Diagnosing Constipation In Infants
One of the major issues regarding constipation in younger children is that they have a hard time clearly communicating the problem to the parents. However, if the parent watches their bowel habits carefully over a period of time, looks at their stool and tries to talk to them, it is a matter of time before a proper diagnosis.
Upon diagnosis of constipation, perhaps with the help of the pediatrician, the adults turn to finding a good treatment to combat constipation. As it is true for the case of adult constipation, there is no bonafide cure due to our incomplete understanding of the fundamental causes of the condition.
The solution proposed by most physicians is to try a bunch of therapies, accepting the one that makes the biggest difference. Initially the parent and child might go with dietary modification by increasing the amount of fiber eaten during or after meals. A good drink suggested by some is senna tea. Afterward, the parent will try a number of relatively safe laxatives or medication.
The dietary or natural treatments encompass two major ingredients of foods: fibers or the sugar sorbitol. Both of these have a laxative effect. Notably they are found in high concentrations in the prune, which is a dried plum. If a dietary treatment is successful, it serves as both diagnosis and remedy.
Another example of a mild laxative is polyethylene glycol or PEG. It belongs to a class of compounds that draws water into the interior space of the gut which helps the food mass move more easily. Some doctors will prescribe PEG to infants and older children. It is tasteless and odorless so has been easy to accept for children.
Various kinds of laxatives can be prescribed to adults with constipation problems. Two such medications are osmotic and stimulating laxatives. A well-known product marketed as Macrogol is a type of osmotic agent, as well as magnesium-based treatments such as magnesium citrate or milk of magnesia.
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