Over the past decades, the number of problems with bowel movements has increased significantly, and such a pathology occurs not only in the elderly, but also at a young age, and recently children have also begun to suffer from constipation. Some facts about the problem of constipation in childhood were highlighted by Elena Alexandrovna Kornienko, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology of the FPC and PP of the St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical Academy.

What is constipation in a child?

According to various studies conducted by specialists of the pediatric academy, from 3 to 25 percent of children complain of constipation when visiting a doctor.. This is the data for St. Petersburg.

Constipation in a child is not easy to diagnose and treat due to the fact that there is no specific definition of this concept.. Doctors and patients mean different things by the term "

If all processes in the body are normal, the frequency of bowel movements is not constant.. Children during the first few months of life empty their intestines from once every two days to 6-7 times a day. These figures are typical for breastfeeding.. The introduction of complementary foods leads to the appearance of rarer and thicker stools. Children older than three years have bowel movements from three times a day to three times a week.

What is the cause of constipation in children?

Most often, the absence of stool occurs due to functional reasons.. Constipation at the age of several days or months may be caused by the incomplete formation of the nerve supply of the large intestine.. It is still difficult for a child to coordinate the contraction of the muscles of the pelvic floor and intestinal motility, so children at this age often worry and scream before emptying their intestines.. After one to two months, the frequency of such constipation becomes extremely rare..

Constipation may accompany the transition of the child to artificial feeding. The cause of constipation may be a history of acute intestinal infection, both bacterial and viral, the presence of prolonged diarrhea. If the child is already one year old, constipation may occur due to the fact that the child himself provokes stool retention due to the fact that he does not want to go to the pot. Most often this happens, lack of time is a common cause of constipation in children from the older age group. Eating disorders can also cause stool retention.. The amount of fecal mass and intestinal motility is influenced by the amount of fiber contained in foods. Dietary fibers are part of the ballast component of food, they are not completely broken down by the natural intestinal microflora, retain water, give the stool a soft texture and volume.. As a result, the evacuation of feces from the intestine is facilitated. Frequent consumption of fatty, meaty, refined foods leads to the formation of too dense stools, food stays in the intestines longer.

How to treat constipation in a child: advice to parents Therapy of constipation in childhood should begin with adjusting the regimen and diet of the child. In infancy, it is necessary to switch to mixtures with a reduced ratio of proteins and carbohydrates.

Older children are advised to drink more, eat fermented milk products every day, include buckwheat and barley porridge in the diet (they contain a lot of dietary fiber), eat more bran bread, beets, dried apricots, figs, baked apples and prunes.

If the child has constipation, he needs to move more, play sports (swimming, running or walking). The use of drugs is an extreme measure in the treatment of constipation, it is resorted to only in the absence of the effect of other methods of normalizing the stool.

Medications for constipation Pediatricians are armed with several groups of laxatives.

Preparations based on anthraquinones and substances that irritate the nerve endings of the colon. These include hay, buckthorn and joster. Prolonged use of them can lead to diarrhea, addiction, and even melanosis of the large intestine..

Salt laxatives. These include Karlovy Vary salt, magnesia and other medicines.. These drugs have a high osmolarity, which leads to water retention and stool thinning.. They are rarely used in children. it is difficult to calculate the exact dosage, and as a result of their use, disturbances in the ratio of blood electrolytes may occur. Children are reluctant to take these medicines because of the unpleasant taste. These medicines are used for detoxification, the rapid removal of poisons from the intestines..

Mineral oils (vaseline oil) are not affected by intestinal enzymes and absorption, they can be safely used in childhood. Sometimes their use leads to a deterioration in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and malabsorption of nutrients..

Laxatives that increase the amount of feces (drugs from seaweed, psyllium seeds).

Most widely used in adult patients, require a significant amount of water to be consumed. Rarely used in children.

Osmotic laxatives (polyethylene glycol, lactulose). Retains water, which leads to softening of stools. Fairly common in pediatric practice.

However, before resorting to drug treatment, be sure to consult a pediatrician.! Uncontrolled and improper use of laxatives can grossly disrupt the unsteady balance of metabolism in an immature and immature body.

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