Constipation in children is not a very pleasant and common problem that periodically worries many parents. Problems with timely bowel movements can be caused by various reasons, but in any case, with constipation in a child, a balanced diet and therapeutic nutrition will help to improve the functioning of the digestive tract.
Due to their occurrence, constipation is distinguished:
- functional;
- organic (Hirschsprung's disease, dolichosigma);
- inflammatory (colitis);
- caused by viscero-visceral reflexes, which can come from any internal organ.
Most often, children experience functional constipation - impaired bowel function with an increase in interruptions between bowel movements or incomplete emptying. For example, in a newborn, the frequency of bowel movements should approximately correspond to the number of feedings. After the introduction of complementary foods, the normal frequency of defecation is 1-2 times a day. In artificial children, preschoolers and schoolchildren, the absence of bowel movements for more than a day can already be considered constipation.
Causes of functional constipation
Functional constipation is caused by a violation of the mechanisms of intestinal motility, so diet is very important in its treatment. The main reasons for its occurrence:
- Alimentary constipation- occurs when the diet is disturbed, the wrong regimen is organized, the food is monotonous, the child drinks little liquid or the mother violates the rules for feeding the child up to 1 year of age.
- Conditioned reflex constipation- develops in very shy children, for whom going to the toilet outside the home (for example, in a kindergarten or school) is a big problem.
- psychogenic- occurs due to psycho-emotional stress.
- Secondary changes in intestinal motility and tone against the background of disturbances in the excitability of the autonomic nervous system, for example, with rickets, hypothyroidism, helminthic invasion, or due to taking certain medications.
- Constipation is atonic- quite often observed in children with Down's disease.
- Water-electrolyte- when a significant amount of fluid is lost as a result of certain diseases.
- Intoxicating constipation- occurs when poisoning with tranquilizers, opiates, benzene, lead.
Also, food allergies or morphofunctional immaturity of the intestine can provoke constipation.
Recognizing Constipation
If you suspect constipation in your child, it will not be superfluous to know the diagnostic criteria for this condition:
- no bowel movements for more than 24 hours;
- the need to push hard and for a long time;
- a meager amount of hard feces resembling sheep peas;
- feeling of incomplete emptying (only older children can tell);
- painful and painful act of defecation.
Constipation can be acute, as well as chronic, which develops gradually. If the child does not pass gases during acute constipation, a mandatory consultation with a pediatric surgeon is necessary, since intestinal obstruction should be feared.
Constipation relief principles
Treatment for constipation in children is aimed at eliminating pain, correcting motor skills and restoring the defecation reflex.
For constipation in a child breastfeeding, you will have to change the diet of a nursing mother. It is necessary to avoid the use white bread, rice, semolina, whole milk, black tea and coffee. In no case do not drink carbonated drinks, especially sweet ones. Constipation in infants usually goes away with the introduction to the complementary foods menu.
If an artificial baby is constipated, make sure the baby is getting enough water and try a different formula. For the prevention of constipation, it is preferable to choose mixtures containing lacto- and bifidobacteria.
A diet for constipation in children from 1 to 2 years old can be caused by buns and cookies that grandmothers strive to feed, indignant that "the child is as thin as a reed." Products that delay the process of bowel movement must be excluded in the first place.
Pasta, dumplings, dumplings, of course, make mom's life easier, but they can harm the child's still weak intestines. Dairy products, cheese and cocoa are also banned. At 2 years old, you should not give your baby lentils or pea soups, avoid white rice.
For children over 3 years old, you can diversify the diet by introducing cereals with coarse fibers, rye bread with bran, and dried fruits into the menu. It is also fashionable to add bran to vegetable soups, yogurts, juices.
At 4 years old, children should eat a general menu, but meals should still contain healthy dietary fiber that stimulates intestinal motility. Do not give children 4-7 years of carbonated drinks (neither sweet nor simple), chips, crackers and fast food.
In principle, the same rules apply to school-age children. Make sure that, for example, at the age of 10, a child does not "lean" on fast food, and other "delicious hazards", try to maintain a balanced diet to the maximum.
Don't forget about water
Separately, it should be said about the drinking regimen. Be sure to give children from 1 to 4 years a sufficient amount of liquid. It can be boiled water, filtered unboiled, bottled drinking, mineral non-carbonated. Soups, compotes, juices are also required.
The student's drinking regimen should also be sufficient, but it should not be carbonated water.
What is Diet No 3
For children suffering from constipation, diet number 3 is well suited, which is aimed at restoring all the functions of the digestive tract. The basic rule of this diet is that their diet excludes all foods that can increase fermentation or putrefaction, strongly stimulate the secretory function of the stomach, pancreas, and increase the secretion of bile juice.
