What to eat so that the child does not gain weight. The child is not gaining weight

Probably, there is not a single parent who would not be bothered by the weight of their own child. Many are worried about being overweight, others because of its lack. From the very birth of the baby, all pediatricians have been telling us that his condition as a whole depends on the weight of the child.

Every month, our baby is weighed and measured at the appointment with the local doctor, comparing his physical indicators with the average statistical curves of growth and weight, and therefore they judge his condition, not only physical, but also psychological. According to these curves, the weight of a six-month-old baby should double compared to birth weight, and the weight of a one-year-old should triple. After your baby is one year old, the pace of his physical indicators somewhat slows down his growth, and the average weight gain per week is only 30-50 g.

Once your little one is on his feet and actively learning to walk, he will lose more and more energy and will not put on weight as quickly. And mothers begin to think about what is needed for the child to gain weight better after a year. Therefore, you should not be particularly upset that your child is already adding more than 900 g per month as in the first year of life. Now more and more attention is paid to proportionality, for example, it is believed that the circumference of the chest should be greater than the circumference of the head exactly by the age of the child in years. The older the child, the longer his limbs and the smaller his head.

In addition, it should be remembered that the increase in height and weight occurs “in leaps and bounds” (if he stretched a couple of centimeters this month, then he may not gain weight and vice versa, next month he will gain weight and not gain in height) ; and with all this, the constitution of the parents should also be taken into account (if the parents of the child are short and fragile, then you should not hope that the child himself will be tall and with a dense physique).

A growing child's body needs a balanced diet, it must receive the necessary amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for normal growth and development. Moreover, not more, but not less than the norm. So after a year, the child should receive about 3.0 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight per day, 5.5 g of fat per 1 kg of body weight per day and 15-16 g of carbohydrates per 1 kg of body weight per day. In addition, the intake of minerals, vitamins, and organic substances, and, of course, water, is mandatory.

If you are still worried about the question of what is needed for the child to gain weight better after a year, and he looks thinner than his peers (bones stick out, there is no fat layer, the baby has no appetite, he is inactive and gets tired quickly), then you should contact a specialist: a gastroenterologist or just a pediatrician. Weight loss or lack of weight gain can cause various diseases: diabetes, food allergies, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, enlarged tonsils, and much more. Usually, after the course of treatment and complete recovery, the weight of the child also normalizes.

However, it is also possible that your child is very active, and the amount of food eaten does not replace the amount of calories burned. In this case, more high-calorie foods (cottage cheese, cheeses, nuts, caviar, etc.) can be additionally introduced into the child's diet.

And so, if you still decide that your baby needs to gain a few kilograms, then first you need to carefully coordinate everything with the pediatrician. Do not cost and overfeed your joy, everything needs a measure.

What to do so that your child gains weight better after a year? Here are some tried and true remedies:

• It is necessary to feed the child at least 5-8 times a day, because the more the child eats, the faster he will gain weight.
• Introduce more fats into your child's diet, especially since they are also useful for small children.
• Increase the amount of protein foods: dairy products (cheese, sour cream, kefir, fermented baked milk, and so on), meat, fish, eggs.
• Cook for your child what he loves, then he will eat it all with pleasure, and you will not have to persuade him.
• The child should drink a lot, but remember that it is better to drink after eating, so as not to interrupt your baby's appetite.
• While eating, it is necessary to create a pleasant atmosphere so that the child enjoys the food.
• If your baby is naughty while eating, then mothers can also ask for help from their favorite crumb toys, they will most likely be happy to join their friend's meal.
• During the meal, you can also play, offering, feed your favorite toy, or simply invite guests for a cup of tea, all children are more likely to eat in company.
• Mothers are also allowed to feed their babies, but it is desirable that this be only an exception, not the rule.
• Remember that dishes should not only be tasty, nutritious, but also beautifully presented, because when it looks beautiful, you want to try it.
• Let your baby take part in cooking himself, because it is so interesting, and, of course, I want to try if it turned out to be as tasty as mom's.
• Praise your baby, because children are so happy to please their mother.
• You can please the baby and picnics in nature, the fresh air always improves appetite.

