Written by Editorial Team
Chubby cheeks with a rosy glow, twinkling mischievous eyes, shiny, thick hair – is this the image that you have set for your child? Well, you would say that healthy children appear healthy too. Unfinished plates, dragged meal times, and an exhausted child is frustrating and raises concern whether your child is getting all the nutrition to grow up as he should? Read below to know how to identify if your child is underweight and how you can overcome this:
The easiest way of identifying if your child is malnourished is his appearance – all bones and little flesh! He may also have:
Apart from the appearance of the child, growth charts are easily available on the Internet or pediatrician’s clinic, which denote the average height and weight of the child for respective age and gender. If your child’s weight gain is not approximately within the specified range, then it may be said that he has poor weight gain.
Sometimes, it runs in the family – the trait of being skinny and underweight. But you should be careful. If this is not the case, then there may be some underlying medical condition.
The most common reason for skinny appearance or malnourishment of the child is – adequate consumption of calories. In addition to this, he may be missing out on essential protein, iron, vitamins, carbohydrate, and fat intake too.
It’s best to consult the pediatrician or a dietitian and devise a diet chart for your little one. You can discuss the eating habits, the likes and dislikes of the child, and accordingly come up with a meal plan suited for your kid.
Poor weight gain simply denotes one thing – inadequate food/calorie intake. Children aged 2-3 years need about 1,000 calories each day, whereas those aged 4-8 years require approx. 1,200 – 1,400 calories every day.
If the body is not nourished with essential nutrients, then the immune system remains underdeveloped or weakened. This makes the child more susceptible to falling ill. Consult the pediatrician for proper guidance.
Your pediatrician may prescribe multivitamin, calcium, and/or iron tablets to help the nutritional deficiency of your child. The doctor is likely to address other issues that may affect the eating behavior of the child. Stress in the family (new baby, fights, and separation), the socio-cultural background, any developmental disorder (autism, mental retardation), or any physical discomfort can adversely affect the food intake of the child. He may try to identify any food allergies or is there a problem in intestines absorbing nutrients (such as Celiac disease).
Depending on the level of underweight and malnutrition, it may take approx — three to six months to catch up with the recommended weight.
Be patient with your child and help him blossom into a beautiful and healthy individual.
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