How to understand that your baby is overeating. Symptoms of overfeeding a child

Everyone knows about the benefits of breastfeeding. Every mother understands that the best nutrition for a baby has not yet been invented and, if possible, a newborn should be breastfed. However, theory is theory, but situations are different, and sometimes you have to start feeding the baby with artificial milk formula.

How to choose the best option for your baby, what you should pay attention to among the huge range of formulas, and why choosing baby food is an extremely responsible matter? Let's figure it out together with an expert.

Causes of overeating

The reason for the development of newborn overfeeding syndrome is the discrepancy between the amount of nutrients entering the child’s body and his needs.
As a rule, there is frequent latching of the baby to the breast, additional feeding with artificial formula after breastfeeding or an increase in the portion of artificial formula during artificial feeding, and frequent feeding at night. With rare overfeeding, the symptoms of gastrointestinal overload that arise are functional in nature. No organic changes are observed.

Systematic overfeeding leads to stretching of the newborn's stomach wall, stimulating him to consume even more food, and provokes the mother to continue overfeeding.

With prolonged overfeeding, excess nutrients are processed by the body into fat deposits. Metabolic disorders, dystrophies, hyperglycemia occur, and the acid-base balance is disturbed. Changes in the composition of the intestinal flora contribute to the development of dysbiosis.

Among breastfed infants, the prevalence of this problem is low. However, every rule has its exception. With natural feeding, the baby independently regulates the amount of food consumed. When extraneous factors intervene in this process, the baby eats more than the age norm. You can overfeed a newborn with breast milk in the following situations:

• With excessive milk production in the mother's mammary glands (hyperlactation). Breastfeeding women very often experience a rush of breast milk, which is caused by increased production of hormones. Not every baby can cope with such a volume of food. In order not to overfeed the baby and not provoke hyperlactation, a woman should be given one mammary gland at one feeding. This scheme allows you to create a balance between milk production and consumption. In addition, sucking on one breast gives the baby access to all portions of mother's milk, which have different nutritional values.
• Problems with the digestive system. Intestinal colic and a feeling of heartburn make the baby restless and moody. Such a baby strives to alleviate his condition by any means. Newborn children solve the problem of relieving pain from heartburn by increasing the portions of milk they drink.
• Growth spurt. When a child's body enters a stage of active growth, its need for food increases. During one feeding, such babies consume mother's milk from both glands.

Excessive food consumption is a sure path to obesity. This is true for any age. Obesity during breastfeeding occurs in 3% of cases, but parents need to become familiar with the consequences of excessive body weight in children. These consequences include:

• development of problems with the nervous system, such as sleep disturbances and emotional instability;
• increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus;
• decrease in the body's defenses;
• development of enzymatic deficiency and other digestive disorders.

We suggest you read: Hiccups in newborns after feeding: what to do.
Important! If parents suspect the first signs of obesity in their child, they are advised to show the baby to a medical specialist. As a rule, changing the frequency and duration of feedings solves this problem in the early stages.

What causes overeating?

The most common misconception is that the baby cries because he is hungry.
Experts strongly recommend not to breastfeed at the first sob, because there are many other reasons why. The second reason for overeating is incorrect calculation of the amount of formula and milk the baby needs. On this issue, you should consult with a specialist and understand that the amount of formula offered to the baby should correspond to his age, height and take into account whether he is still receiving breast milk or not.

Feeding frequency

To ensure that a newborn baby does not experience nutritional deficiency, it is recommended to put it to the breast on demand. If the baby feeds on mother's milk, then the desire to eat arises every 2.5-3 hours. The issue of nutritional sufficiency is individual for each infant. This indicator depends on the height and weight of the baby at birth, the maturity of the enzymatic system, as well as energy costs.

Unlike artificial milk formulas, breast milk is quickly absorbed, so the interval between breastfeedings is much shorter. Observing the baby's behavior, the nursing mother strives to put him to the breast at the first request. When a child is hungry, his behavior becomes restless, tearfulness and the frequency of whims increase. In this situation, it is necessary to distinguish true requests for feeding from false ones.

The causes of false whims are the following factors:

• Insufficient communication between mother and child. Newborn babies need constant communication. If parents pay little attention to the baby, then he becomes capricious and often cries.
• Pain and discomfort. The most common cause of dissatisfaction is intestinal colic and other digestive disorders.
• Need to change diaper. Wet diapers and nappies cause inconvenience and discomfort to a newborn. In addition, constant dampness causes diaper rash on the baby’s skin.

