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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/sep/27/let-children-who-are-slow-to-gain-weight-play-with-their-food-say-nhs-guidelines
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| Let children who are slow to gain weight play with their food, say NHS guidelines | Let children who are slow to gain weight play with their food, say NHS guidelines |
| (7 days later) | |
| Small children who are slow to gain weight should be allowed to play with their food, put their fingers in it and get messy, according to new guidelines for the NHS. | Small children who are slow to gain weight should be allowed to play with their food, put their fingers in it and get messy, according to new guidelines for the NHS. |
| The guidelines are to help health visitors and other professionals support parents who are worried about their child’s faltering weight. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) says that, where there is a genuine issue with the child’s weight, making sure meal times are not stressful is one of the ways forward. | The guidelines are to help health visitors and other professionals support parents who are worried about their child’s faltering weight. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) says that, where there is a genuine issue with the child’s weight, making sure meal times are not stressful is one of the ways forward. |
| “There should not be pressure on the child to eat and the child should not be forced/coerced into eating. Likewise, distractions should be avoided. During the meal, families should talk about something not related with food,” says the guideline. | “There should not be pressure on the child to eat and the child should not be forced/coerced into eating. Likewise, distractions should be avoided. During the meal, families should talk about something not related with food,” says the guideline. |
| Parents should be encouraged to allow the child to try to feed herself, rather than being spoon-fed and “allow messy play and encourage the child to feel the texture of the food”. | Parents should be encouraged to allow the child to try to feed herself, rather than being spoon-fed and “allow messy play and encourage the child to feel the texture of the food”. |
| Giving the child a lot of drinks can also be unhelpful, says the guideline committee, because they can suppress appetite for meals. | Giving the child a lot of drinks can also be unhelpful, says the guideline committee, because they can suppress appetite for meals. |
| Other recommendations are that feeds and mealtimes should not be too brief or too long and parents should avoid trying to coerce their child into eating. They should set “reasonable boundaries for mealtime behaviour while avoiding punitive approaches” and establish regular eating schedules, such as for three meals and two snacks per day. | Other recommendations are that feeds and mealtimes should not be too brief or too long and parents should avoid trying to coerce their child into eating. They should set “reasonable boundaries for mealtime behaviour while avoiding punitive approaches” and establish regular eating schedules, such as for three meals and two snacks per day. |
| Babies and children grow at different rates at different times, says Nice. Newborns, for instance, lose weight in the first few days and then regain it. But “if a child is not gaining weight or starts growing much more slowly than before it is sometimes called ‘faltering growth’,” says the guideline in its information for parents. The GP or health visitor can offer support with common problems of feeding, weaning or mealtime behaviour. | Babies and children grow at different rates at different times, says Nice. Newborns, for instance, lose weight in the first few days and then regain it. But “if a child is not gaining weight or starts growing much more slowly than before it is sometimes called ‘faltering growth’,” says the guideline in its information for parents. The GP or health visitor can offer support with common problems of feeding, weaning or mealtime behaviour. |
| According to data collected in the National Child Measurement Programme, in 2015, 1% of children aged four to five were underweight. | According to data collected in the National Child Measurement Programme, in 2015, 1% of children aged four to five were underweight. |
| Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive and director of health and social care at Nice, said: “Having a child with faltering growth can be distressing for parents and carers. However, simple things such as encouraging relaxed and enjoyable feeding and mealtimes, eating together as a family or even allowing young children to be ‘messy’ with their food can help encourage them to eat. | Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive and director of health and social care at Nice, said: “Having a child with faltering growth can be distressing for parents and carers. However, simple things such as encouraging relaxed and enjoyable feeding and mealtimes, eating together as a family or even allowing young children to be ‘messy’ with their food can help encourage them to eat. |
| “This guideline should also help healthcare professionals identify more complex cases of faltering growth for referral to specialist services. This should give all infants and children with faltering growth the best chance of reaching a healthy weight.” | “This guideline should also help healthcare professionals identify more complex cases of faltering growth for referral to specialist services. This should give all infants and children with faltering growth the best chance of reaching a healthy weight.” |