What medicine should children take for constipation

Children's body functions are not fully developed, and they have poor adaptability to daily life. They are very likely to suffer from constipation due to improper diet and sleep. Constipation will greatly affect children's diet and sleep, and make them unwilling to eat and unable to sleep. Parents should seek timely treatment when they discover their children are constipated, because if children are constipated for a long time, they will be unwilling to eat, which will have a great impact on their physical health in the long run. Lack of sleep will also affect children's mental state. Therefore, parents should give their children medication in time after their children are constipated. Here we will introduce what medicines children should take for constipation.

What medicine is used for constipation in children

(1) Phenolphthalein takes effect 6 to 8 hours after administration. Since a small amount of it is absorbed and then circulated in the intestine and liver, its effect can sometimes last for 3 to 4 days. Suitable for habitual constipation.

(2) Take liquid paraffin orally before bedtime. It will take effect 6 to 8 hours after taking it. Long-term use can lead to absorption disorders of fat-soluble vitamins, calcium and phosphorus.

(3) Take milk of magnesia orally before bed.

(4) Glycerin suppository is inserted into the anus. It is a mild irritant laxative and bowel movements can be achieved within a few minutes after administration.

(5) Glycerin/Sodium Chloride (Contains sorbitol, glycerin or magnesium sulfate) First apply a small amount to lubricate the anus, then slowly insert the syringe into the anus to squeeze the liquid medicine in. A bowel movement will occur within a few minutes.

(6) A simple method is to wear rubber gloves at home, dip your little finger in a small amount of liquid paraffin (paraffin oil) or vaseline, and insert it into the anus to relieve constipation.

(7) The enema method uses 1% to 2% soapy water or saline, which has a temperature close to room temperature. The enema method is highly irritating and should not be used unless there is a special need.

It is recommended to start from three aspects:

1. Train your baby to defecate regularly. Generally, you can train your baby to develop the habit of defecation on time from about 3 months old, so that he or she will gradually form a conditioned reflex to produce the urge to defecate regularly.

2. Scientific feeding and correct addition of complementary foods. Babies are prone to constipation when accepting new foods, so parents must follow the principle of starting from one to multiple and from less to more when adding complementary foods to their babies. Take infant nutritional rice cereal as an example. For babies aged 3-4 months, 1-2 tablespoons can be fed at the beginning, and then increased to 4-5 spoons after 2 weeks. In addition, when preparing rice cereal, pay attention to the ratio of rice cereal to water to avoid dry stools in babies. In addition, feeding babies aged 4-5 months with vegetable puree and fruit puree and other fiber-containing foods can prevent constipation. Older babies can add some laxative foods such as orange juice, honey and sugar water. In addition, they should eat more fruits, vegetables with high fiber content such as celery, leeks and porridge.

3. Pay attention to the cause and effect of constipation. For infants with constipation, take an appropriate amount of honey on an empty stomach every morning and gently massage the baby's right lower abdomen upward around the navel clockwise for more than ten times with the palm of your right hand to achieve the effect of peristalsis and laxative. For those with severe constipation, take the baby to see a doctor as soon as possible to rule out diseases such as congenital megacolon and anorectal stenosis.

Foods that can treat constipation in children:

1. Intestinal moisturizing food

When a breastfeeding baby is constipated, you can add laxative foods such as orange juice, red date juice, cabbage juice, etc.

2. Food supplement

When babies are constipated during the weaning period, complementary foods can be added. In addition to highly nutritious eggs, lean meat, liver and fish, vegetables, fruits and porridge with high fiber content, such as spinach, rapeseed, cabbage, celery, bananas, pears, etc.

3. Honey

Honey is also used by the people to relieve constipation. In fact, honey must be mixed with cold water to be effective; warm water is ineffective.

However, Fan Zhihong, associate professor of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at China Agricultural University, said: It is not advisable to give honey to infants and young children too early. This is because when children are young, parents are often not sure whether their children have allergies or are allergic to certain substances (such as seafood, pollen, etc.). Honey contains pollen. If a child has an allergic constitution, giving the child honey may easily cause allergies.

4. Cereals and grains

When older children are constipated, you can add some whole grains, such as standard flour, potatoes, corn, barley, etc. Oily foods and cold boiled water can also help prevent and treat constipation. For babies over 4-5 months old, complementary foods can be added appropriately. It is best to chop spinach, cabbage, green vegetables, shepherd's purse, etc., put them into rice porridge and cook them together to make a variety of delicious vegetable porridge for the baby.