Constipation is a most common issue in children of all age groups. A child suffering from constipation may have difficult, hard, large or painful bowel movements. Constipation can be cured naturally by healthy diet and some medical treatment. If diet is not effective then immediately consult with some expert doctor. In this article we are discussing some important facts like how to treat or prevent the constipation.
Difference between normal and abnormal bowel habits
Bowel movements are normal affected by age and eating habits. Almost every child suffer from this constipation at least once in his life.
Normal Bowel Habits
- In first week, infants normally have four liquid or soft bowel movements in a day.
- During first three months, infants normally have three soft bowel movements in a day. Some infants pass bowel movement afterevery breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is the best solution for escaping constipation in infants.
- Depending on formula, infants can pass soft or harder bowel movement at least two or three times in a day.
- After two years, children normally have one or two bowel movements per day.
- Abnormal Bowel Habits
- An infant with abnormal bowel habits normally has hard bowel movements. Infant starts crying during the bowel movement. He normally passes one bowel movement per day instead of three to four bowel movements. Sometimes, their face becomes red during bowel movement and this is the big symptom of abnormal bowel habits.
- Child normally tries to avoid bowel movement in constipation as it is very painful experience for him.
Reason for constipation development
Sometimes children delay their bowel movement because of some stupid reason. This delay can cause painful and hard bowel movement in future. Parents should teach their children about basic potty rules. This is one of the main reasons for developing constipation in infants.
The other reason for constipation is medical causes. If you are consuming tablets for some serious disease then medicine can affect your other areas. You should immediately discus the doctor about the issue. Ask him to change the medicines or he would suggest some other alternative for you.
Constipation and Development
Constipation normally occurs three times in the life of a child – when he starts consuming cereals, during potty training and school time. It is necessary to prevent constipation and giving right treatment at the right time. When infants switch from breast milk to solid food they can suffer from constipation. Toilet training is the other reason for constipation.
If your child doesn’t like to use toilet then he avoids bowel movement. Child with hard or painful bowel movements also avoids going toilet. Encourage your child for using toilet as soon as he feels pressure. Only you can urge him to use toilet at the right time. You can also stop potty training temporarily. Keep him asking again and again about bowel movements.
When children start school they are afraid of unfriendly environment and usually avoids going toilet. In this situation, only a good teacher can help your child. You should also teach your child how to deal with strangers. If he feels any bowel movement then he should immediately talk to the teacher. Perfect training starts from the home at an early age.
Treating constipation naturally
- If your child is less than four months then you should immediately consult with doctor. Here are some important facts for treating constipation naturally.
- Dark corn syrup is the best remedy for infants that is popular from hundreds of years. This syrup contains the necessary sugar proteins that make bowel movements soft and pain free. Light corn syrup is not recommended for your child. You can also add one quarter teaspoon to the dark corn syrup. Initially it would be better to use dark corn syrup in small amount only. You can increase the dose later according to the doctor’s recommendation.
- Fruit juice is also an effective solution for treating constipation. You should prefer apple or pear juice for your child. It would be better to use 4 to 6 feedings per day. Amount of feeding differs according to different age group.
- Child’s diet should be rich in fiber. Fibers help to digest food properly. As a result bowel movement becomes softer. You can use fiber rich vegetables and fruits for this purpose. The most common preferable vegetables are green leafy vegetables, peas and beans.
- Iron is the next solution for treating constipation. You can use healthy diet or iron syrup for this purpose. You can also consult with doctor for better solution.
- It is not necessary that your child should consume fluid in large quantity but food should be enough rich in fluid. For a child less than one year, it is recommended to use 32 ounces fluid per day. Don’t force your child if he is not thirsty.
- Ask your child for using a balanced diet. Balanced diet is a perfect combination of all necessary nutrients. You can also consult doctor for better diet plan. If your child likes to eat balanced food then you should praise him so that he can consume healthy diet for his complete life. Also offer new food items to your child. Initially your child can deny new food item but you should offer him new food at least 8 to 10 times. Yogurt, milk and cheese can also cause constipation problems so you should avoid these items.
- Sometimes, your child is not able to digest milk protein. In that case, you should avoid cow’s milk and find some other alternative for your child. If condition starts improving then you can start giving cow’s milk again. Milk is necessary for maintaining for healthy and strong bones for your child.
- If these all treatments are not helpful then you should immediately interact with doctor for some medical solution. Sometimes, constipation occurs frequently in children. In that case, doctor will do a simple physical examination and he will suggest possible medical solution for your child. Continue the treatment until your child doesn’t recover from constipation completely.
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