Q: My 2-year-old refuses to eat or try any foods. What should I do?

Answered by: Dr. Yap Song Hong, Consultant Paediatrician, Nilai Medical Centre

There are three (3) reasons why a child may be a selective eater.

• May be afraid to try new foods
• Have a picky eating disorder
• Picky because of their sensory system is overwhelmed or underwhelmed by foods

It is perfectly understandable that as a parent, you would want to prepare nutritional meals for your child. But as parents, we don’t know how our child feels while they are eating, and some are not very good at describing what they are feeling inside. When they are pressured, it may affect their appetite as well. Let your child decide how much they will eat, and you can monitor from there. It may be a good time to talk to a paediatric dietitian if your child is not eating enough to meet their nutritional needs.