The following signs indicate that the baby is eating more than the norm:

• After or during feeding, the baby burps profusely. If a young mother discovers this sign, she should contact a medical specialist. This will eliminate diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Regurgitation of milk between feedings is a reliable sign of overeating.
• The baby is put to the breast more often than once every 2 hours. If we are talking about a newborn baby in the first 7 days of life, then the frequency of attachments is every 15-30 minutes. When the child is 1-2 months old, this interval varies from 2 to 3 hours.
• The child gains more weight than normal for his age. If a baby confidently develops obesity, then we are talking about excessive food consumption. For children who are breastfed, this problem is relevant in rare cases.

Common Myths

Mothers believe that if a child spits up and gains a lot, then they are overfeeding him. They begin to give the baby a pacifier, drink it with water, and introduce non-calorie foods into complementary foods: boiled vegetables, baby cottage cheese. But this only makes the problem worse.

All the myths about overfeeding come from the times when most mothers bottle-fed their babies. With this type of feeding, the baby is unable to control the speed of milk flow and swallows air. As a result, regurgitation and pain appear.

You can overfeed your baby with formula. Breast milk contains components that help digestion.

Regurgitation

If the baby spits up after feeding 1-2 tablespoons, then this is considered normal. This is how nature makes sure that the baby does not overeat. Excessive regurgitation indicates the following problems:

1. The baby swallows air. This occurs due to improper application. The mother should adjust her nipple latch on her own or seek the help of a consultant.
2. Problems in the structure of the digestive system. Regurgitation occurs due to immaturity of the gastroesophageal sphincter.

By six months the unpleasant process passes. But severe regurgitation is a reason to consult a qualified doctor.

Increased gas formation

70% of newborns experience colic. Artificials experience flatulence more often and tolerate it more difficult.

If the baby is breastfed, then the problem may be caused by poor nutrition of the mother. A nursing woman should exclude the following foods from her diet:

• legumes;
• black bread;
• cucumbers and cabbage;
• prunes.

A baby who is too restless and refuses to eat should be seen by a doctor. The doctor will prescribe a bacteriological culture of milk and feces to determine the number of beneficial and harmful microorganisms.

Big increase

The scales in the medical office showed an increase of more than a kilogram, and the doctor begins to talk about possible overfeeding. In fact, an increase of 2 kg is considered normal.

In the first six months, the child hangs a lot on the chest and moves little, so his weight grows quickly. Then the baby begins to actively crawl, and the breast ceases to occupy the main place in his life. The toddler eats less, moves more, and weight gain decreases.

Symptoms

With rare overfeeding, excessive regurgitation may be observed, but there may be no other symptoms.

Long-term overfeeding is accompanied by rapid weight gain that is not appropriate for age. As a rule, at birth such children have normal or low body weight, but due to overfeeding, an increase in body weight of 10% of normal or higher is observed.

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The child is inactive, sometimes restless for no reason, and sleeps poorly. Appetite can be either increased or decreased. After feeding, the baby burps profusely, then again reaches for the breast or nipple. The abdomen is swollen, there may be constipation or diarrhea, and urination is frequent. Flatulence is often observed. With flatulence, the child screams and is restless.

Subcutaneous fat is expressed in the early stages of obesity on the extremities, in advanced obesity - throughout the body, soft to the touch. The skin is dry, turgor is reduced, and muscle hypotension is observed.

Important! Frequent and profuse regurgitation (“fountain”) after feeding may indicate a primary pathology of the gastrointestinal tract and cannot be independently interpreted in favor of overfeeding.

With the development of nutritional obesity, the child’s body weight may exceed normal by 30%.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of overfeeding consists of questioning the mother, examining the child, and laboratory data.

It is of great importance to clarify the diet of a newborn: the number of feedings, the break between feedings, the duration of feeding, the type of formula if we are talking about artificial feeding, the availability of supplementary feeding.

Control weighing of the newborn is carried out before and immediately after feeding. As a rule, a discrepancy between the volume of food received and the child’s age needs is revealed.

Capimetry and anthropometry are carried out: measuring the child’s weight, body length, head circumference. When weighing, an increase in body weight of 10% or more from normal is determined, with capimetry - excess thickness of the fat fold.

Additionally, a general blood and urine test, a biochemical blood test, and an immunogram are prescribed. When overfeeding, an increased ESR, an increased level of blood cholesterol, hyperglycemia, and sometimes a decrease in hemoglobin levels and anemia are observed. The coprogram contains signs of dyspepsia.

Important! To make a correct diagnosis, the symptoms must be considered together.

