Artificial feeding allows to provide the child with the necessary nutrients in the event that breastfeeding is impossible. A common problem faced by the mothers of artificial children is when the baby does not eat the mixture. Parents worry that their child does not eat up, and therefore does not receive important micronutrients and vitamins necessary for the harmonious growth and development of children.
In fact, the reasons why a child refuses to eat a mixture may be several. Sometimes this behavior is a sign of a child's physical unhappiness, and in some cases may indicate that the problem lies in the very substitute of breast milk, its taste or composition.
Why does the child refuse the mixture?
If a child does not eat a mixture well, then it can say that:
- He is not hungry yet. The child does not eat the mixture when it is offered, if the previous portion has not yet been digested. The mixture is more nutritious food in contrast to breast milk, and therefore requires more time for its digestion by the digestive system of the baby. To normalize the process of nutrition, it is necessary to maintain the recommended intervals between feeding the mixture (on average, this is 3-4 hours).
- He does not like the taste of the mixture. To date, the market for baby food is represented by more than 70 types of breast milk substitutes. Almost all of them are unique in their composition and have a peculiar taste. If the baby refuses the mixture, perhaps it just displeases her taste. In this case, it is recommended to choose a replacement with the pediatrician.
- His teeth are chopped. Teething teeth, as a rule, is a painful process, which can be accompanied by deterioration of the child's well-being. Usually, he may have a digestive disorder (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting), fever. The main discomfort is the soreness of the gums, which increases with sucking movements. Therefore, if a child unexpectedly stopped eating a mixture in one of the days, which he ate with pleasure before, then, most likely, his teeth are chopped. As a rule, this does not require cardinal measures on the part of parents. In this situation, it is recommended to wait out a difficult period. Usually, after the appearance of teeth, the appetite returns to the baby.
- He does not like the nipple on the bottle. The situation when a baby is not eating a mixture can be the result of an incorrect choice of a nipple for a bottle. Too large a hole in it can cause a rapid flow of the mixture, in connection with which the baby will choke during feeding, swallow excess air. The child does not want to eat the mixture, if the nipple on the bottle has a too small hole, which causes it to exert more effort to suck the milk. To avoid these troubles, it is necessary, choosing a bottle with a pacifier for feeding an infant, to focus on the age-old recommendations that can be found on the package of the goods.
- His tummy hurts. The kid refuses the mixture if it is painful in the abdomen due to increased gas production or indigestion. Usually this happens if the recommendations for the required dosage were not followed when preparing the mixture.
Too high concentration of breastmilk substitutes with respect to dilution with water can be a cause of digestive disorders in a child. The enzymatic system of children can not cope with a large amount of protein in the mixture, which can lead to flatulence and diarrhea. - The child has a sore throat or has ear inflammation. The kid in this case does not eat the mixture, since any movement of the jaw, and especially when swallowed, is accompanied by acute pain. Usually, he cries much, he has a fever. The pediatrician who will prescribe the treatment and will give recommendations on the child's nutrition will help to explain the situation.