Why does a child not eat anything and refuse to breastfeed when teething?

Timing of teething in children

The process of dentition (teething) occurs individually for each baby. However, there are deadlines within which each new tooth must appear. We have compiled information about the timing of teething into a table.

It is worth noting that deviation from the norm is allowed in the region of 2-3 months in one direction or another. If your child is one year old and his teeth have not yet erupted, it is worth taking him to the pediatrician.

READ ALSO: Teeth cutting at 2 months - is that good or bad?

Ailments during teething

Let's consider what ailments a baby may experience during the dental period. Most often, parents note that their child has poor appetite, upset stool, fever and rhinitis. It is very important to differentiate symptoms that indicate teething from ARVI and other possible diseases.

Refusal to eat

A teething child may refuse to eat. This happens because the baby is bothered by itchy and inflamed gums. Refusal to eat may indicate the occurrence of stomatitis or sore throat. Such phenomena are explained by a decrease in immunity during the period of dentation, and bacteria and fungi that fall on favorable soil begin to multiply rapidly.

Causes of stool retention

The main causes of constipation in infants due to teething include:

• nutritional characteristics - children who are bottle-fed with formula milk are more prone to constipation;
• insufficient fluid intake;
• high activity of digestive enzymes - food is absorbed almost completely, resulting in a decrease in the volume of feces.

Elevated temperature also has a negative effect on bowel movements. When a baby has a fever, he refuses breast milk and complementary foods. Because of this, less feces are formed, it has a denser structure and moves worse through the intestines.

How to feed a child during this period?

Despite general malaise and refusal to eat, the child should not be allowed to go without eating for a long time. Pediatricians recommend adhering to the following rules:

• Maintain drinking regime. During the dental period, the baby should receive a sufficient amount of fluid. This can avoid dehydration, reduce the temperature, and also improve the general condition of the child.
• If the baby is breastfed, give him breastfeeding on demand. Refusal to breastfeed is a reason to feed him with a spoon or glass. At this time, you should not introduce new products, give only those to which the child is already accustomed.
• If your baby is prone to diarrhea, you can reduce the amount of vegetables and fruits in his diet. Let him eat porridge, crackers, and children's cookies instead. If your baby has already tried compote, you can offer him jelly, which will help improve the functioning of his stomach.

Refusal of complementary feeding

Many parents anxiously await the period of introducing complementary foods, as they associate it with the next stage in the baby’s development, his maturation and the emergence of new skills. Most usually already have a clear action plan: when to introduce complementary foods, where to start, how much to give. And this is absolutely correct, because the timely introduction of complementary foods with the inclusion of all necessary products in the child’s diet is the key to his further successful development.

But the wishes of the parents do not always coincide with the needs or capabilities of the child. Unfortunately, sometimes it is during this period that parents have many problems and disappointments, among which the most common is the child’s refusal to accept medication.

With what it can be connected?

Let's try together to understand some of the reasons for this condition.

There are 2 groups of reasons: organizational and medical.

Organizational reasons

1. Complementary feeding started early

There is no exact figure for when complementary feeding should be introduced, since this process is very individual and depends on the general maturity of the child and his readiness to assimilate new and dense foods. It is known for sure that complementary feeding should not be introduced before 4 months. It is important that by the time complementary foods are introduced, the child’s spoon-pushing reflex has died down, and food interest and the ability to swallow thick foods have been developed. Early introduction of complementary foods can cause choking, frighten the child and delay his further interest in new foods.

What to do?

You can temporarily postpone the introduction of complementary foods to a later time.

1. Complementary feeding started late

The introduction of complementary foods after 6-7 months is considered late. Many children are conservatives, and the later complementary feeding is introduced, the more cautious they are about new food, reluctant to accept it, preferring their mother’s usual breast or bottle with formula.

What to do?

Try to regularly offer your child new foods, developing his interest in food, take him with you to the table during family meals, allow him to take food from your plate with his hands, etc.

1. The desire to feed the child at any cost

The biggest mistake parents make is trying to feed their child at any cost. When parents know the norm for consumption of certain foods (which is correct), it often plays a cruel joke on them: they try to forcefully give the child exactly this amount of food, without taking into account the individual needs of the baby. Violence during meals is unacceptable, since it can subsequently lead to persistent eating disorders, up to the child’s complete refusal to eat or to very strong selectivity in food.

What to do?

Completely eliminate any violence while eating. For example, violence includes: feeding with blindfolds, feeding with a syringe, feeding with cartoons/toys/gadgets.

It is very important to feed the baby in a calm environment, without any distraction from food. If the baby refuses to eat, then he should be quietly removed from the table until the next meal (in 3-3.5 hours), without offering any snacks during this interval.

1. Having snacks between meals.

This is one of the main reasons for refusing complementary foods.

If the child’s appetite is reduced or he refuses to eat during the main meals, parents try to feed him “at least something” during the breaks. But the notorious “let him eat at least something” leads to a new problem: the baby eats and demands only sweets or only a very limited amount of food (cookies, curds, fruit spiders, dried fruit, etc.).

What to do?

A child who refuses complementary feeding should not be given any snacks between meals, even if he has eaten very little or has refused to eat at all.

The child can and should be allowed not to finish his allotted portion.

If the child does not express a desire to eat, then you can even skip feeding (and more than one!),

It is important not to be afraid of leaving your child hungry : it is much worse to strengthen in him the habit of sweet snacks, selectivity and refusal of “normal” food. This can subsequently lead to eating disorders and become a huge problem for parents.

1. Lack of variety in food, incl. in its consistency and appearance.

Sometimes parents are afraid to expand their child’s diet and give their child the same porridge or vegetables for weeks. Often the baby receives food directly from a jar of baby food. Such monotony in food, lack of variety in tastes and textures certainly does not increase the child’s appetite and reduces the baby’s food interest.

