How does Traditional Chinese Medicine treat malnutrition in children?

Infantile malnutrition is a chronic disease, which is mainly caused by damage to the spleen and stomach. For the treatment of such a disease alone, it is actually more through conditioning the body, or using traditional Chinese medicine to assist in conditioning the body. We must pay more attention to children's living and eating habits. Parents must keep a close eye on this and protect their children's health.

Infantile malnutrition is a chronic disease that gradually develops due to improper feeding or the influence of other diseases, which leads to damage of spleen and stomach function and loss of qi and fluid. The body is emaciated, and in severe cases, the patient becomes dry and emaciated, with abnormal eating habits, dry and loose stools, abdominal distension, dull complexion, sparse and yellow hair, irritability or listlessness, rubbing eyebrows and eyes, sucking fingers, and grinding teeth. The disease has no obvious seasonality and is more common in children under 5 years old. In ancient times, malnutrition was listed as one of the four major pediatric syndromes. After the founding of New China, with the continuous improvement of people's lives and the development of medical care, the incidence of malnutrition has dropped significantly, especially the number of severely ill children has decreased significantly.

(1) Malnutrition syndrome ① Symptoms: slightly thin body, or no weight gain, sallow complexion, sparse hair, poor appetite, abdominal distension, impatience and irritability, dry and loose stools, pale tongue, thin white fur, thready pulse, and pale fingerprints. ②The treatment principle is to regulate the spleen and promote digestion. ③Main formula: Zisheng Jianpi Pills with modifications. ④The prescription includes Codonopsis pilosula, cardamom, Coptis chinensis, Atractylodes macrocephala, lotus seeds, Shenqu, Poria cocos, tangerine peel, charred hawthorn, licorice, patchouli, roasted malt, yam, Amomum villosum, Platycodon grandiflorum, and Coix seed.

(2) Malnutrition syndrome ① Symptoms: Obvious weight loss, sallow or pale complexion, abdominal distension, blue veins in the abdomen, poor appetite, irritability, rubbing eyebrows, picking nose, fatigue, dry and loose stools, pale tongue, thick and greasy white tongue coating, thin and slippery pulse, and purple fingerprints. ②The treatment principle is to eliminate accumulation and regulate the spleen. ③Main formula Fei'er Pills with modifications. ④Prescription: ginseng, white atractylodes, poria, scorched Liushenqu, scorched hawthorn, fried malt, dried tangerine peel, betel nut, coptis root, picrorhizon, and licorice.

(3) Dry rickets syndrome ① Symptoms: obvious weight loss, skinny, sallow or pale complexion, sparse and sallow hair, sunken abdomen, listlessness, laziness, apathy, restless sleep, big head, thin neck, loss of appetite, weak crying, loose or watery stools, pale tongue, scanty coating, deep and weak pulse, and hidden fingerprints. ②The treatment principle is to tonify Qi and benefit blood. ③ Modify the main formula of Bazhen Decoction. ④ The prescription includes Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, Licorice root, Rehmannia root, Angelica sinensis, White Peony Root, Ligusticum chuanxiong, Tangerine peel, Amomum villosum, and Scorched Liu Shenqu.