Should I reduce milk when my child has a poor appetite?

My 9-month-old baby has a poor appetite. Should I cut down on milk for a while to train him to eat better? (Hong Van, Ho Chi Minh City)

Reply:

Children with anorexia often have many causes such as inappropriate diet, anemia, vitamin and mineral deficiency. Children may have anorexia due to psychological reasons, poor digestive system, or improper care by parents. To overcome this situation, parents need to find out the reason clearly.

You should not reduce your child's milk intake to less than the recommended amount because it can easily cause a lack of energy, making the child's anorexia worse. In case your child drinks too much milk, the digestive system is overloaded, you can reduce the milk intake according to the doctor's advice to increase the child's intake. If the child has a medical problem, you can consider increasing or decreasing the milk intake in combination with adjusting the diet depending on each case.

Normally, children under 9 months old drink 600-800 ml of milk per day. Children from one year old and up must drink 500-600 ml per day combined with nutrition that increases with age. Before one year old, milk is still the main food for children, and weaning is an additional supplement.

Parents need to base on the standard amount of milk and the reason for the child's anorexia to decide whether to cut down on milk or not.

Anorexia can negatively affect your child's future development. If your child's anorexia persists, you should take your child to the doctor for an accurate diagnosis of the level of malnutrition and nutritional imbalance. The doctor will determine the cause of the child's anorexia and then prescribe appropriate treatment.

Master, Doctor Nguyen Anh Duy Tung
Nutrihome Nutrition Clinic System

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