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How To Provide Good Nutrition for a Child During Illness

lynn9490 | Oct 2, 2009 |

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A sick child needs encouragement to eat small, frequent meals. Poor appetite during illness is normal. If you have had the flu, you probably remember that eating was the last thing on your mind. The same response occurs in babies and children, but their smaller bodies cant go as long without food and liquids. It is always important to maintain a calm and cheerful manner around a child who is sick. Children who are very ill don't have much energy and may spend alot of time sleeping. A hospital stay can be difficult experience for a child, they sometimes fear they will never go home or they will be hurt or die so if parents can help their child at home it may prevent them from having to go into a hospital .There are some way to provide the nutrition children need when they are sick.

Give the child more liquids

Children need liquids to avoid dehydration-the depletion of body fluids. One liquid is a sugar and mineral (glucose electrolyte) solution, which can be found in most drugstores.

Encourage the child to eat

Children who are ill often aren't interested in eating. Keep offering foods the child likes, a little at a time and as often as possible. Clear liquids are often prescribed. These include water, chicken broth ,fruit juices. and gelatin without fruit.

Don't force the child to eat

One or two days of low food intake wont harm a child, as long as he or she gets enough liquids.

If illness and poor appetite persist for more than a few days, a doctor should be consulted. The child isn't fully recovered from an illness until he or she weights about the same as before the illness began.