Constipation in a child before and after the year: what to do, what to treat

problems with the digestive tract are more common in pediatrics most. Many parents face such a problem as constipation in a child. Lack of stool for several days, problems with bowel movement, pain and even persistent refusal of the pot are the main, but a small part of the symptoms of stool delay in children.

Causes of constipation may be harmless - error in the diet, insufficient water intake and a sedentary lifestyle of the child. But also constipation can cause serious illnesses, and in this case it is impossible to do without the help of a specialist. Therefore, parents are not recommended to engage in self-help for children and in case of constipation, regardless of its cause, you should consult a pediatrician.

What is considered a child's constipation?

Children constipation - is a condition caused by the disturbance of intestinal motility, resulting in promotion of feces on it difficult. Stool retention can occur at any age, including infants and adolescents.

Many parents do not pay enough attention to the problem and do not know how to help the child with constipation. Most of them simply do not have information on what should be the normal stool of the child and how often defecation should be.

These factors are completely dependent on the age characteristics of the child. In newborns, bowel evacuation occurs several times a day: on breastfeeding up to 8 times, artificial - less often, about 2 times a day. Children older than a year visit the toilet "in large" on average 1 time per day. If, regardless of age, a child's chair is absent for more than 48 hours, it is a matter of constipation.

Causes Causes of constipation in children:

• drinking the wrong mode, especially in infants from 1 month of age in artificial and mixed feeding, as well as after the introduction of complementary foods;
• errors in the feeding of the nursing mother;
• early and abrupt transition to artificial feeding;
• rickets, contributing to a decrease in muscle tone in the body, including the large intestine;
• disorders of the nervous system caused by toxicosis during pregnancy and difficult births;
• thyroid gland hypofunction;
• infringement of an intestinal microflora, a dysbacteriosis( for example, after antibiotics);
• allergic diseases, most often food allergies, which provokes the development of chronic inflammation in the intestines;
• iron deficiency anemia;
• psychological factor - the complexity of adaptation to children's preschool institutions, stress and nervous situation in the family, violent accustoming to a pot;
• treatment with medications, the side effects of which are relaxation of the musculature of the intestine, as well as excessive consumption of laxatives.

Diagnosis

What should I do if my child has constipation? First of all, the baby needs to be shown to the pediatrician, gastroenterologist and proctologist. During the visit, the specialist will conduct an external examination, specify the beginning and dynamics of the pathology, ask questions about the frequency and consistency of stool.

At initial examination, such signs of trouble as bloating, stool, organic pathologies of intestinal development can be found.

The following is the laboratory diagnosis:

• study of feces for dysbiosis, eggs of helminths;
• blood tests are general and biochemical;
• ultrasound of the liver and stomach;
• PHAGS;
• DOS of the colon;
• radiography of abdominal organs;
• endoscopy.

If the causes of constipation have not been identified in children, it is recommended that you visit a neurologist to avoid neuro-regulatory disorders.

Organic constipation

Organic constipation develops due to abnormalities of the intestinal structure - both congenital and acquired. The causes of this condition can be Hirschsprung's disease, dolichosigma, megacolon, anus fissures, abnormal narrowing of the anus, polyposis, tumors, adhesions and chronic inflammation of the large intestine. Organic constipation requires compulsory treatment, usually surgical.

Functional locks

The violation of evacuation function of the intestine and the difficulty with the defecation process in this case are caused by disorders of the motility of the colon.

The signs of functional constipation are:

• straining while emptying the intestine;
• dense and dry feces;
• reduction in stool volume;
• unproductive urination in the toilet.

In turn, functional constipation in a child 1 year and older is spastic and atonic.

Causes of spastic constipation:

• cracks in the anus;
• hemorrhoids;
• disorders of the endocrine system;
• neurological disorders.

The causes of atonic constipation are insufficient physical activity and a deficiency of cellulose in the menu.

Psychological constipation

Against the background of increased anxiety and anxiety, psychological constipation occurs in children aged 3 to 8 years, less often at an older age.

Usually the problem occurs if the child can not empty the intestines in the kindergarten or school because of his own shyness, lack of doors in the toilet, etc. Sometimes this type of constipation in the child 2 years of life due to violent pottage.

You can not get rid of psychological constipation with medication. In this case, the child needs moral support, it is necessary to create conditions for him to successfully empty the intestines at home in the evening or in the morning before leaving home if he can not cope with his embarrassment. It will take a lot of time and effort to correct the problem.

Constant constipation

Each child sooner or later there is a single stool delay, if he ate fixative food, fell ill with symptoms of dehydration and temperature, overheated on a hot day.

Correction of nutrition and drinking regimen normalizes the consistency and frequency of the stool. Conservative treatment in this case is not necessary.

First aid

What to give a child from constipation if he has a stomach ache and can not empty his bowels for several days? Many parents at home resort to the help of such folk remedies as soap or the tip of a thermometer, which intentionally irritate the child's anus, what can be done with constipation in a newborn and young children, as this can lead to burn, pain and trauma to the mucosa.

In addition, such actions suppress the natural reflex of the body to defecation, as a result of which the self-emptying of the intestine becomes extremely problematic in the future.

The first aid for acute stool retention may be an enema with boiled water or Glycerin suppositories: for constipations in newborns and children up to 1.5 years, 1/3 candles are used, from 2 to 5 years - 1/2 candles, from 6 years andA whole candle is older. These laxatives can be successfully replaced by Microclax microclass, which is allowed from birth.

When urgent help is needed?

Do not treat stool lings in children yourself if strong constipation is accompanied by signs such as hard stools containing mucus and blood, as well as colic and abdominal pain, rumbling, symptoms of intoxication( vomiting, fever), involuntary dischargeFeces from the anus.

