Question
The one-year-and-eleven-month-old boy had a loss of appetite during dinner, particularly showing no interest in meat. His parents took him to a pediatrician, who recommended he take a zinc supplement. The child has been taking it for a month but has not yet undergone a follow-up visit. In the past two days, the child has almost stopped eating, causing great concern for the parents. What could be the cause of this?
Answer
A lack of appetite in early childhood is often due to improper complementary feeding during infancy, such as providing a single type of food, using the same cooking method, or missing the child’s taste development sensitive period. Additionally, some children may experience this due to iron or zinc deficiencies. Iron deficiencies can affect the function of digestive enzymes, leading to a decrease in appetite; zinc deficiencies can lead to a decrease in taste sensitivity, making children find bland vegetables unappealing and prefer more flavorful foods.