Frequently asked questions
Paediatrics FAQs
The questions people ask most about Paediatrics, at La Rose and across our Knowledge Centre articles.
Questions about this service at La Rose
First: make sure there is no medical cause. Persistent poor appetite in children can have anaemia, zinc deficiency, a food intolerance or a digestive problem behind it. Once that is ruled out, we work on a practical feeding plan with a specialist in children's nutrition.
When they deviate from their own growth curve: that is, they were following a trajectory and it suddenly changed, in either direction. The number alone is not the indicator; the trend is. That is why regular monitoring matters more than a single measurement.
Yes: weight, feeding, jaundice and vaccinations in the first months, and we work with the mother on breastfeeding and her own nutrition if she needs support with that.
Start with health and habits rather than appearance or blame, and make changes as a family. A paediatric clinician reviews the growth curve, puberty, sleep, medicines and symptoms before a food and movement plan suited to age, without crash dieting or stigma.
Do not begin adult restriction or calculations. A child's weight is read on an age- and sex-appropriate growth chart alongside height and development. Care usually focuses on family habits, sleep, movement and food quality, with assessment deciding whether the goal is trajectory maintenance or gradual change.
Intense fear of weight gain with restriction or falling weight deserves early assessment for a possible eating disorder. Talk about health and energy without argument or blame, and seek paediatric, mental health and nutrition support. Fainting, chest pain, dehydration or thoughts of self-harm is an emergency.
Questions answered in our articles
Select a question to open its answer in the article, with its sources and full context.
Visiting Egypt with Children? Plan a Child Nutrition and Growth Review
- Is there a doctor for children's nutrition?
- What is the difference between a dietitian and a nutrition doctor?
- When should I take my child for a nutrition review?
- My child eats poorly. Which tests should I do before the visit?
- Can child nutrition follow-up continue online after leaving Egypt?
- How do I book a child nutrition doctor in Cairo during a visit?
Family meals for a child with insulin resistance
- What can a child with insulin resistance eat?
- Should bread, rice and potatoes be banned for a child with insulin resistance?
- Can I use an online insulin-resistance diet for my child?
- What is a good breakfast or lunchbox for a child with insulin resistance?
- Does exercise treat insulin resistance in children?
- When should I worry while changing meals for a child with insulin resistance?
Child overweight and family habits without restrictive dieting: a growth-centred guide
- Can a child with overweight be placed on a strict diet for rapid weight loss?
- What should I do if my child constantly asks for food or searches for sweets at home?
- Should we prepare separate low-calorie meals for the child while the rest of the family eats normally?
- How can we help our child reduce sugary drinks and juices without conflict or deprivation?
- How do we talk to our child about weight and health without hurting their feelings or causing body anxiety?
- When does a child's weight gain warrant consulting a paediatrician or conducting medical tests?
Too much milk, poor appetite, and iron deficiency risk in children
- Is cow's milk naturally harmful or bad for toddlers?
- How many cups of milk does a toddler need daily between 1 and 2 years of age?
- How can I tell if poor appetite is caused by excessive milk or another health problem?
- Should I stop milk abruptly cold-turkey to force my child to eat solids?
- Can I give over-the-counter iron syrup if I suspect milk-induced anaemia?
- Why is it important to wean toddlers off bottles and switch to cups after age 1?
Iron-Rich First Foods for Babies 6–12 Months: Safe Starter Meals and Texture Guide
- Should I start my baby with just egg yolk or the whole egg?
- Is chicken liver safe for babies between 6 and 12 months?
- Why is regular cow's milk prohibited as a drink before age one?
- How can I tell the difference between normal gagging and true choking?
- Are spinach and leafy greens sufficient replacements for meat in babies?
- Can I give my baby preventive iron drops without a doctor's test?
Calorie-dense meals for an underweight child: how to enrich food safely
- My child eats very well but is not gaining weight, what could be the reason?
- Does drinking a lot of milk after age one help an underweight child gain weight?
- Are there safe medicines or vitamins that stimulate a child's appetite and promote weight gain?
- How do I increase calories in my child's meals without choking hazards or food refusal?
- When do underweight children need high-calorie oral nutritional supplements?
- When should I consider my child's weight dangerously low and seek prompt medical care?
Vegetarian child nutrition: balancing protein, iron, and B12
- Does every vegetarian child require a daily medicinal iron supplement?
