Everyone becomes an expert about your child...........family, friends and even people you encounter that know nothing about you........but one of the most frustrating things can be getting your picky-eating child to eat a healthy diet.
So when should you worry?
Between 25-45% of normally developing children and as many as 80% of developmentally delayed children are reported to have a feeding problems
Maybe your child started life eating everything and anything but somewhere that changed and refusal is more common and more frustrating. This is a well-known stage of children's development which may even include tantrums, extreme dislikes and food fads.
These can be short term and with some assistance will begin to resolve.
One major concern is that your child's picky eating can lead to growth failure and nutritional deficiencies.
Red flags include - skipping entire food groups - losing weight - crying or back arching with most feeds - gagging or coughing during meals
- strange eating habits such as eating frozen foods, or eating non food items
- chronic vomiting.
If you recognise these symptoms, start a conversation with your GP.
Your GP will be able to guide you on whether your child is a picky eater and this can resolve with some family assistance, or a problem feeder where the issue is more serious and needs to be resolved to avoid more serious consequences.