
Suffers From Dry And Running Nose. No Weight Gain. Help?

Evaluate her for low weight and specific diet plan
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query on Healthcare Magic.
Frequent cold and cough are usually common in children because of exposure to cold air in the atmosphere, viruses, and other allergens.
As the age increases, the frequency of these episodes will come down.
Symptomatic treatment with oral antihistamines and cough syrup is required during the episode of cold and cough.
Coming to her weight, the present weight is very low and it is below 3rd percentile on growth charts.
What is her birth weight?
Is she having any significant medical problem like a chronic medical condition, prolonged loose stools, or vomitings?
Try to give her a well balanced nutritious diet consisting of high calories, high quality protein in the form of boiled eggs, and fats like adding edible oil or ghee to her regular diet.
Evaluate her for any underlying medical problem which might be the cause for the low weight with the help of your regular pediatrician.
If there is no any underlying medical problem, a proper diet plan should be prepared for her to improve her weight with the pediatrician and dietitian consultation.
Improvement in her nutrition and weight will help to build up the resistance against the common infections like cold and cough.
Hope I have answered your query, if you have any clarification please let me know along the details I have asked.
Regards.


Feed her with patience with a proper diet plan.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for getting back.
Even she is below the normal range of weight as per the growth chart at the age of 18 months. Weight around 10-12 Kg is acceptable for her age at present.
Encourage her to eat herself.
Dont feed her forcefully.
Add ghee or edible oil to her food to increase the caloric density to put on weight.
One boiled egg can be given once daily.
Enrich her foods by adding jaggery, sugar, and ghee.
Prepare her diet more attractive, and be very much patient while feeding her.
Follow two spoon method, give one spoon to her for self feeds and you can feed her with another feed.
Give only home made food.
Look for anemia and if it is present it should be treated with hematinics such as iron and multivitamin supplementation as correction of underlying anemia will improve the appetite.
Decreased appetite is normal around this age group, but nothing to worry and try to feed the child by respecting her autonomy and avoiding forceful feeding.
She needs the following calorie, protein, and fat requirements daily:
1. 1240 Kilo calories /day in the form of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
2. 22 grams protein/day.
3. 25 grams of fats/day.
4. 400 mg of calcium/day.
5. 12 mg of iron/day.
Therefore I advise you to consult the dietitian to plan a proper diet plan to XXXXXXX the above nutritive requirements for your kid.
Hope I have answered your query, if you have any clarification please let me know.
Regards.


i have uploaded al reports of tests which was done in recent times, an yes she has prlongd vomiting tendency by birth till now....plz provide some needful advise
Reports are ok. Make her feeds more calorie dense.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for getting back and uploading the reports.
I went through the reports and I didn't find any abnormality in the tests, except of a mild pulmonary stenosis on 2D Echo, which doesn't effect her growth as it is mild.
If the child was a low birth weight baby, or preterm, or IUGR (intrauterine growth retardation) baby, the present less weight can be attributed to being born with low birth weight with less catch up growth.
Forceful feeding in this age group will lead to vomiting tendency and food aversion. Instead you can feed her with some tricks in a way to respect her emerging autonomy.
The tricks will be like this:
1.Two spoon method: Give one spoon to her and ask to feed herself, so that she
tries to feed herself. And you can feed her in between.
2.Make her to sit on a high chair with flank at dining table and all family members
should sit for eating, so that she will imitate and likes to eat.
Even though feeding to a child around this age is not a simple task, but try the above methods patiently and gradually without any conflict with the child so that you can improve her nutrition and weight.
Give her milk and boiled eggs daily.
Coming to her diet plan, give the food which is cooked at your home. It is called family pot feeding.
As I told enrich her foods with adding additional ghee, edible oil, and jaggery.
Hope I have answered your query, if you have any clarification please let me know.
Regards.


Boiled eggs are ok.Don't encourage junk foods.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for getting back.
Birth weight trebles by 1 year of age, so a child with a birth weight 0f 2.7 kg will reach around 8 Kg by 1 year.
I advise you not to give junk kind of food as it is not healthy, nutritious for kids.
Eating junk food will cause deficiency of micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins and cause early satiety thus decreasing appetite.
Give complete boiled egg with white and yellow daily.
Noodles doesn't provide adequate nutrition for kids. Instead you can try the food whatever your are cooking at home for your family.
After one year of age, the food which is prepared for the family should be offered to kids with less spices and in soft form (family pot feeding).
You can give her rice, dal, fish. Add ghee to rice as a routine.
Encourage her to eat different varieties of home made feed by gradually adding new tastes to her menu.
In all meal times, try to incorporate your locally available, regular, traditional foods.
Apart from boiled egg, you can try giving Idli, dosa, khichidi, or upma. The quantity of food intake depends on her appetite.
Give her feeds for four regular intervals i.e. breakfast, lunch, evening snacks, and dinner.
Hope I have answered your query, if you have any clarification please let me know.
Regards.

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