Complications

Complications from overfeeding are associated with its effect on the functioning of the organs and systems of the newborn, in particular, on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

• Vomiting and regurgitation are associated with overstretching of the stomach wall under the influence of excess food. If you overfeed, vomiting is a symptom that requires immediate medical attention.
• Dysbacteriosis as a consequence of an imbalance of microflora in the child’s intestines.
• Fatty infiltration of the liver.
• Paratrophy, which develops both with overfeeding and with the use of an incorrectly selected formula during artificial feeding.

Alimentary obesity develops with systematic overfeeding. Excess nutrients are deposited in the form of fat on the child’s hips and abdomen, and accumulate around the internal organs.

Overfeeding increases the body's tendency to develop food allergies and diathesis, and aggravates the course of infectious diseases.

We invite you to read: Apnea in children and sleep apnea: what it is, why sleep apnea is dangerous for newborns and infants, symptoms in premature babies

How to calculate the required amount of formula for feeding

The norm is calculated based on the baby’s age, weight and appetite. In principle, the so-called "volumetric method". For example, the main food per day should be:

• in the first two months of life - 1/5 of body weight,
• at 2-4 months - 1/6,
• at 4-6 months - 1/7,
• after six months - 1/8-1/9.

Example. The weight of a 3.5 month old baby is 5700. Give him 950 ml of the adapted formula per day. But the approximate amount of food, as well as how many hours later to feed, is clarified in each case separately with the doctor, and not “by eye”.

REMEMBER: Your little artificial baby can eat different amounts of food at a time. The determining factor may be well-being, appetite and other factors.

To do this, the daily volume is divided by the number of doses. Those. From the formula 950:6=158 we see that at a time, after the required period of time (with six feedings), the little one should be given about 160 g.

BY THE WAY: The volume of an artificial product does not include juice, water, decoctions of fruits and vegetables. If the menu includes complementary foods (vegetable puree, yolk, cottage cheese), this fact should be taken into account when determining the required volume of the mixture.

NEED TO KNOW: Is there anything left in the bottle? Pour it out, because you can’t leave a drop for next time!

How to find out after what time and how many times to feed the “artificial” ones? Their feeding schedule is usually traditional. So, in the first month of life you should be given food 6-7 times, i.e. There is a break of about 3-3.5 hours. (At night the interval can be about 6 hours). Afterwards the interval increases.

ATTENTION: If you notice that the “artificial” baby is not getting enough, he is not eating enough, consult your doctor about increasing the number of feedings.

In a word, everything is determined, and then, if necessary, the doctor will correct it. For example, a baby cannot cope with the recommended volume at a time. This means feed more often, but in smaller portions.

One way or another, it is advisable to more closely monitor the behavior of the little one. He should not be apathetic and inactive. Should be gaining weight well. Otherwise, go to the clinic!

BY THE WAY: Include water in your diet when bottle-feeding! But do not take it into account when calculating the total amount of a child’s daily meal.

Prevention

In order to protect babies from overeating, young mothers need to pay attention to the advice of breastfeeding experts. These recommendations will allow you to establish natural feeding that meets the needs of the child’s body at all stages of development. Such tips include:

• Building a baby food regimen. With normal breast milk production, a woman should establish a breastfeeding schedule. The guideline is the baby's needs, but the frequency of meals should not exceed 1 time every 3 hours. Frequent attachments do not correspond to the baby’s energy expenditure and cause hyperlactation in women.
• Duration of feeding. In order for the baby to reach saturation, 20 minutes of sucking on one breast is enough for him. Prolonged feeding not only causes fatigue, but also becomes a factor in overeating.
• Including hind portions of milk in the baby's diet. The initial portions of this product contain milk sugar (lactose), which, when taken into the body in large quantities, causes digestive disorders and rapid satiety. When the baby nurses for at least 15 minutes, his body has time to absorb the rear portions of milk, rich in fats and protein.
• Normalization of the diet of a nursing woman. If a woman decides to breastfeed, she should follow dietary recommendations. The main rule of such a diet is that the products are hypoallergenic. To ensure that milk does not contain an excess of calories, excess salt, sugar and fatty foods are excluded from a woman’s diet. Meat and fish dishes must be steamed. Fried, spicy and flour products in the diet of a nursing mother lead to intestinal colic in the baby.

In the absence of health problems and proper organization of natural feeding, a newborn baby does not run the risk of overfeeding. When a newborn baby receives his mother's breast at any whim, his risk of overfeeding increases. The mammary glands are not a panacea for all problems, so a young mother needs to be careful about the feeding process.

How to choose a mixture?