A balanced diet for constipation is a big part of success.
Following diet No 3, you can eat:
- all kinds of casseroles and cereals (except rice);
- fresh kefir, sour cream;
- cottage cheese dishes;
- slightly salted soaked herring;
- boiled or baked meat and fish;
- fresh or boiled vegetables;
- various fruits and berries;
- mild cheeses;
- vegetable soups (weak broths are allowed);
- soft-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs;
- salads seasoned with vegetable oil;
- dried fruits and uzvar;
- various juices;
- dried rye or wheat bread necessarily coarse grinding;
bran; - biscuit cookies, honey, marmalade, marshmallows, jam.
When dieting, you need to limit pasta, semolina, beans, lentils. You don't need to cut food. If the permitted product is fried, then it is not necessary to allow the formation of a crust. There should be 4-5 full meals per day.
Usually diet food appoint until the normalization of an independent regular chair in a child. In order for the child to calmly switch to a diet, without arranging tantrums and “hunger riots”, refusing tasteless and unloved vegetables, their share in the menu should be increased gradually.
What does a diet look like?
For children suffering from constipation, an approximate menu for a week should be as follows:
- breakfast: buckwheat porridge, slice butter, cottage cheese, sour cream, tea;
- lunch: grated carrots seasoned with sour cream, rosehip juice or decoction;
- dinner: vegetable soup, mashed potatoes with baked meat sour cabbage, fruit compote;
- afternoon tea: Rye bread ets, weak tea or compote;
- dinner: lean cabbage rolls, pie with dried apricots, juice.
Diet for constipation in children contributes to the normalization of the act of defecation. Gentle nutrition restores the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract, prevents the formation of swelling and pain.
Children's digestive system is very weak due to malnutrition, sudden changes in diet, stress and unsuitable climate.
It is undesirable to subject a small organism to drug treatment, and if possible, adhere to a specially formulated diet for constipation in children.
Diet rules
A diet for children with constipation should be carried out with the following recommendations:
- Introduce food slowly and gradually. Foods that are unusual for a child can cause a lack of appetite and a depressed state of health.
- Increase fluid intake by 20%. This category does not necessarily include water, but also fruit drinks, compotes.
- Divide meals into 5 times. This is necessary to ensure uniform formation and promotion of feces.
- A diet for constipation in a child should correspond to the age category of the baby.
- Exclude from the diet those foods that can provoke increased bloating of the stomach. To do this, introduce products that have a large amount of fiber.
- If possible, diversify and decorate the dishes offered to the child in order to exclude refusal of food and loss of appetite.
One of the main rules for constipation is the control of the amount of dairy products consumed. Excessive consumption of milk or kefir can cause serious digestive disorders in the child.
What you can and can not eat with constipation
The diet of many children often includes not only healthy, but also harmful foods.
Most often, parents indulge their child with chocolate and caramel products, store-bought juices and carbonated drinks.
To switch to proper dietary nutrition, it is worth taking into account the established taste preferences of the child and gradually include unusual foods in the diet.
A great way is to explain to the child how important it is to eat right.
With the introduction of a diet for constipation, you can combine food intake with a game, entertainment process.
For example, you can hold a quiz with useful and harmful products, decorate cooked dishes with interesting shapes.
What foods can you eat:
- Kashi. Well-washed before cooking and boiled in plenty of water to make it crumbly.
- Soups with vegetables.
- Vegetables and fruits, raw and cooked.
- Creamy and sunflower oil in moderation.
- Boiled poultry meat, fish.
- Unsweetened and low-fat desserts made from fruits and vegetables.
- Curd kefir.
- Juices. Cooked by yourself.
- Omelet for a couple.
What foods should not be eaten by children:
- Porridges with a high content of mucus, thick jelly.
- Plenty of onion and garlic, spices. These products irritate the intestinal mucosa.
- Canned products, both factory and self cooking. Semi-finished products.
- pasta, bread wheat flour, bakery.
- Sweet biscuits, chocolate products, coffee, cocoa and carbonated drinks.
- Poorly cooked eggs, including the use of fried eggs is not recommended.
- Mushrooms.
A diet for constipation in children should be supported by all family members. It is impossible for a child to have a diet different from everyone else.
Diet for children under 1 year old
Such an unpleasant symptom as constipation in children can appear in absolutely any age category. The most common methods for eliminating constipation are the use of enemas and rectal suppositories.
Despite the fact that the result comes quickly enough, the frequent use of suppositories and enemas will inevitably lead to depletion of the beneficial intestinal microflora.