These clinical manifestations may indicate severe intestinal pathologies, therefore, in order to rule out the consequences of self-diagnosis and self-treatment, you need to consult a doctor in a timely manner.

Treatment

The therapy of this condition can be different.

Medication

How to treat constipation in children with conservative therapy?

To this end, the following groups of drugs :

• Laxatives. Preference is given to modern preparations based on lactulose, such as Dufalac syrup or Prelax, which can be used even with constipation in children under one year. Beginning at age 3, annoying laxative medications such as Regulax, Senadé, Glycerin suppositories can be prescribed.
• Prokinetics. These drugs activate the work of the digestive tract, tone the intestines. From prokinetics, children are prescribed Motilac or Domperidone in the form of tablets or syrup.
• Spasmolytics. Helps eliminate intestinal spasms, which often annoy the child when the stool is delayed. Appointed drugs No-shpa, Papaverin, candles with belladonna.
• Enzymes. These means of constipation for children help to establish the digestive processes, such as Creon, Panzinorm and others.
• Cholagogue preparations. Replenish the lack of digestive juice, improve the synthesis of bile and pancreatic secretions. As a result, food begins to be better absorbed by the body and leaves it easier. Cholitaxel drugs include Hofitol, Allochol, and others.
• Probiotics. Means enriched with bifido- and lactobacilli. Be sure to enter the treatment of dysbiosis and constipation in children under 3 years of age or older in order to normalize impaired intestinal microflora, these drugs include Atsipol, Bifidumbacterin drops Hilak Forte, Linex, Primadofilus, Bifiform.

Treatment folk remedies

Many parents know how to treat constipation in a child by means of traditional medicine - these include such laxative agent as beet juice, which is recommended to mix it with carrot in a ratio of 1: 3, respectively, prunes, yogurt, kidsTea with fennel and much more.

Also of note folk remedies linseed oil as a mixture of constipation for neonates, previously coupled with breast milk( starting with a few drops) to 7 months can davat12-15 droplets with lure. From 10 months with chronic delays of the stool the baby is offered 1/2 tsp. Flaxseed oil 2 times a day. From 3 to 7 years - 1 tsp.twice a day. From 7 to 14 years, the recommended amount of linseed oil is 1 dessert spoon in the morning and evening.

It is not necessary to take the product in its pure form, you can add it to food, starting with milk and ending with yoghurt.

Diet for constipation

Correction of the ration is an obligatory link in the treatment of children's constipation. But not always follow the recommended criteria for a healthy diet is simple. In most cases, doctors advise changing the eating habits of each family member. Only with this condition, small children can more easily transfer the individual food deprivation associated with the diet.

So, the therapeutic and prophylactic diet includes:

• whole grain bread;
• bran - in a moderate amount, not more than 5-10 grams per day, depending on the age of the child;
• kefir, yogurt, natural yoghurts;
• soups - dairy, borsch, soup, etc.;
• cereals from whole grains - buckwheat, millet, corn and wheat;
• neutral food products - eggs, butter, low-fat meat.

Frequent constipation in monthly child eliminates a strict diet nursing mothers, or the introduction of a mixture containing a sufficient amount of prebiotics, if the child is on artificial or mixed feeding.

From the ration of the nursing mother and children suffering from stool delay, it is necessary to exclude:

• cabbage;
• tomatoes;
• mushrooms;
• tea, coffee;
• whole milk;
• baking;
• pasta;
• rice porridge;
• peeled apples;
• bananas;Mashed cereals and soups;
• ;
• chocolate;
• cocoa;
• Kissel.

It is also important to pay attention to the drinking regime. Preferably give filtered unboiled water. Do not drink beverages with gases or chemical additives.

Physical Exercises

As stated above, a sedentary lifestyle is one of the causes of digestive disorders and the development of problems with stool. What to do if the child has 3 years of life constipation - of course, to begin to perform exercises aimed at normalizing intestinal motility. It is recommended to do gymnastics at any age.

The child should be active all day long.

And it is necessary to supplement this with special exercises :

• slopes;
• squats;
• swings with straight and bent legs;
• lifting and bringing knees to the abdomen;
• loads for the abdominals.

All the above exercises can be performed from an early age. They make intestinal muscles work. Older children can supplement gymnastics with mobile games, bike tours, roller skating, skating and skiing.

Restoration after constipation

Treatment of constipation in a child 1-4 years of age is based on individually selected therapeutic interventions. This applies to any age, since the choice of therapy depends on the severity and cause of the ailment, the presence of pain, the age category of the small patient, the psychological characteristics and accompanying diseases of the child.

Parents should tune in for a long treatment. To completely restore the lost functions of the intestine, it takes a long time. It will be necessary to change the eating habits of the child, to establish its drinking regime, to provide all conditions for exercise.

You can not abuse candles from constipation for children and other types of laxatives, such as castor, sea-buckthorn and petroleum jelly. These drugs can be applied on a short course according to the doctor's prescription. It is strongly advised not to engage in self-medication.

Prevention

Prevention of constipation in children includes the following aspects:

• healthy food;
• daily physical education;
• belly massage;
• observance of the daily routine;
• favorable psychological climate in the family.

Digestive disorders may occur at any age, including in children. It is necessary to normalize their work as quickly as possible, since a frequent sign of trouble in bowel disease is constipation.

Stool retention for 2-3 days and longer causes discomfort and can cause such consequences as chronic inflammation of the intestines, dysbiosis and much more.

Cope with constipation and normalize the work of the intestine can be through an integrated approach: folk and conservative therapy, correction of diet and exercise.

Author: Olga Rogozhkina, doctor,
specially for Moizhivot.ru

Useful video about the treatment of constipation in children