Baby at home only poops every three or four days, and the poop is like "sheep dung". Recently, a mother is very worried about this. Every time she sees her baby straining and turning red in the face, she doesn't know what to do. The child's stool is very dry, like sheep dung, what should she do?
Parents should be familiar with the child's normal bowel movement pattern, typical stool shape, and hardness. By doing this, they can better judge whether the child is constipated and the severity of constipation. If the child hasn't had a normal bowel movement in 1-2 days or experiences abdominal pain during bowel movements, it is necessary to establish regular bowel movements as soon as possible. To achieve this, you can start with the following points.
1. Ensure daily water intake.
Make sure the child drinks enough water every day, mainly warm water. Because the water in the infant's intestines is easily absorbed, dry stools can lead to constipation. So the daily water intake should be sufficient.
2. Eat high-fiber foods.
If the child is already eating solid foods and experiencing constipation, you need to add more high-fiber foods (refer to the table below) to the child's daily diet, and try to reduce the consumption of foods that can easily cause constipation mentioned earlier.
3. Cultivate bowel habits.
Once the child is old enough to undergo toilet training, ask the child to sit on the toilet for a while every day. Give them a book or a toy to relax. Encourage the child to persist in sitting on the toilet until they have a bowel movement or for 15 minutes. If the child does it, remember to encourage them. If they still can't do it, continue to use positive language to encourage them. Eventually, the child must learn to go to the toilet by themselves without adult guidance.
4. Increase physical activity.
Children are naturally active and energetic, so based on their active nature, encourage them to engage in more physical activities, from simple tasks like tidying up toys and running around to more intense activities like playing sports or running. Increasing physical activity helps strengthen the muscles involved in bowel movements, stimulates the digestive system, promotes intestinal motility, and helps with bowel movements.
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