Therefore, it is necessary to resort to such methods very rarely, in case of emergency.
The safest method is a healthy dietary diet, which is assigned to each child individually, based on the age of the baby, its tolerance to certain foods and possible pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
Many children suffer from constipation, both before weaning and when other foods are introduced into the diet.
While breastfeeding or formula-feeding
Every 4 newborn baby suffers from constipation, which is accompanied by increased accumulation of gases, rumbling and pain in the abdomen.
These problems are possible long before the introduction of artificial complementary foods. Many parents do not know how to act in this situation, how to help their baby.
If the newborn is breastfed and has developed constipation, it is necessary to reconsider the diet of the mother. It is the diet that will help relieve constipation of the child.
It is necessary to exclude all junk food from your diet, include more healthy, easily digestible food. For an adult, a list of harmful and useful products listed above.
If the baby is formula-fed or partially formula-fed, a common cause of constipation is insufficient fluid intake.
It is necessary from time to time to give the child drinking boiled water, previously brought to a warm state.
If constipation began to appear regularly, you need to tell your local pediatrician about it.
The specialist will determine the exact cause of indigestion and suggest possible options treatment.
During a complete meal
Vegetables are recommended as the initial product in complementary foods. It is especially important to follow the advice if the child had constipation even before the introduction of complementary foods.
The most suitable vegetables in the early stages of growth and development are carrots, zucchini, pumpkin and cauliflower. Serve the baby in the form of a puree.
At the first feeding, give each vegetable puree separately, then you can combine them with each other or combine with other foods.
With constipation, vegetable and fruit purees for children can help the release of feces.
If a child suffers from constipation in the stage of complete transition to "adult food", you need to review his diet, make changes to the diet according to the age of the baby.
- Do not delay the introduction of solid foods. Many parents refuse to allow their child to eat food that requires chewing for a long time. This leads to digestive anomalies, including constipation. Most babies are able to chew on their own small pieces of soft fruit and vegetables without the skin by about 12 months of age.
- Timely introduce dairy and sour-milk products into the diet. Pediatricians recommended that from 6-8 months to serve children's yoghurts, kefirs and curds to the child.
- After the main meal, you can offer your baby pre-soaked prunes or mash them.
- Do not feed your child excessive amounts of meat products. Meat is hard to digest and can cause constipation and intestinal pain.
- If there is a feeling that the child has not eaten enough, then instead of an additional portion of porridge, offer him vegetable puree.
Such a small childhood requires minimal drug exposure, so it is recommended to initially adhere to the right diet so that you do not resort to treatment with drugs for constipation. Meals should be served at the same hours.
Diet for children from 1 to 2 years
In the period up to 2 years, significant changes occur in the diet of the child. Starting from one year, the baby tries solid food.
What foods should a child eat if he needs a diet:
- Jelly based on berries and fruits.
- Dried fruits soaked in warm water.
- Pumpkin Dishes. It can be either ordinary mashed potatoes, or various cereals and pancakes.
- Dairy products for children.
- Apples in the form of mashed potatoes, baked pie with cottage cheese.
- Vegetable dishes.
It is worth remembering the need to observe the drinking regime, so that digestion works within the normal range, without forming constipation.
Diet for children from 2 to 7 years
Most often, it is from the age of 3 that the baby eats the same food with his parents. Naturally, it is forbidden to feed the child excessively fatty, salty or fried foods.
At an older age, there is a persistent formation of taste preferences, so it is recommended from an early age to accustom the baby to healthy foods.
A diet for constipation can cause disgust in a baby if such foods have not been consumed before. You must try to instill in your family the principles proper nutrition.
A sample menu for a child from 3 years old consists of the following dishes:
- For breakfast: boiled buckwheat, warm tea with a sandwich of bread and natural jam.
- Between breakfast and lunch: a glass of natural yogurt with a small bun.
- For lunch: low-fat vegetable soup meat broth, chicken cutlet paired with milk puree. Cabbage or beet salad, dried fruit compote and a slice of bread.
- Snack: fruit nectar with medium pulp, 2 biscuits.
- For dinner: stew lean white fish with vegetables, cook vegetable salad, a glass of unsweetened compote with bread.
- After dinner: a glass of yogurt without sugar.
If the child regularly eats properly, then the occurrence of constipation is minimized.
Vegetables and fruits that the baby is accustomed to, with problems with defecation, can help improve digestion and release of feces.
Diet for children over 7 years old
At school age, the cause of constipation in a child is most often a change in diet. School activities do not allow the child to adhere to the previous diet and meal times.
Scroll healthy meals for children with constipation, which you can take with you in a container and do not warm up:
- Fritters from vegetables.
