GASTROINTESTINAL AND GENITOURINARY SYSTEMS
The gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems continue to mature during these years. The stomach enlarges in size, allowing consumption of the traditional 3 meals per day, all deciduous teeth generally erupt by 30 months of age, and improved eye-hand coordination enables self-feeding. This would seem to set the perfect scenario for a toddler growth spurt; however, this does not generally occur. Instead, the toddler enjoys a gradual increase in size, accompanied by a decreased appetite and a ritualistic interest in limited types of food. Toddlers also vary in their energy requirements, eating large amounts of food one day and very little food the next. Food likes and dislikes also differ from day to day. This period of decreased appetite as a result of decreased caloric need is often referred to as a time of physiologic anorexia. Parents may need reassurance that this is normal.