Will picky eating cause long-term damage? Raisingkids.co.uk's paediatric dietitian, David Swain advises.

Raisingkids member's problem
My son is 19 mths-old. He used to be a very good eater, but around four months ago, he started to go off his food. He recently had gastric flu and his appetite has gone downhill ever since. All he wants to eat is sweets, crisps and bread and chocolate spread.

He refuses to eat food that I prepare for the whole family and it’s getting quite out of hand. He does however love chicken, chips, fruit etc. Any ideas?

David's advice
Many children go through phases of refusing to eat certain foods or at times refusing to eat anything at all. It's probable that your son is just going through one of these phases. It sounds like he's over his gastric flu and back to eating sweets, crisps etc. but if he gets recurrences of symptoms or if you are worried about his growth, contact your health visitor or GP. Not eating is often a way of showing independence and is a normal part of growing up. There are many tips that can be used to combat food refusal. The British Dietetic Association Paediatric Group recommend:

• Offer regular meals and snacks, as this is better than letting your child pick through the whole day.
• Eat at the same time as your child.
• sit at the table and use brightly coloured and attractive plates and cups.
• Try to eat in a calm enviroment; children can often be distracted by the TV or by the sight of a toy etc.
• Avoid both rushing meals or let them drag (half an hour is about right).
  

Other tips include offer new foods without fuss, disguise new foods with familiar ones (e.g. add cheese to mashed potatoes), remember the foods your son does like and encourage these foods. Finally, a vitamin supplement containg vitamins A, C and D is recommended for all children from 6 months up to 2 years. This can be obtained from your local pharmacy or Health Visitor.

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