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Questions & Answers - Food Concerns
I will ask at my child's next doctor's appointment but why do
you list the following as developmental delays? What kind of
delays/issues could this be a sign of? Excessive fluid intake and
minimal food. Pushing away food. My child is 22 months. He would
definitely prefer to drink milk and juice for his meal. He does eat
throughout the day but not a lot. We try not to give him too much
milk and we still, usually, dilute juice with water.
We as therapists are used to hearing parents describe their toddlers
as "picky eaters", but it is our job to determine if the child is just
going through a typical toddler stage or if there is something more
contributing to the child's pickiness or food refusal. We treat many
children who were described as just "picky" but were later found through
an evaluation by an occupational therapist to have an underlying sensory
or oral motor issue that was impacting the child's ability to maintain a
healthy diet.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics
guidelines, only low-fat milk should be served to
children older than age two and children ages 1 to 3
years old should just be drinking about 2 cups of
milk each day, so no more than 16 ounces. Too much
milk, especially whole milk, is not a good thing.
Keep in mind that many toddler "sipper" cups today
are in large 7-12 oz sizes. The American Academy of
Pediatrics also recommends that children ages 1 to 6
drink only 4 to 6 ounces of juice each day, so far
less than a cup. A healthier alternative to fruit
juices is fresh fruit which contains more fiber and
nutrients.
Children will learn to drink water if it's the beverage of choice
that is offered at meals. If you always serve milk or juice at
meals, young children will always associate mealtimes with those
beverages. If water is the only choice offered, children will
eventually drink it. Children who fill up on liquids, are just
that-full, so why would they want to eat when they are not hungry?
The best way to help toddlers establish healthy mealtime habits is
to have a set mealtime schedule and offer a few healthy snacks
throughout the day. It may help to keep a list of the different
foods your child likes and that will give you a better idea for how
to prepare a balanced diet for them. Breakfast, lunch and dinner
should take place at fairly consistent times and be a pleasant,
distraction free time (no toys or watching tv). As long as your
child is gaining weight and healthy, they are probably getting
enough to eat. As toddlers they may eat less at one meal, but make
up for it at another meal by eating more.
They also may go through phases of preferring only certain foods
and resisting trying new foods. Keep in mind it typically takes a
child 17 tastes or tries before they may begin to eat a new food, so
don't stop offering new food choices if they are initially pushed
away. For toddlers, do not offer a snack if a main meal will be
served within the hour since you want the child to come to the table
hungry. Set a good example by having others at the table eat a
variety of foods. Avoid bribing your child to eat or scolding them
for not eating, try to keep mealtimes pleasant. If your child is
healthy and growing properly and your pediatrician is pleased at
your visit you should have nothing to worry about, just try to build
in some of the above tips for reducing fluids and increasing healthy
fruit and nutritional food alternatives. Lastly, there is a
condition called "polydipsia" which literally means excessive fluid
intake, that combined with other factors such as excessive
urination, dry mouth & tiredness can be signs of diabetes. If you
feel your child's limited diet is affecting his nutrition and/or
weight gain, or if you feel your child has difficulty with chewing
or swallowing foods or you see an aversion to certain textures of
food you may want to seek an early intervention evaluation by
contacting your local provider. This link is a
provider in your area.
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