Dr. Jayant Khandare, pediatric and neonatal consultant at Surya Mother and Child Superior Hospital (Pune, India), said that many families consider constipation a temporary eating issue, so they do not take their children to the doctor until the symptoms become serious and cause obvious pain.
According to Dr. Khandare, children's constipation is mainly due to changes in lifestyle and living habits. Children today consume a lot of snacks, processed and super-processed foods, while their diets lack fiber from green vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
In addition, not drinking enough water and doing little physical activity also makes the digestive system work less effectively.
Not only diet, the school environment also contributes to increasing the risk of constipation. Many children have a habit of skipping bowel movements because they don't like school toilets, because they are too rushed in the morning, or have experienced pain during bowel movements.
When children stop urinating, the stools will stay longer in the intestines, becoming hard and large, making the next diarrhea more painful. This creates a vicious cycle and quickly turns constipation from occasional to chronic," Dr. Khandare explained.
One of the biggest difficulties is that constipation signs in children are often overlooked by parents. In addition to frequent diarrhea, children may experience more discreet manifestations such as dry, hard stools, pain during urination, abdominal pain or prolonged bloating.
Some children eat worse than usual, reduce cravings, or have repressive behaviors such as crossing their legs, gritting their teeth to avoid going to the toilet. These changes are sometimes misunderstood as anorexia or common abdominal pain.
Dr. Khandare recommends that parents pay special attention and take their children to the doctor when constipation lasts for more than two weeks, or is accompanied by serious signs such as fever, blood in the stools, obvious abdominal distension, weight loss, severe pain, which is a condition in which a part of the rectal gland comes out of the anus.
Although constipation in children can be controlled and treated effectively, early intervention plays a key role. Adjusting a high-fiber diet, encouraging children to drink enough water, increasing exercise, and building a routine routine can significantly improve this condition.
More importantly, parents need to listen to and observe small changes in children to promptly protect their children's intestinal health from an early age.
(The article is for reference only, not for professional advice. Always consult a doctor or medical expert if you have questions).