But I would like to warn you that you should not overfeed the child, because excess weight, just like its lack of abundance, can be fraught with all sorts of problems. I would like to note once again that everything needs a measure and in no case should you deprive the baby of physical activity, because life is in motion. Be outdoors more often, because fresh air is so necessary for a growing body.

Good luck in achieving the ideal weight for your baby.

All children are different, and each child has its own individual characteristics of the organism, therefore, the process of physiological development does not proceed in the same way. First of all, it concerns the weight gain of the baby. Naturally, some newborns are born quite large - up to 5 kg or more, while others may be born prematurely and have a small weight by the time of birth. However, regardless of the parameters at birth, there are certain norms, tangible deviations from which require mandatory consultation with specialists.

Common weight indicators for infants up to 1 year

These parameters are not strict and certain deviations in both directions are quite acceptable in newborns. They are caused by a genetic predisposition. Shorter-than-average parents tend to have smaller babies than taller, larger-bodied moms and dads.

According to statistics, large babies gain more weight than newborns with normal parameters or babies born prematurely. For them, an increase of 600-800 grams every month, up to six months of age, is considered the norm.

If the baby is gaining less than the lower limit, it is worth consulting with a pediatrician.

indicators of poor weight gain

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Quite often, overly caring mothers and suspicious grandmothers begin to panic ahead of time and come up with unnecessary and unreasonable problems for themselves if the child is not gaining weight well. In order to avoid unnecessary worries, it is important to be able to understand why the child is not really gaining the required rate.

If such a situation occurs, in addition to significant deviations from the normal parameters shown in the table above, the infant may also have other symptoms. First of all, it concerns the condition of the skin. On the body, the crumbs do not have fat folds, and the skin becomes pale, uneven, inelastic, wrinkled and dry, like in the elderly.

A child with underweight is characterized by the absence of fat folds and pallor of the skin.

Secondly, the child is noted:

• lack of appetite;
• sleep disorders;
• a strong decrease in motor activity;
• moodiness and constant crying.

If, against the background of a small weight gain in a newborn, at least one of the listed factors was noticed, parents should definitely show the baby to specialists. This is especially true for families in which people are large in size, and the baby's physique is rather flimsy.

At the appointment, the doctor will examine the child, identify the causes and be able to correct the further actions of the parents to eliminate this problem, if any. Timely intervention is very important in such situations. However, if the little one is active, cheerful, eats well and does not spit up a lot, but does not gain as much as he should - these are just the characteristics of the body and you should not worry.

Wet diaper method

In order to check whether a child is gaining weight poorly, there is a long-known method of wet diapers. True, there is no scientific justification for its fairness, therefore it is up to the parents to rely on reliability or not. The meaning of the method is to count the diapers that the baby has wet during the day.

During the test, diapers are replaced with gauze diapers. All day long, the baby must be fed exclusively with breast milk. The number of wet diapers received per day should be compared with the indicators that are the norm at the corresponding age. During the first 2-3 weeks of life, the number of urination per day for a newborn should equal his age in days. For 6 months, it is considered normal if the child pees from 10 times a day, and from six months to 8 months - at least 8 times.

In the event that a mother has difficulties or doubts about how she breastfeeds and whether her baby is getting enough milk, you should consult with breastfeeding specialists. Before asking for help, it is advisable to observe the baby a little. Knowing the doctor's habits, behavioral characteristics of the baby: how often he burps, as well as the number of his wet diapers, will help to get a more correct picture and understand the reasons for low weight.

Reasons for low weight gain. How to deal with this problem?

The most important thing that parents need to do before taking any action to combat poor weight gain in infants is to find out the real cause of such a problem. Plus, you need to calm down and not be nervous in advance, especially for a nursing mother. Among the possible reasons leading to monthly small weight gain, the 2 most common ones should be distinguished:

• insufficient amount of breast milk that the baby receives for breastfeeding;
• indigestibility of the selected milk formula in children on IV.

A formula selected for a baby may be poorly absorbed by his body.

