This blog is #6 in a series of blogs in the form of questions or statements about a health issue and answers. These are in the typical format used when doctors take tests.
Question #6
What might be the best initial step in a 4-year-old child with chronic constipation?
- Encourage regular physical activity.
- A 4-6 week dairy elimination diet.
- Offer stool softeners.
- Encourage more fluids.
That’s correct! #2
As there is a large body of evidence supporting dairy products as a risk factor for chronic constipation in children, this is a reasonable first step. In contrast, there is a lack of evidence supporting fluids despite being a reasonable prevention measure. Stool softeners are not supported by evidence and most 4-year-olds are already reasonably active.
My vive: Disruption of the gut drives the development of food intolerances but the food issues drive gut disruption.
Gut disruption then drives autoimmune disease but also all kinds of chronic health issues.
Getting to the bottom of why a child has any gut issue will help fix the issue but will also be so important in avoiding the development of new health issues over time.
