故事
孩子挑食 · 为什么怕新菜、嫌菜苦
孩子怕新菜、嫌菜苦,多半是会过去的发育阶段:舌头更怕苦,对陌生食物天生戒备。这里讲多尝几次为什么有用,以及哪些情况要看医生。
最后更新:
先读这一段 孩子两三岁起推开新菜、连吃过的也挑,多半不是被惯坏了,而是一个常见的发育阶段,大多数孩子会慢慢走出来。
科普内容,不替代医师诊断或处方;有症状或在服药请咨询医师。
故事路径
第 1 章
怕新食物是一个成长阶段
Fear of new food is a stage
孩子两三岁起推开新菜、连吃过的也挑,多半不是被惯坏了,而是一个常见的发育阶段,大多数孩子会慢慢走出来。
怕吃没见过的食物,叫食物恐新(food neophobia),一般在 2 到 6 岁最明显。研究者认为它在进化上是一种保护:对陌生的食物先戒备一下,能少吃进可能有害的东西。今天的食物安全多了,这份保守还留在孩子身上。
挑食的范围更宽:不光不碰新菜,熟悉的食物也拒掉一批,吃的种类偏少。荷兰一项 4018 个孩子的研究里,3 岁时 27.6% 被妈妈说挑食,6 岁时降到 13.2%;早期挑食的孩子,近三分之二在 3 年内不再挑。
孩子吃东西时噎住、咳不出声、吸不进气,立即让人打急救电话,同时立刻拍背急救,做法见什么时候不只是挑食那一章。吃饭常呛咳、吞咽困难,或者体重往下掉,就不只是挑食了,什么时候不只是挑食那一章列了要看医生的情况。
怕吃没见过的食物,叫食物恐新(food neophobia),一般在 2 到 6 岁最明显。研究者认为它在进化上是一种保护:对陌生的食物先戒备一下,能少吃进可能有害的东西。今天的食物安全多了,这份保守还留在孩子身上。
挑食的范围更宽:不光不碰新菜,熟悉的食物也拒掉一批,吃的种类偏少。荷兰一项 4018 个孩子的研究里,3 岁时 27.6% 被妈妈说挑食,6 岁时降到 13.2%;早期挑食的孩子,近三分之二在 3 年内不再挑。
孩子吃东西时噎住、咳不出声、吸不进气,立即让人打急救电话,同时立刻拍背急救,做法见什么时候不只是挑食那一章。吃饭常呛咳、吞咽困难,或者体重往下掉,就不只是挑食了,什么时候不只是挑食那一章列了要看医生的情况。
证据 · 怕新食物有几分是天生的
英国一项研究请 5390 对 8 到 11 岁双胞胎的父母填问卷,量孩子有多怕吃新食物。比较同卵和异卵双胞胎,估出遗传能解释约 78% 的差异;另外 22% 来自每个孩子各自独有的经历,一家人共有的那部分环境几乎解释不了差异(Cooke 2007)。这能推出两件事。第一,孩子怕新菜的程度很大一部分是天生的,不是爸妈喂错了,不必自责。第二,天生不等于改不了:遗传度说的是一群孩子之间为什么不一样,不是一个孩子能改变多少。多尝几次就熟了那一章的试验,改变的正是每个孩子自己的经历。
要读准边界:这是父母填问卷量出来的倾向,不是在饭桌上直接观察;研究对象是英国的双胞胎。
cooke-2007-neophobia-heritability
第 2 章
孩子尝到的苦更苦
Bitter tastes stronger to children
孩子不爱吃绿叶菜,很大一部分原因在舌头上:同样一口菜,孩子尝到的苦比大人更重。
舌头上有一类专门认苦味的苦味受体(TAS2R),它们的本职是报警:苦常常意味着有毒,尝到苦就吐出来,能少吃进毒物。甜味正好相反,孩子生来就爱甜,甜把新生儿引向母乳。
这两种偏好在孩子身上都比大人强。孩子最喜欢的甜度比大人高,要到青春期中后期、身体停止长高前后才降到大人的水平;对苦,同一种基因型的孩子比大人更敏感,这个差别到青春期中期才消失。孩子最先拒绝的,正是绿叶菜和液体药里的苦(Mennella 综述)。
所以孩子嫌菜苦,是一套还没长成的味觉在工作,不是装的,也不是坏习惯。它会随年龄变,也能靠多尝几次就熟了那一章的办法慢慢接受。
舌头上有一类专门认苦味的苦味受体(TAS2R),它们的本职是报警:苦常常意味着有毒,尝到苦就吐出来,能少吃进毒物。甜味正好相反,孩子生来就爱甜,甜把新生儿引向母乳。
这两种偏好在孩子身上都比大人强。孩子最喜欢的甜度比大人高,要到青春期中后期、身体停止长高前后才降到大人的水平;对苦,同一种基因型的孩子比大人更敏感,这个差别到青春期中期才消失。孩子最先拒绝的,正是绿叶菜和液体药里的苦(Mennella 综述)。
所以孩子嫌菜苦,是一套还没长成的味觉在工作,不是装的,也不是坏习惯。它会随年龄变,也能靠多尝几次就熟了那一章的办法慢慢接受。
证据 · 基因让一些孩子更怕苦
苦味受体基因 TAS2R38 有几种常见的版本:有的人对一种叫 PROP 的苦味物质很敏感,有的人几乎尝不出来。美国一项研究给 143 个孩子和他们的妈妈测了这个基因,用游戏的方式测苦味敏感度和对甜的偏好(Mennella 2005)。同样带一份敏感版、一份不敏感版的人里,64% 的孩子能尝出最淡的那一档苦,妈妈只有 43%:同样的基因,孩子更敏感。带敏感版基因的孩子,偏爱更甜的糖水、更甜的麦片和饮料;在妈妈身上看不到这种关系,种族与文化背景的影响更大。
这是一次性的横断面研究,只说明基因和口味偏好有关,不能说哪个孩子挑食是基因造成的。但它提醒大人:自己吃着不苦的菜,孩子尝着可能是另一回事。
第 3 章
胃口一顿多一顿少
Appetite swings from meal to meal
孩子一两岁以后胃口不如婴儿期,常常和长速有关:出生后头一年长得飞快,之后速度明显放慢,胃口也就不再那么猛。儿科医生的综述也说,很多被家长认为吃得太少的孩子只是轻度问题,有的其实在正常范围,是被误会了(Kerzner 2015)。
孩子的身体还会自己调:这一顿吃得多,下一顿就少一点。美国一项研究把 15 个 2 到 5 岁孩子连续 6 天吃的东西都称了重。单看每一顿,饭量起伏很大,平均变异约 33.6%;一整天加起来,变异只有约 10.4%(Birch 1991)。孩子是按一整天来算账的,不是按一顿。
所以 NHS 建议,别盯着一天吃了什么,看一周;孩子精神好、在长体重、看着健康,就是吃够了。
最容易打乱这套调节的,是两顿之间的零食和饮料:一杯牛奶、一盒果汁,就能把下一顿的胃口占掉。NHS 说两顿之间的健康零食一天两次就够;欧洲儿科学会建议 1 岁以后的幼儿每天牛奶少于 500 毫升,喝得太多还是缺铁的风险因素。
孩子的身体还会自己调:这一顿吃得多,下一顿就少一点。美国一项研究把 15 个 2 到 5 岁孩子连续 6 天吃的东西都称了重。单看每一顿,饭量起伏很大,平均变异约 33.6%;一整天加起来,变异只有约 10.4%(Birch 1991)。孩子是按一整天来算账的,不是按一顿。
所以 NHS 建议,别盯着一天吃了什么,看一周;孩子精神好、在长体重、看着健康,就是吃够了。
最容易打乱这套调节的,是两顿之间的零食和饮料:一杯牛奶、一盒果汁,就能把下一顿的胃口占掉。NHS 说两顿之间的健康零食一天两次就够;欧洲儿科学会建议 1 岁以后的幼儿每天牛奶少于 500 毫升,喝得太多还是缺铁的风险因素。
证据 · 管得越紧,孩子越难自己停
孩子这套自己调饭量的本事,会不会被大人管掉?一项研究让 77 个 3 到 5 岁的孩子吃两段式的餐:第一段的能量密度有高有低,再看孩子在第二段会不会跟着少吃或多吃(Johnson 1994)。体脂越多的孩子,越不会按前面吃下的能量调整后面的饭量。最能预测这种调节能力的,是妈妈在吃饭这件事上管得有多紧:管得越紧,孩子调得越差,相关系数是 -0.67。
