It is not uncommon for young children to experience digestive issues. In fact, 4 in 5 babies in Singapore experience feeding issues – the top 3 reasons are due to crying/fussiness, Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy, and gassy/bloated stomach. As a parent, it’s crucial to be aware of the signs and symptoms of digestive issues, so you can identify them early on and take the necessary steps to help your child feel better. In this article, we’ll go over some practical ways that parents can spot digestive issues in their children and explore effective strategies to help combat them. From making simple dietary changes to incorporating relaxation techniques, we’ll cover a range of approaches to help ensure your child’s digestive health and overall well-being.
8 Signs Your Child is Having Digestive Issues
Seeing your child go through digestive issues can be worrying. It’s crucial to know the signs that may indicate that your child is having digestive problems. These symptoms can be caused by a range of conditions like food intolerances, infections, or more serious gastrointestinal disorders. By being able to identify these signs early on, you can take the necessary steps to help your child get the medical attention and treatment they need to feel better.
- Diarrhea¹
- Constipation¹
- Bloating¹
- Abdominal pain¹
- Vomiting¹
- Poor appetite
- Weight loss or failure to gain weight¹
- Child expressing unexplained moodiness/grumpiness
3 Ways to Combat Digestive Issues in Young Children
#1: Gentle abdominal massages can be an effective and soothing way to alleviate digestive issues in young children.
Gentle abdominal massages2 offer an effective approach to alleviate digestive discomfort in children. This technique is designed to stimulate the digestive organs and enhance abdominal relaxation, and it’s benefits include the release of trapped gas and the reduction of bloating.
For added comfort and effectiveness, you may consider applying a small amount of warm oil, such as baby oil, to facilitate smoother movements during the massage.
Additionally, this abdominal massage technique can be particularly beneficial for children experiencing constipation issues.
It is essential to maintain a gentle and responsive approach, ensuring your child’s comfort throughout the process. If any discomfort or concerns arise, it is advisable to discontinue the massage. In cases of persistent or worsening digestive issues, consultation with a healthcare professional is recommended. Their expertise is invaluable for maintaining the digestive well-being of your child.
#2: Alleviating stress in your child may help resolve their digestive issues.
Stress in young children from sudden changes in daily routine, meeting new people, or separation from caregivers or parents can also exacerbate digestive issues. It is important to identify these signs easily, and parents can help to reduce stress in their toddlers by providing comfort and reassurance.
An example would be teaching your child how to introduce themselves to others, and encourage them to do it frequently to become more comfortable with it. Parents can also arrange playdates with other children, which will provide their child with sufficient social interaction and help them learn how to interact with others. This way, your child will not only learn social skills at an early age, but also reduce stress when they are placed in new situations, which in turn prevents digestive issues. Parents can also help their child identify issues they are struggling with to elevate stress and ease stomach discomfort.
#3: Choosing the right nutrition and milk formula for your child, encouraging optimal growth and a healthy digestive system.
Parents should encourage their children to eat a diet that is high in fibre, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Fiber promotes regular bowel movements and helps prevent or alleviate constipation by adding bulk to stool and speeding up transit through the digestive tract. Drinking plenty of water is another effective way to keep children hydrated. Additionally, certain foods such as foods that are fatty, fried, or high in sugar can trigger digestive issues in some children, so it is important for parents to provide the right nutrition for their children.
Parents are also encouraged to add milk formula to their child’s diet for a balanced diet and optimal growth. Milk formula provides essential nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and protein, which are essential nutrients for healthy bone development and overall growth. It is also fortified with nutrients like DHA that is present only in limited amounts in cow or goat’s milk, but is essential in eye and brain development in children.
With a wide range of milk formulas in the market to choose from, choosing a suitable one for your child and his tiny tummy goes a long way. As not all milk formulas are created equal, it’s important for parents to carefully evaluate and compare different brands and formulations. When it comes down to selecting one, especially for its digestive benefits, parents should look out for milk formula that contains hydrolysed protein2 which is easier on young children’s tummies due to their smaller molecule size, allowing it to be absorbed by their body easily, thus improving digestion and symptoms of digestive issues.
2 Reasons Why Parents Should Choose the New & Improved Enfagrow Pro A+ Gentlease for Their Child
As a parent, we want to give our very best to our child, and we want to ensure that our child is healthy, growing, and thriving. However, if your child is experiencing digestive issues such as fussiness, gas, spit-up, and crying, it can be concerning and frustrating.
But fret no more, as the new Enfagrow Pro A+ Gentlease could just be the solution to provide your child with the necessary nutrients! The all-new Enfagrow Pro A+ Gentlease is now scientifically formulated with easy-to-digest partially hydrolyzed protein (PHP) and MFGM. It also contains 38% higher DHA^, which is an important building block for brain and eye development.
#1: Contains easy-to-digest partially hydrolyzed proteins (PHP) for delicate tummies
Enfagrow Pro A+ Gentlease contains easy-to-digest partially hydrolysed protein that helps with digestive issues in children. Since the protein is broken down into smaller fragments, the digestive system is able to absorb it easily.
#2: Contains MFGM, and 38% higher DHA^, an important building block for brain and eye development.
It is important to supplement young childrens’ diet with a high level of DHA as it is an important building block for brain and eye development for children up to 3 years of age. The new Enfagrow Pro A+ Gentlease formula contains MFGM – a natural source of phospholipids and sphingomyelin, and 38% higher DHA^. This milk formula provides 105mg of DHA in 3 servings per day, to help meet your child’s recommended daily intake. It also helps to provide young children with the necessary nutritional benefits for healthy growth.
Conclusion
In conclusion, digestive issues can be a great cause of concern for parents, so it is critical to recognise the signs early and take the necessary steps to resolve them immediately – such as seeking medical attention and making necessary dietary changes to help their child feel better.
Choose Enfagrow Pro A+ Gentlease, now scientifically formulated with easy-to-digest partially hydrolysed protein (PHP) and MFGM. It also contains 38% higher DHA^, which is an important building block for brain and eye development.
Click here to find out more!
^As compared to previous formulation.
Resources
¹ Warner, J., & Bass III, MD, MPH, P. F. (2013, November 14). Digestive Issues in Children – Signs, Causes. EverydayHealth.com. https://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health/mom-my-belly-hurts-common-digestive-issues-in-children.aspx
2 Wang, G., Zhang, Z., Sun, J., Li, X., Chu, Y., Zhao, D., Ju, H., Wu, X., & Cong, D. (2022). Abdominal massage: A review of clinical and experimental studies from 1990 to 2021. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 70, 102861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2022.102861
³ Osborn, D. A. & Sinn, J. KH. (2017). Infant formulas containing hydrolysed protein for prevention of allergic disease and food allergy, 2017(3): CD003664. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6464507/
