Regular bowel movement is a very important activity to be taken into consideration, specifically for kids, because when they do not pass stools regularly, it will lead to the condition called constipation. Constipation in the very basic sense will be infrequent, difficult and painful bowel movement, which is usually accompanied by very hard and dry stools. While everyone will experience the occasional constipation but when it becomes persistent or chronic, it will be disruptive to daily life.
Chronic constipation is defined as a condition where the child will be passing low frequency over several weeks and will be experiencing painful stools or will be straining regularly. In children, constipation is one of the common gastrointestinal complaints that you need to address, and for this, remaining in touch with the pediatrician consultant will be very important because it can affect toddlers, babies and older children alike. Recognising the early signs and understanding the root cause will be very important in this case, so that every child will be able to remain comfortable and healthy. Some of the common symptoms that you need to know about constipation in kids are
- Not passing soft stools every day
- Feeling a lot of pain while passing stool
- Very hard, dry and irritating stools
- Abdominal pain and bloating
- Leakage of stool in underwear
- Avoidance of bathroom visits intentionally
- Irritation and behavioural changes
- Blood in stools
- Passing the stool in a standing position
What are the common causes of chronic constipation in kids?
- Dietary habits: One of the leading reasons behind the chronic constipation is the dietary habits, as recommended by the doctors at the kids’ hospital, because kids who will be consuming excessive processed foods, dairy products and sugar-based snacks will be much more prone to the development of very hard stools. Indian food that was typically rich and fibre and protein is now shifting towards westernisation because now foods are rich in carbohydrates and fats, which are excessively consumed by kids. This has led to a consistent increase in constipation cases in Indian children. In the age of six months to two years, the parent should always make sure that they are offering the kids only an adequate amount of solid food in addition to dependence on milk.
- Consistently withholding the stool: Some children will be deliberately avoiding going to the toilet because of the previous painful experience and overindulgence in the screen. This will lead to the element of fear in using the restroom, which will further lead to increased difficulty in passing the stool. Parents in this particular case should make sure that children are consistently sitting on the pot regularly every day and should wait for the tool to pass so that kids are never fearful at any point in time. This will also make sure that the parents have to coordinate with the staff of the school, specifically for the preschoolers, to make sure that children are not avoiding using the toilet in school in cases of necessity
- Constant changes in routine: Constipation will be rising due to changes in the daily routine of the kids, for example, beginning with school, travelling and moving to a new home. All of these changes will disrupt the normal pattern, and the best way of preventing constipation from happening in such cases is to easily make a routine. Whenever the routine is made, then everybody will be able to focus on the discipline element very successfully and further will be able to ensure that there will be no scope for any kind of problem. Additionally, remaining in touch with the gastroenterology Hospital doctors will be highly recommended for you so that everything will be very well sorted out.
- Issues in toilet training: During the toilet training, some of the children will feel very much pressured, which will further lead to resistance and withholding of the stool. This usually happens when children are not developmentally ready for toilet training, and parents, in this case, need to make sure that training will begin at the right time without any problem. This will be helpful in making sure that everyone will be able to gently carry out the things without any issue, and parents in such cases have to be very patient to avoid any kind of problem.
Some of the successful and practical treatment options that you need to know in the cases of chronic constipation are:
- Dietary changes: Increasing the fibre intake will be very much important in such cases because whenever you will be consuming the age-appropriate amount of fibre daily then there will be no chance of any kind of problem in passing stool. Limiting the sugar drinks and avoiding the excessive milk will be very much helpful in such cases.
- Creating the toilet routine: Encouraging your kids to sit on the toilet for 5-10 minutes every day after every meal will be very much important because this will be providing you with the best element of support. Since majority of the people will be having the toilet at home, using the food stool will be helpful in such cases to achieve the best position. This position will be making the movement of stool very easy.
- Prescription of medication: Whenever the lifestyle changes are insufficient then paediatrician will be recommending some of the medication like laxatives and stool softener which will be very much important to be taken into consideration. However, any consumption of medication should be strictly under the use of supervision of the healthcare provider so that there is no self-administration of the things.
Apart from the points mentioned above, shifting the focus to the home remedies in the form of pear juice, warm bath, massage and encouraging the physical activity is a very good decision so that chronic constipation will be avoided and everyone will be able to get rid of the discomfort very successfully. Hence, it is important for parents to note that every child is different, and with the right guidance, you will be able to help your little one find relief and remain on the path towards better digestive health.