这是相关研究,不能证明是管得紧造成的,也可能是孩子本来就调不好,妈妈才管得紧。作者的结论是:最利于孩子学会自己掌握饭量的环境,是大人提供健康的选择,吃多少交给孩子。
第 4 章
多尝几次就熟了
Liking grows with repeated tastes
让孩子接受一样菜,证据最多的办法很朴素:一小口一小口地多尝几次,不要求吃完。
按怕新食物的那套保护机制推,一样东西尝过几次、什么事也没发生,它就从陌生变成熟悉,戒备跟着放下;这一步没有被直接测过,但试验看到的正是这个方向。英国一项随机试验里,156 位 2 到 6 岁孩子的家长先选出一样孩子不爱吃的蔬菜,其中一组连续 14 天每天让孩子尝一点。这一组孩子对那样菜的喜欢程度和吃下的量,都比只拿到营养资料、或什么都不做的两组涨得多(Wardle 2003)。
一篇汇总 43 篇文章的系统综述也看到,反复尝一样蔬菜,孩子对它更喜欢、吃得更多;尝过多种蔬菜,对一种新蔬菜也更容易接受。但效应不大,长期效果的证据也少(Appleton 2018)。
所以要有耐心。一篇综述给家长的参考是,可能要 10 到 15 次好的体验;NHS 也说,孩子的口味会变,这个月讨厌的,过一个月可能就爱吃了。
按怕新食物的那套保护机制推,一样东西尝过几次、什么事也没发生,它就从陌生变成熟悉,戒备跟着放下;这一步没有被直接测过,但试验看到的正是这个方向。英国一项随机试验里,156 位 2 到 6 岁孩子的家长先选出一样孩子不爱吃的蔬菜,其中一组连续 14 天每天让孩子尝一点。这一组孩子对那样菜的喜欢程度和吃下的量,都比只拿到营养资料、或什么都不做的两组涨得多(Wardle 2003)。
一篇汇总 43 篇文章的系统综述也看到,反复尝一样蔬菜,孩子对它更喜欢、吃得更多;尝过多种蔬菜,对一种新蔬菜也更容易接受。但效应不大,长期效果的证据也少(Appleton 2018)。
所以要有耐心。一篇综述给家长的参考是,可能要 10 到 15 次好的体验;NHS 也说,孩子的口味会变,这个月讨厌的,过一个月可能就爱吃了。
实操 · 每天一小口怎么给
把试验里的做法和 NHS 的建议放在一起,大致是这样:每次只要一小口:说清楚尝一下就行,吃多少随他。两项试验里都是每天一次,一项连续 8 天,一项连续 14 天(Wardle 2003)。大人一起吃:孩子学吃新东西最好的办法是照着大人做,尽量一起吃饭,吃同样的饭菜。换个做法:煮熟的胡萝卜不吃,生的胡萝卜丝可能就吃。拒绝了就收走:什么也不说,尽量平静,过几天再端上来。别等太饿太累:别等孩子饿过头或累了才开饭;吃得慢就让他慢慢吃。
这些都是在给孩子很多次没有压力的尝试。被逼着咽下去的那一口不算好的体验,原因在为什么不该逼着吃那一章。
第 5 章
为什么不该逼着吃
Why pressure to eat backfires
逼孩子吃,往往让他吃得更少,也更讨厌那样东西。
美国一项实验让 27 个 3 到 5 岁的孩子反复喝两种汤,每个孩子随机有一种汤总是配着催他喝完,另一种不催。结果孩子在不被催的时候喝得明显更多,对被催的那碗汤说的负面话也多得多(Galloway 2006)。按机制推,一样食物总是和紧张、不愉快一起出现,孩子记住的就是那份不愉快;这一步没有被直接测过。
奖励的证据不一致。49 个小学生尝红甜椒的试验里,吃一块换一张贴纸的那组,效果介于每天单纯尝一口和什么都不做之间,和两边都没有明显差别(Wardle 2003);一篇系统综述则看到奖励能让孩子多吃一些(Appleton 2018)。NHS 明确不建议的是拿食物当奖励:孩子会觉得糖是好东西、蔬菜是难吃的东西。要奖励,就去公园、一起玩个游戏。
分工可以这样记:端上什么由大人定,吃多少交给孩子。这正是 Johnson 1994 那项研究作者的结论。
美国一项实验让 27 个 3 到 5 岁的孩子反复喝两种汤,每个孩子随机有一种汤总是配着催他喝完,另一种不催。结果孩子在不被催的时候喝得明显更多,对被催的那碗汤说的负面话也多得多(Galloway 2006)。按机制推,一样食物总是和紧张、不愉快一起出现,孩子记住的就是那份不愉快;这一步没有被直接测过。
奖励的证据不一致。49 个小学生尝红甜椒的试验里,吃一块换一张贴纸的那组,效果介于每天单纯尝一口和什么都不做之间,和两边都没有明显差别(Wardle 2003);一篇系统综述则看到奖励能让孩子多吃一些(Appleton 2018)。NHS 明确不建议的是拿食物当奖励:孩子会觉得糖是好东西、蔬菜是难吃的东西。要奖励,就去公园、一起玩个游戏。
分工可以这样记:端上什么由大人定,吃多少交给孩子。这正是 Johnson 1994 那项研究作者的结论。
实操 · 饭桌上怎么做
NHS 给挑食孩子家长的建议,落到饭桌上是这几条:给孩子和全家一样的饭菜,只是孩子那份不加盐。分量给少一点;孩子吃了,哪怕只吃一点,也夸他。孩子不吃就不逼,把菜收走,什么也不说,改天再试。吃饭时聊点别的,让饭桌不只是吃饭这一件事。请孩子喜欢的大人一起吃,有时孩子会为爷爷奶奶多吃几口;也可以请同龄、吃饭好的小朋友来家里吃,但别总拿别的孩子来比。
反过来,规定必须吃完、一口一口追着喂、拿零食换吃菜,都是在给吃饭加压力。
有些挑食也和早年的喂养有关:一篇综述列出的原因包括早期喂养困难、带颗粒的辅食加得太晚、被逼着吃。小宝宝阶段怎么练口味和咀嚼,宝宝辅食 · 6 个月起身体在要什么有细讲。
第 6 章
挑食的孩子可能缺什么
What picky eaters may run short of
多数挑食的孩子长得并不差,真正要留意的是几样容易吃少的营养:铁、锌和膳食纤维。
英国一项长期跟踪的出生队列(ALSPAC)里,挑食对生长轨迹没有一致的影响。问题出在吃的种类窄:肉吃得少,铁和锌就容易不够;蔬菜水果吃得少,膳食纤维就少(Taylor 综述)。
铁:幼儿长得快,需要的铁多。肉类和强化铁的食物是好来源;1 岁以后每天牛奶少于 500 毫升,喝太多是缺铁的风险因素。膳食纤维:同一个队列里,3 岁左右挑食的孩子每天少吃约 1.4 克纤维,大便偏硬也更常见;把纤维摄入量算进去之后,这个关联就减弱、不再明显,说明它很可能经由纤维吃得少起作用(观察性研究,Taylor 2016)。维生素:英国政府建议,6 个月到 5 岁的孩子不管挑不挑食,每天都吃含维生素 A、C、D 的滴剂(每天喝 500 毫升以上配方奶的宝宝不用);不要同时给两种补剂,如鱼肝油加滴剂。这是英国的做法,在别处按当地儿童保健医生的建议。
要不要额外补铁、补锌,别自己决定。孩子是否缺铁要查血才知道,交给儿科医生。
英国一项长期跟踪的出生队列(ALSPAC)里,挑食对生长轨迹没有一致的影响。问题出在吃的种类窄:肉吃得少,铁和锌就容易不够;蔬菜水果吃得少,膳食纤维就少(Taylor 综述)。
铁:幼儿长得快,需要的铁多。肉类和强化铁的食物是好来源;1 岁以后每天牛奶少于 500 毫升,喝太多是缺铁的风险因素。膳食纤维:同一个队列里,3 岁左右挑食的孩子每天少吃约 1.4 克纤维,大便偏硬也更常见;把纤维摄入量算进去之后,这个关联就减弱、不再明显,说明它很可能经由纤维吃得少起作用(观察性研究,Taylor 2016)。维生素:英国政府建议,6 个月到 5 岁的孩子不管挑不挑食,每天都吃含维生素 A、C、D 的滴剂(每天喝 500 毫升以上配方奶的宝宝不用);不要同时给两种补剂,如鱼肝油加滴剂。这是英国的做法,在别处按当地儿童保健医生的建议。
要不要额外补铁、补锌,别自己决定。孩子是否缺铁要查血才知道,交给儿科医生。
数字 · 一直挑食少吃了多少
