Diet to help children gain weight and height

To overcome stunting in children, it is necessary to have a nutritious diet with enough 4 groups, increase fat, and food should be cooked thickly to provide more energy.

Illustration: Health.

According to specialist doctor Tran Thi Minh Nguyet, malnutrition and stunting leave many consequences, seriously impacting the physical and intellectual development of children, greatly affecting their future.

When a child is malnourished and stunted, parents need to pay attention, monitor and treat promptly, along with a special diet and care regimen to be effective. Doctor Nguyet shares the following methods of caring for malnourished children:

Special diet

Depending on the level of malnutrition of the child, parents should have their own way of caring for them. For children with mild malnutrition (level one and two), they can self-treat by changing to a reasonable and scientific diet. In addition, it is necessary to note:

- Increase fat: Because fat provides twice as much energy as starch and protein. Each bowl of porridge, rice or rice for children needs one to two tablespoons of fat or oil (5-10g).

- Cook thick: Thinly cooked food that is mostly water will have low energy, but thickly cooked food will be difficult for children to eat. Therefore, you should use amylase enzyme (found in cornstarch, bean sprouts, sprouts...) in the thick bowl of porridge to make the porridge thinner, making it easier for children to eat.

High level of nutrition

Increase meals: Feed your child 5-6 meals a day instead of just 3 main meals. Give your child an extra dinner before bed. Give them extra snacks, for example, after a main meal, if your child eats less than half a bowl, give them half a glass of milk, half a cup of yogurt, half a banana... to provide more nutrients and reduce loss of appetite.

Note: You should feed your child half of each food compared to normal so that he can eat at his own pace. Do not force him to finish eating when he is full because if you do, he will vomit, leading to fear of eating and anorexia later on.

Increase nutrition: Prepare food for children with enough nutrients, that is, enough of the 4 groups of nutrients including starch, protein, fat, vegetables and fruits in each meal. Pay attention to feed the whole food to the child, not just stewed to get the water. When preparing, chop it, cook it until soft and season it to suit the child's taste. Children often eat bland food and do not like a lot of spices. Foods suitable for children are eggs, minced meat, minced fish, vegetables. All should be chopped.

When supplementing special nutrients for children, you should choose products that have been clinically tested and meet the standards for nutritional content, protein, fat... as prescribed by the National Institute of Nutrition.

Maintain food hygiene and a clean environment

When children are malnourished, their health is threatened by a weakened immune system, making them susceptible to infectious diseases such as diarrhea, respiratory infections, and minor illnesses when the weather changes. Therefore, parents need to take better care of their children.

Make sure your child eats well-cooked food and drinks boiled water, and eats it immediately after cooking. Do not feed your child food that has been left out in the open for more than 3 hours, even if it has been reheated. Get your child into the habit of washing their hands before and after eating. Utensils should be washed before preparing food.

In addition, children must be kept in a cool, bright, clean place to eat, sleep, and play. Children's utensils and toys must be clean and dry. There must be enough clean water for daily activities and cooking for children. Keep garbage covered and away from the living area to avoid flies and mosquitoes.

Always keep your baby in the best mental state

Psychology is also a factor that affects the physical development of young children that many parents do not pay attention to. Therefore, parents need to monitor their children's psychological development to be able to confide in and understand them better. Relatives should caress, comfort, and express affection and love for children. Children need to be encouraged, talked to, and played with, which will create a foundation for their comprehensive development. Everyone should avoid rude gestures and words in front of children.

Disease prevention and regular monitoring of children's health

- Take your child for full vaccination on schedule, and deworm every 6 months for children over 2 years old.

- Malnourished children need to have their weight and height checked regularly. Children should be taken for regular check-ups at medical facilities to monitor their progress and receive timely treatment.

Recovery from malnutrition takes time.

The most important thing when taking care of malnourished children is that parents need to be patient and not get impatient or discouraged.

According to VnExpress