- Steamed omelet with vegetables.
- Cottage cheese, yogurt.
- Fruit salad.
- Cottage cheese casserole.
- Vegetable salad seasoned with sunflower oil.
- Baked apples.
Proper nutrition at school will help the child in his studies, keep active and academic progress in the assimilation of educational material.
Conclusion
It is possible to treat constipation in a child only with proven methods recommended by a specialist.
Preference should be given to diets, so as not to damage the child's body with medications.
By following the rules of nutrition, parents preserve the health of their child for many years. It is nutrition in childhood that becomes the key to a healthy future.
At first, it may seem that it is difficult to organize regular consumption of healthy food, but after introducing such a habit into your family, you can find that eating such food is very tasty and easy to cook.
Useful video
Not only for adults, but also for children, constipation can be a great discomfort and harm the body. It can occur at any age, both in infancy and in adolescence. Every time it is necessary to look for the cause of such a situation and, of course, its solution. Today we’ll talk about two-year-old babies suffering from this difficult problem.
How to feed a child 2 years old with constipation?
The main factor influencing the treatment of constipation in a child at 2 years old will be proper nutrition. In addition to all kinds of trace elements that can solve the problem, do not forget about the amount eaten.
If , then it exacerbates the situation. The food eaten should be enough for the digestive system to work like clockwork. This does not mean that the baby needs to start feeding, you just need to slightly increase the portions, eliminating the products that provoke bonding, replacing them with healthy ones.
Dairy and dairy products
Not everyone knows that often the culprit of constipation is milk: cow or goat. You can understand whether it is the cause of constipation by temporarily excluding it from the baby's diet. In any case, for the period of the diet clean milk product should be nullified.
But fermented milk products - a green light. They improve the intestinal microflora, normalize it, but on condition that they are constantly present in the diet. It is best to offer cottage cheese before bedtime, as a dinner. An excellent supplement to such a diet would be taking a course of probiotics - Linex or Yoghurt. They should be drunk in a course of at least a month.
Kashi
Among the foods recommended for constipation, cereals, which contain a lot of fiber, should certainly be on the table of a two-year-old. These are oatmeal, buckwheat, corn, millet and wheat porridge, but the rice leading to the bond must be removed from the menu.
Fruits and vegetables
There should be enough of them in the diet. Fruits and vegetables should be present both fresh and stewed, baked, in the form of compotes. Great benefit will bring salads from boiled carrots and beets. A sufficient amount of vegetable fiber will slowly but surely do its job.
Potatoes in any form do not hold together, but do not carry much benefit, therefore it should be replaced with either cereals or other vegetable dishes.
Liquid
Of course, proper nutrition plays a big role in constipation, but you should not discount all kinds of compotes, teas, jelly - any liquid. How more baby will drink, the more effective will be the treatment of constipation.
Meat and fish
In nutrition for constipation in children meat products are not taboo and, on the contrary, are recommended to the child in moderation. But it should only be lean varieties: veal, turkey, chicken, lean sea fish.
Nutritional supplements
Of course, this is not about dietary supplements, but about bran of oats, wheat and other cereals, which need to be mixed daily in the amount of 1 teaspoon into finished products - porridge, soups, casseroles. This is natural cellulose, which swells in the intestines, creating the necessary volume, sufficient for emptying.
Constipation is a rather unpleasant but very common occurrence in children of all ages. From birth to a year, a child's stool usually does not cause any special problems, and with the introduction of complementary foods, it is finally getting better. However, after the baby is one year old, the problem may return again. Parents usually manage to cope with it on their own by making adjustments to the diet. This article will provide a diet for constipation in a child.
Causes of stool problems
There are many factors that influence constipation. Among them are physiological, due to the peculiarities of the age period. From 1 to 3 years, stool retention can be triggered by:
- slow intestinal peristalsis;
- dysbacteriosis - although recent studies claim that such a disease does not exist, nevertheless, a violation of the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract and a lack of probiotic bacteria are quite capable of provoking various defecation difficulties;
- helminthiasis;
- new food introduced into the diet for the first time;
- abrupt change of scenery;
- lack of fluid intake;
- products that cause intestinal disorders;
- enzyme deficiency.
The diet for constipation in a child should be carefully considered. More on that below.
Additional factors
Children over 3 years old also often suffer from the inability to defecate normally until the start of school, that is, up to 6-7 years. They, in addition to the previous list, have new reasons:
- pain during bowel movements due to too dry and hard feces, and a child at this age may already consciously refuse to go to the toilet if he feels discomfort;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - in these cases, other symptoms will definitely appear, it is important to immediately go with the baby to the pediatrician;
- cracks in the anus, causing severe pain;
- embarrassment to empty the bowels in public places, next to other children - in kindergarten, school, sometimes there is a strongly developed disgust in a child, which also interferes with visiting the toilet anywhere other than at home.