Feeding a child is a very responsible process. And it all starts with choosing a mixture. What to feed a newborn or one-month-old baby? For babies in the first half of life, it should be highly adapted, that is, as similar as possible to breast milk.

This mixture is called a “starter” and will have a 1 on the packaging. For children over six months of age, “follow-up” formulas are intended, the composition of which meets the needs of the growing body.

They contain more protein, fats and microelements. The packages are marked with the number “2”.

If the child burps frequently and more than expected, an anti-reflux mixture will help. If food digestion is disrupted, fermented milk mixtures and mixtures containing beneficial bacteria will come to the rescue.

When choosing a mixture, it is advisable to consult a doctor. When purchasing a mixture, you need to pay attention to the expiration date and integrity of the packaging.

There are also mixtures that contain special components that have a specific therapeutic effect. So, if someone in the family suffers from allergies, it is advisable to start with a hypoallergenic mixture.

Specially prepared dishes

Bottles used for feeding must be washed with a brush and sterilized in advance. This can be done by boiling them for 5 - 10 minutes or using a special sterilizer. The bottle in which the mixture is diluted must be dry.

The pacifier should be selected with the expectation that the mixture will flow out of it not in a stream, but drop by drop. This will ensure active sucking, and not just swallowing of the pouring mixture. Which is important for the development of the maxillofacial apparatus.

This is a very important point. The baby receives his food on demand. How many times does a child need to eat on IV? The schedule depends on age. So, a newborn eats 7 - 9 times a day, a child 2 - 5 months old - 6 - 7 times, a six-month-old child needs to eat 5 - 6 times a day.

To do this, you first need to determine the daily amount of food. How much a baby should eat depends on his weight and age. So, up to two months, a child needs a volume of food in the amount of 1 - 5 of his body weight, at 2 - 4 months - 1 - 6, at 4 - 6 months 1 - 7 of his body weight, over six months - 1 - 8.

For example, a 1 month old baby weighs 4.5 kilograms, then he needs 900 milliliters of formula per day. It must be remembered that this volume should not exceed 1 liter.

To determine the volume of mixture required for one feeding, divide the daily amount by the required number of feedings. This will be 100 - 130 milliliters of the mixture.

It happens that a child eats a little less or more. A slight run-up is possible. Systematic overfeeding or underfeeding should not be allowed. For a child, this is fraught with obesity or malnutrition.

The volumetric method described above is the simplest and most convenient to use. If necessary or if there are problems with weight, the doctor can calculate the volume of a certain mixture for a particular child using the caloric method and taking into account the age-related needs for proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Only boiled water should be used. The volume of water required for one feeding at a temperature of 50˚C is poured into the bottle and the prescribed amount of mixture is poured (indicated in detail on the packaging). Everything is thoroughly shaken and mixed.

How to feed a child correctly? Before feeding, you need to make sure that the prepared mixture is at the optimal temperature. To do this, drop it on your wrist (on the palmar surface). Its temperature should not be felt by the skin.

Wash your hands with soap. Find a comfortable position. Special pillows will help with this, using which you can comfortably position both yourself and the child. In this case, feeding will become a pleasant relaxation for the nursing mother and a source of necessary tactile contact for the baby.

Therefore, it is better to take it in your arms. If your baby is prone to excessive spitting, it is best to hold him upright. In other cases - semi-vertical.

Turn the bottle upside down so that the mixture completely fills the nipple and neck, and the air rushes to the bottom. This will prevent the baby from swallowing air and developing colic.

It is necessary to ensure that the mixture drips from the nipple and does not flow. Over time, nipples wear out and need to be replaced.

According to the rules, the mixture remaining after feeding must be poured out. But it can still be stored for a little while. At room temperature for one to two hours and no more than half a day in the refrigerator. Before feeding this mixture, it must be heated to an acceptable temperature.

The child's artificial nutrition must be supplemented with liquid - water, weak infusions of rose hips and tea (not the regular one that you and I drink every day, but children's herbal tea).

In the heat and in a room with dry air, the amount drunk should be increased by 50 - 100 ml. It is also worth monitoring the child’s health.

Formula-fed babies begin to introduce complementary foods earlier than infants. From 4 - 4.5 months they begin to be given vegetable puree, from 5 - porridge.

Often it is not possible to select a mixture the first time. What will indicate this?

• indigestion;

If after eating the child spits up a lot and or diarrhea or constipation begins, the formula is not suitable. When there are violations, but they are minor, it can be left for a week. If nothing changes during this time, the diet needs to be changed;

• allergic manifestations.