Baby doesn't eat

Lack of mother's milk can be due to a number of factors:

1. incorrect attachment to the chest;
2. feeding according to the schedule, and not at the request of the crumbs;
3. refusal of night feedings;
4. mother's milk deficiency.

Sometimes it is difficult for an inexperienced mother who is breastfeeding to determine whether she has enough milk and whether the baby has enough. Signs that the baby is full and completely satisfied are his quick falling asleep after feeding and sound restful sleep for 2.5-3 hours. The reverse situation, when, after being attached to the breast, the baby cannot fall asleep for a long time and wakes up ahead of schedule, and the dream itself is quite restless, indicates that the milk eaten by the baby was not enough for him.

The strict implementation of the recommendations of doctors and breastfeeding specialists will help to eliminate the problem. First, follows the baby to the breast. Secondly, feedings should not be on schedule, but when a hungry little one requires. If the reason lies in the insufficient amount of milk, the mother should do everything to improve lactation. With further malnutrition of the baby, it is advisable to contact the pediatrician, who will select baby food that is appropriate for the age of the child.

A consultant will help solve the mother's problems and establish feeding

Digestibility of baby food

When breastfeeding a formula-fed baby, it is very easy to control the amount of formula he eats. You should contact specialists in the case when the baby receives the required amount of the mixture every day, but the weight gain does not meet the standards.

Most likely, the composition of baby food contains components that the baby's body is not able to absorb. This usually refers to cow's milk protein. The way out is the selection by the doctor of another mixture suitable for the baby.

Other causes of poor weight gain

Poor weight gain can be the result of an illness suffered by the baby at an early stage in life. During the period when the baby was sick, the body threw all its strength and resources into overcoming the disease. So it is absolutely normal if, even with a common cold, weight gain can become below normal. After recovery, everything will be restored, and the missing grams too.

Another cause of such a problem as underweight is often physical stress. It can be provoked by massage, therapeutic exercises or swimming. Procedures of this nature tire the little one, in their process he loses a lot of strength and energy. In order to find out if this is the reason for a small weight gain, it is enough not to do procedures related to physical activity for some time. If the baby's weight gain is restored as a result, this will mean that the matter concerned precisely excessive physical exertion on the baby's body during the procedures.

Intense exercise, such as swimming, can lead to weight loss.

Deviations from normal weight gain can serve as the first signs of a neurological disease or the appearance of helminths in a child. Also, genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis, galactosemia or adrenogenital syndrome can lead to weight problems. Doctors are obliged to detect and treat violations of this nature at a very early age.

The lack of prescribed grams by a premature baby requires a particularly careful attitude to his health. In children who were born prematurely, there are usually pathologies and various disorders in the functioning of internal organs. Doctors always inform parents about the presence of a problem and prescribe appropriate measures, under which, by the age of one, the baby will be able to catch up with their peers in terms of parameters.

What is not recommended to do with the problem of poor weight gain in a child?

It is important to take into account that, unlike an adult organism, a child does not store energy - he should receive the necessary amount of nutrients for each feeding, otherwise this may adversely affect the health of the baby.

If the weight grows more slowly than expected, the behavior of the crumbs plays an important role. The lack of the necessary grams in an active, vigorous, with healthy skin and sound sleep baby suggests that he has enough weight gain for normal development. There is no cause for concern in such situations.

If the baby is active and feels good, he has enough of the nutrition that he receives

Otherwise, you need to understand that only a pediatrician can determine the true cause of problematic weight. The specialist must decide what actions to take to eliminate deviations from the norm.

In the case when a young mother notices that the little one has stopped gaining the necessary grams, she should stop listening to experienced grandmothers and relatives. Their advice is far from always correct, and instead of being useful, it can harm the health of the crumbs.

A fairly common situation is when caring relatives or acquaintances explain the lack of weight by the fact that mother's milk is not of very good quality or low-fat, calling it "empty". By this is meant that it does not contain the nutrients and vitamins that are required for the normal development of the baby. However, breast milk has always been and will be the best option for baby food, because the body of a nursing woman has the ability to determine what the child lacks, to make up for a number of missing components in milk. Artificial improvement of the properties of milk can harm both the baby and the mother. It is advisable to simply take care of lactation so that the baby does not feel a lack of milk.

