What should I do if my baby has poor digestion and absorption?

Poor digestion is a common disease of the digestive system, also known as indigestion. Usually food is digested in the stomach, while it is absorbed in the duodenum and jejunum in the upper small intestine. So if it’s just poor digestion and absorption, it should be a gastrointestinal problem. Gastrointestinal diseases need to be treated promptly, otherwise they will develop into chronic diseases. Poor digestion may also be accompanied by other symptoms. Symptomatic treatment is needed at this time.

1. General treatment

First of all, parents should let their children develop good living habits, avoid irritating foods and take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. No special diet, avoid foods that trigger symptoms in personal life experience. Pay attention to providing psychological treatment based on the different characteristics of the patients. People with insomnia and anxiety can be given appropriate sedatives.

2. Medication

There is no specific medicine, and treatment is mainly empirical.

(1) Drugs that inhibit gastric acid secretion are generally used for patients with upper abdominal pain as the main symptom. H2 receptor antagonists or proton pump inhibitors can be used selectively.

(2) Gastrointestinal prokinetic drugs are generally suitable for patients with upper abdominal distension, early satiety, and belching as the main symptoms. Selectively take domperidone, itopride, etc.

(3) Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy may be effective for a small number of FD patients with Helicobacter pylori infection and can be tried for those with severe symptoms.

(4) Antidepressants can be tried for patients who have poor responses to the above treatments and have obvious psychiatric symptoms. Commonly used antidepressants include tricyclic antidepressants; selective inhibitors of serotonin reuptake, flupentixol-melitracen tablets, etc. It is advisable to start with a small dose and pay attention to the adverse reactions of the drug. It is recommended to take it under professional guidance.

(5) Other mucosal protective agents can be used, such as aluminum hydroxide gel, bismuth, sucralfate, and mezilin-S.

There are many factors that can cause poor digestion, such as improper diet and certain diseases. In this case, in addition to changing eating habits and eating more easily digestible foods, symptomatic treatment should be given, while following the principles of comprehensive treatment and individualized treatment, so as to effectively change the symptoms of indigestion.