What should I do if my six-year-old child is constipated?

The physical health of children has always been a concern for parents. Children are young and have relatively low resistance, making them more likely to have problems. This is because parents will constantly supplement their children with nutrition. Appropriate supplementation is good for the body, but excessive supplementation will have a bad effect. Why do children suffer from constipation? What are the causes?

If your baby may be constipated, there will be two characteristics: one is that the frequency of bowel movements is less than usual, especially if the baby has not had a bowel movement for more than three days, and the bowel movement is very uncomfortable; in addition, if the baby's stool is hard and dry and difficult to pass, no matter how many times the baby has bowel movements, it may also be constipation.

Reasons for baby constipation:

The causes of constipation include unreasonable eating habits, lack of fiber, water and fat or lack of exercise. Not only that, if the baby experiences excessive psychological pressure during bowel training in early childhood, it can easily lead to constipation.

Improvement of baby constipation:

Balanced diet

If the baby has symptoms of constipation, the mother can dilute the milk powder. Babies can eat some fruit puree, vegetable puree, or drink some fruit and vegetable juice to increase the fiber in the intestine, promote gastrointestinal motility, and facilitate bowel movements. After the baby is 6 months old, the mother can cook carrot porridge or vegetable porridge for the baby, because vegetables contain a lot of fiber which can promote intestinal motility. Whole grains and various fruits and vegetables should be consumed in a balanced manner.

Foods that help with bowel movements: Vegetables and fruits rich in fiber include cherries, almonds, pears, peaches, peas, spinach, raisins, baby cabbage, bok choy, etc. In addition, bread, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and seaweed foods also contain a lot of fiber.

Foods that are not conducive to laxative effects: milk, ice cream, cheese, cooked carrots, persimmons, etc.

Exercise can increase intestinal motility and promote bowel movements. 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. Eat small meals frequently and choose quality snacks carefully

The above briefly describes several characteristics of constipation in children, which parents can use to make judgments. Secondly, constipation is also caused by insufficient body resistance. Children need to enhance their resistance, so they need to supplement some vitamins and strengthen their physical fitness through exercise. But whether it's vitamins or exercise, be careful not to overdo it, otherwise it will only have the opposite effect.