- Are nutritional yeast or fermented foods sufficient as vitamin B12 sources for vegetarian children?
- How do we prevent premature satiety in a vegetarian child and ensure adequate caloric intake?
- What is the appropriate age to introduce legumes to a child as a plant protein source?
- What is the difference between a lacto-ovo vegetarian child and a strict vegan child?
- When should routine blood tests be performed to check for occult nutritional deficiencies in a vegetarian child?
H. pylori in children: when might a clinician consider testing?
- If a child has recurrent tummy aches, should we test for H. pylori immediately?
- Why do international guidelines reject a “test-and-treat” approach for children?
- We did a blood antibody test for our child and it was positive; does that prove an active infection needing treatment?
- If a parent has H. pylori, should all children in the household be screened?
- When is a follow-up test needed to confirm eradication after completing treatment?
- Which medicines must be stopped before testing to avoid a false-negative result?
Insulin resistance in children: a family assessment plan
- Does a child's dark neck prove insulin resistance?
- Does every child with excess weight need a fasting insulin test?
- Does a normal glucose result end the concern permanently?
- Does insulin resistance mean a child will develop diabetes?
- Should we change the child's diet before testing?
- When do possible diabetes symptoms in a child become an emergency?
Dark neck skin in children: assessment guide
- Is a child's dark neck caused by poor hygiene?
- Does acanthosis nigricans mean a child has diabetes?
- Which insulin-resistance tests are appropriate for a child?
- Will the neck return to its previous colour after treatment?
- Should we see a pediatrician or dermatologist?
- When is dark neck skin an emergency?
Hernia in children: when does a bulge need assessment, and when is it urgent?
- Can we use a belly band, binder, or coin to push a baby's umbilical hernia back in?
- What is the key difference between an umbilical hernia and an inguinal hernia in children?
- How does a doctor distinguish an inguinal hernia from a hydrocele (fluid around the testicle)?
- When does a child's hernia become a surgical emergency requiring immediate hospital care?
- If an umbilical hernia does not close on its own by age 4 or 5, is surgery definitely required?
Endoscopy in children: when might a doctor consider it?
- Does every child with recurring tummy pain need endoscopy?
- Can endoscopy show every cause of vomiting or pain?
- Does taking a biopsy mean the clinician suspects a tumour?
- Is a child awake during upper endoscopy?
- Should gluten or stomach medicine be stopped before endoscopy?
- Which signs need emergency care instead of waiting for endoscopy?
Recurrent tummy aches in children: functional pain or another cause?
- Does pain before school mean a child is pretending?
- Can an infant be diagnosed with IBS?
- Does every recurrent tummy ache need an ultrasound?
- Should I remove gluten to see whether the pain stops?
- Are probiotics or herbs safe for any child with tummy pain?
- When should I arrange a review even if it is not an emergency?
Childhood constipation: when should a child be assessed?
- Does a child need to have a bowel movement every day?
- Does underwear soiling mean the child has diarrhoea?
- Will juice or extra water solve a child's constipation?
- Do childhood laxatives cause dependence?
- Does every child with constipation need scans or blood tests?
- When should I consider the plan not to be working?
Child vomiting and dehydration: warning signs
- Is plain water enough when a child is vomiting?
- Should oral rehydration stop if the child vomits after a sip?
- Should breastfeeding or formula stop until vomiting ends?
- Can I give an anti-vomiting medicine from an old prescription?
- Why is green vomit an emergency sign in a child?
- When can the child return to usual food?
Vitamin D in children: when to test and review intake
- Does every child need a vitamin D blood test?
- Does tiredness or leg pain mean vitamin D deficiency?
- Is living in a sunny country enough without a supplement?
- Should I increase the drops if the result is low?
- Can a multivitamin be combined with vitamin D drops?
- When should vitamin D be retested after treatment?
- What is the routine vitamin D dose for babies and young children?
- Does a formula-fed baby need vitamin D drops?
Child nutrition and growth visit: what happens?
- Does a low centile mean a child is malnourished?
- Should I weigh my child at home before the visit and every day afterwards?
- Does my child need to fast for a nutrition visit?
- Does selective eating require blood tests?
- Should I bring a video of my child eating?
- When should I expect to see a result from the plan?
H. pylori in children: symptoms, tests and when to worry
- Does every child with recurring abdominal pain need an H. pylori test?
- Do bloating or bad breath prove that my child has H. pylori?
