{"id":15856,"date":"2022-06-07T10:14:32","date_gmt":"2022-06-07T14:14:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/?p=15856"},"modified":"2022-07-11T14:49:45","modified_gmt":"2022-07-11T18:49:45","slug":"loss-of-appetite-in-babies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/loss-of-appetite-in-babies\/","title":{"rendered":"Loss of appetite in babies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Feeding your baby is such a huge part of parenting \u2014 you give them a bottle to stop their crying, nurse them when they\u2019re sick, and have a great time exploring different foods when they get big enough. It\u2019s up there on the list of life\u2019s great pleasures and it can be an incredible bonding opportunity. So when your baby loses their appetite, it\u2019s distressing, no matter what stage of life they\u2019re at. Here\u2019s how to navigate loss of appetite in your baby.<\/p>\n

What to do if your newborn baby or infant isn\u2019t eating<\/h3>\n

There are a few reasons that a newborn baby may not be eating enough \u2014 a tongue tie, illness, or being born prematurely. But regardless of the reason, if your newborn isn\u2019t feeding normally, you should call their healthcare provider, especially if your baby\u2019s sleepy<\/a> and has a loss of appetite.<\/p>\n

This can be a sign of illness, infection, or low blood sugar. Infants dehydrate easily and not eating can quickly turn into a medical issue. Generally, they shouldn\u2019t go without feeding for longer than five hours<\/a> for their first 12 weeks.<\/p>\n

How to increase a newborn or infant\u2019s appetite<\/h3>\n

Newborns have tiny stomachs. They can only take in a little bit of food at each feed and need to eat every two to three hours, or a minimum of eight times a day. For the first few weeks of their life, it might seem like your newborn is constantly at your breast or wanting their bottle. It\u2019s a lot of work but as they grow, their stomachs will too, and the amount of food they take at each feeding increases.<\/p>\n

As much as you may want to boost your newborn\u2019s appetite, the only safe way to do it is to wait. There are no vitamins for babies to increase their appetite, for example. And you should never force-feed them or add cereal to their bottle.<\/p>\n

An infant\u2019s digestive system isn\u2019t ready for anything other than breastmilk or formula until around four to six months<\/a>. Introducing it sooner in place of breastmilk or formula can put them at risk for nutritional deficiencies.<\/p>\n

What causes loss of appetite in babies?<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s a lot that can cause loss of appetite in a baby\u2019s first year. Your baby will likely double their birth weigh<\/a>t in the first four months. By the time they hit one, they\u2019ll probably have tripled it. You\u2019ve no doubt heard about growth spurts \u2014 periods of time where babies grow more rapidly and noticeably than other times.<\/p>\n

To facilitate all that growth, they\u2019ve got to drink a lot of milk or take in a lot of formula. But when that growth spurt ends, their appetite often falls off for a little while. We often see this temporary loss of appetite in three to four-month-old babies because they\u2019ve just come off of a growth spurt.<\/p>\n

Loss of appetite in your baby at two months might also be because of a lull in growth, but it\u2019s more likely due to a change in the composition of your breastmilk. Until about six weeks, your breast milk contains colostrum, which has a laxative effect on the baby. As the amount of colostrum diminishes, your baby\u2019s food goes through them less rapidly, which can trigger a decrease in appetite \u2014 as well as the number of poopy diapers you deal with.<\/p>\n

Other causes for loss of appetite in babies include:<\/p>\n