Poor feeding occurs when infants lack interest in nursing or cannot obtain the nutrition necessary for appropriate weight gain and other development. Even infants that nurse eagerly may have problems with excessive spitting up, vomiting or diarrhea after feeds. Infants lacking appropriate nutrition due to poor feeding can suffer significant and permanent delays in mental and physical development. Monitoring your baby's eating habits and communicating your concerns quickly to his doctor might prevent the serious consequences sometimes associated with poor feeding.
Symptoms
FamilyDoctor.org notes that infants not getting adequate nutrition might seem excessively irritable and fussy, may cry constantly or appear lethargic. Obviously, poor weight gain or weight loss noted at well-child checks can indicate poor feeding. Babies with feeding problems might refuse to nurse or may seem hungry all the time. They sometimes appear to eat normally but then may cry intensely for hours after feeding. Excessive gas and constipation might also indicate problems with feeding.
Causes
Infants with developmental problems sometimes show little interest in food, according to FamilyDoctor.org. Pyloric stenosis, a condition in which the lower portion of the stomach swells and prevents food from passing into the intestines, can cause an infant to vomit large amounts of food. Breastfed babies who seem to feed normally but remain restless or hungry might have problems latching onto the breast. Infections, such as oral thrush, can also cause babies to avoid feeding due to mouth pain. Structural abnormalities from birth defects, viral infections, neurological disorders, allergies and prematurity can also cause poor feeding.
Diagnosis
Doctors consider a child's overall appearance, family history and general development when trying to diagnose the cause of poor feeding in infants, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Your baby's physician might ask questions about her stool's color and consistency, how often she feeds and if you changed her formula recently. He may ask you to feed the baby during an office visit to study her feeding technique. He might also suggest blood tests, X-rays or other diagnostic studies to check for an underlying abnormality.
Treatment
The treatment for poor infant feeding depends upon the cause. Your baby's doctor may prescribe a different brand of formula, possibly a soy-based brand for lactose intolerance or an allergy. He may recommend supplementing breast milk with a high calorie formula if your baby lacks adequate nutrition. Sometimes treatment simply requires changing her position during feeds or allowing your baby extra time to nurse, according to FamilyDoctor.org. Structural abnormalities may require surgery or a feeding tube.
Warning
If your baby feeds poorly, monitor him carefully and contact your doctor right away for persistent diarrhea, forceful vomiting or lethargy and other signs of dehydration, such as sunken eyes. An infant's physical condition can deteriorate rapidly and dehydration can quickly become life threatening.