What to do?

It is important to regularly introduce your child to new tastes and introduce a new product into his diet every 5-7 days.

Also, you should not give food directly from a jar, but rather put the food in a beautiful plate.

It is important to periodically offer the child different consistencies of the dish: make it either thinner or thicker, in order to develop the baby’s preferences.

The temperature of the dish also matters: it should not be too hot or very cold.

It is important to remember that the child has his own individual preferences for the taste, consistency and temperature of the dish.

Medical reasons

A child may refuse complementary feeding if he has any health problems, for example:

1. The child is sick or becomes ill

At the onset of any infectious disease, the baby's appetite may decrease.

What to do?

There is no need to insist on complementary feeding. During this period, it is important to give the baby plain water, offer the breast more often, or give only formula milk at the baby’s request.

1. Baby is cutting teeth

Severe pain during teething can be very disturbing for the child and can also lead to a complete refusal of dense foods.

What to do?

Do not insist on complementary feeding. During this period, give the child, at his request, only liquid food (breast milk, formula, liquid porridge).

1. The child was vaccinated the day before

For several days after vaccination, the child may have a slight malaise and fever, which can lead to a decrease in appetite and refusal to feed complementary foods.

What to do?

Do not insist on complementary feeding, but give only liquid food at the child’s request

1. The child has digestive problems that cause general discomfort during or after eating (constipation, abdominal pain, increased flatulence, regurgitation, enzyme deficiency, including lactase deficiency)

What to do?

It is important to consult with a specialist, find out the cause of existing complaints, carry out diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

1. The child has neurological problems and has difficulty swallowing thick foods.

What to do?

Consult with a specialist.

Dear parents, it is important to remember that food is not just about calories, but also about our respect for the child, his needs and desires. Food should not be a cult and a super task, but should bring joy and pleasure to develop healthy eating behavior in a child.

Lukoyanova Olga Leonidovna

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Leading Researcher of the Laboratory of Nutrition of Healthy and Sick Children of the Federal State Institution "National Medical Research Center for Children's Health" of the Ministry of Health of Russia

Pain relief at home

At home, you can alleviate the child’s condition. The problem should be approached comprehensively. In addition to changing your diet, you should also think about medications. It is with the help of medications that you can help your baby cope with discomfort and pain. Let's consider what remedies can be taken internally, externally and how to act using traditional methods.

READ ALSO: How long does it take for a child to cut his first teeth?

Medicines for oral administration

First, let's figure out what medications can alleviate the child's general condition. It is impossible to speed up or change the process of teething, but parents are quite capable of stopping the symptoms. If the baby feels pain, cries, chews his fists and sleeps poorly, you can give him paracetamol-based drugs. The medicine will relieve pain and slightly reduce the temperature. Ibuprofen products act similarly, but their effect is stronger.

READ ALSO: What should you smear on your baby’s gums when teething?

It is acceptable to use homeopathic medicines. Today, Dentokind tablets are quite popular and can be given to infants. According to the manufacturer, the product removes the symptoms inherent in teething - fever, pain, itching. The tablet dissolves easily in a teaspoon of boiled water.

Use of gels and ointments

If the baby is very restless, topical medications can be used. The pharmacy sells gels and ointments that need to be applied directly to the gums. Swollen areas should be smeared after meals and can be done several times a day. The gels contain painkillers and anti-inflammatory components. Some of them are cooling. The most relevant products for infants:

• Dentinox gel (includes fructose, allergies are possible),
• Dentol-baby product,
• Cholisal gel,
• Kalgel drug (from 5 months).

At the pharmacy, the pharmacist may recommend purchasing another product that is available. It is important that the drug is suitable for the child’s age and does not cause allergies.

Homeopathy also offers its own remedies for topical use. Oh and Baby Doctor.

Main symptoms of teething

At around six months, your baby's first baby tooth will emerge. Although it is impossible to predict the exact date of this exciting event, there are several (unfortunately, rather unpleasant) signs that the moment is close. The process is different for every baby, but most will experience some, if not all, of the following teething symptoms:

Swelling of the gums. Almost every child's gums swell to one degree or another. As a tooth begins to erupt, the surrounding soft tissues swell and become sensitive.

Salivation. It's amazing how much saliva can come out of such a small mouth! Teething almost always causes increased salivation, which sometimes begins several months before the first tooth appears.

Skin rashes. A small rash on your baby's cheeks or chin caused by excessive drooling should not be a cause for much concern. Try to wipe away drool as it appears, and if your baby's skin is already irritated, simply moisturize it until the rash goes away.

Pain. For some babies, teething involves a lot of pain, while for others everything seems to go smoothly and easily. And yet, in one way or another, almost every baby experiences pain, the signs of which are crying and irritability.

Irritability. Due to the discomfort caused by teething, your baby is likely to become fussy and excitable. Some people stay in this mood only for a short time, while for others it can persist for weeks as each tooth erupts.

Chewing. Children quickly learn that applying pressure to the gums reduces discomfort caused by teething. Be prepared for the fact that your baby will begin to put things in his mouth and chew on everything - from special teething rings to his own fingers.

Slight fever. Sometimes swollen gums can lead to an increase in temperature to 37.5–38 degrees. You can fight this kind of heat using the most common methods. If the temperature does not subside for more than three days or rises above 38 degrees, you should consult a doctor.

Loss of appetite. During teething, sucking can be painful for babies, making them reluctant to eat. Even children who have already begun to transition to solid foods can refuse to eat. If your baby starts missing more than two feedings in a row, consult your pediatrician.

Sleep problems. If your child experiences discomfort during the day, there is a high chance that he will also feel uncomfortable at night. During the teething period, babies often wake up during the night (even if they have been sleeping well all night for months before).