What should children with constipation eat?

This is an automatically translated article.

Constipation is quite common and common in young children, constipation not only makes them uncomfortable but in the long run can cause serious health effects. Therefore, it is extremely important to establish a complete nutrition regimen for your child during this period.
Video content is professionally consulted by MSc. Dr. Cao Thi Giang - Pediatric Center - Vinmec Times City General Hospital

1. Manifestations of children with constipation

Some typical signs of a child being constipated include:
● The child has a bowel movement less than twice a week
● Passing stools that are dry or lumpy like goat poop
Every time the child is uncomfortable, in pain, anus
● If the child can talk, the child will tell you that he or she cannot defecate
● The child constantly changes position, straining, bending the buttocks to push
● The child's abdomen is distended, bloated, colic.
● Wet stools at least once a week
When your child often shows one of the above signs, your child is likely to be constipated. At this time, you should change your diet to help improve the condition in a positive way.

2. Diet for children with constipation

2.1 Diet rich in fiber, limited in fat Fiber plays an extremely important role in the functioning of the digestive system. Fiber in the large intestine is a good environment for beneficial bacteria to ferment, absorb water to help soften stools, and have a large stool volume and easy discharge. The main cause of constipation in most subjects is a lack of fiber.
To improve constipation for children, mothers should add enough fiber to the child's diet. Some foods are rich in fiber such as:
Sweet potato, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, lettuce, centella asiatica,... Fruits such as prunes, citrus trees, grapefruit, papaya, banana pepper, mango, pear, apple, kiwi,... provide enough fiber for the baby. Tubers such as: sweet potatoes, beets, ... also contain great sources of fiber for the body. Sweet potatoes are used as a simple remedy for constipation, with dishes such as boiled, cooked, stewed sweet potatoes, ... sweet potatoes will be a delicious choice for your baby's diet. Using vegetables and fruits to improve constipation in children is very necessary. However, changing the baby's food every day requires careful calculation. Because eating too much fiber will make constipation worse. In parallel with a high-fiber diet, mothers should note that they should limit their children from eating a lot of fried foods, carbonated drinks, and sweets that make it difficult for the baby to defecate. Fried food, ready food, canned food is one of the enemies of constipation, making constipation in children more serious.

2.2 Drink enough water Water plays an important role in improving constipation. Young children are always passive subjects in eating and drinking, they often forget to drink water while playing, which can cause more serious constipation.
Water has the role of removing toxic waste, providing enough water for the intestines to help soften stools and avoid the risk of constipation. Mother always reminds the baby to drink water, depending on the age, add different amounts of water.
Children under 6 months of age who are exclusively breastfed do not need to drink water, but if the child is constipated, still give 100-200ml of water/day. Children who start solid foods from 6-12 months drink 200-300ml of water/day. Children 1-3 years old drink 500-600ml of water/day. Children 3-5 years old drink 1000ml of water/day. Children older than 10 years old drink by adults: 1500 - 2000ml of water/day). Water can be in the form of filtered water, fruit juice, broth, smoothies,... 2.3 Yogurt Talking about enhancing the activity of the digestive system, it is impossible to ignore yogurt. Yogurt contains probiotics, an important ingredient in the production of beneficial bacteria for the digestive system. Probiotics help your baby's digestive system work better, feel better, absorb nutrients and effectively prevent constipation.
Mothers should choose probiotic-rich yogurt to improve their baby's digestive system. However, children should not eat too much yogurt, which can have the opposite effect: cause indigestion, allergies, even obesity, because yogurt contains sugar.
2.4 Give your baby cool milk with soluble fiber content One of the mistakes of a mother that causes her child to become constipated is choosing a milk that is not nutritionally suitable for her baby. Some types of formula milk on the market today have good quality, but the nutritional content is too much for the baby, causing constipation in the baby.
The solution to this situation is to choose cool milks for babies. Cool milk is a type of milk that does not contain cane sugar, has a natural sweetness, and is as mild as breast milk. Cool milk also adds fiber for better digestion.
2.5 Supplementing children with foods rich in magnesium and zinc Magnesium and zinc are substances that help strengthen the digestive tract, so that the function of the colon in excreting waste is also more stable. In addition, magnesium and zinc are also good for health such as regulating the nervous system, transporting calcium to the brain, synthesizing growth hormones to help strengthen the immune system.
Magnesium-rich foods are whole grains, grains such as black sesame, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, oats, wheat, watermelon, ... And zinc is found in seafood foods such as shrimp, crab, beef, oysters, cereals,...
In addition to adjusting the diet accordingly, you should also pay attention to some other problems when your child is constipated. Specifically:
Rub the belly from P - T clockwise 3-4 times a day in the interval between two meals. Strengthen the movement of abdominal wall and anal muscles by letting children run, play, exercise, and do sports regularly. Practice defecation at the prescribed time, choose a time when the child is not in a hurry, usually choose after a meal because at this time the bowel movement increases, so avoid forcing the child to sit on the potty or toilet for too long. If anal fissures need to be cleaned and applied with medicine. Besides, to limit the child's constipation as well as the use of antibiotics, parents should pay attention to the nutrition regimen to improve the resistance of children. young. 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.
Constipation is a condition that many children have, especially during the period when they start eating solid foods. Therefore, parents need to know the symptoms and have an appropriate nutritional adjustment. If prolonged constipation makes the child anorexic and uncomfortable, it is necessary to take the child to the medical center for examination and treatment, to avoid possible dangerous complications.

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