How to Manage Constipation in Children
Most children have a tendency towards constipation as they do not eat the required quantities of fruits and vegetables, or drink adequate water. Their food consumption veers towards proteins and carbohydrates that do not provide any fibre. A high protein diet tends to harden the stomach, cause griping pains and create difficulty in passing bowel movements.
Moreover, children are, by nature, very fidgety and do not have the patience to sit on the pot (commode) for more than a few minutes. To them, this is a complete waste of time and is extremely ‘boring’!
Apart from monitoring their dietary intake and ensuring that they eat some ‘right’ foods that are high in fibre, parents need to resort to other avenues to help their child.
Children who are highly constipative often avoid going to the toilet as they know that it is not easy to pass stool, and that it will be painful; so, they suppress any desire to go to the toilet. Depending upon the child’s schedule and school timings, parents can work out an appropriate time for the child to spend some time on the commode. Some of the preferable times are after the morning or evening glass of milk, or after lunch or dinner.
The reason for these times in the day is because the intake of food or liquid gets the stomach juices flowing and the body sends signals to the digestive tract to start working. Once the digestive tract is set in motion, it sends signals for expelling the excreta from the system. Very often, it will be noticed that children want to pass motion in the midst of a meal.
Children are restless and refuse to sit still for even a short period of time. Just as adults do, children can take a few story books into the toilet and read while they are sitting on the commode. If need be, the parent can sit of a stool and read to the child.
