When I found that there is a presence of blood in Kayden’s stools, it freaked me out! Before visiting our paediatrician, he has been having diarrhoea and stomach pain for three consecutive days. There is no sign of fever at all. In a day, Kayden would visit the toilet about five to seven times with watery bowels.
After the paediatrician had diagnosed Kayden with a stomach infection, antibiotics are prescribed for him to consume. After two days, there is no more presence of blood found in his stools, and his diarrhoea has stopped.
Some of the common digestion problems every child will face are bloating, constipation and diarrhoea. The human digestive system is a complex and important system in our body. Our digestive system needs to digest, absorb and excrete to keep our body in good condition. If any of this function fails; it will lead to a negative impact on our health.
Therefore, it is important for parents to take good care of their child’s digestion. Step-by-step, here are six habits on how to improve digestion for your child.
Washing Hands Before A Meal Or Snack Time
Washing our hands before a meal or even snack time is the most basic approach to prevent from getting ill. The reason is that our hands can easily get caught with bacteria. On an average, the average human hand will carry over 3,000 bacteria.
By touching our eyes, nose or mouth with a germ-filled hand can allow these nasty micro organisms to enter our body. Diarrhoea, eye infection and skin infection are the common symptoms. Therefore, let your child have the habit of washing their hands with soap before consuming their food.
Always Chew Food Well
Eating of food is the first step of digestion. When a child chews too quickly, the food entered will likely to be of large particle size. This might cause stress in the intestines and stomach. Therefore by chewing well, food is crushed into smaller pieces, and the nutrients from the food will be absorbed much better.
Additionally, smaller food particles are easier to be broken down by the enzymes present in the digestive system. So, always let your child chew well before talking.
Get Your Child Hydrated With Water
Water not just soften the food in our digestive system, it also helps to allow the food to go through our gut more quickly. It is a fact that most of the child dislike plain water as they would prefer a drink with flavour.
Why not add some slices of lemon or strawberry for the extra fruity taste?
Include Fiber-Rich Foods Into Meals
The best way to prevent constipation in children is to add more insoluble fibre foods into their daily meals such as whole grain bread, bananas and vegetables.
Insoluble fibre helps to promote the movement of stools quickly by increasing the weight and size. A bulkier stool is easier to move compared to loose stools.
Eat First And Play Later
When it is meal time, it is important to get your child to enjoy his or her meals on the dining table without any distraction. With no distraction, your child will pay close attention to what they are eating, chew properly and not over eat.
Overeating will put stress on the digestive system, making your child feel a bloated or unpleasant sensation of fullness after a meal.
Exercising Helps In Better Digestion
Did you know that exercising will also help to promote better digestion? Well, the reason is that the circulation of blood and oxygen in our body will aid in the movement of food in the intestines.
With the above mentioned six habits, they will help to prevent problems in your child’s digestive system. Keeping a healthy gut will keep your child healthier and stronger. When your child could not explain the discomfort he or she is feeling in the stomach; please take note of their bowel movements. If the pain is persistent, see a paediatrician.
Visit https://www.friso.com.sg to learn more tips on your child’s digestive health.
This post is in collaboration with Friso.
“Kids learn from experiences whether big or small, good or bad. That’s why Friso provides the right nutrition for your child to be strong inside to take on challenges.”
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