7 signs your child may have a food intolerance
7. Small stature or picky palate
Possible culprit: Gluten sensitivity or zinc deficiency. Because gluten intolerance interferes with nutrient absorption, suffering kids often fail to thrive. “Small size—height or weight—is a classic symptom of celiac disease,” Dorfman says.
Zinc could be another factor: The mineral normalizes appetite and, through its relationship with growth hormones, helps the body develop. If levels are low enough, a child’s growth will be stunted, perhaps in the fifth percentile or lower for weight and height on the standard growth charts. In this case, a child may rarely be hungry, be a picky eater, or complain that food smells or tastes “funny,” Dorfman says.
Action plan: Eliminate gluten from the diet for a month. Ask your pediatrician for a blood test to determine serum zinc levels, or buy a zinc sulfate taste test online. After sipping a bit of zinc sulfate solution, your child will report tasting nothing (which indicates deficiency) or a bad flavor (no deficiency). Zinc-rich foods include beef, chicken, beans, pumpkin seeds, cashews and chickpeas. If there’s a deficiency, ask your health care provider about an adequate supplement dose based on your child’s age.