Question
My child is 5 years old, and he has recently been having a poor appetite. He doesn’t like to eat meat, eats very little rice, and consumes very little vegetables. He also doesn’t like to drink milk or eat cakes. At night, he sweats on his back, and he doesn’t eat much during his main meals. Are there any methods to improve his appetite?
Answer
Firstly, it is recommended to take your child to the pediatric gastroenterology department of the hospital for a check-up to determine if there are any abnormalities. If diagnosed with anorexia or functional dyspepsia and Western medicine treatment is ineffective, then it may be necessary to consider turning to traditional Chinese medicine. In traditional Chinese medicine theory, this condition may be related to dampness in the spleen and stomach, which affects gastrointestinal function. The child’s consumption of excessive amounts of milk and cakes, which are sticky and damp foods, may lead to damp-cold in the spleen and stomach. Therefore, it is advisable to reduce the intake of these foods, as the child’s spleen and stomach function is not yet fully developed, and these foods may affect their digestive and absorptive abilities.