When things don’t flow: constipation in children causes, help & prevention
Constipation in children is common, but usually harmless. Find out the causes, home remedies and tips to gently support digestion.
Take a bite, swallow – and an exciting adventure begins in your stomach! The body gets everything it needs to grow and be strong. In the end, all that remains is what it can no longer use – and that ends up in the potty or the toilet. Sooner or later, children will ask the famous question: “Where does the food actually go?” To help them understand it better, you can tell them about digestion as a little travel story – from mouth to bottom.”
From the first bite of food to going to the toilet, a lot happens in our little bodies. Step by step, digestion transforms the food into energy – and sorts out everything that remains.
The start in the mouth: the journey of our food begins when we chew! Our teeth grind the food, saliva softens it and helps to release the first nutrients. Did you know? Saliva contains an enzyme that turns the starch in bread into sugar – which is why bread tastes sweet if you chew it for longer. Give it a try!
The slide into the stomach: The food slides down the oesophagus into the stomach. There it is vigorously mixed – like in a blender – and broken down with stomach acid. This acid is so strong that it renders bacteria harmless. But don’t worry: the stomach wall is protected by a layer of mucus, otherwise it would digest itself.
The adventure in the small intestine: a well-coordinated team works here! Bile from the liver and digestive juices from the pancreas help to break down the food into tiny building blocks. Sugar provides quick energy for play, protein ensures growth and muscles, fat provides warmth and cushioning. These nutrients enter the bloodstream via the intestinal wall and are distributed throughout the body – right down to the toes and ends of the hair.
The rest moves on: everything that the body no longer needs, such as fiber, goes on to the large intestine. There, tiny intestinal bacteria extract important vitamins from the rest and help to maintain the right balance in the gut. Water is then removed from the chyme – this is how the stool is formed.
The grand finale: In the end, everything ends up in the rectum and is excreted. Mission digestion accomplished!
Children often find “pee-pee topics” funny and that’s completely okay. As parents, you can use this interest to impart knowledge in a playful way. If digestion is not a taboo subject, your children will learn to understand their bodies better and talk about their needs without feeling ashamed. They will also recognize earlier if something is wrong and they have a stomach ache or constipation, for example.
In this way, digestion becomes a completely normal part of enlightenment – honest, relaxed and even funny.
When tummy troubles strike, quick relief is needed. Learn how to get your child’s digestion back on track with simple tricks.
Constipation in children is common, but usually harmless. Find out the causes, home remedies and tips to gently support digestion.