Most often, the culprit of constipation in children from 1 to 7 years old is an incorrectly compiled menu and non-compliance with the drinking regimen. Diet when will be a way out of the situation.
Effect of drinks on stool quality
Insufficient fluid intake can cause constipation even in adults, and even more so in children with their delicate, newly formed digestive system. The introduction of complementary foods, the transition to solid foods, the cessation of breastfeeding or the rejection of formula feeding should certainly encourage parents to reconsider the issue of adequate provision of the child with water. A diet for constipation in children of 1 year old is made with this in mind.
Children of different ages require different amounts of drinking per day, and it does not have to be exclusively pure water. Dried fruit compotes, decoctions of herbs, such as chamomile, fennel, special freshly squeezed juices, except for sour ones, fresh sour-milk products will be useful for constipation. All drinks should be low concentration, prepared without added sugar.
This is the basis of the diet for constipation in a child.
The rate of fluid depending on age
Normally, the amount of fluid entering the body, including with food, should be approximately as follows:
- 1 year - 1.1-1.3 l;
- 2 years - 1.4-1.5 l;
- 3 years - 1.5-1.6 l;
- 4 and 5 years - 1.6-1.7 l;
- 6 and 7 years old - 1.6-1.8 liters.
What does the diet for constipation in children 5 years old take into account?
What liquid to give?
It is not recommended to give babies coffee, strong black tea, carbonated sweet drinks. It is necessary to limit the amount of cow's milk, especially fresh milk, packaged and freshly squeezed juices. The former contain a lot of carbohydrates, the latter are quite concentrated, capable of causing allergic reactions. Such juices must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1:3. This also suggests a diet for constipation in children under one year old.
It is helpful to give your child a glass of clean, cool water before breakfast. Warm will not work, as it weakens peristalsis. The lower the temperature, the better is the stimulation of the gastrointestinal tract. Give water first room temperature, then gradually lower the degree, bringing it to a very cool, but not causing discomfort.
Forming the right eating habits is necessary from the very beginning of the introduction of complementary foods, especially if there is a hereditary tendency to constipation. An older child who often received tasty, but not too much healthy food, may resist the transfer to the nutrition necessary for good bowel function. The diet should be as balanced as possible.
Approved Products
The diet of all children from one to seven years old, suffering from difficult defecation, should include foods that stimulate rapid bowel movement, containing enough vitamins, trace elements, beneficial bacteria, and fiber:
- Cereals - buckwheat, brown or brown rice in small quantities, oatmeal in large flakes or oats, wheat. You should not get involved in cereals.
- Vegetables - beets, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and white cabbage, pumpkin, bell pepper, cucumbers, tomatoes, some potatoes and others should form the basis of the diet.
- Fruits and berries - apples, plums, apricots, bananas (a little), currants, raspberries, kiwi.
- Greens - spinach, leaf lettuce, Chinese cabbage, dill, parsley.
- Dried fruits - prunes, dried apricots, raisins, dates, figs.
- Sour-milk products - kefir (only fresh, up to 3 days, otherwise you get the opposite effect), bio-yogurt, curdled milk, fermented baked milk, children's curds.
- Dried bran or rye bread, bran yourself.
- honey and homemade jam from suitable berries and fruits.
- Low-fat meat and fish products.
Dishes should be boiled, stewed, baked, steamed, while still adding a little olive oil. Salads made from fresh fruits and vegetables, seasoned with the same oil or natural yogurt, cottage cheese.
Diet for constipation in a child - prohibited foods
Fast food, sweets, rich soups, marinades, pickles, smoked and fried foods should definitely be excluded from the nutrition list. In particular, it is worth minimizing the use of:
- Macaron.
- Semolina porridge and white rice.
- Blueberries.
- Pears.
- White bread.
- Cocoa, coffee, strong tea.
- chocolate.
- Kisley.
- Oily fish and meat - mackerel, herring, trout, lamb, some parts of pork, duck and goose meat.
- Dumplings, dumplings.
- Cheese, milk.
- Legumes - peas, lentils, beans - should be limited.
This builds a diet for constipation in children 2 years old.
Any products that slow down the process of defecation or thicken the stool should be limited as much as possible, and it is better to completely remove it from the diet, doing it gradually, step by step. Ideally, they should not be given to the child from the very beginning.