Poor appetite and overfeeding

Many moms and dads consider poor appetite to be the cause of the shortage of the desired grams. As a result, parents try to feed the child and force him to eat as much as possible, which is why the child simply burps more and more (we recommend reading:). Feeding through force with natural and artificial feeding will not give a positive effect. A hungry baby will definitely not refuse food, but overfeeding threatens with problems with the well-being and health of the crumbs.

Do not force feed your baby - this is also fraught with a number of problems.

According to Dr. Komarovsky, often the problem lies not in bad, but in selective appetite, which in turn is a common whim. The kid does not want to eat what is offered to him, but does not refuse other food that he likes more.

You don’t need to try to force feed the child, in this way it will only spoil your nerves and the psyche of the little one - it’s better to go for a walk outside with the baby, do various physical exercises or just play active games. So he will be able to work up an appetite and then, without coercion, eat the offered portion.

Also, grandmothers often have an influence on a young mother, making her nervous about the weight indicators of a one-month-old baby. They will always find something to complain about in the state of the baby and make the already excited mother worry. Afraid to seem uncaring and following the lead of the older generation, she begins by all means to fatten the thin baby according to other people's words.

Sometimes from the very first days of breastfeeding a newborn, he begins to lose weight, which, of course, is a reason for panic among nursing mothers. You just need to know how to feed a newborn with breast milk,to avoid underweight in the baby . First, let's find out what can really be considered a lack of weight in the baby. In the maternity hospital, the nursing mother should have been informed that on the first day the baby loses weight a little (this happens to all children without exception), but this is not a terrible weight loss, it is customary to call it physiological. The maximum is 10% of the weight of the newborn. If the baby was born 3500, he is able to throw off in the first 3 days up to 350 grams, but usually it is 100-200 grams.

How to properly breastfeed a newborn to avoid underweight babies

Starting from day 10, if the mother knows how to properly feed the newborn with breast milk, the babies should slowly begin to gain weight. Typically, pediatricians are guided by standards for newborns up to 6 months:

• The baby should gain about 18-20 grams per day.
• This is 125-130 grams per week.
• Per month, respectively, 500-600 grams.

We have to talk about weight loss in children from 7 to 9 months if:

• The increase is less than 12 grams per day.

In this article, we will not consider the situation when older children remain thin, because the article is devoted to how to feed a newborn with breast milk in order to avoid underweight in the baby.

Improper organization also means improper breastfeeding, and 95% of success depends on this. No need to be shy, even in the maternity hospital again and again ask to show you exactly how to insert the nipple and part of the halo to the newborn. Sometimes, the baby just keeps the nipple in the chest, while he continues to sleep. This is how weak children often behave. Slow down the child (by the heel), wake up. You should hear that the newborn swallows, and not just holds the breast in his mouth. I remember that my daughter even sweated from the effort, but since I didn’t give her anything other than breasts, she patiently strained her mother.

The baby looks so great with proper breastfeeding on demand.

Know the basics of how to properly feed a newborn with breast milk, meaning that the little one gets her mother's breasts at the first squeak, and not by the hour. The baby has little strength to “get” enough milk in one go, every minute he weakens (if they regularly try to feed a weak child only at certain hours) and will eat less and less. Spit on the schedule, go towards the newborn and gradually the baby will get stronger and work out its own schedule (sometimes after 2.5 hours, and sometimes after 4).

How to feed a newborn with breast milk, by the hour

A common mistake can also be considered too short a period of time when the little one eats. In time, the feeding procedure should take about 40 minutes. It is a mistake after 15 minutes to simply transfer the sleeping baby to the playpen, you need to wake up and resume feeding. Nobody says it's easy. The first month or two you will probably have to eat and drink with a newborn in your arms.

