Children's health is a crucial moment in the life of each parent. A huge role is played by the weight of the newborn. In the first years of life, the baby should eat well (however, as in the rest of the time, it's just that older children are not treated so carefully) in order to fully develop. There are even generally accepted norms of weight gain. What if the child does not match them? Or rather, if it weighs less and does not gain almost anything? What could be the causes of this phenomenon? Should I panic if the child is not gaining weight?
Feeding schedule
There can be many problems with a set of kilograms in children. Therefore, it is important to determine the cause of deviations from the norm. In infants, the most common cause is a violation of the feeding regimen.
The thing is that mothers themselves choose how and when to feed their baby. Some do this on demand, others on a clear schedule. Often in the second case, children simply remain hungry. And so it turns out that the child is not gaining weight. That is, it absorbs little food.
This reason is not too dangerous. Its easy to fix. It is recommended to switch to feeding mode on demand. So the child will eat as much as he needs for growth and development. In the case of infants, this phenomenon may not be too convenient for the mother, especially at night. But for children, on-demand feeding is most suitable.
Shortage of milk
Is your child a month old? Poorly gaining weight? The problem may lie in the lack of milk. As you might guess, it is observed only in those children who are exclusively breastfed.
Especially often a lack of milk is found in primiparous mothers. The causes of this problem can be many - stress, a long adaptation of the body and so on. But the fact remains: the baby is not enough milk.
In this case, you can recommend several tricks. It all depends on whether the mother wants to breastfeed the baby further or not. If the baby is not gaining weight due to a shortage of milk, you just need to put it on your chest more often or stimulate the breast with a breast pump. Usually, problems with milk production are observed in the first month after birth.
The second solution to the problem is the transition to artificial feeding. So you can feed the baby and know for sure that he has enough food for proper development. But this is far from the best solution. Some claim that there is nothing more beneficial for the baby than breast milk.
Intestinal diseases
Why is the child not gaining weight? The cause of this phenomenon can be intestinal diseases. Typically, this problem appears in children who are on mixed or artificial feeding. But in babies breastfeeding usually only colic occurs. But they do not affect weight gain, only the general condition of the baby.
What to do in this case? First, find out what intestinal disease occurred in the child. And then cure him. If the reason is an artificial mixture, you must change it. It is advisable to choose the next food for the baby with a pediatrician who is watching the newborn. He will definitely help you decide.
It is usually worth raising the alarm and expressing suspicion about the presence of intestinal diseases when the child is not gaining weight. But at the same time, he must also lose it. It is such a symptom that intestinal diseases in babies are accompanied. Therefore, there is no need to immediately raise a panic. Not the fact that everything is as serious as it seems.
Heredity
Does a baby gain weight poorly? Frankly, this is not always the reason for panic. In some cases, a deviation from the norm can be considered normal. Yes, modern doctors immediately talk about health problems in the baby, but in fact this is not so.
Genetics and heredity also played a role in the formation of the newborn's body. So, underweight can be inherited. That is, if the parents do not have a predisposition to be overweight, moreover, when mom and dad were also underweight, then the child may encounter this problem.
Usually this situation does not require any additional actions. It is hardly subject to adjustment. It is enough to explain to the pediatrician that the shortage was inherited. Otherwise, they will intimidate you with disappointing diagnoses, and treat the child for everything that can cause our current problem.
Worms
In some cases, you still have to take tests to find out the true cause of the baby’s body mass deficit . The child is not gaining weight? Maybe he got worms! Usually this phenomenon is observed in older babies. In newborns, this phenomenon is practically excluded.
In order for the weight gain to return to normal, it will be necessary to get rid of parasites in the body. Only after undergoing treatment, the child will begin to eat normally and gain weight. Therefore, it is necessary first of all to exclude worms from a number of reasons for underweight by a baby. But only without panic - everything is treated, the child will quickly be able to recover after a complex of procedures.
Weight Gain
In what situations is it worth the alarm? How much should a child gain in weight? Now you can find a variety of tables with norms for girls and boys. There are even special calculators - they will show how much your baby should gain per month and weigh in the long run. The main advantage of such utilities is taking into account the growth of the baby and its initial data.
Nevertheless, there are certain norms of weight gain. The main breakthrough should be observed in the first months of the baby's life. So, in 30 days during six months a child gains 800-900 grams, and then up to a year - 400. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Small errors are permissible. But severe deviations are usually the cause of panic and fears of parents.
Lure
Now it’s clear how much a child should gain weight by month. But there was one more reason why problems could arise with this. If the baby was gaining weight well, and then there was a sharp shortage, so from 4 months, pay attention to complementary foods. It may be entered incorrectly. Because of this, food is absorbed worse. And, as a result, problems with weight appear.
To exclude this phenomenon, first apply the baby briefly to the breast (milk improves the absorption of food), then already give complementary foods in small quantities. This is how digestive disorders can be ruled out.
In general, if your baby does not have any problems with the intestines, he gets enough milk, but still suffers from underweight, do not panic. It has already been said that this phenomenon can be inherited. Therefore, it is not always necessary to sound the alarm if the child is not gaining weight.