Taylor 综述汇总的 ALSPAC 数据,把一直挑食的孩子和从来不挑的孩子放在一起比:能量摄入没有差别;蛋白质平均少约 8%,但没有一个孩子蛋白质不够。胡萝卜素、维生素 D、铁、锌和硒都低一些,低约 3% 到 16%;视黄醇和锌低于参考下限的孩子占了不小的比例。整块的肉少吃约 40%,蔬菜少吃约 48%,水果少吃约 33%。
生长上,挑食孩子的平均体重、身高和体质指数(,按身高算的体重)一直在第 50 百分位(同龄孩子的中间水平)以上,虽然比不挑的孩子低一点,偏瘦的比例稍高。综述也提醒,这个队列里不挑食的孩子本身长得偏好,换一个人群,结论未必一样;少数一直挑到青春期的孩子,可能更容易偏瘦或出现进食障碍,需要早点找出来、给家长支持。
在 3 岁左右的孩子里,挑食孩子的纤维只有 8.9% 来自蔬菜,不挑食的孩子是 15.7%(Taylor 2016)。
第 7 章
什么时候不只是挑食
When it is more than picky eating
多数挑食会随年龄好转,不需要看病。下面这些情况,就不只是挑食了。
立即打急救电话:孩子吃东西时噎住,咳不出声、吸不进气,马上喊人帮忙、让人打急救电话,同时立刻急救:1 岁以上让孩子身体前倾,在两肩胛骨之间用力拍背最多 5 下,还没出来再做腹部冲击最多 5 下,两样交替,直到急救人员赶到;1 岁以下的做法见宝宝辅食那篇。
尽快约医生(NHS 列为需要紧急就诊):孩子吃东西或喝水时常呛咳;食物或奶反流上来,有时从鼻子出来;觉得东西卡在喉咙里;吃奶吃饭时总哭闹、身体往后弓;吃完说话声音湿、咕噜咕噜;吃完气短;反复肺部感染。这些可能是吞咽出了问题。
找儿科医生看:
体重往下掉,或者身高体重曲线一直往下滑。吃得少到要靠营养补充品撑着,或者查出缺铁性贫血这类营养缺乏。一次噎住或吐过之后突然不敢吃,或者对气味、口感的抗拒让上学、和别人一起吃饭都成了难事。这可能是回避性/限制性摄食障碍(ARFID),它和怕胖无关,有专门的治疗。过了学龄前还一直很挑。
这一篇是科普,不替代诊断。
立即打急救电话:孩子吃东西时噎住,咳不出声、吸不进气,马上喊人帮忙、让人打急救电话,同时立刻急救:1 岁以上让孩子身体前倾,在两肩胛骨之间用力拍背最多 5 下,还没出来再做腹部冲击最多 5 下,两样交替,直到急救人员赶到;1 岁以下的做法见宝宝辅食那篇。
尽快约医生(NHS 列为需要紧急就诊):孩子吃东西或喝水时常呛咳;食物或奶反流上来,有时从鼻子出来;觉得东西卡在喉咙里;吃奶吃饭时总哭闹、身体往后弓;吃完说话声音湿、咕噜咕噜;吃完气短;反复肺部感染。这些可能是吞咽出了问题。
找儿科医生看:
体重往下掉,或者身高体重曲线一直往下滑。吃得少到要靠营养补充品撑着,或者查出缺铁性贫血这类营养缺乏。一次噎住或吐过之后突然不敢吃,或者对气味、口感的抗拒让上学、和别人一起吃饭都成了难事。这可能是回避性/限制性摄食障碍(ARFID),它和怕胖无关,有专门的治疗。过了学龄前还一直很挑。
这一篇是科普,不替代诊断。
参考文献 · 20
- Norris, M. L., Spettigue, W. J., & Katzman, D. K. (2016). Update on eating disorders: current perspectives on avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder in children and youth. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 12, 213-218. Review. ARFID (DSM-5) covers restrictive or avoidant eating that results in significant weight loss, growth compromise, reliance on nutritional supplements to meet energy needs, nutritional deficiency (such as iron deficiency anemia) or marked interference with psychosocial functioning, without fear of weight gain or body-shape concerns. It was meant to capture only clinically significant restriction, not the many children labelled picky or fussy eaters. Picky eating is generally defined in normal-weight children who eat an inadequate variety by rejecting familiar or unfamiliar foods; food neophobia generally peaks between the 2nd and 6th year of life and gradually declines (full text PMC4725687). 10.2147/NDT.S82538
- Białek-Dratwa, A., Szczepańska, E., Szymańska, D., Grajek, M., Krupa-Kotara, K., & Kowalski, O. (2022). Neophobia—a natural developmental stage or feeding difficulties for children? Nutrients, 14(7), 1521. Narrative review. Food neophobia, the reluctance to try new and unfamiliar foods, falls in early childhood and can shape taste preferences and diet quality. It has an evolutionary significance because it protects the individual from ingesting potentially dangerous substances, but it also fosters avoidance of beneficial foods; with today's emphasis on food safety it may be less adaptive, yet a conservative attitude toward new foods still prevails. Neophobia is strongly associated with diet diversity and with previous exposure to different foods; the review separates it from other feeding difficulties that need differentiating. 10.3390/nu14071521
