Patient's question:
My daughter is almost two years old and has been drinking formula since she was a baby. She still doesn't like eating much and feels nauseous when she eats vegetables. She started experiencing constipation around the age of 9 months. I don't know if it's because she doesn't absorb nutrients well or if it's just due to drinking formula. I was wondering if she should take some stomach medicine. She doesn't eat much, but she does eat eggs. Mostly, she drinks formula. Could you please help me with this? Thank you!!Doctor's answer:
Hello:Common treatments for pediatric constipation include:
(1) Training bowel habits to cultivate a habit of defecating at regular times. When a child is defecating, it is best to avoid external distractions, such as playing or reading stories to the child, as this may divert their attention and affect defecation.
(2) Correcting poor dietary habits, such as picky eating, and increasing the intake of fresh vegetables and fruits.
(3) Shaving soap into small 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) Adding an equal amount of water to glycerin for enemas, with a glycerin dosage of 5–20 mL per time.
(6) Using 30 grams of white honey, simmering it over low heat until it becomes viscous, and then shaping it into pills. For children the size of a small finger, use 1 pill per time, inserting it into the rectum.
(7) Using 1% soap water or physiological saline for enemas. Children under 3 years old are more suitable for saline. The dosage is 50 mL for those under 6 months, 100–200 mL for those aged 6 months to 3 years, 200–300 mL for those aged 3–7 years, and 300–500 mL for those over 7 years.
(8) Children can take liquid paraffin before bed, with a dosage 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 is hard and stuck at the anal opening, requiring an adult to manually remove it to relieve the child’s discomfort.
(12) Traditional Chinese medicine treatment.
1. Modified Zhike Daoshi Decoction: Zhike, Shan