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You’ve probably seen or had one time when the baby has completely lost their appetite. They seem to have developed an aversion to food that just won’t budge, and despite all your trying, they still push the food bowl away. If you’re going through this season with your child, here are ways to deal with the loss of appetite in babies.
Weaning is a fascinating season for a new mom as her new baby takes on solids. It’s a celebration of a milestone and well deserved rest from the full-time boob job. It can also be a very trying period if the baby suddenly loses its appetite. As a mother, it’s only natural that you would be worried when your baby is not eating as they should.
A baby whose feeding has declined is susceptible to diseases, and they may also not gain weight as they should. If the poor appetite is prolonged, they may lose weight, which is detrimental to their development. Babies who don’t eat as they should experience nutritional deficiencies that may slow their growth. This also puts the baby at risk of opportunistic infections and diseases caused by malnutrition, such as marasmus and kwashiorkor.
Also read: Best foods to wean a baby
In this article
8 Causes of Loss of Appetite in Babies
Appetite loss in babies is very distressing for a mother, and it may add to other worries that may have marred your motherhood journey. If the frown on the food bowl has been going on for a little longer than you would count as expected, check these reasons why your baby may be losing their appetite.
#1 Short Time Between Feeds
Once in a while, babies will seem to want to eat less than at other times. If the period between the last feed and the current feed isn’t too long, the baby may not be hungry yet. This may make him eat less or even decline the food altogether.
A baby may take a couple of hours before they are hungry again after a feed. Wait at least 3 hours before feeding the baby again between his meals. If he starts feeding and seems not-too-keen on the food, stop the feeding and wait a couple more minutes or even an hour and try feeding again.
#2 Growth Spurts
There are times when your baby will have an intense growth period; these are called growth spurts. Growth spurts also cause babies to eat much more and more frequently than they have been eating. Your baby may be going through a growth spurt where they are eating a large amount of food or milk, and suddenly they are back to their regular feeding.
This may look like they lost their appetite due to the previous heavy feeding. The growth spurts come with more crying and more fussiness. After a growth spurt, the baby will tend to feed less, which is one of the causes of appetite loss in babies. To learn the best way to deal with the loss of appetite in babies, understand their growth patterns.
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#3 Teething
When you’re little toothless babe is about to graduate from empty gums to little bunny teeth, you may notice some changes in his eating patterns. The budding teeth are sometimes very painful and itchy, and they may avoid food due to discomfort. Some babies start teething as early as four months of age. By seven months, most babies have started teething.
If your baby has lost their appetite, check their gums for little teeth buds. They may also be attempting to chew on anything they can lay their hands on – including your boobs.
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#4 Too Many Fluids
Too much water and juices may between meals cause the baby to be too full, leading to reduced appetite. If your baby seems to be eating less, check the number of fluids that you’re giving him. A breastfed baby doesn’t need to drink any water or fluids; breast milk is sufficient to keep them hydrated and full.
For weaned babies, limit their water and fluid intake, especially between meals, to fully digest their foods and get hungry again.
#5 He’s Under the Weather
A sick baby will most likely not want to eat; check if an infection is why your child is refusing to eat. Sickness has the potential to throw the taste buds and appetite out of whack even for an adult; babies get hit a little harder as they don’t know how to force themselves to overcome these feelings.
Viral and bacterial infections make the baby lethargic and cause them to lose their appetite. If the baby develops a fever, he has an infection. If the infection caused swelling of the tonsils, a sore throat, or an ear infection, swallowing becomes painful.
If the baby is recovering from an illness, he may still be feeling the effects of the drugs resulting in a loss of appetite. Give the baby a few days for them to get back to normal and for the drugs to clear out of their system.
Gut worms are also a significant cause of loss of appetite in babies. If you haven’t dewormed in the recent past, you might have caught the lousy appetite culprit. Vaccination makes the baby sickly; if the baby has recently been vaccinated, their appetite might be affected.
#6 Allergies
If the baby has repeatedly reacted to a particular food, they will refuse to eat that particular food. Milk. Eggs, soya, and fish are some of the most common culprits in food allergies in babies.
Some of these foods cause the baby to bloat, vomit, get rashes, and get swellings and skin break-outs in severe cases. If the baby is older and can tell their effects, they will most likely not want to eat it.
#7 Monotony
Too much of anything is boring; not even babies want a meal of mashed butternut every day. A baby will refuse to eat if they are offered the same meal over and over again. They may have had a preference for the meal at some point, but if it’s too monotonous, they will soon get tired of it.
If the particular food is very filling, the baby stays full longer and will not want to eat when it’s feeding time. Dealing with the loss of appetite in babies will require you to be very creative with their meals.
