Difficulty in swallowing
Most children lose their appetite during illness, even with mild illness. When a child feels bad, he has lost interest in food, a desire to eat. This kind of feeling is familiar to everyone.
However, if a sick child has an appetite, but it is difficult for him to chew and swallow, perhaps the cause is a sore throat or mouth. In rare cases, the entrance to the respiratory tract( trachea) can be infected and so swollen that the child refuses to take food, it becomes salivary and he is forced to push his chin forward to solve breathing difficulties. With such symptoms, the child needs urgent medical attention.
Often in children who started walking, the interest in other types of activity prevails over the interest in nutrition. During this period, the baby is better to feed in small portions at regular intervals, sufficient to digest the portion, and give the required amount of liquid.
Older children may refuse to eat for a fairly long time. The cause of this behavior may be depression or anorexia( loss of appetite).In this case, a specialist consultation is necessary.
Your actions
Most children during a short illness are calm about changes in diet. It is not necessary to include in the diet all the important products on a daily basis. More importantly, this is a sufficient amount of fluid entering the child's body;give the child cool juices.
If the child has pain in the oral cavity, exclude from the diet sour juices, for example orange or pineapple, and also lemonades. Carbonated drinks can be given only those that do not contain caffeine.
Most parents quickly realize that at different times the appetite of a child who learns to walk changes. And the more parents insist on feeding, the more bitter this war becomes. Do not exert pressure on the child, but set some nutrition rules, for example: "If you are not hungry now, you may not eat, but still have to sit down at the table when all the family members gather."
The doctor will listen to the history of the problem and conduct appropriate examinations, after which it may be necessary to conduct a series of tests to identify an infection. If breathing is difficult, the doctor will send the child to the X-ray. If there is a suspicion of dehydration, an urine and / or blood test will be performed. If a child has a chronic problem associated with depression or anorexia, parents should be prepared for a number of visits to doctors of other specialties.