For a child under 3 years old, it is very important to strictly follow the nutritional recommendations. After 3 and up to 7 years, you can sometimes make some indulgences, but it is important not to deviate from the rules too often. So the diet for constipation in children 4 years old will be slightly different from the diet of a two-year-old child.
Special table
For children and adults who often have constipation, even a diet has been developed that is number 3 on the list of therapeutic diets. This is a completely balanced menu enriched with essential nutrients, the set of products of which has a positive effect on difficult stools.
Consider what diet number 3 includes for children with constipation.
Portions of food should be small, and the total amount is divided into 4-6 meals. So it is easier for the stomach to digest the incoming food, and it is easier for the intestines to excrete it. Products recommended for use:
- Vegetables - tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, beets. white cabbage you should not eat, as it provokes strong gas formation, which slows down peristalsis. Potatoes can only be eaten in a peeled and baked form.
- There are almost no restrictions on fruits and berries: strawberries, currants, blackberries, strawberries, cranberries, cranberries, bananas, apples, pears, apricots, plums, watermelons. An exception is grapes, as well as cabbage, which contributes to the appearance of flatulence.
- White fish - perch, pike, bream, carp, cod, hake, pollock.
- Lean meat and poultry - turkey, rabbit, beef, veal.
- Dried rye or grain bread with bran, seeds or other grain additives.
- Greens, celery.
- Homemade jams, jams, compotes sweetened with honey are allowed only for the children's menu.
- Dried fruits.
- Cottage cheese and sour milk drinks, preferably home cooking.
- Porridges from barley, buckwheat, wheat groats.
- Sunflower and pumpkin seeds, nuts.
Soups are cooked light, on meat and fish broths diluted with water or weakly cooked, but without the addition of meat and fish. All dishes need to be baked, boiled, stewed or cooked in a double boiler.
Meat or fish is consumed once a day. Occasionally, you can replace them with turkey ham. It is undesirable to remove the peel from fruits and vegetables, since it is it that contains the greatest amount of fiber. Yogurt can be added to fruit salads, and a couple of spoons of bran can be added to vegetable salads.
For fragile children's organisms up to 5 years old, baked vegetables and fruits will be more useful; For example, baked apples are an excellent remedy for constipation.
Porridges should be boiled crumbly, since liquid ones will envelop the walls of the stomach, inhibiting the digestion of food. For the same reason, it is undesirable to cook mashed soups, but light broths with black bread croutons will do well.
Children will appreciate such delicious dishes as pumpkin porridge, pumpkin and dried fruit pancakes or just a baked pumpkin or apple smeared with honey. These dishes can be offered as a dessert, afternoon snack or breakfast. Meat and poultry are included in the menu up to 3 times a week, the rest of the time protein is obtained from fish, fermented milk products and an omelet for a couple.
Child Friendly Recipes
If the doctor prescribed diet number 3 for children with constipation, then feeding the baby correctly, tasty and varied is not difficult. From allowed products you can cook a lot delicious meals that will appeal to both toddlers and older children.
- Beetroot and prunes salad can be given to children from 2 years old. Beets should be boiled until tender and grated, prunes should be soaked in boiling water and finely chopped. You can fill the salad with natural yogurt or sour cream 10% fat.
- Hold the prunes in boiling water until soft, cut into small pieces or make a puree for babies from a year old. Mix dried fruit with fresh kefir, bio-yogurt, curdled milk or fermented baked milk and take shortly before bedtime.
- Baked with herbs and tomatoes. The egg is beaten with a spoonful of water or low-fat milk, mixed with finely chopped or mashed greens. Grease the dishes for the oven with a thin layer of oil, lay out the tomatoes and zucchini, pour over the egg mixture and bake until browned - 10-15 minutes.
Conclusion
Most parents who prepare the right meals for their children to help eliminate constipation note that the effect is observed after only 2-3 weeks. In children, bloating disappears, the stool becomes much softer, defecation is observed every day.
The diet itself is usually prescribed for a period of 2 to 4 weeks, but the list of foods allowed and prohibited for constipation should always be at hand and actively used. If the problem is due to genetics, then it would be better to switch to a similar diet for the whole family so that the child does not feel deprived.
In general, such a diet contributes not only to the normalization of the stool, but also to improve the general condition of the child and strengthen his health. The main thing is not to forget that with any problem of the child's body, you must first consult a doctor and not treat yourself.
03.03.2017
In a child at 2 years old, physiological processes have not yet been fully formed, and each baby may have its own rhythm. At this age, the act of defecation is considered normal from 3 times a day to 3 times a week. Suspicion of constipation in children is justified in the absence of bowel movements for more than a day and other accompanying symptoms, such as:
- lethargy;
- weakness;
- loss of appetite;
- pain and bloating in the abdomen;
- hard consistency of stool.