How to feed your newborn with breast milk - night feeding

Ignoring night feedings if the child does not wake up on his own. The most valuable in its composition and the most nutritious, high-calorie is night milk. Don't skip night feedings. Let one of the relatives wake you up at night from 1-3 o'clock.

On the advice of grandmothers, newborns are supplemented with water. Do not do this. Nature took care of everything. Mother's milk is conditionally divided into anterior (light) and hind (more fatty). By applying to the breast for a short time, the newborn first receives foremilk, he quenches his thirst, and only then begins to flow (here is a useful article) By supplementing the baby with water, you simply create a false feeling of satiety for the baby.

How to feed a newborn with breast milk - expressed milk from a bottle

This is permissible only in your absence for good reasons. It is easier to suck from a bottle and the baby may refuse to breastfeed, and the milk production of a nursing mother will gradually decrease.

Due to inexperience, mothers alternate both breasts in one feeding. In this way, the little one gets a lot of front milk, and a minimum of fatty and healthy back milk. As a result, the baby seems to eat and eat, but there is a lack of weight in the baby.

I hope the advice properly breastfeed your newbornhelp nursing mothers avoid the sad diagnosis of "lack of weight in the baby."

All photos in this article were kindly provided by the reader. Copying is prohibited.

Every newborn baby is unique in its own way. One was born prematurely with a small weight, the other gained 5 kg in the womb. Despite the different indicators, a further increase in weight should fit into generally accepted indicators. Parents should monitor the baby, and in case of noticeable deviations from normal weight, consult a doctor.

Norms of weight gain for an infant up to a year

To know if your child is recovering normally, WHO experts have developed a table of weight gain for infants:

Of course, small deviations from these indicators will necessarily be observed in each newborn, which is associated with a genetic predisposition . For example, parents are above average height, and the child will be born larger than that of mom and dad, whose height does not exceed 1.6 meters and the baby will be smaller.

As a rule, large babies gain more weight than normal or premature babies. The norm for up to six months is considered a monthly weight gain from 600 to 800 grams.

If this indicator is less than the lower limit, there is reason to sound the alarm and consult a doctor.

What to do if a newborn baby is not gaining weight well - the reason and solutions

Before you panic and take any action due to the fact that the baby is not gaining weight well, you need to identify the true cause of poor weight gain.

The main problems leading to poor weight gain include:

The weight of a newborn is one of the most important indicators of his health. If the baby is full-term, but weighs less than 2.8 kg, they say that he lacked nutrients in utero. But if doctors do not notice health problems, everything is in the hands of the mother. Feeding the baby with breast milk or artificial formula is her task.

The weight of newborns in the first days of life decreases. Excess fluid comes out of the body, weight is lost and with the passage of the original feces - meconium. And in the first 3-5 days after giving birth, mommy has only colostrum, it is very small, only enough to satisfy her hunger, but not to make fat reserves. Normal weight indicators are reduced to 10%. That is, if a child was born weighing 4 kg, after 3 days he can weigh 3.6 kg. But by the time of discharge from the hospital, weight gain is already beginning in breastfed newborns, mommy has a lot of breast milk. Subject to active breast sucking by the child. If the weight continues to decrease with active breast sucking, this is a reason for examining the child. Perhaps there are problems with the digestive system or there is a congenital lactase deficiency. With the second reason, the baby often has green stools, severe gas formation, and a stomach ache during feedings.

Breastfed and formula-fed newborns gain weight from 500 grams per month. The norm is considered - from 600 grams and up to about 1.5 kg. Babies usually gain weight unevenly. For example, in the first month they can become heavier by 1.5 kg, and in the second by 500-600 grams. It is important that the trend of weight growth is maintained, and the overall increase fits into the normal. For example, it is believed that by 6 months, babies should gain the same weight with which they were born. For example, a child born 3.5 kg should weigh at least 7 kg.

In addition to the weight of honey. workers in children's clinics measure the size of the chest, head, height of the child. It must develop harmoniously. Physical and mental skills should be age appropriate. It often happens, especially in children closer to the age of one year, that the weight is slightly behind the norm, and the child himself is active and developed by age. Then doctors tend to consider this a variant of the norm, an individual feature. Perhaps the child just has a very active metabolism, and he himself is mobile, does not sit still, quickly spends the calories received with food.

