Baby's food aversion is characterized by a long-term decrease or loss of appetite, with a reduction in food intake as the main feature. It is common in children aged 1-6 years old. Not liking to eat can easily lead to malnutrition, anemia, rickets, and weakened immune system in babies. In severe cases, it can even affect the baby's development. Massage of relevant acupoints can help invigorate the spleen and nourish the stomach, alleviating symptoms of baby's food aversion. Let's now teach you the massage techniques for baby's food aversion.
Causes and Pathogenesis of Baby's Food Aversion
Baby's food aversion is often caused by improper breastfeeding and disharmony between the spleen and stomach, resulting in improper digestion and absorption. It is mostly caused by the spleen's weak function, insufficient stomach yin, and spleen and stomach qi deficiency.
Main Manifestations of Baby's Food Aversion
Spleen Dysfunction
Main manifestations: lack of awareness of hunger, tastelessness after eating, refusal to eat, pale complexion, thin body, white or slightly greasy tongue coating, normal pulse, pale red fingerprints.
Analysis of symptoms: The spleen is connected to the mouth, and the spleen is the "foundation of postnatal life". When the spleen is not functioning properly, the mouth cannot recognize the five tastes, resulting in a lack of appetite. Infants are in a period of rapid growth and development, relying on the spleen's strong function to distribute nutrients and support the overall body. If the baby eats very little for a long time, aversion to food, and refusal to eat, the source of nutrition will be insufficient, leading to a lack of nourishment in the face and a thin body. When the spleen's function is weak, dampness rises and stagnates, resulting in a white or slightly greasy tongue coating and pale red fingerprints.
Insufficient Stomach Yin
Main manifestations: dry mouth and increased thirst with no desire to eat, dry and lackluster skin, dry and hard stools, shiny and peeled tongue coating, or red tongue with little saliva, thin pulse, purple fingerprints.
Analysis of symptoms: The stomach is a yang organ, which relies on yin to function. It is responsible for receiving and digesting food and drink. If the stomach yin is insufficient, there will be a decrease in the intake of food and liquid and a lack of formation of body fluids. When yin is damaged, there will be a lack of body fluids, resulting in dry and lackluster skin, dry mouth with increased thirst, dry and hard stools, shiny and peeled tongue coating, and purple fingerprints.
Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency
Main manifestations: aversion to food, refusal to eat, if a small amount of food is consumed, undigested milk residue can be found in the stool, or the stool is not well-formed, fatigue, pale complexion, spontaneous sweating, pale and thin tongue coating, weak pulse, pale fingerprints.
Analysis of symptoms: Spleen and stomach qi deficiency leads to poor digestion and inadequate transformation of food and drink, resulting in a feeling of fullness after eating and symptoms of aversion to food and loose stools. The spleen and stomach are the source of qi and blood production and transformation. When the spleen and stomach qi are deficient, the source of transformation is insufficient, resulting in qi and blood deficiency. This leads to fatigue, pale complexion, weak pulse, pale tongue coating, and pale fingerprints. When the spleen yang is weak and unable to distribute fluids, the tongue coating becomes pale and thin, and there is spontaneous sweating.
Massage Techniques for Spleen Dysfunction Type of Food Aversion
Treatment method: Invigorate the spleen and assist its function, combined with digestion and regulation of the stomach.
Massage techniques: Strengthen the spleen meridian, massage the three gates of the tiger's mouth, knead the outer labor palace, rub the abdomen, massage the food cavity, knead the navel, massage the spleen shu point, and stimulate the internal eight trigrams.
Explanation: According to the "Discussion of the Origins and Manifestations of Various Diseases", the spleen is an organ, and the stomach is a hollow organ. The spleen and stomach are interconnected. The stomach is like a sea for grains and controls the intake of food and drink. When the spleen's function is strong, it can help with digestion and absorption. Therefore, strengthening the spleen meridian, massaging the spleen shu point, and massaging the three gates of the tiger's mouth and the outer labor palace can invigorate the spleen and promote digestion and regulation of the stomach. Rubbing the abdomen, massaging the food cavity, stimulating the internal eight trigrams can aid digestion and regulate the stomach.
Massage Techniques for Insufficient Stomach Yin Type of Food Aversion
Treatment method: Nourish the stomach and generate yin, replenish body fluids, and moisturize dryness.
Massage techniques: Clear the stomach meridian, massage the large intestine, pinch the four transverse lines, stimulate the internal eight trigrams from the kun meridian to the qian meridian, massage the shoulder Yang Chi, rub the spleen and stomach, massage the stomach shu point, massage the gao huang shu point.
Explanation: Clearing the stomach meridian, massaging the large intestine, pinching the four transverse lines, and stimulating the internal eight trigrams from the kun meridian to the qian meridian can clear heat from the intestines and preserve the yin of the stomach and intestines. Stimulating the shoulder Yang Chi, massaging the spleen and stomach, and massaging the stomach shu point and the gao huang shu point can nourish the stomach, generate body fluids, and moisturize dryness, achieving the effect of nourishing yin and clearing heat.
Massage Techniques for Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency Type of Food Aversion
Treatment method: Strengthen the spleen, replenish qi, harmonize the stomach, and aid digestion.
Massage techniques: Strengthen the spleen meridian, stomach meridian, massage the three gates of the tiger's mouth, knead the banmen, zhongwan, tian shu, rub the four transverse lines, stimulate the internal eight trigrams, separate the yin and yang of the abdomen, massage the spleen shu point, stomach shu point, gao huang shu point, and zu san li.
Explanation: Strengthening the spleen and replenishing qi can be achieved by massaging the spleen meridian, kneading the spleen shu point, kneading the banmen, zhongwan, tian shu, and stimulating the internal eight trigrams. Massaging the three gates of the tiger's mouth, rubbing the four transverse lines, separating the yin and yang of the abdomen, and strengthening the stomach meridian can aid digestion. Massaging the spleen shu point, stomach shu point, gao huang shu point, and zu san li can strengthen the spleen, aid digestion, and promote the effect of replenishing qi and harmonizing the stomach.
