What to do if a four-year-old is constipated

Many babies don’t like to drink water and eat little fruit. They prefer to eat meat. If this continues for a long time, they are likely to get constipated. Many mothers wonder what to do if their four-year-old child is constipated. If a child suffers from constipation, it is best to adjust the diet. The mother can give the child more fruits, eat small meals frequently, and let the child participate in more appropriate exercise, which can promote intestinal peristalsis and defecation.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the reason children suffer from constipation is because of their hot constitution. Therefore, children with constipation can eat more melon fruits, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, Hami melon, etc., to eliminate the heat in their bodies. If your child doesn’t like the taste of this type of fruit, you can sprinkle some condensed milk, yogurt or ice cream on the fruit so that the rich sweet milk flavor can cover the melon flavor. In addition, parents should often cook some mung bean and coix seed porridge for their children, which can also help relieve fever and promote bowel movements.

Usually, parents should encourage their children to participate in more sports. Because exercise can increase intestinal motility and promote defecation. Parents can also gently massage their children's abdomen in a clockwise direction with their navel as the center before they go to bed. This will not only promote their children's intestinal peristalsis, but also help them fall asleep. In addition, gently pressing the following two acupoints one hour after the child eats can also promote bowel movements.

Not having a bowel movement on time is one of the reasons why many babies suffer from constipation. For children aged 3 to 7, their abdominal and pelvic muscles are still in the development stage, and the defecation reflex function is not yet mature. They don't know yet that they should go to the toilet when they feel the urge to defecate, and often need their parents to remind them. Therefore, parents can set one hour after breakfast as the fixed bowel movement time for their children. At the beginning, parents can accompany their children during bowel movements for about 10 minutes each time, and gradually help their children develop the habit of going to the toilet on time. Before going to the toilet, you can give your child a glass of juice or warm honey water to moisten the intestines.

4. Eat small, frequent meals

Although children have a small stomach capacity and cannot eat too much food at a time, they are energetic and active, so they need to be supplemented with food almost every 3 to 4 hours. Therefore, children's diet should adhere to small and frequent meals. Parents can divide their children's daily nutritional needs into three main meals and two side meals. As for side dishes, you can choose some nutritious foods, such as white fungus, almonds, honey, etc. These foods not only contain high-quality protein and lipids, but also have the effect of softening stools and lubricating the intestines. They are the best source of energy for children.