The journey back to Vietnam to find the joy of eating again
Baby M.L has an Australian father and a Vietnamese mother. The child is a young child, so since birth, the family has always paid special attention to nutrition. However, when she was only 4 months old, M.L started to lose milk and refused to eat, forcing doctors in Australia to place a stomach canal to ensure nutrition.
For 14 months, the child could hardly swallow or eat orally, and all of the family's efforts failed. Introduced by friends, the parents decided to take their child back to Vietnam and go to the National Children's Hospital in the hope that the child could "study how to eat" from the beginning.
According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy Hong - Deputy Head of the Department of Nutrition, National Children's Hospital, this is a rare and challenging case: When admitted to the hospital, the child weighed 7.9kg, was 73.5cm tall - equivalent to a moderate malnutrition level. The baby is slow to develop mobility and is completely dependent on the duodenum. Doctors determined that eating disruption too early caused the baby to lose the natural swallowing reflex and form an an appetite mentality.
Doctors say that the period when the child starts to bid at the same time as the child does some exercise - a step of development that temporarily distorts the child from feeding. However, placing the duct early and for a long time has unintentionally caused children to lose their appetite, leading to severe eating disorder.
Cai catering and practicing eating from the beginning
After a multi-specialty consultation and eliminating physical diseases, the group of doctors decided to remove the stomach canal to practice feeding the baby orally. This is a difficult decision, because the family is worried that their child may lose weight or have low blood sugar.
However, the doctors explained in detail and closely monitored him at the hospital, and the child's parents agreed. The eating process is designed step by step: Start with milk, yogurt, then thin porridge - soft, swally and easily accepted dishes. Each day, the child's portion sizes and reactions are recorded to adjust appropriately.
The miracle came earlier than expected. On the first day after taking out the tube, the child drank 30ml of milk on his own. By the fourth day, the child could eat 80ml of porridge without having to squeeze, vomit or cry.
After treatment, the patient officially had the entire stomach ong removed and was discharged from the hospital.
Nutritionists recommend that belly foods in young children can stem from many factors: Physiology, psychology, medical conditions or habits. Forcing them to eat, worrying too much, or early intervention with a pineapple can cause children to lose their appetite reflex and form a real belly.
Parents need to be patient, understanding and accompanying their children, and should also take their children to a nutritional health facility when the condition persists.
The case of patient M.L is not only a medical success but also a testament to the strength of perseverance and companionship between doctors - family - patient.
