Digestive problems in children

In the process of the digestion, eaten food is disintegrated so that the nutrients which are present in them can be absorbed by the body. The digestive system in the infants is not fully developed so various digestive problems are quite common and normal. However, when the digestive problems occur in children, it may be due to unhealthy foods or due to unhealthy digestive system.

Common digestive problems in children

Constipation is a quite common digestive problem,k which mainly occurs due to the lack of fiber in the everyday diet, as well as due to consumption of certain medicines. The children with this digestive disorder have infrequent bowel movement and hard stools, which cannot pass easily so many children tend to withhold the stools as long as possible. When the children suffer from some viral or bacterial infection, they are likely to experience diarrhea, which refers to the watery stools several times a day. The children suffering from acute diarrhea have this digestive problem a day or two, but in the case of the chronic diarrhea, it is a serious digestive disorder that may cause certain complications and that lasts for several days. When, due to malfunctioning of the bowel, the children have diarrhea and constipation which constantly alter, this condition is known as irritable bowel syndrome. Gas, abdominal cramps and bloating are some of the symptoms that appear when irritable bowel syndrome is developed. The children may also experience cyclic vomiting syndrome, which is characterized by sudden fit of extreme vomiting, which lasts several hours or several days and then it stops, but it also recurs after a while. The experts have not discovered the cause for the incidence of cyclic vomiting syndrome. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is also a digestive problem that may appear in children when the stomach acid flows back from the stomach to the esophagus due to improper working of the lower esophageal sphincter.

Common digestive problems in infants

The infants typically experience colic as the main digestive problem, which occurs due to immature digestive system. Colic is a condition marked by intense baby’s cry, particularly in the evening hours, which may lasts for hours. Other symptoms of colic are red face, stomach distention, clenched hands and tensed legs. Infant acid reflux is also a digestive problem that appears in the babies when they drink to much milk. Furthermore, lactose intolerance and food allergies are also among the digestive disorders that tend to occur in the babies commonly.