Make your intestines happy with a healthy diet
The biggest cause of constipation in children (95%) is wrong eating habits. Constipation due to some diseases has a frequency of only 5%.
Constipation, which refers to hard and painful defecation less than 3 times a week, has a prevalence of up to 28% in the childhood age group. While 5% of constipation cases in children are caused by another disease, 95% of them are caused by errors in nutrition and toilet habits, which we call non-organic (functional) causes.
Since constipation is a long-lasting health problem, it is undoubtedly a distressing and patience-requiring situation for both parents and children. However, although it may sometimes take months (1-12) to resolve, it is a treatable problem. As we mentioned at the beginning, the probability that constipation is associated with other diseases is quite low. When such a situation occurs, additional findings are definitely seen during the examination of the child. Anadolu Health Center Child Health and Diseases Specialist Dr. Namık Kemal Akpınar has important messages for mothers and fathers on the subject…
Our Intestines Don’t Like Junk Food!
One of the main causes of constipation is unhealthy eating habits. In this list of eating habits full of mistakes; There are many reasons for this, such as eating concentrated-sugar foods with a lot of additives, known as junk food and usually supplied from outside the home, a diet low in vegetables and fruits, excessive consumption of pasteurized cow’s milk, insufficient fiber food consumption and insufficient fluid intake. Therefore, in order to prevent constipation, the consumption of these foods should be prevented, the consumption of all kinds of vegetables and fruits (such as dried or fresh apricots, plums, pears, peaches, etc. depending on the season) should be increased. If there is milk consumption under 2 years of age, it should not exceed 2 glasses of water a day, plenty of liquids should be consumed, sugar dough should be consumed. and dough-based foods should be avoided. Since popcorn has a high fiber content, it can be taken intermittently.
Don’t Let It Delay!
Another cause of constipation is the voluntary or involuntary delay in going to the toilet. While the fluid content of the stool decreases and becomes more solid as it waits in the stool, the person’s reflex desire to go to the toilet gradually decreases as the stool waits in the last part of the stool. Considering that our bowel movements accelerate during the meal and in the first 30 minutes after the meal, we can say that it is important for parents to give their children the habit of sitting on the toilet after every meal, especially after breakfast. Ensuring that their children sit on the toilet for at least 10 minutes and giving rewards to the child after each toilet will also help them overcome this process more easily.
Beware of Unscientific Practices!
Since conditions such as anal sores or hemorrhoids cause pain during defecation, children may postpone defecation and turn it into a habit to hold their poop. In such cases, sitz baths in warm water reduce the pain in the anus and provide relief. However, do not act without consulting your doctor for such practices and effective treatments. For example, frequent use of suppositories and application of soap and similar products are some of the wrong practices. Just listen to your doctor and use the medications in the doses and duration recommended by your doctor. Drug treatment is not stopped immediately after easy defecation, but is tapered off over a period of months and the treatment is completed.
