The harm of picky eating in infants and young children

Infants and young children grow relatively fast and are in great need of nutrition. If malnutrition occurs due to picky eating, it will directly affect the child's height, intelligence and other development. We parents must arrange the diet of infants and young children reasonably, make sure the nutrition is comprehensive and balanced, enhance the child's resistance, and allow the child to grow up more healthily. What are the specific dangers of picky eating in infants and young children? Here are some introductions:

Nutritional imbalance: The entire nutrition a baby needs is like a seesaw. Only a balanced variety of foods can keep the nutritional seesaw balanced and ensure the baby's healthy and rapid growth and development. The nutrients in fish, meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, fruits and cereals have different emphases. Only by eating enough of these 7 types of food every day can you ensure that your baby gets adequate and balanced nutrition. However, the survey shows that babies with picky eating habits eat less of these 7 types of food, and some babies don’t like to eat 2-3 of them. Of course, their nutritional seesaw will be unbalanced. In addition, picky eaters often play while eating, and it often takes more than an hour to eat a meal, which not only affects the intake of nutrition but also causes gastrointestinal dysfunction.

Weight is not up to standard: Babies with picky eating habits will not get enough nutrition, which may lead to problems in growth and development. Insufficient intake of nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein and fat will result in low body weight and slower growth rate. The study found that the incidence of low weight in babies with picky eating habits is twice that of babies with normal diets.

Impact on intellectual development: Studies have found that the intelligence development index of normal babies is 14 points higher than that of picky eaters. Picky eaters are also more likely to show signs of inattention.

Parents should pay attention to avoid giving children snacks and beverages before meals. They can drink water, because thirst will also affect children's appetite. Do not let children watch TV while eating, because this will affect the digestion and absorption function of the stomach and intestines. At the same time, you should also be careful not to do strenuous exercise before meals. Develop the good habit of washing hands before meals and rinsing mouth after meals.