Doctors point out the harmful effects of feeding children too much at night.

Many parents feed their children a lot in the evening or late after 8pm in the hope that their children will not be hungry and sleep through the night. However, doctors do not recommend this.

Experts recommend weaning babies from 6 months of age and according to their needs - Illustration: NAM TRAN

Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Thi Bich Dao, senior lecturer of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Hanoi Medical University, said that in the early stages of development, children often get sick, especially with ear, nose and throat diseases.

However, parents only pay attention to the prescription without paying attention to favorable factors that affect the healing process or the possibility of disease recurrence.

For example, when parents and grandparents see their children or grandchildren sick, they want to feed them a lot, making them afraid to eat, causing them to vomit while eating, or feeding them too late at night, or taking them to crowded places, causing them to catch a cold...

According to doctors, children should not eat too much at dinner and should not be fed after 8pm because eating too much at dinner can put a lot of pressure on the child's digestive system.

When the stomach is too full, the digestive process becomes more difficult, leading to a feeling of discomfort, bloating and pushing gastric juices up into the nasopharynx. The pharyngeal mucosa must operate in an acidic environment instead of the previous slightly alkaline environment, so it is more susceptible to inflammation and makes the healing process of nasopharyngitis more difficult.

Eating too much at dinner can contribute to overweight and obesity. In children, the calories consumed will not be used up because they are less active when sleeping.

As a result, the lymphoid tissues in the throat area overgrow but cannot ensure the assigned protective function of the nasopharynx. On the other hand, due to the large size, the drainage of the natural cavities in the ear, nose and throat area is reduced, causing fluid to stagnate, causing otitis media and sinusitis.

Eating late, especially after 8pm, can disrupt your child’s sleep. Food remaining in the stomach can cause discomfort and make it difficult for your child to fall into a deep sleep. Lack of sleep will affect your child’s mental and physical development, leading to fatigue and reduced concentration the next day.

Children's sleep quality decreases, leading to decreased resistance.

If children regularly overeat at dinner or eat late, this can create bad eating habits.

Children may not learn how to control their portions, leading to unhealthy eating habits in the future. Establishing good eating habits at an early age will help children develop good habits throughout their lives.

An unhealthy diet can increase the risk of developing conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart problems later in life. Teaching your child about healthy eating habits will help protect their health in the future.

"To ensure the health and comprehensive development of children, parents should pay attention to their children's eating habits. Create the habit of having dinner early and reasonably, helping children recover from ear, nose and throat diseases and avoid recurrence," Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Thi Bich Dao emphasized.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bac-si-chi-ro-tac-hai-khi-cho-tre-an-qua-no-vao-buoi-toi-20241212203347957.htm