- Cardona Cano, S., Tiemeier, H., Van Hoeken, D., Tharner, A., Jaddoe, V. W., Hofman, A., Verhulst, F. C., & Hoek, H. W. (2015). Trajectories of picky eating during childhood: a general population study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 48(6), 570-579. Generation R cohort, 4018 children in the Netherlands, maternal report at 1.5, 3 and 6 years. Picky eating prevalence was 26.5% at 1.5 years, 27.6% at 3 and 13.2% at 6. Trajectories: never picky 55%, remitting 32%, late-onset 4%, persistent 4%; almost two thirds of early picky eaters remitted within 3 years. Picky eating is usually transient and part of normal development, but a group of persistent picky eaters, often from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, continues to have problems beyond preschool age. 10.1002/eat.22384
- Taylor, C. M., & Emmett, P. M. (2019). Picky eating in children: causes and consequences. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 78(2), 161-169. Narrative review centred on the UK ALSPAC cohort. Picky eating is common in early childhood, peaks at about age 3, and has no agreed definition. Causes include early feeding difficulties, late introduction of lumpy foods, pressure to eat and early choosiness; protective factors include fresh foods and eating the same meal as the child. Consequences: poor variety, low iron and zinc intakes (with low meat, fruit and vegetables) and low fibre linked to constipation. In ALSPAC persistent picky eaters had similar energy intake, 8% lower protein (none inadequate), 3-16% lower carotene, vitamin D, iron, zinc and selenium, and ate 40% less carcass meat, 48% less vegetables and 33% less fruit than never-picky children. Mean weight, height and BMI of picky eaters stayed above the 50th centile though below non-picky children, with slightly more thinness; non-picky ALSPAC children grew well above the 50th centile, so other populations may differ. Little evidence of a consistent effect on growth, but a small persistent subgroup may risk thinness in adolescence or an eating disorder. Strategies: repeated graded exposure (10-15 positive experiences may be needed), non-food rewards, avoiding pressure, parental modelling, limiting snacks and milk, juice or soft drinks between meals, family meals. 10.1017/S0029665118002586
- NHS. (2024). How to stop a child from choking. If the child is coughing loudly, encourage coughing and stay; if the cough is silent or they cannot breathe in properly, shout for help; while conscious, for babies under 1 give up to 5 back blows (face down along your thigh or forearm, head supported, heel of the hand between the shoulder blades) then up to 5 chest thrusts (face up, head lower, 2 fingers just below the nipple line), checking between each; for children over 1, give up to 5 back blows in a forward-leaning position, then up to 5 abdominal thrusts, checking between each; call 999 if the blockage does not come out and keep repeating until help arrives; get medical help even if the object comes out; don't poke blindly with fingers; if the child becomes unconscious, call 999 and start CPR (page last reviewed 28 October 2024). www.nhs.uk/baby/first-aid-and-safety/first-aid/how-to-stop-a-child-from-choking
