We feel sorry when we see someone struggling with cancer. And our heart becomes laden with grief if the strugglers are "tiny lives"! Children have so much to see and explore! Sufferings experienced by these innocent souls bring tears in our eyes. The world is beautiful and life should appear as a beautiful journey to these "newcomers'! But children who are suffering from cancer just get the opportunity to view the pain and sufferings at the very beginning of their journey. But they have a long way to go and they need proper support and care of their family members. And nutrition is an essential part of proper care giving. Adequate nutrition during cancer plays a very important role and it also affects the treatment response and the quality of life of the sufferer. Children need proper nutrition during their growth stages and it also allows child cancer patients to cope up with the harsh treatments. Again, proper nutrition is also necessary to get favorable responses from the treatment. The goal of nutrition care in children is to basically help them achieve the normal growth and weight, continue the normal activity and to prevent health problems.
What are the Areas in Which You May Face Difficulties?
The treatment during cancer may affect a child's appetite, his tolerance to food and his body's ability to use nutrients. Meeting the nutritional goal for children with cancer is a difficult task as there are many nutrition related problems such as:
- Children suffering from tumors of the digestive tract (mouth, stomach, intestine) are especially at a high risk of not getting enough nutrients.
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation and poor appetite are caused by cancer treatments like radiation, chemotherapy or surgery.
- A child may find difficulty in chewing and swallowing when the mouth, throat and the esophagus become too dry or suffer from soreness.
- Cancer Treatment may also affect the taste buds.
- Children may lose their interest in food if they are not allowed to eat for several days under conditions of severity.
How Can You Help Your Child Get the Essential Nutrients During and After the Treatment?
There are many ways to help your child get the nutrients he needs. The best possible way is the intake of nutrients through healthy foods. If there is problem in eating through the mouth, then a feeding tube can be used instead to deliver the nutrients.
The most challenging task is getting the child to eat under any circumstances. There can be many types and causes of nutrition related problems and thus, being flexible is the key to handle such difficult situations.
These are the small steps to help children eat better during cancer treatment:
- Try to make meal time fun by making playful shapes such as heart, stars or footballs out of sandwiches, meats and cheese.
- Try to use colorful fruits and vegetables as they are more appealing than the canned or the frozen ones and make a face or a design on the child's plate.
- Try to blend fresh fruits into shakes, smoothies, ice cream and yoghurt as they are more appealing to children.
- Cover drinks and let your child drink through a straw.
- Try eating at different locations. Arrange for indoor as well as outdoor picnics. Invite friends for a meal or snack.
- Offer small and frequent meals throughout the day.
- Keep your child's mouth clean with regular rinsing and brushing.
- Encourage him to have plenty of liquids in the diet to prevent dehydration.
- Use a straw to help him drink liquids.
What Can Allow the Damaged Tissues to Get Repaired?
During the treatment, some healthy cells may also get damaged. And now the body will need extra protein to rebuild the cells and the damaged tissues. Good amount of protein can be derived from meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, yoghurt, cheese, beans and nuts.
Following suggestion can help:
- Add peanut butter to fruits or blend in milk shakes.
- Opt for milk-based soups and add sauces to vegetables.
- Sprinkle sunflower seeds to ice creams, nuts, fruits or pudding.
- Add boiled and chopped eggs to soups, salad and pasta dishes.
- Add peas, beans, chick peas to soups and salads.
How Can You Handle the Weight Gain?
Some children do gain weight during the cancer treatment process. This may be because of certain medicines, steroids or some types of chemotherapy.
These tips can prove to be helpful in this regard:
- Try to walk everyday with the child, if possible or as per his doctor's advices.
- Cut down the size of food portions.
- Concentrate on plant based foods like vegetables, whole grains, fruits, beans and peas.
- Choose lean meats and low fat dairy products.
- Cut down on the high calorie snacks between meals.
Nutrition for Children With Weak Immune Systems
During the tenure of cancer treatments, the body's natural defenses may weaken and may become susceptible to infections. Here are the foods that should not be eaten during this period:
- Raw and uncooked meat.
- Unpasteurized milk and milk products, including cheese and yogurt.
- Unwashed raw vegetables and fruits and those with noticeable molds.
- All raw vegetable sprouts, such as alfalfa and ‘mung' beans (green grams).
- Raw or non-heat-treated honey and comb honey.
- Herbal preparations and nutrient supplements.
- Well water, unless it is tested every year and found safe.
- Unroasted nuts and roasted nuts in the shell.
- Unrefrigerated, cream-filled pastry products.
Good nutrition is very important during your child's treatment to aid their healing and normal growth and development. This is the period where the child needs extra energy to cope up with the treatment and its side effects. Well nourished children can fight infections well and can regain their health faster. Proper nourishment will ensure faster recovery and reduced hospital stays.
