There are several symptoms that may indicate an excessive intake of salt or an overly constricted condition. These signs are very important and require immediate attention if they occur at any time during childhood, Parents should suspect an overly yang condition if children display any of the following signs:
Constant hunger or desire to eat.
Screaming. When a child screams, it is often a sign of an overly yang condition. Whining, on the other hand, usually means that a child is too yin.
Tightness, lack of flexibility, or lack of motion.
Loss of the ability to crawl or walk.
The development of bowed legs, as in rickets.
Failure to grow. If a child is small at birth, for example five or six pounds, it is not necessarily a cause for concern. Smaller babies often have more vitality and capacity for growth than oversized babies. After birth, however, children normally grow very rapidly. Too much salt can inhibit growth and cause children to remain small and contracted.
Poor circulation. Salt can cause the peripheral capillaries to contract and inhibit blood flow. Cold hands or feet or a pale color may indicate this problem.
Abnormal weight. There is no fixed rate at which children gain weight. The standard height and weight charts that are commonly used today are often unreliable. The growth rates on these charts tend to reflect averages among formula-fed children. Normal ranges for breast-fed children, or for children who follow a macrobiotic diet, have not yet been developed. Some children gain weight more rapidly, others more slowly. Babies who are smaller at birth tend to gain more rapidly, while larger infants tend to gain more slowly. As children get older, their rate of physical growth tends to slow down before adolescence.
As long as children have good appetites, parents need not be overly concerned about their weight. If children become abnormally thin or fat, however, it may be a sign of too much salt or a sign of some other imbalance in the daily diet. An excessive intake of salt can cause a child to contract and become tight and skinny. In some cases, it can cause a child to retain water, fat, and other more yin substances and to become overweight.
Dry or rough skin. Children normally have soft and smooth skin.
In rare cases, a high fever. Fevers caused by too much salt are not as common as the other symptoms presented here.
Irregular appetite. As already stated, salt can cause children to eat excessive amounts of food. Conversely, it can also cause the appetite to diminish because of its constrictive effect on the digestive organs.