MAMIL ARTICLES -CHILD'S DIGESTIVE HEALTH

When young children are having fun, it's hard to convince them to stop, even when they should take a toilet break. Replies like "Just five more minutes, please mommy?" and "Wait, I'm not finished yet!" are common, and sometimes parents just give in to a child's innocent persistence. Unfortunately, a child's habit of withholding bowel movements can contribute to constipation, a common problem among children. Constipation happens when stools spend too much time in the colon – this causes the colon to absorb too much water, resulting in hard and dry stools that are difficult to push out from the body. Over time, constipation can worsen, so it's important for parents to be on the lookout for warning signs. These include behaviors such as straining while passing stool or clenching buttock muscles which indicate efforts to withhold bowel movements. Other symptoms include stomach pain and cramping, urinary leakage which can be caused b...

"Mommy, my tummy hurts!" That’s a common complaint from young children, and it can mean many things - perhaps they need a toilet break, or they’re experiencing constipation or lactose intolerance. Parents quickly learn to distinguish the problem, but among young children who can’t express what’s wrong, such troubles can be very challenging to deal with. Digestive problems are common. In a survey conducted among 120 healthcare professionals, it was found that lactose intolerance, diarrhoea and constipation were among the top five most common problems among young children. 1 Fortunately, maintaining a healthy digestive system can help address these troubles. The presence of good bacteria in the system plays an important role in the overall health of young children. 2  This is why it’s important to ensure that a child’s diet includes prebiotics and probiotics. Why we need prebiotics and probiotics Prebiotics are the food source for the healthy bacteria in t...

The word bacteria can strike fear in any mother. But did you know that your child's growth and development depends on the presence of trillions of good bacteria in his gut? Read on to find out more. Just the mention of the word bacteria is enough to strike panic in many mums. After all, aren’t they the monstrous microscopic creatures that cause their children to fall sick? They are dangerous little things and must be rid of, right? Actually no, not quite. There are some bacteria that are absolutely essential to help support your child's healthy gut, which can affect his total well-being. These "good" or friendly bacteria help support the functions of his gut such as digesting his food, protecting him from infection-causing bad bacteria and influencing his mood, thus supporting his physical and mental well-being. Where do the good bacteria live? Here is an astonishing fact: The microbes in our body outnumber human cells by 10:1 1 , and majority of them liv...