If you’ve been constipated as an adult, you know how uncomfortable it can be. Now imagine being a toddler, or young child with constipation. They don’t understand what’s happening and depending on their age, they can’t always communicate their symptoms. Your child could be constipated for some time before you realize it.
Constipation is infrequent bowel movements, typically fewer than three in 1 week. In many cases, child constipation is short term and resolves with treatment.
To treat it, though, you must learn how to recognize the signs of constipation in your child.
For starters, parents need to determine if their child is actually backed up. Constipation in young children are fairly uncommon.
Another important thing to watch for is a soft stool consistency. Hard stool indicates that it's staying in there longer than desired. Other signs of constipation in child include slight bleeding (from stretched anal walls), making strained faces, a hard belly, and refusal to eat.
Constipation in breastfed children could be a symptom of a lactose intolerance or protein allergy (due to consumption of allergens such as tree nuts, eggs etc). Everything Mom eats gets passed to the child, so breastfeeding women might consider taking suspecting food out of their diet. Similarly, they can try eating foods to help their child poop, such as prunes and fibre-filled items.
Formula-fed children are much more likely to experience constipation than breastfed children Some of the formula ingredients might be more challenging to a child's digestive system and result in much firmer poops. Your pediatrician may switch your child's formula to one that isn't milk-based.
Formula-fed child need the extra iron, and although foods high in iron can cause constipation, the amount found in formula isn't to blame.
Once solid foods are introduced into your child's diet, their poop is going to change. More formed food usually means more formed poop. Also, the intestines are maturing now, so they can compact things and hold on to them longer. And because the body is taking longer to process the food, you'll likely see one less poopy diaper a day.
Food can be both friend and foe. For starters, certain foods could be making it harder for your children poop. Consider the ABCs or applesauce, bananas, and cereal. Too much of any of these, especially cereal, could cause constipation in your child. Also, keep an eye on dairy products that are popular foods for child, such as cheese. Low-fibre foods, including white rice, white bread, and pasta, can also cause constipation.
Wondering how to relieve constipation in children quickly? When the child's poops become more infrequent, harder, or difficult to pass, enlist the help of these foods to soften the situation:
Why choose Karihome as your child formula milk?
Karihome is made of Goat milk which contains a high level of nucleotides, sialic acid and taurine naturally which are vital for the health and well-being of children. Goat's milk is also innately high in calcium which is the essential mineral for healthy bone growth.
Easier to Digest
Goat milk forms softer curds which can be digested more readily than dense cow milk curd. Goat milk can be digested about a third of time faster than cow milk. In addition to that, goat's milk also contains natural CPP (Casein Phosphopeptides) which helps with mineral absorption.
Reduce Allergenic Burden
Goat's milk contains lesser allergens than cow's milk, thus the chance of getting allergy reaction by goat's milk consumer is lower. Many children who experienced itchy skin and rashes after drinking cow's milk had fewer and less severe reaction when they switched to goat's milk.
It Improves Tummy Health
Goat milk can prevent the loss of the gastrointestinal tract barrier function. Great development and maintenance of gastrointestinal tract barrier function help to reduce the risk of getting gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting, diarrhea and tummy upset.
Constipation in infants and children is often short term and not related to an underlying health condition. It can, however, be a symptom of something else. See your pediatrician if constipation becomes chronic and doesn’t resolve with home remedies.