- NHS. (2023). Dysphagia (swallowing problems). Signs include coughing or choking when eating or drinking, bringing food back up sometimes through the nose, a feeling that food is stuck, and a gurgly, wet-sounding voice when eating or drinking; over time it can cause weight loss, dehydration and repeated chest infections. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you or your child has difficulty swallowing, coughs or chokes while eating or drinking, feels something is stuck in the throat after eating, keeps bringing food or milk back up sometimes through the nose, cries a lot or arches their back when feeding, has a wet, gurgly voice after eating or drinking, is short of breath after eating or drinking, or gets lots of chest infections (page last reviewed 2 May 2023). www.nhs.uk/symptoms/swallowing-problems-dysphagia
- Mennella, J. A., & Bobowski, N. K. (2015). The sweetness and bitterness of childhood: insights from basic research on taste preferences. Physiology & Behavior, 152(Pt B), 502-507. Review of experimental research: children are born preferring sweet tastes, prefer higher levels of sweet than adults, and their preference declines to adult levels during middle to late adolescence, coinciding with the end of physical growth. Children dislike and reject bitter taste, which protects them from ingesting poisons; children of the same TAS2R38 genotype are more bitter-sensitive than adults, with the changeover in mid-adolescence, and this shows in the green vegetables and liquid medicines they reject. Sugars and salts can partly mask bitterness, depending on the compound and the person's age. The heightened sweet preference and bitter dislike reflect basic biology, though often detrimental in the modern food environment. 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.05.015
- Mennella, J. A., Pepino, M. Y., & Reed, D. R. (2005). Genetic and environmental determinants of bitter perception and sweet preferences. Pediatrics, 115(2), e216-e222. Cross-sectional study of 143 children and their mothers genotyped for the TAS2R38 bitter receptor gene (A49P). Genotype influenced bitter perception of PROP in children and adults, but the relation was modified by age: 64% of heterozygous children versus 43% of heterozygous mothers detected the lowest PROP concentration. Children with one or two bitter-sensitive alleles preferred higher sucrose concentrations and sweeter cereals and beverages; in adults genotype was not related to sweet preference, and race/ethnicity (culture and experience) was the strongest determinant. An association study: it links genotype to taste in children, not to picky eating as such. 10.1542/peds.2004-1582
- Kerzner, B., Milano, K., MacLean, W. C., Jr., Berall, G., Stuart, S., & Chatoor, I. (2015). A practical approach to classifying and managing feeding difficulties. Pediatrics, 135(2), 344-353. Many young children are thought by their parents to eat poorly; most are mildly affected, but a small percentage have a serious feeding disorder, and even mildly affected children whose anxious parents adopt inappropriate feeding practices may experience consequences, so pediatricians should take all parental concerns seriously. Children are categorized by limited appetite, selective intake and fear of feeding, each ranging from normal (misperceived) to severe (behavioral and organic), with caregiver feeding styles (responsive, controlling, indulgent, neglectful) included (abstract, PMID 25560449). 10.1542/peds.2014-1630
