Why are some children fussier than others? My ten month old baby is proving to be such a fussy eater at this age and I am worried.


Picky or fussy eating is more common then we realise. But we must also understand that it is a phase with children and so it will pass. Picky eating can start in the early stages (below one year like your child) but more commonly at a later stage when they reach toddlerhood and beyond. Parents get worried, and mealtimes become a battle ground day after day when children show resistance to foods they are not particularly comfortable with. From the caretaker's perspective, finicky eaters who reject healthy food is a cause for worry. From a child's perspective, having a plate 'loaded' with nutritious but mundane looking and tasting food is tedious.


A typical toddler can only handle small portions of food at a time so grazing on healthy snacks every few hours to refuel is something you should be prepared for. Serve your little one snacks but keep it small and the meal itself too should not be in big portions. Children including babies, will not starve themselves and I think most parents fail to remember that. Some points to remember are babies and toddlers eat more during the day and less in the evening. If your baby is filling up on milk and juice, there is a very high chance for her to make a fuss during mealtimes. Snacks are essential but keep them small. It is hard to predict the picky days of your child; some days she is ravenous while on others she has no appetite. This can be due to being unwell-teething or a cold causes a loss of appetite. Feed your child on time to prevent a very hungry child from turning into a cranky one who won't think twice about snubbing her nutritious dinner.


Also, some babies give you a hard time because they don't like the crunchy texture, or they wish to self-feed in their predictable messy fashion. If they are growing well and are generally active, stop worrying too much. Take your concerns to your paediatrician if your child is losing weight, looks listless, gags on her food frequently, has bad cases of diarrhoea or constipation. Finally, do not force-feed or prepare special meals for the picky eater. Both have down sides to them; let your child eat what she wants from what you have prepared.