Immediate medical attention is required if constipation is accompanied by fever, vomiting, signs of intoxication, blood streaks in the stool.
Mothers need to carefully monitor the child and recognize the symptoms characteristic of constipation in time. The condition is dangerous due to dehydration, intoxication, and with constant problems with defecation, more serious consequences are possible:
- metabolic disease;
- circulatory disorders;
- cracks and hemorrhoids;
- decreased immunity;
- development of intestinal obstruction.
If constipation is the result of malnutrition, adjusting the regimen and diet will certainly bring results. Before prescribing a diet, you need to undergo an examination to exclude the possibility of intestinal pathologies.
How to feed a child - principles of food selection
The main condition for eliminating constipation is the organization of proper nutrition and drinking regimen. The more fluid intake, the faster the intestines return to normal. Kissels, compotes, teas, special baby water are recommended for the menu of a two-year-old baby. It is required to observe not only the correct set of products, but also their sufficient quantity. This is especially important for children with poor appetite and for small children - they will need a small increase in portions.
Products that provoke constipation are excluded and replaced with useful ones:
- it is better to use bread in the form of crackers or slightly stale, yeast-free types of bread, pita bread, whole grain and rye bread are preferred;
- for cereals, only whole cereals are used; cereal dishes do not improve peristalsis;
- kefir is given to children strictly one-day, two-day has the opposite effect;
- neutral products include meat, fish, cottage cheese, stale bread; fish and meat are recommended in moderation - dietary types are chosen: chicken, turkey, veal, rabbit, hake, pollock.
- prunes, known for their laxative effect, must be present in the diet fresh, compotes, desserts;
- as additives to the diet, bran of cereals is necessarily used - they are mixed daily, one teaspoon in ready-made dishes.
Dairy and dairy products
Milk, especially whole cow and goat milk, is one of the causes of constipation in babies. By excluding it completely from the diet for a while, you can understand if it is it that is the cause of constipation. During the diet whole milk completely excluded, the use of low-fat and pasteurized is minimized.
Fermented milk products are shown in any quantity, but you need to strictly monitor their freshness and it is desirable that they be home-made. Probiotics and lactic acid bacteria can be a good addition to the menu.
Kashi
Vegetables and fruits
Used fresh, stewed, boiled, baked, as well as in compotes and jelly. Boiled beets and carrots give the best effect, zucchini, cauliflower, pumpkin, broccoli are also recommended. potato dishes excluded from diet menu and are replaced by other cereals and vegetables.
Excluded from the diet with a fixing effect and causing increased gas formation
- freshly baked flour products;
- fresh and sauerkraut;
- fresh apples, pears, grapes, dogwood, blueberries;
- all legumes: peas, beans, chickpeas, beans, lentils;
- fatty fish or meat;
- hard cheeses.
If the correct daily regimen is observed, timely bowel movements are regulated and normalized faster:
- meals should be organized at regular intervals;
- develop the habit of going to the toilet at a certain time, preferably in the morning;
- start the day by taking special children's water in the morning on an empty stomach.
What about dessert?
During constipation, most sweet fruits, chocolate, pears, pomegranates, blueberries, quince, flour products are excluded. Desserts are recommended:
- compotes, jellies, syrups, homemade jams;
- add honey to porridge, not sugar;
- apples baked with honey;
- marmalade;
- prunes, figs, dried apricots, pitted raisins soaked, boiled or ground into gruel.
If the baby is breastfed
- A nursing mother needs to follow not only the baby's menu, but also her own. It is required to exclude from your own menu fixing products and contributing to increased gas formation. It is necessary to include vegetables rich in fiber, observe the drinking regimen.
- Make sure that the baby receives the so-called hind milk - it prevents fixation.
- On breastfeeding, the stool in children remains soft, even after the introduction of complementary foods. Constipation is indicated not only by the consistency of feces, but also by the obvious restless behavior of the baby.
Diet for constipation in children 2 years old with recipes
The right diet does not imply starvation - you just need a set of the right foods:
1 day
for breakfast: oatmeal on the water, squash or pumpkin fritters, prunes compote;
snack: cottage cheese with honey;
for lunch: vegetable soup, barley porridge with steam cutlets, carrot juice with pulp;
afternoon snack: baked apple;
for dinner: buckwheat porridge with boiled fish fresh yogurt with a teaspoon of bran, compote with raisins.
2 day
for breakfast: pancakes from zucchini, fish steam cutlets, green tea;
snack: banana;
for lunch: pumpkin soup, stewed turkey with vegetables, salad, jelly;
afternoon snack: yogurt with homemade jam;
for dinner: barley porridge on the water, chicken stew with vegetables in kefir, green tea.
