A. Common causes
1.Insufficient diet
When infants eat too little, the liquid absorbed after digestion residue less, resulting in less stool, thickening. When the amount of sugar in the milk is not enough intestinal peristalsis is weak, can make the stool dry. Inadequate diet for a longer period of time caused by malnutrition, abdominal muscle and intestinal muscle tone is reduced, and even atrophy, contraction force is weakened, forming a vicious circle, aggravating constipation.
2, improper food composition
The nature of the stool and food composition is closely related. If the food contains a lot of protein, and not enough carbohydrate, intestinal flora secondary changes, intestinal content fermentation process less, stool easy to alkaline, dry; such as food containing more carbohydrate, intestinal fermentation bacteria increased, fermentation, acid production, stool easy to acidic, more often and soft; such as eating fat and carbohydrate are high, the stool is moistened. If you eat a lot of calcified casein, feces containing a large amount of insoluble calcium soap, feces increased, and easy to constipation. Carbohydrates in the rice flour, flour-based foods than cereals easy to constipation. Children’s partial diet, many children like to eat meat, eat less or do not eat vegetables, too little fiber in the food, also prone to constipation.
3, intestinal malfunction
Irregular life and the lack of regular bowel training, the conditioned reflex of defecation is not formed, resulting in constipation is very common. In addition, school-age children often do not have the habit of early morning bowel movements, and study time can not be ready to defecate, hold the stool during class is also a common cause of constipation. Commonly used laxatives or enemas, lack of physical activity, or chronic diseases such as malnutrition, rickets, hypercalcemia, dermatomyositis, cretinism and congenital muscle weakness, etc., are due to weakness and malfunction of the intestinal wall muscles and constipation. Sympathetic nerve malfunction, weakness or paralysis of the abdominal muscles also often make the stool constipation. Taking certain drugs can reduce intestinal motility and constipation, such as anticholinergic drugs, antacids, certain anticonvulsants, diuretics and iron, etc.
4.Physical and physical abnormalities
Such as anal fissure, anal stenosis, congenital megacolon, spina bifida or tumor compression of cauda equina can cause constipation. Anal finger examination, lower spine and perineal examination should be performed. Some children are born with constipation, such as a family history, may be related to genetics.
5, mental factors
Children with sudden mental stimulation, or sudden changes in the environment and living habits can also cause a short period of constipation.
Second, treatment
The fundamental treatment for simple constipation is to improve the diet, with more water and foods containing more fiber (such as cereals, vegetables, etc.). At the same time, train the bowel habit. Medication should only be used temporarily when necessary.
1.Correction of the diet of human breast-fed infants
Human breast-fed infants are less likely to constipation. If it happens, in addition to feeding human milk, add laxative food, such as sweetened vegetable water or orange juice (apply fresh orange juice squeezed, commercially available bottled orange juice is easy to contaminate after opening), tomato juice, boiled hawthorn or red dates water. 4 months or more can add vegetable puree or cooked fruit puree. When breast milk is not enough, you can add 1 to 2 times of cow’s milk with 8% sugar. Honey water 60 to 90ml per day also helps.
2, artificial feeding of infants diet correction
Artificially fed children are more likely to constipation, but such as a reasonable addition of sugar and complementary foods, can avoid constipation. If it happens, you can add sugar to cow’s milk to 8%, and can be fed with fruit juice (such as tomato juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, date juice and other boiled fruit juice) to stimulate intestinal peristalsis. For older infants, supplementary foods such as mashed vegetables, minced vegetables, fruits, and porridge can be added. For older babies, coarser cereals such as corn flour, millet and cereal can be added to make porridge. In 1 to 2 weeks of age, such as has added a variety of complementary foods, the daily amount of milk 500ml that is enough, can eat more coarse food, sweet potatoes, carrots and vegetables. Malnourished children with constipation, pay attention to supplemental nutrition, gradually increase the amount of entry, the nutritional situation improved, the abdominal muscle, intestinal muscle growth, tension increased, defecation naturally and gradually smooth.
3, training habits
Defecation is a reflex movement, children can develop the habit of defecation on time after training. Generally more than three months old infants can start training, early in the morning after feeding by the adult two hands to support, or sitting basin or defecation small chair, continuous and timely implementation of half to one month can develop habits. Do not change the time at will after the formation. For older children with chronic constipation, in addition to encouraging them to exercise more, more fiber food, should also make them pass stool on time, to develop good habits.
4.Other treatments
Acute constipation or fecal block embedment, available open celluar (glycerin and sorbitol preparations) 5 ~ 10ml injected into the anus, stimulate the rectum to cause defecation; at home, a small bar of soap can be inserted into the infant anal laxative, also available pinky finger wearing like leather gloves dipped in a small amount of paraffin oil or petroleum jelly, inserted into the anal laxative. The method of enema stimulation is strong, easy to develop a habit, non-special needs are not used.