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Related article: Foods to prevent colic in babies
#8 Anemia
If your baby has an iron deficiency, their appetite is also very low. Anemia also causes the baby to be constantly tired and irritable. Their skin looks pale and dry. To know if the baby has low iron, lower their lower eyelid and take a peek. If the inside of the eye is white and pale, you may be dealing with iron deficiency.
6 Ways to Boost Your Child’s Appetite
Once you have discovered what is causing your baby to refuse their meals, you’ll need to find ways to make them want to eat again. The approach you adopt will depend on the reason your baby doesn’t want to eat. Try these methods to restore your baby’s appetite without tears.
#1 Give a Variety of Foods
A baby with trouble eating may have a better appetite if you change the food you’re giving them. Prepare a baby’s meal plan and ensure that they eat something different for lunch and supper every day. Rotate the meals and keep them interesting. Babies love color; make their food colorful by adding carrots, yellow and red capsicum, and peas.
Give them more finger foods if they seem to be rebelling against the conventional three meals per day routine. The finger foods can be poured on their feeding table after being cleaned and disinfected with a child-safe solution.
Related article: Best finger foods for babies
#2 Get The Baby Checked
Mothers know when something is wrong with their babies; it’s one of the God-given instincts. When you suspect that the baby is coming down with a bug that makes them lose their appetite, book an appointment with your pediatrician.
Take a comprehensive medical test and figure out what could be wrong with the baby. Once the doctor has established what could be wrong with the baby, take all the treatment directions to get the baby back to full health. Ensure that the baby’s feeding bottles and equipment are well cleaned to prevent infections.
If sickness was the cause of the baby’s appetite loss, it might take a few more days to get the baby back onto the eating bandwagon. Give the baby time to recover fully; don’t pressure them to overeat to avoid vomiting of the little they have eaten.
You may also like: How to sterilize baby bottles.
#3 Reduce the Feeding Frequency
Often, the baby is refusing to eat because he’s not getting a chance to be hungry. Reduce the frequency of the feeds and ensure that the baby eats at an appointed time. This is one of the best ways to deal with the loss of appetite in weaned babies.
Reduce the portions as well and give the baby many smaller portions as opposed to fewer larger portions. What’s better? You will be done with eating faster than if you were eating a giant plate of food.
#4 Get Appetite Inducing Foods
Foods that enhance digestion help with metabolism, thus making the baby feel hungry faster. Make the baby’s food with food items such as cinnamon, ginger, fenugreek powder, and peanut to increase their appetite.
Carrots juice and lemon juice are also great at making the baby desire their food. Check that the food items are age-appropriate before adding them to the baby’s food.
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#5 Give Them Their Favorite Food
Do you want to reduce food fights with a baby who doesn’t want to eat in the first place? Give them what they like! What the baby is desiring may be different from what you have on their meal plan, but today is not the day to teach them a lesson on consistency. Let the baby eat what they have an easier time eating, even if it’s the same thing every day, as long as it’s a healthy food item.
Once the low appetite phase has passed, and the baby is eating without a fuss, you can mix up the foods you prefer.
#6 Make Meal Times Fun
Check if the baby associates meal times with stress and boredom. A baby will dislike meal times when they feel curtailed or forced to do unexciting to sit down for a meal.
Let the baby sit at the table with the rest of the family members, and if he’s over seven months, he can eat what the rest of the family is eating. Make their food in different shapes and serve them in colorful, exciting plates or containers.
If the baby prefers to feed themselves, let them. It’ll be messy, and you might have lots of cleaning and wiping to do afterward, but it’ll be all worth it since the baby will have eaten. Allowing the baby to explore is one of the best ways to deal with appetite loss in babies.
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Final Words
These ways to deal with the loss of appetite in babies should be able to get your little hungry caterpillar munching again in no time. If the loss of appetite goes on for long periods, such as a month, you’ll need to speak to the pediatrician for further checkups and a proper diagnosis.
Do not force the baby to finish all their food in one sitting if they struggle with it. When they can’t seem to eat it all, take it away and give them time to get back to the eating groove again. Snacking is also a meal; adopt it if the baby seems to be rebelling against conventional eating times. Give the baby healthy snacks such as whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats.
Babies and toddlers don’t need a lot to be full. Sometimes, it may be that you’re wrongly judging the baby’s appetite. If the baby has eaten five small meals and two snacks in a day in addition to their milk, they are good to go.
Which hack worked for you when you had to deal with your baby’s loss of appetite? Share your thoughts below and don’t forget to share the article.
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