Excessive newborn weight gain- a sign of overeating. It often happens in babies who are breastfed without any regimen and in artificial people who are offered too large volumes of the mixture or they cook it incorrectly (make it too saturated). To see what normal weight gain in newborns by months can be expected - see the table. If your child is gaining weight by leaps and bounds, normalize his diet.

1. If the baby suckles constantly, try to introduce at least small intervals between feedings. Although they say that you can’t overeat with breast milk, in practice it turns out that it’s very possible. And okay, weight, children who eat too much have atopic dermatitis (diathesis) more often, their stomach hurts more often, and infant colic lasts longer.

2. If the baby gains weight well on artificial feeding, you need to check with the pediatrician again about the norms for using the mixture per day. Your baby is probably just overeating.

What to do with poor weight gain and approximate norms

Feed tighter! This is the most correct answer to the question. If your baby is a little behind in weight while being exclusively breastfed, do not rush to introduce formula into his diet. This will reduce the amount of milk. Often such a lack of weight occurs in very young children. The weight of a newborn in the first month after birth does not grow well, if he likes to sleep, during feedings he dozes almost all the time, sucks inefficiently. Due to lazy suckling, the mother's milk production is reduced. Hunger in a child, of course, wakes up, but usually in the late afternoon, when mommy has almost no milk left in her chest. At least one that can be easily obtained, without active sucking.
The lack of weight in a baby of such a plan can be explained and “treated” by frequent attachments to the chest and attempts to wake the baby for feeding. To wake the baby, you can ventilate the room, turn on the TV, bathe, etc. Weight gain in premature babies for this reason is often insufficient. The child is small and lethargic. However, large babies born weighing 4 kg or more often like to sleep and are too lazy to suck.

If a mother wants to keep breastfeeding, it is necessary, without sparing herself, to keep the baby at her breast almost all day long. Immediately after waking up, breastfeed, do not allow to suck water from a bottle and a pacifier, only the breast. After about a week the situation is resolved. And if all is well, you can make the intervals between feedings a little longer, but no more than 3 hours during the day and 6 hours at night.

If the rate of weight gain in breastfed children cannot be achieved, for example, the mother has completely flat nipples, and the child does not want to suck milk through silicone pads, or frequent stress, it is necessary to supplement with milk formula. Give it should be in feeding, when the child is definitely not full. Usually in the evening. Ideally, you can buy or rent an electronic baby scale and use it to weigh your baby for a couple of days before and after each feeding. Thus, it will be possible to estimate the amount of milk drunk, and it will become clear how much mixture should be given to the child and at what time of day. Just keep in mind that such supplements often lead to a decrease in HB and its complete replacement with artificial feeding.

In order to prevent the rapid end of breastfeeding and the child's refusal to breastfeed, one must not abandon attempts to increase lactation. Continue to breastfeed frequently, try different lactagons, drink more fluids, and be less nervous. When the level, how much a child should normally add when breastfeeding, is reached and even exceeded, it is time to gradually reduce the supplementary feeding with the mixture. Only gradually. Many women have been able to transition from mixed feeding back to breastfeeding. The main desire. If something does not work out, you need to contact a breastfeeding consultant. It is in any more or less large city.
Does the rate of weight gain depend on the sex of the child? Hardly ever. Weight gain in newborn boys is about the same as in girls, with the same amount of food. A gap of literally half a kilogram is possible. But the growth of boys by the year, indeed, turns out to be a little more than that of little ladies. Girls gain weight and height faster than boys only closer to puberty.

In addition to nutrition, the complexion of the child depends on:

• heredity;
• course of the mother's pregnancy.

On average, the weight of children in the first three months of life increases by 750 grams (per month). From 3 to 6 months - by 700 grams. From 7 to 9 months - 550 grams per month. From 9 to 12 months - by 350 grams.

Table of the rate of weight gain for newborns from 0 to a year by months:

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