- Birch, L. L., Johnson, S. L., Andresen, G., Peters, J. C., & Schulte, M. C. (1991). The variability of young children's energy intake. New England Journal of Medicine, 324(4), 232-235. 24-hour food intake was measured for 15 children aged 2 to 5 years on six days. Intake at individual meals was highly variable (mean coefficient of variation 33.6%), but total daily energy intake was relatively constant (10.4%); in most cases high intake at one meal was followed by low intake at the next, or vice versa. Conclusion: although consumption varies from meal to meal, daily energy intake is relatively constant because children adjust intake at successive meals. Small observational study. 10.1056/NEJM199101243240405
- NHS. (2023). Fussy eaters. It is normal for toddlers to refuse to eat or taste new foods; think about what a child eats over a week rather than a day; a child who is active, gaining weight and seems well is getting enough. Keep offering a variety of foods and going back to rejected ones, since tastes change and it may take lots of attempts. Tips: give the same food as the family without added salt; children learn by copying, so eat together; small portions and praise; if food is rejected do not force, take it away calmly and try another time; do not leave meals until the child is too hungry or tired; be patient with slow eaters; 2 healthy snacks a day is plenty; do not use food as a reward, because the child may think of sweets as nice and vegetables as nasty, and use a trip to the park or a game instead; make mealtimes enjoyable; eat with other children or a liked adult; change how a food is served, for example raw grated carrot instead of cooked (page last reviewed 13 November 2023). www.nhs.uk/baby/weaning-and-feeding/fussy-eaters
- Domellöf, M., Braegger, C., Campoy, C., Colomb, V., Decsi, T., Fewtrell, M., et al. (2014). Iron requirements of infants and toddlers. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 58(1), 119–129. ESPGHAN position paper: rapid growth gives young children high iron requirements; risk factors for iron-deficiency anaemia include low birth weight, high cow's-milk intake and low intake of iron-rich complementary foods; no evidence that iron supplementation of pregnant women improves their offspring's iron status in a European setting; delayed cord clamping reduces the risk of iron deficiency; insufficient evidence for general iron supplementation of healthy normal-birth-weight European infants; marginally low-birth-weight infants (2000-2500 g) should receive iron supplements of 1-2 mg/kg/day; formula-fed infants up to 6 months should get iron-fortified formula; from 6 months all infants and toddlers should receive iron-rich foods including meat products and/or iron-fortified foods; unmodified cow's milk should not be the main milk drink before 12 months, and toddlers should have under 500 mL a day (abstract, PMID 24135983). 10.1097/MPG.0000000000000206
