What should a 1-year-old child with constipation eat?

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1. Manifestations of constipation in children

Constipation is a condition in which stool moves slowly in the colon, the stool is absorbed a lot of water, so it is dry, hard or round like goat poop. Children have symptoms of constipation if they have less than 2 bowel movements/day for infants, less than 3 bowel movements/week for breastfed babies and less than 2 bowel movements/week for older children.
Children with constipation often have to push a lot leading to burning pain, even anal fissures, anal bleeding or rectal prolapse. This makes children obsessed, afraid to defecate, making bowel movements more difficult. Constipation in children, if not treated promptly and properly, will cause many consequences such as anorexia, flatulence, abdominal distension, indigestion, vomiting, stunted children, malnutrition and growth retardation.

2. Causes of Constipation in Children

Constipation in children is divided into 2 groups of causes.
Functional constipation Constipation is mainly caused by improper diet and lifestyle
Baby is busy playing so he is lazy to have a bowel movement Baby has a feeling of not being private and unhygienic when going to the toilet school or public place. Change living environment, diet, living habits. Mental stress Some drugs can make children constipated such as cough medicine containing codeine, anti-diarrheal medicine, anti-epileptic drugs, anticonvulsants, etc. The transition from breast milk to oral medications formula milk or weaning. Children with milk allergy: often occurs in children with sensitive skin, eczema, asthma, .... Children are dehydrated, eat poorly due to fever or after an illness Children eat a lot of fast food, sweet food... Physical constipation Constipation is mainly caused by a number of diseases such as congenital megacolon, long colon, anal fissure, hypothyroidism, electrolyte disorders, Hirschsprung, syndrome. Down syndrome, polio, spinal disease.

3. Nutrition for children's constipation

For children's constipation, frequently asked questions such as: what should a 1-year-old child with constipation eat? Or what should a 3-year-old child with constipation eat? Many parents, despite giving their children a lot of fruit, still do not improve. There are principles of nutrition for children with constipation that parents should note as follows:
Give children plenty of water: babies under 6 months of age need to be exclusively breastfed, so they almost don't need to drink water. But if the baby is constipated due to the influence of the mother's diet (the mother eats less fiber), the baby should drink 100-200 ml of water per day. For older children, the amount of water that needs to be added to the child's body depends on the age. Children aged 6-12 months should drink about 200-300 ml of water daily. Children from 1-3 years old need to drink 500-600 ml of water per day. Children aged 3-5 years need 1000ml of water/day. Children over 10 years old need to drink the same amount of water as adults, from 1.5 to 2.2 liters per day. Children's diets need to add more fiber: vegetables and fruits with laxative properties such as spinach, sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes, ripe bananas, oranges, grapefruits, papayas. Limit feeding children acrid fruits such as guava, sapodilla,... Choose milk with added fiber ingredients. For children under 1 year of age, bowel movements can be stimulated by massaging the abdomen along the colonic frame from right to left 3 to 4 times a day, in between meals. For older children to support bowel movements, help with good digestion, children should be active and exercise regularly. Form children good habits by practicing defecation on time. Should choose the time to practice defecation right after a meal because bowel movements are increasing at this time. Children should not sit on the toilet or potty for too long. Before reaching school age, children should be trained to defecate after breakfast first to facilitate going to school later.

4. Suggest some foods for children who are constipated

When a child is constipated, what should be eaten is a question that many parents wonder. Here are some suggestions for foods that should be included in your child's daily diet to improve and prevent constipation.
Black sesame Black sesame is the first choice to answer the question "what should children with constipation eat". In the list of foods for children with constipation, black sesame is a very good nomination to stimulate the digestive system. Parents can roast black sesame, puree and then mix it into flour or porridge for children to eat.
Watermelon Not only contains a lot of water, has a high content of fiber and vitamin C, watermelon is also a fruit with a sweet taste that is easy to eat, beautiful color, so it is loved by many children. Watermelon adds water to the body and helps the baby's digestive system work better. Mothers can cut watermelon into small pieces for the baby to hold or puree into a smoothie to drink every day.
Avocado is a nutritious fruit with high fiber content, so it is very good for children with constipation. Moreover, avocado is also easy to process into many dishes, easy to eat many children like. Mothers can give the baby foods made from butter in the side meals.
Apricots Although apricots have a sour taste, they are rich in fiber, rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. The acid in apricots can help digest food quickly. than. In addition, peaches, pears, apples or plums are very good for constipation in children.
Spinach Spinach is the type of choice to treat constipation. Mothers can cook spinach soup for children to drink at meals.
Tapioca Flour Tapioca has heat-clearing properties, known as a medicine to prevent constipation. Mother should give the baby cassava flour in between meals.
To prevent constipation in 1-year-old children, parents should pay attention to nutrition, make sure children eat enough fiber to help healthy digestive system, improve resistance. At the same time, add supporting foods containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, B vitamins,... snacks and less digestive problems.
Parents can learn more:
Why do you need to supplement Lysine for your baby?
The role of zinc - Guidelines for reasonable zinc supplementation
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