Constipation In Kids
Despite our best efforts to take care of ourselves and the people we love, health problems occasionally persist. We have two options when that happens. Either we can choose to ignore the problem and wish it didn't exist, or we can adapt to the situation.
Symptoms of Constipation in Children
Your child might not be able to express that they are feeling backed up, depending on their age. Parents must monitor their children's behavior because of this. Even verbal children might not understand that their stomach hurts because they haven't been pooping.
Based on age, the following are symptoms of constipation:
Babies
Babies frequently experience constipation while switching from breastfeeding to formula or when introduced to solid foods. Constipation in a newborn who is being exclusively given breastmilk or formula is a warning sign for a larger problem, most often food sensitivities.
Constipation can be identified by staying longer than four days without having a bowel movement, having fewer bowel movements than usual, sobbing when passing stools, pebble-like or dry feces, or struggling or straining when pooping.
Toddlers
Normal is seen as occurring daily or once every three days, but abrupt shifts are cause for concern, such as if your typical daily pooper has gone three days without going. Older toddlers may complain that it aches to poop or that their stomach hurts. Additionally, you can observe that their stomach protrudes more than usual and is difficult to touch. Bowel movements could be exceptionally large or difficult to pass. Before they can effectively pass it, the stool could appear to move out and then back in.
Foods That Make Children Constipated
The most frequent food-related cause of constipation is a lack of fiber. The quantity of grams of fiber your child needs to consume each day is equal to their age plus 5. Infants younger than six months make an exception because they don't require any other food besides breastmilk or formula. Stop feeding your kid if you introduced solids before six months and they are experiencing constipation, especially if you started with rice cereal or something similar! A lack of fiber is closely related to an excess of high-starch foods like crackers, cookies, spaghetti, bread, etc. Another typical food-related cause of constipation is food intolerances, which are most frequently to cow dairy, wheat, or gluten. Many children switch from breastfeeding or formula to cow's milk right away, which for many is the main reason for constipation. Wheat is also difficult to digest and, for some kids, can cause constipation. Additionally, individuals might suffer from gluten intolerance, in which case ingesting gluten results in inflammation and a variety of GI symptoms.
Including these foods in your diet can be very helpful for children who are constipated:
Chia seeds are added to sugar-free water kefir to give flavor and helpful wild probiotic strains. Chia seeds help to keep the intestines moist and keep kids interested in eating them.
Fermented vegetables have more fiber and healthy microorganisms. You would not expect your child to eat them, but you'd be shocked at how many babies and toddlers adore them, particularly pickled beets!
Some of my favorite high-fiber foods are strawberries, apples, pears, prunes, bananas, avocado, beets, blueberries, raspberries, broccoli, chickpeas, lentils, black beans, pumpkin, peas, spinach, and sweet potatoes.
watch out for your children's hydration! Babies older than six months old can drink a few ounces of water each day (and will get the majority of their hydration from breastmilk or formula). The recommended daily fluid intake for toddlers ranges from 16 to 32 ounces, with the majority being water rather than milk, milk substitutes, or juice.
If your child won't drink enough water, you can add taste by letting fruit soak in water in the refrigerator for an entire day, or you can add a splash of something flavored like the low-sugar Kefir Water or coconut water.
Other Things That Cause Constipation
It's time to look a little farther if the diet has already been addressed and the constipation isn't getting better. Other factors that I frequently encounter in children that contribute to constipation include parasites, H pylori, Candida overgrowth, and Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO).
Children frequently put their hands in their mouths, which makes them a good host for diseases and parasites. Additionally, because their immune systems haven't fully developed, they are more vulnerable to things like waterborne parasites and foodborne illnesses.
Acute GI infections like food poisoning can also result in Post-Infectious Irritable Bowel Syndrome, sometimes referred to as Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO).
Stool tests can be used to diagnose all of these conditions, and natural supplement programs can be used to treat them.
A SIBO breath test can be performed if your child is old enough, however, I find that treating dysbiosis more generally in children based only on stool panels is usually sufficient.