- Wardle, J., Cooke, L. J., Gibson, E. L., Sapochnik, M., Sheiham, A., & Lawson, M. (2003). Increasing children's acceptance of vegetables; a randomized trial of parent-led exposure. Appetite, 40(2), 155-162. 156 parents of 2-6 year old children were randomized to Exposure, Information or Control after a taste test that selected a previously disliked target vegetable. Exposure parents gave the child a taste of it daily for 14 days. Liking, ranking and consumption of the target vegetable rose more in the Exposure group than in either other group, and only the Exposure group improved significantly on all three. A short-term trial of one vegetable per child; the authors call daily tasting promising. 10.1016/S0195-6663(02)00135-6
- Appleton, K. M., Hemingway, A., Rajska, J., & Hartwell, H. (2018). Repeated exposure and conditioning strategies for increasing vegetable liking and intake: systematic review and meta-analyses of the published literature. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 108(4), 842-856. Systematic review and meta-analyses of 43 articles (117 comparisons). Repeated exposure increased liking and intake of the exposed vegetable compared with no exposure; conditioning increased liking more than exposure alone, rewards increased intake, and flavor-nutrient conditioning may have decreased intake; exposure to a variety of vegetables increased liking and intake of a novel vegetable. But effect sizes are small, there is limited evidence of long-term benefit, and the analyses are limited by study design, compliance and reporting; larger realistic studies are needed. 10.1093/ajcn/nqy143
- Galloway, A. T., Fiorito, L. M., Francis, L. A., & Birch, L. L. (2006). 'Finish your soup': counterproductive effects of pressuring children to eat on intake and affect. Appetite, 46(3), 318-323. Repeated-measures experiment in 27 preschool children aged 3 to 5 years: each child was randomly assigned to have one of two soups consistently paired with pressure to eat (requests to finish it) and the other served without pressure. Children consumed significantly more when not pressured and made overwhelmingly fewer negative comments. Children pressured to eat at home had lower BMI percentiles and were less affected by the pressure in the lab. Small within-child experiment; supports earlier correlational work that pressure can harm children's affective responses to and intake of healthy foods. 10.1016/j.appet.2006.01.019
- Wardle, J., Herrera, M. L., Cooke, L., & Gibson, E. L. (2003). Modifying children's food preferences: the effects of exposure and reward on acceptance of an unfamiliar vegetable. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57(2), 341-348. 49 children in three London primary schools were randomized to exposure, reward or no-treatment control for 2 weeks: eight daily sessions in which the exposure group was offered a taste of sweet red pepper and could eat as much as they liked, while the reward group could choose a cartoon sticker on condition of eating at least one piece. Exposure significantly increased liking and consumption compared with control; the reward group was intermediate and did not differ significantly from either exposure or control. Small trial. 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601541