- Is a blood test enough to diagnose H. pylori in a child?
- If a result is positive, is H. pylori definitely causing every symptom?
- Can I give my child the same treatment used by a family member?
- When do a child's stomach symptoms become an emergency?
Insulin resistance in children: when to test and what results mean
- Does a fasting insulin test diagnose insulin resistance in a child?
- What is a normal HOMA-IR value in children?
- Does dark neck skin mean my child has insulin resistance?
- Does every child with excess weight need diabetes tests?
- Do carbohydrates or sugar need to be banned completely?
- Does insulin resistance mean a child will develop diabetes?
- When are possible diabetes symptoms in a child an emergency?
- Does insulin resistance in a child cause obvious symptoms?
- Do sleep and activity play a role?
Is my child short? Understanding the growth curve
- Does being below the third percentile mean my child has a disease?
- Does short stature mean vitamin deficiency or inadequate food?
- Should I measure my child's height every week to calculate growth velocity?
- Does a bone-age x-ray predict final height exactly?
- Can every short child receive growth hormone?
- Will sleep, exercise and protein make a child taller?
My child refuses meat: does that mean iron deficiency?
- Can eggs replace meat as an iron source?
- Are lentils and beans enough if a child eats no meat?
- When should my child have a blood count and ferritin test?
- Can I give an iron-containing multivitamin just in case?
- How many times should I offer meat before deciding it is refused?
- Could meat refusal be about chewing rather than taste?
My teen fears weight gain and restricts food: what should I do?
- Should I wait to see whether more weight is lost?
- Does this definitely mean anorexia nervosa?
- Do normal tests mean there is no eating disorder?
- Should exercise stop until assessment?
- What should I do if my teenager says they may self-harm?
- How do I talk to my teenager without it turning into a fight?
- Does the family need support too?
Iron deficiency in children: symptoms, tests and treatment
- Should I give my child iron without a blood test?
- At what age is routine iron screening performed?
- Can food alone treat iron-deficiency anaemia?
- Can heavy periods cause iron deficiency in an adolescent?
- Is dark stool normal during iron treatment?
- When should results improve, and when are tests repeated?
Responsive complementary feeding: follow the baby, do not force
- Must complementary feeding start exactly at six months?
- Should allergenic foods be delayed?
- My child refuses a new food, is that normal?
- How do I tell ordinary gagging from dangerous choking?
- Should I delay egg or wheat to prevent allergy?
- How do I know my baby is ready for solid food?
- Which foods give a baby enough iron?
Children's appetite: when to worry and when it is normal
- Should I give my child an appetite stimulant?
- What should I do when my child refuses a meal?
- Does picky eating mean my child has a vitamin deficiency?
- How many times should I offer a new food before calling it rejected?
- Can constipation and low appetite be connected?
- When do long meals need specialist assessment?
Mealtime roles: your job and your child's job
- Does sharing mealtime responsibility mean my child can choose not to eat at all?
- What should I do if my child asks for a different meal after refusing what was served?
- If my child eats only the familiar food, has the approach failed?
- How long should a meal last, and when should I offer a snack?
- Can this approach be used if my child is underweight or growing slowly?
- When does food refusal need urgent care?
Texture bridging: helping your child accept new foods
- How many times should I offer the same bridge before changing it?
- Can I hide vegetables inside a favourite food?
- What is the difference between gagging and choking during a new texture?
- My child accepts only smooth food; should I add lumps quickly so they learn?
- Does refusing one texture mean a sensory disorder?
- Does slow texture progress mean my child needs vitamins or an appetite stimulant?
Scientific update: a child’s growth is a trajectory, not a single comparison
- Does a low centile mean a child is ill?
- My son is shorter than his classmates. Should I worry?
- My 2-year-old eats less than before. Is that normal?
- Do WHO standards apply to children in Egypt?
- My newborn lost weight after birth. When should I worry?
- My child is heavy but tall. Does that need follow-up?
- What can stop a child's weight from rising as expected?
- What will the doctor do at the first growth check?
My child eats very few foods. Should I apply pressure or let it go?
- What should I do if my child refuses the whole meal?
- Should I reward vegetables with dessert?
- How many times should I offer a new food?
- Does a short food list mean a vitamin deficiency?
- Does a screen help a picky eater consume more?
- When might my child need a feeding or swallowing specialist?
- How many snacks a day are reasonable?
- How should I serve food so my child accepts it?
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