sensitivity where the teeth are starting to grow.

• Physiological loss of appetite:

It is considered somewhat natural because the physicals needs of children are less compared to the first year of life, and it is of course less than the needs of adults. The amount of food that the child consumes is very simple compared to adults. It is common between the ages of 1-6 years, but many times parents resort to forcing children to eat, thinking that it is healthy. So it is always recommended to know the child's nutritional needs from meals based on his age and not to increase meals or their quantities to avoid losing the appetite as a result of the psychological pressure the child is exposed to.

18-month-old baby feeding schedule

• Chronic loss of appetite

 It is one of the chronic diseases symptoms such as respiratory disease or kidney disease, or as a result of congenital heart defects, and here the loss of appetite is accompanied by other symptoms such as high temperature and anemia.

3 - Signs and Symptoms of Loss of Appetite:

Normally, the lack of children's appetite for food is not a worrisome symptom because as mentioned, it may be a result of infection or purely physiological processes, unless it is associated with the presence of other symptoms such as:

• Extreme weight loss and leanness.
• Chronic abdominal pain and distention.
• Yellowing of the skin (Jaundice).
• General weakness.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Dizziness and fainting.
• Dry skin.
• Weak hair and nails.
• Constipation.
• Intolerance of cold.
• Refusing to eat.
• Avoiding meals.
• Denial of hunger.
• Excessive physical activity.
• Strange eating behaviors (cutting food into very small pieces).
• Introverting.
• Irritability

4 - Causes of loss of appetite:

• The need for attention

When a child needs more attention from his parents, he abstains from food to concern them and get their attention.

• Tension and agitation

Negative emotions (anger, sadness, fear) affect the child's appetite, and may limit the ability of digestive enzymes in the stomach to digest food and cause abdominal pain, nausea, and an aversion to food.

• Speed of growth variation

The child's appetite and rate of growth are directly proportional, since the speed of growth increases significantly during the first year of a child’s life then it slows down after that, his needs decrease, which is reflected on the amount of food he eats.

• Anemia

Due to the lack of iron-rich foods, it is expected that the child will develop anemia, which leads to weakness and tension of the child and increases the loss of his appetite for food.

• Constipation

This is one of the most common causes of loss of appetite in children and adults alike, but it is temporary and ends as soon as he is able to defecate, that is when he will begin to gradually restore his food ability.

• Unhealthy food

The mother's resort to unhealthy food rich with harmful trans-fat, sugars and manufactured materials leads to the loss of the child's appetite for healthy home eating, such as vegetables, fruits, and others, and this will reflect on his health and expose him to anemia, loss of focus and irritable mood.

• Serving food in an unappetizing way

The eye, as they said, eats before the mouth. Food that is not varied in both form and colors is not interesting even for adults, so what about children? Diversifying the meal, with different shapes and colors, will grab their attention and their appetite will be better for food.

• Forcing the child to eat

Loss of appetite has a psychological side that may last for life, forcing the child to eat more than his normal limit or eating something and exposing him to punishment and psychological pressure if he does not do so, this will worsen the matter and worsen his health and may result in psychological disorders.

• Sleep disturbance

The child's feeling of anxiety and tension due to lack of sleep, especially a deep night's sleep, may affect his digestive activity and make him abstinent food.

• Teething

The painful teething stage makes the child refrain from eating to avoid more of that pain, but this soon goes away once this stage is over.

• Mouth ulcers

Oral bacterial or viral infections leads to loss of appetite because the child cannot tolerate more of that pain.

5 - Tips for treating loss of appetite in children:

• Stop pressuring the child to eat and do not force him to eat more than he needs.
• Work on make mealtime an enjoyable family ritual full of pleasant and fun conversations.
• Schedule breakfast, lunch and dinner meals and replace sweet snacks with fruit that is desired by the child.
• Family members should be eating from the same meal provided to the child, to encourage him indirectly.
• Allow the child to participate in food preparation and encourage him to participate.
• Make sure that no family problems occur on the sight or hearing of the child.
• Prepare the meals your child prefers.
• Present food in an attractive and appetizing way.
• Raise the food after the end of the specified time for the meal.
• Do not give the child a lot of snacks between the main meals.
• Consult your doctor about natural appetizing supplements.

In addition to healthy food and proper parenting, you can help your child with a nutritional supplement that contains all the vitamins and minerals that your child's body needs for growth, and to avoid the need for persuasion, we offer you Vitabella

Vitabella is a 100% natural chocolate fortified with more than 17 vitamins and minerals to open your child's appetite and strengthen his immunity:

1. Iron
2. Calcium
3. Zinc
4. Beta-carotene (antioxidant and immune booster)
5. Lysine (an appetite enhancer)
6. Citrus Sinensis orange extract (appetizer)
7. Vitamin C.
8. Vitamin E.
9. Vitamin D.
10. B-complex vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, B12).

Dose:

Vitabella 2 in 1, it is 100% effective and safe supplement for your child and at the same time it is healthy chocolate and its calories are few. 15 grams of Vitabella contains only 68 calories, allowing you to diversify his food throughout the day between home cooked food, vegetables, fruits and Vitabella chocolate.

“It is advisable to stick to the daily dose and not to exceed it, and to diversify the vitamins and minerals requirements between Vitabella chocolate and natural foods.”

*This article was written by an integrated medical team affiliated with Devart Lab, the leading company in the field of Nutraceuticals in Egypt and the Middle East (Nutrigenomics and Food Fortification), by providing nutrients that are fortified with minerals and vitamins that the body needs on a daily basis to obtain effective results in the least possible time. By using,the latest Pharmaceutical technologies that ensure full absorption without any side effects.