By Dr. Andrew Hall
In Overland Park, a lot of parents are looking for help and relief for their kids and constipation. To their surprise, we have helped many children with constipation, at our office, WellSpine KC.
Constipation, though common in a lot of kids, is not normal and can cause many issues depending on the severity and age of the child.
In infants and newborns, digestive issues can often manifest as discomfort for the baby, continual crying and whining, inability to sleep and ‘colicky’ type behaviors. In these situations, the parents are often suffering just as much as the child, because of the lack of sleep and constant attention that their child needs.
In toddlers and older children, constipation issues can show up as a distended stomach, pickiness with foods, grumpiness, inability to sleep and crying when trying to
have a bowel movement.
These behaviors and symptoms can cause a lot of frustration in parents. Often times they are advised to try adult strength medications for their children which a have a lot of side effects and may work in the short-term but never seem to clear up the main issue: constipation.
So I wanted to share 3 Tips to Clear up Childhood Constipation that we share in our office that will help your child when dealing with constipation.
# 1 Drink More Water
Yes. It is that simple.
If you have read any other of our blogs, you will have noticed that water comes up a lot. The reason for that is that chronic dehydration can cause a whole host of issues; from headaches and migraines, chronic fatigue, and joint soreness, to digestive issues like constipation.
Too many children are only drinking juices, sodas, or high-sugar sports drinks which lead to chronic dehydration.
The simple fact is, they need to drink more water. A lot more.
Our formula is: take your child’s body weight, divide it in half, and that his how many ounces, per day, your child needs to drink.
Example: if your child weighs 60lbs, they need to be drinking 30oz of water, per day (about a liter and a half). If they are involved in sports, they need to be drinking more than that, and Gatorade does not count towards this.
Drinking more water will help in nutrient absorption, easier bowel movements, and more frequent bowel movements.
Try it for a week. You and your child will notice a difference.
# 2 Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
If your child has dealt with constipation issues, it may have been recommended to you that they need to increase their intake of fiber. This may be true, but a Metamucil or some fiber- substitute is not nearly as effective as whole, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and veggies are the best and most abundant source of fiber, and EVERYBODY needs them in order to be healthy. So break out the carrot sticks!
Add carrot sticks, celery, raw broccoli, salads and apples and bananas to your child’s diet. Start making fresh smoothies for them in the morning rather than a bowl of cereal (grains add to the problem of constipation).
No matter how you do it, add in more fresh, whole fruits and veggies into your child’s diet!!
# 3 Get Your Child’s Spine Checked
One of the reasons we have had such a great track record in helping kids deal with constipation is that often times, it is a spinal issue, specifically of the low back, as well as a digestive issue.
Babies and newborns spend a lot of time in a car seat or baby carrier, putting more pressure on their hips and low back.
Toddlers fall a lot learning how to walk and they fall mainly on their bottom.
And every child falls a lot learning how to run and ride a bike, playing sports or just horse playing with other kids.
These minor traumas to the spine can build up and cause issues to the nerves that exit the spine, in this case, the nerves that run digestion and elimination
Chiropractic has a long history of helping people deal with digestive issues, specifically kids.
The reason why is quite simple: your nervous system runs everything in your body, including digestion. If the nervous system is compromised, the digestive system can’t work the way it should.
Chiropractic adjustments are safe, non-invasive, and are very effective when it comes to helping kids with constipation.
To find out more information, go to our website: https://www.wellspinekc.com/services/pediatric-chiropractic/
Or to schedule an appointment for your child click here: https://www.wellspinekc.com/appointments/
But don’t take our work for it!
Check out some of our great patient testimonials and over 70, 5-Star Google Reviews! https://www.wellspinekc.com/testimonials/
8665 W 96th St. Suite #203, Overland Park, KS 66212 | 913-624-3888 | wellspinekc.com