3 day
for breakfast: buckwheat porridge on the water, one-day kefir;
snack: pita bread with cottage cheese and honey;
for lunch: beetroot, barley porridge with turkey, carrot-pumpkin juice;
afternoon snack: marmalade, crackers;
for dinner: wheat porridge with stewed turkey.
Day 4
for breakfast: millet porridge, cottage cheese, compote of prunes and raisins;
snack: broccoli and carrot salad with low-fat sour cream;
for lunch: pearl barley soup, baked chicken, vegetable stew;
afternoon tea: homemade yogurt with honey;
for dinner: vegetable vinaigrette, boiled veal meatballs, one-day kefir.
Day 5
for breakfast: steamed omelet, one-day kefir;
snack: baked apple, rosehip broth;
lunch: pickle with pearl barley, chicken cutlets with buckwheat porridge, vegetable salad;
afternoon snack: compote of dried apricots with raisins and figs;
dinner: cottage cheese casserole, yogurt, green tea.
Day 6
for breakfast: millet porridge on the water with honey, baked fish, stewed beets;
snack: vegetable soup, rabbit with barley porridge, tomato juice;
lunch: vegetable soup, boiled chicken with cauliflower, dried fruit compote;
afternoon snack: cottage cheese, applesauce;
dinner: corn porridge, fish meatballs, kefir.
Day 7
for breakfast: buckwheat porridge, boiled veal, raisin compote;
snack: yogurt with prunes gruel;
lunch: cabbage soup with cauliflower, steam cutlets with onion and dill, oatmeal on the water, salad;
afternoon snack: rye bread with jam;
dinner: turkey stew with raisins and dried apricots, kefir.
Buckwheat soup with tomatoes
Ingredients - 1 tomato, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 potato, 100 grams of buckwheat, a teaspoon of vegetable oil, a bunch of dill, salt to taste.
Preparation: peel the vegetables, wash, cut into cubes. Clean and wash the grits. Put carrots, onions, potatoes, bay leaves into boiling water. Salt to taste. When it boils add buckwheat. After the buckwheat is ready, add finely chopped tomato. Cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes. At the end, add vegetable oil (olive oil is better). Sprinkle with chopped herbs.
Vegetable stew
Ingredients - 1 zucchini, 1 carrot, a bunch of green onions, 1 small onion, 1 small potato, 1 tomato, a bunch of dill, a tablespoon vegetable oil, salt to taste.
Prepare vegetables: peel, wash thoroughly, cut into cubes. Put in a cauldron, add oil and a few spoons hot water. Simmer over low heat until tender, stirring occasionally. At the end, salt, add finely chopped dill.
Chicken meatballs with carrots and onions
Ingredients - 200 grams chicken fillet, ½ onion, ½ carrot, salt to taste. Peel vegetables and wash thoroughly. Wash the fillets and pat dry with a paper towel. Pass all ingredients through a meat grinder. Add salt. Form meatballs. Cook in a double boiler under the lid for 10 minutes or in a slow cooker in the "Steam" mode for 20 minutes.
Traditional medicine recipes
Remedies for constipation for babies based on herbs and others natural products act gently and effectively, with the condition that they do not have allergic reactions. They should be selected only after consulting a pediatrician.
- Freshly squeezed potato juice has a good laxative effect and relieves intestinal spasm. It is taken in the morning on an empty stomach. The norm for a two-year-old baby is 2-3 tablespoons.
- Spastic constipation and bloating is well relieved by infusion of chamomile.
- To combat intestinal atony, decoctions of yarrow and nettle, cranberries and gooseberries help.
- Very effective remedy for constipation in children - a mixture of cumin seeds, chamomile flowers and dill seeds. Take in a proportion of 2 parts of cumin and one part of the remaining ingredients. A tablespoon of the mixture is poured with 2 cups of boiling water and infused for 2 hours. 15-20 minutes before meals, take a teaspoon three times a day.
- Flaxseed oil is a good remedy for constipation. Babies are advised to take oil mixed with honey before meals.
The method of treatment, especially in children, is selected individually - only a pediatrician prescribes a diet and procedures, since the severity of the condition and the causes of the disease must be taken into account.
Since each child has his own physiological rhythms, parents should carefully monitor him: if the baby has a great appetite, he is cheerful and feels great, plays and laughs, there is no reason for concern, even if there is no bowel movement on the second day. Compliance with the correct diet and products is a good preventive measure that allows you not only to get rid of constipation, but also to avoid digestive problems in the future.
Video: Diet for constipation in children from 1 year to 7 years