The very first sign of an allergy is a rash (dermatitis). These can be either individual elements or merging spots throughout the body.

Reactions to formulas based on cow's milk develop more often. You can replace them with mixtures based on protein hydroisolate and soy isolate or with mixtures prepared on the basis of goat milk;

• deficiency states.

The development of iron deficiency anemia, malnutrition, or another disease in a child associated with a lack of certain substances requires the selection of a special mixture with a therapeutic effect.

Complete and adequate nutrition is the key to the harmonious growth and development of your baby!

It turns out that children who are “overfed” with artificial milk formula develop an “unhealthy” appetite, which can negatively affect their health in the future.

Professor Arthur Singal from the Child Nutrition Research Center at the Institute of Child Health in London is confident that 20% of all adults who are overweight or obese were given too much food in early childhood, which led to the development of this disease.

Children who are fed breast milk regulate their own supply and eat only as much as they need, because sucking requires serious physical effort. Formula-fed babies, on the other hand, easily get too much food, which leads to overeating.

British scientists believe that the danger of overfeeding with formula lies in the fact that formula-fed babies are usually offered more food than they should consume. This leads to the formation of increased appetite in the child in the future. In addition, artificial formulas contain too much protein and fat, which can also lay the foundation for excess weight in infancy.

Researchers advise parents and doctors to focus on existing age and weight standards. Remember that even if your child’s weight is in the lower limits of the norm, you don’t need to make every effort to turn him into a rosy-cheeked, robust man with constrictions on his legs.

During the research, a group of babies up to one year old was given a regular formula, and some newborns received a milk formula with increased nutritional value. By the age of five, those children who ate fortified formula weighed, on average, 22-38% more than their peers who did not eat such food.

This study not only proves that artificial formula cannot be a 100% substitute for breast milk, but also demonstrates, first of all, the benefits of breastfeeding. After all, it is very difficult to overfeed a child who is breastfed.

Of course, not all women can or want to breastfeed their baby, but this study may help parents and doctors understand that the baby does not need to be overfed. If the child is healthy and looks good, you should not pay much attention to how much he weighs and whether his data corresponds to the age norm.

If you are still not sure that your baby is getting enough food, consult your doctor. Here are some tips to help you get started.

The baby receives enough breast milk:

• a newborn up to one month old, who receives enough food, walks on a large (yellowish mushy substance) quite often during the day. Some babies have a bowel movement after every feeding. The number of wet diapers per day is somewhere between 6 and 8 pieces.
• The child is constantly gaining weight. About 28 grams daily up to 3 months, and about 14 grams daily from 3 to 6 months.
• You feed your baby breast milk at least seven times a day. In the first month of his life, the number of feedings can be even greater - from 8 to 12 times in 24 hours.

If you feel like your breastfed baby is constantly hungry, remember that young babies have a very strong sucking reflex. The infant is set up for constant contact with his mother or can simply calm himself down in this way.

Your baby is getting enough formula:

• The baby seems satisfied and relaxed after feeding.
• A day, your baby wets 5 to 6 disposable diapers, and 6 to 8 more environmentally friendly reusable ones (disposable diapers hold more water).
• Your son or daughter continues to gain weight 2 weeks after birth (most babies lose about 5-10% of their body weight in the first five days after birth, but quickly regain it after 2 weeks).

You overfed your child:

• If after feeding your baby not only spits up, but milk flows out like a fountain, this may mean that you overfed him.
• Abdominal pain can also be a symptom that your baby has eaten too much food. Remember that tucked legs and loud crying can be the result of more than just colic.

Your child is not getting enough food If you think your child is not eating enough, first discuss the issue with your pediatrician. Here are some symptoms that may alert you.

• Two weeks after birth, the baby had not returned to its birth weight.
• Baby wets less than 6 diapers in a 24-hour period (5 days after birth).
• The child is too fussy or, on the contrary, too inhibited most of the time.
• If your breasts do not feel empty and soft after feeding, this may also mean that your baby is not getting enough food.

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25 October 2010, 10:33:00 | Babygreen

Forecast

With timely diagnosis and treatment, the prognosis is favorable. It is important to prevent complications from developing.

In most cases, treatment consists of correcting the newborn's nutrition. Adequate time is ensured for the baby to remain at the breast during each feeding, a break between feedings, and, on the recommendation of the doctor, the volume of formula for artificial feeding is selected.

The mother needs to be explained the rules of feeding and the dangers of overfeeding for the health of the child. Feeding should be carried out taking into account the needs of the child, monitoring his weight gain and well-being.

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