If sick children do not get enough food, they lose weight and may become malnourished. This is especially important when children have frequent illnesses. In many parts of the world, children have repeated episodes of diarrhea and respiratory infections. If a child does not eat during these illnesses, it is as if he or she has more than one month of starvation each year. A sick child may be in pain, have a sore mouth or throat and not feel like eating.
Some children are difficult to feed even when well and become more reluctant when sick.
Such children can usually be offered the same food as healthy children. Exclusive breast feeding is best for children under six months of age. Older children need foods containing adequate nutrients and energy such as porridges and purees, as well as increased breast feeds. Good meals are those which include a combination of foods, such as cereals with pulses or legumes. Wherever possible, it is also important to include animal food such as eggs, milk, fish or meat, because the nutrients in these foods are easily absorbed.