- Johnson, S. L., & Birch, L. L. (1994). Parents' and children's adiposity and eating style. Pediatrics, 94(5), 653-661. 77 children aged 3 to 5 years ate controlled two-part meals that tested whether they adjusted intake to changes in the caloric density of the diet. Children with greater body fat stores were less able to regulate energy intake accurately. The best predictor of children's ability to regulate was parental control in the feeding situation: mothers who were more controlling had children who showed less ability to self-regulate (r = -0.67). The authors suggest the optimal environment is one in which parents provide healthy food choices but let children control how much they eat. Correlational: it cannot show which way the relation runs. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7936891
- Taylor, C. M., Northstone, K., Wernimont, S. M., & Emmett, P. M. (2016). Picky eating in preschool children: associations with dietary fibre intakes and stool hardness. Appetite, 100, 263-271. ALSPAC: dietary fibre intake at 38 months was lower in picky than non-picky eaters (mean difference -1.4 g/day), and picky eaters got a lower share of fibre from vegetables (8.9% vs 15.7%). Picky eating was associated with usually having hard stools at 42 months (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.07-1.61), and this was attenuated when fibre was added to the model, suggesting fibre intake mediated the association. Observational, questionnaire-based. 10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.021
- NHS. (2024). Vitamins for children. The UK government recommends that all children aged 6 months to 5 years are given vitamin supplements containing vitamins A, C and D every day (babies having more than 500 mL of infant formula a day should not, because formula is fortified). Having too much of some vitamins can be harmful: keep to the dose on the label and do not give two supplements at the same time, for example cod liver oil and vitamin drops. A pharmacist can advise which supplement suits the child (page last reviewed 30 May 2024). www.nhs.uk/baby/weaning-and-feeding/vitamins-for-children
- NHS. (2024). Eating disorders: overview. Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is when someone avoids certain foods, limits how much they eat or both; beliefs about weight or body shape are not the reasons. Possible reasons include negative feelings over the smell, taste or texture of certain foods, a response to an upsetting past experience with food such as choking or being sick after eating, and not feeling hungry or a lack of interest in eating. Warning signs include dramatic weight loss and avoiding eating with others; see a GP as soon as possible, who may refer to an eating disorder specialist; with treatment most people recover (page last reviewed 23 January 2024). www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/eating-disorders/overview