1 year old baby not gaining weight, what to do?

Parents take great care of their children, but their children are still criticized for being stunted and skinny, especially 1-year-olds who can eat without gaining weight. This puts a lot of pressure on parents and can even lead to forcing children to eat more, negatively affecting children's psyche.
The cause of 1 year old children not gaining weight may be due to poor absorption in children, nutrients are not received in the digestive process leading to nutritional deficiencies, stunting, slow weight gain.
Malabsorption of nutrients often occurs in children who:
Have symptoms of digestive disorders due to the influence of infections such as pharyngitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis... Due to poor nutrition reasonable, unbalanced Children who are being treated for other intestinal diseases Children lack micronutrients that reduce the secretion of digestive enzymes from food. When malabsorption persists, children can suffer from a lack of energy and nutrients, leading to slow weight gain as well as height, rickets, malnutrition and poor brain development.
In addition, children may be affected by a weakened immune system, reduced resistance to pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, increased risk of infectious diseases... these conditions are more making children retarded in development and a vicious cycle of diseases that cannot be escaped.
According to the recommendations of the National Institute of Nutrition, the development of children at different stages. For a 1-year-old baby, the weight can be 3 times higher than the birth weight, about 9 to 10 kg. Height also increased about 1.5 times compared to birth, about 75cm. In order to monitor the weight and height of the child, parents must regularly weigh and measure and use the growth chart to determine the child's development, thereby having a timely improvement plan.
When parents discover that a 1-year-old baby is not gaining weight along with some accompanying symptoms such as malnutrition, delayed height growth, occasional or frequent abdominal pain, weight loss, fatigue, and poor flexibility, Children should be taken to the doctor for timely treatment.
In addition to the above signs, children may also show symptoms of micronutrient deficiency, such as pale mucous membranes, pale skin (iron deficiency anemia), edema due to vitamin B1 deficiency, muscle pain or rats withdraw due to calcium deficiency ... Therefore, children need to be detected early to be able to overcome the situation in time.

Nutrition is considered as a decisive factor to the weight as well as the development of children. Parents who want their children to gain weight well, they need to have a diet for their children that contains all the following groups of nutrients:
Nutrient food groups that provide carbohydrates or carbohydrates: Include foods such as: cereals, potatoes, tubers... help provide energy and necessary fiber for the child's body. Food groups with nutrients provide fat: Including cooking oil, animal fat, butter, cheese. .. helps provide energy in its most concentrated form. Fat helps the child's body to have smooth and good skin, and helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins well and develop brain cells and the nervous system. Including meat, fish, eggs, shrimp, crab, eel, frog... to help build the body and synthesize antibodies to help protect the body from external influences. Nutrient food group providing vitamins and minerals: Including foods rich in vitamins and minerals such as green vegetables, ripe fruits, etc. to help provide vitamins and minerals to regulate the functions of active organs. Children's body movements are especially rich in anti-constipation fiber. Your baby's daily menu should be varied and rotated to help children get excited about the meal.

In case the 1-year-old baby does not gain weight, parents should add micronutrients to the child to promote the body's basic metabolism. Supplementing with micronutrients from different food sources will provide adequate recommended levels for children, help children develop, have good digestion, support height and brain growth, and limit depression. nutrition, rickets,...

Fat helps provide energy for children, dissolves some micronutrients for better absorption into the body. In addition, fats also contain many beneficial components for children's brain development, such as omega 3 fatty acids ....

Parents should divide children's meals and especially adhere to the principle of not forcing children to eat. Many parents believe that trying to force their children to eat all the food will help them get enough nutrients. However, when parents force children to eat, it will backfire, making children afraid to start meals and even children may not cooperate when eating.
Parents can increase 5 to 6 small meals a day instead of 3 meals. This will help children eat better and feel more comfortable during meals.

Parents should guide children to exercise and exercise regularly. Physical activity not only helps children's body burn calories, remove toxins from the body, but also helps children develop better height, stimulates digestion, helps children eat well.
Parents can encourage children to practice exercises that combine games, which both help children's creativity, thinking, brain development and mental stimulation.
In addition to changing the appropriate diet, living habits and exercise, the baby needs to add the necessary micronutrients: Zinc, selenium, chromium, vitamins B1 and B6, Ginger, acerola fruit extract (vitamin C),... to improve taste, eat well, reach the right height and weight, and exceed standards, have a good immune system, enhance resistance to less sickness and less digestive problems .
The improvement of symptoms can take place for a long time, so it is recommended that parents be calm and persistent when supplementing with nutrients for children, even through eating or functional foods. In particular, the use of functional foods should choose those of natural origin that are easily absorbed, do not allow simultaneous use of many types or continuously change the types of functional foods.
For more nutritional knowledge and child care for each age, parents should regularly visit the website vimec.com and make an appointment with the leading doctors, pediatric and nutrition experts of the National General Hospital. Vinmec when needing advice on children's health.