Why do children often get constipated?

Constipation is a condition in which a child passes large, hard, dry stools and the interval between two bowel movements is too long. This is a warning sign of an unhealthy digestive system, a lack of water, and a lack of fiber in the diet. For children, the number of daily bowel movements varies by age.

Video content is professionally consulted with expert advice by Doctor Pediatric Center - Vinmec Times City International Hospital

For children under 1 year of age: Usually have a bowel movement 2-3 times a day, but if the child only passes once a day but the stools are soft and of normal volume, it is still not called constipation. There are many causes of constipation in children, which are divided into two main causes:
Firstly, physical causes such as congenital colonic aneurysm, hypothyroidism, cystic fibrosis, some diseases neuromuscular disorders, side effects of some medications in children
Second, functional causes (accounting for 90-95%)
Children's refusal to defecate is the most common cause. The longer the child fasts, the longer the stool stays in the intestines and the larger it is, the more difficult it is for the child to have a bowel movement, as a result, the child may have long-term constipation. Changing the toilet environment (newbies) Young children often become constipated if they are introduced to solid foods suddenly, especially in babies who have just started solid foods. Constipation can also occur when a baby is weaned from breast milk. The reason is that weaning sometimes leads to a decrease in the baby's water supply, and breast milk is inherently a mild laxative, making it easier for the baby to have bowel movements. Different protein composition in formula can be the cause of constipation in infants. Infants who are formula fed in large amounts and are constipated often have hard, green stools. Constipation is also common in children who are dehydrated and dehydrated, when the body will absorb liquid from anywhere in the body from food, drink, even stool, which inadvertently causes stool to become cloudy. solid and dry. In addition, a diet lacking in fiber also causes constipation. Fiber from vegetables and fruits contributes to increasing stool volume, making stools softer.

Typical signs that a child is at risk of constipation include:
The child has burning pain when going to the toilet: the stool is hard, causing the child to have anal pain when going to the toilet, more dangerous is when the child is afraid. pain, they will try to hold back from going to the toilet, which leads to more severe constipation. Passing large stools with blood in stools Uncontrolled fecal incontinence: Once a child is constipated, it means that intestinal fluid will accumulate around the hard stool, causing obstruction. In the case of a lot of fluid stasis, it will cause symptoms of loose stools, causing children to be constipated a lot, and often hard stools. In addition, abdominal pain around the navel and left iliac fossa can also occur in children with constipation Children appear anal hemorrhoids When children appear the above signs, the child is likely to be constipated, parents need to think to the direction of treatment so that the child feels comfortable as well as does not affect health.

3.1 First, maintain the child's nutrition In the diet for children with severe constipation, it is necessary for children to drink enough water and eat a diet rich in vegetables and fruits. In addition, children should be taught to have the habit of going to the toilet not to be fasted in addition to adding water and fiber.
For breast-feeding children, breast milk should be given to children because breast milk contains a balanced composition of fat and protein, fiber, water... Breast milk also has mild laxatives that make it easier for children to defecate.. This keeps your baby's poop always soft, even if he hasn't gone to the bathroom for a few days.
For weaning children: During the weaning phase, foods such as milk powder, cereal powder, cereal porridge... often lack fiber. Introducing these foods too soon can cause your baby to become constipated.
Older children: Children should be taught to drink a lot of water as well as eat a lot of vegetables and fruits as well as avoid fasting to make sure they do not become constipated.
Provide more fiber for babies through whole grains, ripe fruits and green vegetables such as: oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, bananas, avocados, ripe papaya, cauliflower, spinach, amaranth...
3.2 Second, give children plenty of water. Children who start weaning from 6 to 12 months need to drink 600ml of water/day (including: milk, water, juice...). Children 1-3 years old need to drink 900ml of water/day. Children 3-5 years old need to drink 1200ml of water/day. Children older than 10 years old drink by adults: 1500 - 2000 ml of water/day. 3.3 Third, practice for children to go to the toilet on time Practice for children to go to the toilet at a certain time of the day to form the baby's body reflex to go to the toilet every day. When you see a baby playing, suddenly run into the corner of the house to stand or sit: that is a sign that the baby is holding back. You should encourage your baby to have a bowel movement at this time.
3.4 Fourth, baby belly massage daily This is very good and effective for babies and infants to stimulate the baby's bowel movements, helping the large intestine to excrete stools more easily. Before rubbing the baby's belly, the mother should rub her hands together to warm up and then gently rub the baby's belly in a clockwise direction. Each session lasts 10 to 15 minutes.
Best to limit the child's constipation as well as the use of antibiotics, parents should pay attention to the nutrition that improves the child's resistance. At the same time, supplementing with supporting foods containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, B vitamins, etc., helps support the immune system, strengthens the resistance so that children have less energy. sick and less likely to have digestive problems.
For more nutritional knowledge and child care for each age, parents should regularly visit the website vimec.com and make an appointment with the leading doctors, pediatric and nutrition experts of the National General Hospital. Vinmec when needing advice on children's health.