Nutrition plays a crucial role in your child’s treatment journey. Cancer therapies like chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery can greatly affect appetite, digestion, and metabolism. These treatments often result in side effects such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, changes in taste, and fatigue, making it difficult for children to eat well. However, maintaining proper nutrition is vital as it helps your child’s body cope with the stress of treatment, supports their immune system, and aids in the recovery process.
Nutritional Goals for Children with Cancer
The hospital dietitian is an excellent resource in providing nutritional guidance for your child. They are trained to assess the nutritional needs your child may have and can help develop a specialized care plan that can address the following goals:
- Maintaining a healthy weight: some treatments may lead to weight loss or difficulty gaining weight. Some strategies to combat weight loss include: offering high-calorie nutrient dense foods, like nuts, avocados, cheese and yogurt, encouraging small meals and snacks throughout the day, including protein rich foods like poultry, fish, and eggs.
- Supporting the immune system: cancer treatments can weaken the immune system. Nutrient-rich foods, like citrus, berries, ginger and yogurt, provide vitamins and minerals necessary to support their immune system.
- Managing side effects: certain foods and dietary strategies can help manage specific side effects of cancer treatment.
- Promote healing: incorporating iron-rich foods, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables, probiotics, whole grains, and anti-inflammatory foods can support your child’s body in its ability to heal and recover from the effects of cancer treatments.
How to Manage Symptoms
Managing your child’s symptoms can be challenging, especially during treatment. Here are some tips to help make mealtime more manageable and enjoyable for your child:
- If nausea is a problem, try feeding your child light foods, such as toast, crackers, fruits, rice, and yogurt.
- Avoid forcing your child to eat when they aren’t hungry. If they are hungry, try offering 6-8 smaller meals/snacks instead of three big meals.
- Make snacks and meals fun! Change the location or time of day when your child eats. Play their favorite show or music during mealtime. Even planning a picnic in your hospital room or at home can be a fun alternative.
- Hot and warm foods might be uncomfortable for children with a sore mouth or throat. Opt for cold or room-temperature foods instead.
- If your child experiences taste changes during treatment, try different utensils (plastic vs metal) or different meats and meat alternatives like poultry, eggs, beans, tofu, etc.
- Hospital food is not always appetizing. Bring food from home or a favorite food when possible.
- Plan ahead and be creative with your strategies. Every child is different, so find what works best for yours.
About Amarria
Fifteen-year-old Amarria was diagnosed with medulloblastoma in October of 2023, at just fourteen years old. Her mom, Jennifer, remembers that nausea and vomiting have been a part of their cancer journey since the beginning, even before the diagnosis. “(Amarria) experienced weight loss, tiredness, and balance issues from not being able to eat,” she said. Jennifer also recalls that her daughter “was scared to eat because she didn’t want to vomit.”
For parents going through similar experiences, Jennifer suggests that light foods helped Amarria eat something, even when she didn’t feel like it. Amarria still struggles with these symptoms and food intake since she’s still in active treatment, but Jennifer is hopeful that Amarria’s relationship with food will improve after treatment ends.
Good nutrition is vital for childhood cancer survivors. For more healthy living tips, check out our publication, The Other Side of the Mountain: A Parent’s Guide to Surviving Childhood Cancer.