Constipation

Constipation is becoming more and more common worldwide over recent years. According to Dr. Mubina Agboatwalla, child specialist in Karachi, this is chiefly attributed to dietary changes in children habits. Children tend to eat more fast food, which is refined and contains less fiber; foods such as pizza, burgers, noodles, white bread, cakes, white refined flour, french fries, chips etc. Due to which children tend to initially pass less and less stools. The stool then starts getting hard. The child has difficulty in passing hard stools so he tries to hold the stools. As the child holds the stools they become more hard. The child cries in pain while trying to pass stools. It is a very painful condition. The hard stools can cause a fissure in the anus, which is even more painful and may result in blood trickling with the hard stools. The child holds the stool even more and gets more constipated. A vicious cycle is thus set up.

The child is irritable, does not like to eat. Complaints of stomach ache. Dietary changes are the key. The child should eat less rice, more roti made from whole grain or brown bread, more fruits and vegetables with fiber, fewer juices. Fresh fruit should be taken. Quaker oats porridge is very healthy. The child can take one date per day, also dried figs (Anjeer) with warm milk and papaya. These are very beneficial to ease the constipation. Avoid suppositories and enema. Apply petroleum jelly (Vaseline) near the anus. This together with laxatives will help break the habit. However, consultation with the doctor is essential.