Patient's question:
Doctor, hello:My child is now 1 year and 2 months old. He never eats properly, and whenever he eats, he spits it out with a "puff, puff" sound, spraying food everywhere. What's going on? Also, his recent bowel movements have been black stools. Is it because he has a "fire"? His bowel movements are also poor—only three times in three days. What should I feed him, or what medicine should I give him? My child won't eat vegetables or fruits. He refuses to eat fruits at all; he spits them out after taking just one bite and then stops. It's driving me crazy. Please, I really need your help. I will be extremely grateful to you. Thank you again.
Doctor's answer:
Hello: Black stools suggest a hospital examination to rule out occult blood. Treatment for pediatric constipation should be as follows:(1) Training bowel habits to cultivate a habit of regular bowel movements. When a child is defecating, it is best to avoid external distractions, such as playing with them or reading stories, as this may divert their attention and hinder defecation.
(2) Correcting poor dietary habits, such as picky eating, and increasing the intake of high-fiber foods like chives and celery.
(3) Shaving soap into finger-sized pieces, about 3–4 cm long, moistening them with water, and inserting them into the rectum to stimulate defecation.
(4) Using glycerin suppositories for enemas, with a dosage of 5–10 mL per time.
(5) Mixing glycerin with an equal amount of water for enemas, with a glycerin dosage of 5–20 mL per time.
(6) Boiling 30 grams of white honey over low heat until it becomes viscous, then shaping it into pills. For children the size of a little finger, use one pill per time, inserting it into the rectum.
(7) Using 1% soap water or physiological saline for enemas. For children under 3 years old, saline is more suitable. Dosage: under 6 months, 50 mL; 6 months to 3 years, 100–200 mL; 3–7 years, 200–300 mL; over 7 years, 300–500 mL.
(8) Administering liquid paraffin before bed, at a dose of 0.5 mL per kilogram of body weight.
(9) Taking 9 grams of Mahuan Runtian pills before bed each night.
(10) Taking 1–2 pills of Niuhuang Shangqing pills before bed each night.
(11) In some cases, a child’s stool may be extremely hard and stuck at the anal opening, requiring an adult to manually remove it to relieve the child’s discomfort.