Patient's question:
My son is 58 days old, and he hasn't had a bowel movement for two days. He has also had three days without a bowel movement before. Later, we used some glycerin suppositories and he passed a lot, but we can't keep using them all the time! Is there any other solution?First follow-up question: By the way, my son is breastfed, and I've been giving him Mammae recently, one dose per day.
Second follow-up question: My son hasn't had a bowel movement for two more days. I'm afraid to use glycerin suppositories again, but what can I do? Yesterday, I gave him honey water, but he refused to drink it. I gave him a little, and soon after, he vomited everything, including his milk. I'm very worried and don't know what to do. I was in the postpartum period when...
Doctor's answer:
Hello: Common treatments for 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 them, as this may divert their attention and hinder 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, wetting 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, then shaping it into pills. If the child’s finger is 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. Adults may need to use their fingers to remove the stool.