Why is the baby not gaining weight?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Children's he alth is a crucial moment in the life of every parent. A huge role is played by the weight of the newborn. In the first years of life, the baby must eat well (however, as in the rest of the time, older children are simply not treated so carefully) in order to develop fully. There are even generally accepted norms for weight gain. What if the child does not match them? Or rather, if he weighs less and does not gain almost anything? What could be the reasons for this phenomenon? Should I panic if my baby is not gaining weight?

Feeding routine

There can be many problems with weight gain 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 point is that mothers themselves choose how and when to feed their child. Some do it on demand, some on a fixed schedule. Often in the second case, children simply remain hungry. And so it turns out that the child is not gaining weight. That is, he absorbs little food.

This reason is not too dangerous. It's easy to fix. Recommendedswitch to feeding on demand. So the child will eat as much as he needs for growth and development. In the case of babies, this phenomenon may not be very convenient for the mother, especially at night. But for babies, on-demand feeding is best.

Lack of milk

Is your baby a month old? Gaining weight badly? 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 the lack of milk occurs in primiparous mothers. There can be many reasons for this problem - stress, long adaptation of the body, and so on. But the fact remains: the baby does not have enough milk.

In this case, we 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 lack of milk, you just need to apply it to the breast more often or stimulate the breast with a breast pump. Usually problems with the release of milk are observed in the first month after childbirth.

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 say that there is nothing better for a baby than breast milk.

Intestinal diseases

Why is the baby not gaining weight? Causethis phenomenon can become intestinal diseases. Usually this problem occurs in children who are mixed or artificially fed. But in babies who are breastfed, usually only colic occurs. But they do not affect weight gain in any way, only the general condition of the baby.

What to do in this case? To begin with, find out what intestinal disease has occurred in the child. And then heal him. If the cause is an artificial mixture, it is necessary to change it. It is advisable to select the next food for the baby with a pediatrician who observes the newborn. He will definitely help you decide.

Usually sounding the alarm and expressing suspicions about the presence of intestinal diseases is when the child is not gaining weight. But at the same time, he must also lose it. It is this symptom that is accompanied by intestinal diseases in babies. So there is no need to immediately panic. Not the fact that everything is as serious as it seems.

Heredity

Baby not gaining weight well? To be honest, this is not always a reason for panic. In some cases, deviation from the norm can be considered normal. Yes, modern doctors immediately talk about the he alth problems of the baby, but in reality this is not so.

Genetics and heredity also played a role in the formation of the body of the newborn. 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 handicappedmasses, then the child may also face this problem.

Usually, this situation does not require any additional action. It is unlikely to be corrected. It is enough to explain to the pediatrician that the shortage was inherited. Otherwise, you will be intimidated by disappointing diagnoses, and the child will be treated for everything that can only cause our today's problem.

Worms

In some cases, you still have to take tests to find out the true cause of the baby's underweight. Is the child not gaining weight? Maybe he got worms! Usually this phenomenon is observed in older babies. In newborns, this phenomenon is almost impossible.

In order for 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 the lack of weight in the baby. But only without panic - everything is being treated, the child will quickly be able to recover after a set of procedures.

Weight Gain Rates

When should you raise 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 eventually weigh. The main advantage of such utilities is taking into account the growth of the baby and its initial data.

However, 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 for six months, the child gains 800-900 grams, and then up to a year - 400. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Small errors are allowed. But strong deviations usually cause parents to panic and fear.

Complementary food

Now it is clear how much a child should gain weight by month. But there is another reason why this can be a problem. If the baby gained weight well, and then there was a sharp shortage, from 4 months, pay attention to complementary foods. It may not be entered correctly. Because of this, food is less digestible. And as a result, weight problems appear.

To eliminate this phenomenon, first put the baby to the breast for a short time (milk improves the absorption of food), then give complementary foods in small quantities. This is how you can eliminate digestive disorders.

In general, if your baby does not have any problems with the intestines, he receives 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.