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A child's food phobia - how to deal with it
Table of Contents
1. Neophobia of food general information
Neophobia is a phenomenon characteristic mainly of children (aged 26 years), but it also occurs in other age groups. Neofobia occurs not only in new foods, but also in foods that the child has tried before, but have been given in an entirely different form, which seems unfamiliar.2. Nutritional neophobia is conditioning
Most scientific evidence suggests that nutritional neophobia is genetically conditioned. It has also been observed that the occurrence of neurophobia in the mother increases the likelihood of its occurrence in the child, but it is also associated with other factors, mainly environmental and biological. Environmental factors that may contribute to the appearance of nutritive neophophobia are: whether the family's childhood and overall feeding preferences are too late to occur in a child's life, whether they are too fast to behave, or whether they do not behave in a healthy manner.3. Nutritional neophobia affects your health
One of the senses used by children to understand the world is taste, which is why they try many things that are not necessarily good for consumption. However, as they grow older, a child's neo-phobic attitude can have negative health consequences. Children with neophobia eat fewer fruits and vegetables, so they take in less dietary fiber as well as bioactive ingredients (L. Elimination of large amounts of food and relying on only one type, e.g. soft consistency, may also delay the development of certain food-related skills, such as food insecurity.4. Nutritional neophobia - how to recognize it
It contains statements whose truthfulness is determined by a parent or an adult affected by neophobia. This food selectivity usually manifests itself by crying, screaming, spitting out food, and is associated with products that are new to the child. Jablonowska-Lietz 2018). Usually in pediatric practice, the Food Neaphobia Scale is used in the adult and child versions. Other methods include measuring the willingness to accept new products in the menu, as well as the impact of the contextual context on the readiness to try new foods.5. Nutritional neophobia - how to deal with it
Fortunately, there is an opportunity to modify the level of nutritional neophobia in children. The atmosphere during meals is also very important. This will also reduce the likelihood of avoiding large quantities of products in the future. One of the key factors is nutrition education for both children and parents. Due to the risk of insufficient supply of nutrients, minerals and vitamins, try to increase your child's openness to new products and tastes.6. Treatment of infants suffering from nutritional neophobia:
However, it is important not to exert too much pressure, not to force a child to eat, and not to punish a child for fear of new products, as this may increase neophobia. Neophobia can be transient or last for several years, so monitoring the child, monitoring his development with a pediatrician and a pencil net, and taking care to build the right eating habits are extremely important.
