2-year-old child is constipated, what to do?

Constipation in 2-year-olds is a common condition that worries many parents. Constipation can be severe or prolonged, even causing a 2-year-old baby to have blood in the stool, affecting health and development. To improve the condition of a 2-year-old child with constipation, parents need to combine many measures, the most important of which is adding fiber and drinking enough water.

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 feces. A 2-year-old child is constipated when he has bowel movements less than twice a week. Children with constipation often have to push a lot, leading to burning pain, even anal fissures. As a result, a 2-year-old baby has bloody constipation or rectal prolapse. This makes children obsessed, afraid of defecation, making going more In addition, constipation in children, if not treated promptly and properly, will cause many consequences such as anorexia, flatulence, bloating. , indigestion, vomiting, stunted children, malnutrition and growth retardation.
There are many causes of constipation in 2-year-olds, which are:
Drink less water: 2-year-olds are often hyperactive and playful, so they sweat a lot, especially in the hot season. If the child is not provided with enough water, the amount of body water will be deficient and easy to cause constipation. Daily diet lacks fiber: Most 2-year-olds do not like to eat vegetables, tubers and fruits. Therefore, the child's body will lack fiber, making the stools dry and slow moving. Milk that is too thick or mixed with the wrong formula is the cause of constipation in 2-year-olds. The feeling of pain in the anus when defecating makes children feel afraid and hold back defecation. Over time, stool will accumulate in the large intestine for a long time, the stool will absorb water and become dry, slow moving, leading to constipation. Some drugs can make children constipated such as cough medicine containing codeine, antiepileptic drugs, anticonvulsants, ... Disturbance of intestinal flora due to taking some antibiotics. Physical damage (rare, usually accounting for 5% of causes of constipation) is mainly congenital malformations such as megacolon (Hirschsprung disease), hypothyroidism (Myxoedeme disease), Down's disease. Anal fissures, hemorrhoids, anal spasms, polio, spondylolisthesis.

Depending on the cause of constipation in children, there are appropriate treatments. In general, to improve the problem of children with constipation, parents need to understand the following principles:
Give children plenty of water: Children 2 years old need to drink from 500 to 600 ml of water per day. In addition to feeding children fully 4 important nutrient groups in their daily meals, children need to eat lots of green vegetables and fruits. Choose vegetables with laxative properties such as sweet potatoes, spinach, and amaranth. It can be chopped and boiled, steamed or cooked for children to eat. Give your child fruit and vegetable juice to drink 3-4 times a day. When cooking porridge, you should add pureed vegetables for children to eat. Give your child fruits such as grapefruit, banana, papaya, dragon fruit, oranges, and tangerines (it is better to eat whole pieces). Limit for 2-year-old children with constipation to eat acrid fruits such as guava, sapodilla,... Fruits can be cut into small pieces for children to hold or pureed into a smoothie to drink every day. If the child is constipated from drinking cow's milk, it should be diluted a little more milk or mixed with porridge cooked with vegetables. If a 2-year-old baby is constipated with blood, it means that he or she is severely constipated. So when "a 2-year-old child is constipated, what medicine should he take" if the change in diet cannot improve the child's constipation. Accordingly, parents can use a number of drugs such as: In the morning, give children Paraffin oil to drink, drugs containing magnesium sulfate with laxative effect or drugs containing live bacteria in freeze-dried form such as microbial nuggets. to balance the intestinal flora. Enemas are a last resort for constipation, but should only be done as directed by your doctor. Do not abuse enemas to solve the child's constipation because it can cause dilation of the sigmoid colon and rectum, make the child lose the natural defecation reflex, and form a habit, if not enema, the child will not pass on his own. defecate. Support to increase bowel movements for children by massaging the abdomen in a clockwise direction 3-4 times a day, about 5 minutes each time, in between 2 meals. When massaging, the mother can press deeply on the lower left abdomen to stimulate peristalsis. Forming children the habit of going to the toilet on time. Should choose a time to defecate when the child is not in a hurry, usually right after a meal because bowel movements are increasing at this time. Children should not sit on the toilet or potty for too long. In the case of children with constipation due to anal fissures, parents should wash the anus and apply 2% silver sodium solution to the anus. Treatment of comorbidities (if any) such as anemia, rickets, malnutrition.

Here are some foods to help constipated 2-year-old children pass stool more easily:
Gotu kola juice: Gotu kola not only helps to clear heat and eliminate toxins, but also contains a lot of fiber and antioxidants. Very good for gut health. In particular, the fiber in gotu kola will make stools spongy, soft and easy to pass out. Therefore, in order to improve constipation, parents can add gotu kola directly into the main meals or give the child juice to drink pureed centella asiatica 2-3 times a week at snacks. Spinach: Spinach contains a lot of mucus and fiber, so it is very effective for clearing body heat and treating constipation. Mother can process spinach into dishes such as shrimp porridge cooked with spinach, crab soup with spinach,... Drink lemon juice: Lemon contains many natural acids and vitamin C. Therefore, lemon has a strengthening effect to support better food digestion, minimizing indigestion and constipation in children. In addition, lemon also helps children strengthen resistance. Therefore, mothers can use lemon to spice up their meals or mix drinks to overcome constipation in children. . Not only that, black sesame also has a laxative effect and cures constipation effectively. Therefore, using black sesame to cook porridge for children is an effective measure to improve constipation. Honey: Honey reduces stomach acid and stimulates the digestive system. Therefore, mothers should cook black bean juice mixed with honey to treat constipation for children 2 years old (honey should not be used for children under 1 year old because it can cause poisoning). With a delicious taste and easy to drink, mothers can give their children black bean juice mixed with honey twice a day. In addition, children need to add necessary micronutrients such as: Zinc, selenium, chromium, vitamins B1 and B6, ginger, acerola fruit extract (vitamin C), ... to improve taste, eat delicious , reach the right height and weight and exceed the standard, have a good immune system, strengthen the resistance to get sick less often and have less digestive problems.
The improvement of symptoms can take place for a long time, so it is recommended that parents be calm and persistent when supplementing with nutrients for children, even through eating or functional foods. In particular, the use of functional foods should choose those of natural origin that are easily absorbed, do not allow simultaneous use of many types or continuously change the types of functional foods.
For more nutritional knowledge and child care for each age, parents should regularly visit the website vimec.com and make an appointment with the leading doctors, pediatric and nutrition experts of the National General Hospital. Vinmec when needing advice on children's health.