Constipation in children is a syndrome characterized by delay and difficulty in defecation, absence of stool for several days.
Why is it harmful to health?
When defecation is delayed and difficult, intestinal contents remain in the large intestine for too long and lose a lot of water as water from it is absorbed through the intestinal wall. The contents of the intestines become hard and are excreted with great difficulty.
Together with the absorbed water from the food coma, the products of food decomposition and the release of microflora enter the body, which bypass the main filter - the liver and enter the bloodstream. In the large intestine, the processes of putrefaction and fermentation intensify, and dysbacteriosis develops. This causes general intoxication (poisoning).
Causes
In infants, the causes of this ailment are of various origins.
It is possible to completely use human milk and a small amount of feces, as a result of which sufficient peristalsis does not occur.
With artificial feeding, the cause of constipation may be malnutrition or a monotonous milk diet. This is the so-called nutritional constipation.
In older children, as well as in adults, they develop with a monotonous, predominantly meat or mealy diet, as well as with a sparing or waste-free diet for a long time. The cause of constipation in this case is the lack of plant fiber and vitamins (especially vitamin B12), which are causative agents of peristalsis and regulate intestinal motility.
Defecation disorders can also occur in certain diseases, for example, in children suffering from rickets, malnutrition, hypothyroidism. In these cases, the absence of stool is due to atony of the intestines and abdominal wall (atonic constipation).
In some cases, constipation is a consequence of dyskinetic intestinal disorders, when spasm simultaneously occurs in some areas and atony in other areas.
The cause of constipation in childhood can be developmental anomalies - elongation and expansion of the colon or its parts, a sharp narrowing of the lumen of the distal intestine.
Often at school age, stool retention occurs when the act of defecation is suppressed during play or school lessons. In these cases, so-called habitual constipation occurs. They are caused by distension of the lower colon.
With anal fissures or inflammation in the rectum due to Hirschsprung's disease, children also suppress bowel movements due to painful sensations.
Symptoms
The main symptom, as noted above, is stool retention, sometimes for several days.
In persistent cases it is accompanied
- bloating,
- feeling of heaviness
- loss of appetite,
- nausea in the morning
- fatigue,
- headaches,
- high diaphragm position,
- bad breath,
- stomach ache.
Young children experience restlessness caused by intestinal colic (accumulation of gas).
Treatment
Most often, constipation can be eliminated by prescribing therapeutic nutrition .
If there are painful abrasions, in order for the child not to be afraid of the act of defecation, it is necessary, along with changing food, to take care of easy, painless bowel movements.
To do this, half an hour before putting the child on the potty, give a small (10-15 ml) oil enema or use ready-made microenemas sold at the pharmacy.
Thus, the mucous membrane of the lower part of the rectum is moistened with an oily liquid, and when defecating, the child does not feel pain, he gradually ceases to be afraid of the act of defecation.
Light relaxation is achieved by taking 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of Vaseline oil orally.
Constipation in Hirschsprung's disease usually cannot be eliminated by conventional measures; more often in such cases, surgical intervention is resorted to.
Defecation is a reflex act, so an indispensable condition for preventing constipation is systematically teaching the child to defecate at a certain time.
To remove hardened stool, it is recommended to do a cleansing enema. To do this, add a solution of baby soap to the water (stir until foam appears) or table salt (1/3 tsp per glass of water). It should be borne in mind that cleansing enemas are not a method of treatment, but an ambulance. They should not be abused, since frequent use washes out the beneficial microflora of the large intestine and increases the symptoms of dysbacteriosis.
For functional constipation, the following procedures are useful, which increase the tone of the abdominal wall and help normalize intestinal motility:
- sitz baths at a water temperature of 28-30°C, in the bath the abdomen is massaged in a circular motion clockwise, taken every other day; Warm pine baths with a water temperature of 35-36°C are also taken every other day. Duration of baths is 15 minutes;
- abdominal massage (circular stroking in a clockwise direction), massage duration is 5-8 minutes, it is advisable to do the massage before defecation;
- Physical therapy with exercises for the muscles of the pelvic girdle, hips, and abdominal girdle is very useful. After charging, it is useful to wipe the body with water at room temperature with vigorous rubbing with a terry towel;
- A reflex massage according to the canons of Eastern medicine has a good effect for constipation - massage of the index fingers for 2-3 minutes, massage of the feet in the heel area.
Features of care
Constipation is often caused by a lack of water in the body and slow intestinal motility. It is necessary to ensure that the child drinks enough fluids and eats more foods rich in plant fiber.
Prevention
It is necessary from an early age to accustom the child to regular bowel movements at a certain time, to develop a reflex to defecation.
Constipation can develop if parents, after putting the child on the potty, allow him to play.
Children should be taught to select the position in the toilet that is most favorable for the act of defecation. The usual pose is to sit and pull your hips toward your stomach, leaning on the floor as you strain with each exhalation. It is necessary to strain slowly, evenly retracting the anus. Self-massage of the abdomen and pressure between the tailbone and the anus helps.
To prevent constipation, you should eat less refined foods, which do not provide enough indigestible dietary fiber.
Violation of the drinking regime also contributes to the compaction of stool.
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