Managing complex situations
Anorexia, food refusal
These children frequently have a small appetite and are easily nauseated. Don’t worry about this; if they sense your concern or distress, their attitude may be reinforced.
You should know that his diet is adapted to his appetite, and that if he eats very little, his enteral feeding allows him to grow normally.
“If he refuses his meals, when he usually has a decent appetite, look for the cause of this refusal and in particular if he is not in the early stages of decompensation.”
Intercurrent diseases and other circumstances favouring decompensation
Certain circumstances lead to risks of acute decompensation:
- Digestive disorders: vomiting, diarrhoea
- Fever (of any origin)
- Infectious diseases
- Anaesthesia and surgery
- Prolonged fasting
“In all these cases, and depending on the presence or absence of clinical signs, the appropriate course of action will be explained to you by the health care centre taking care of your child.”
