Tummy Troubles

TummyTroubles
IT IS A SENTENCE THAT,
parentdreadshearing:"My
tummyhurts."
Stomachailmentsareperplexing: Wasit somethingsheate?Is
shenervousabouttodayktest?Or
is sheactually sick?Fortunately,
a numberof naturalremediescan
help alleviatestomachand digestive troubles.
Thenext timeyour child complains of oneof thesefour common
ailments,tameher tummy with a
natural antidote.
Triggersincludeeverything from foodsensitivityto an
unwillingnessto havea bowel
movementwithout a parentpresent. Dehydrationand a low-fiber
diet canalsobe culprits.
opathicphysicianDr. Donielle
high-fiberfruits
Wilson suggests
suchaskiwis, aswell asomega-3
supplements.
Flaxseed
or psyllium huskpowders,which canbe
addedto food,arealsogoodfor
bulking up stool.
For
newborns,call ifthere hasbeen
no stool for four days.For older
children,call ifthe constipation
Iastsmorethan two weeks,if
hemorrhoidsor tearsaroundthe
rectumoccur,ifthere is leakage
or ifthe child is unableto pass
stool.
A newbornis consideredconstipatedifhe goes
morethan a daywithout a bowel
movementandif his stoolis firm.
In an olderchild, it's threedays
without a bowelmovement.Kids
may experience
abdominalpain
or nauseaandhavestoolstainson
their underwear.Theymay also
start fighting the urgeto "go."
Appleor prunejuicecan
helpinfants,but askthe doctor
beforetreatingyour baby'sconstipationat home,in caseitt a sign
of a moreseriousillness.Forolder
children,NewYork-based
natur-
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In children,gastrointestinal virusesarethe most common
culprit. Othercausesincludefood
allergies,antibioticsandfood
poisoning.
Diarrheais characterizedby loose,waterystoolsthat
occurmorethan oncea day,often
accompanied
by cramping.
Probiotic-richfoods
such asyogurt can help the immune systemfight off viruses,
saysDr. StevenPratt, author of
Superfoods
Foods
Rx:Fourteen
That wil ChangeYourLife,
Foodsrich in polyphenols,an
a n t i o x i d a n t a, r ea l s oh e l p f u l .
Accordingto Dr. Pratt, the
antiviral propertiesof blueberriesmakethem one of the
bestfoodsto treat diarrhea.
B l a c k b e r r lye a f t e ac a ns o o t h e
the intestinal wall, saysherbalist JessieHawkins,owner of
VintageRemediesin Tennessee.
I f y o u s u s p e cat m i l k a l l e r g y
is the culprit, try switching to
g o a t ' sm i l k , w h i c h i s e a s i e rt o
digest.
Ifyour
child showssignsofdehydration, including crying without
tears,high fever,listlessness
and
sunkeneyes,call immediately.
Bloodin the stoolalsowarrants
a call.
Vomiting is different
from spitting up, andcERD-inducedvomiting is oftenaccompaniedby coughing,irritability and
poorweightgain.
Wilson recommends cooled fen-
Gasis most often triggeredby food.Somedoctors
believethat colic(whichoccurs
betweenro daysand three
monthsof age)might alsobe
causedby foodsingestedvia
breastmilk.
nel tea or Hyland's Colic Tablets,
which contain chamomile and
colocynth, to easeabdominal
pains.
For
newborns, call if crying persists
for more than three hours. In
A babywith colicwill
oftencry inconsolablyandpull
her legsup to her chest.Gasis
o n l ya p r o b l e mi f i t b e c o m epsa i n ful or excessive.
all children, seekmedical care
if gas is accompanied by fever,
Try switchingformula-fedinfants to a soy-based
product.Forbreastfedbabies,Dr.
Wilson suggestsmoms eliminate
garlic,broccoli,dairy and gluten
from their diets.(Thesefoodscan
alsocausegasin olderchildren.)
Probioticsupplementscanhelp
kids ofall ages.Forcolic,Dr.
In infants, it can be
causedby feeding problems,
vomiting, diarrhea or bloody
stools.
PLEASE
NOTE:
gastroesophagealreflux disease
(GERD)or hypertrophic pyloric
stenosis, a condition that blocks
food from entering the intestines. In older children, vomiting
is most often causedby a viral
illness.
Cooledpeppermint
tea,gingeralemadewith real
ginger,andpeppermintlozenges
canhelp alleviatesymptoms,
Hawkins says.Gripewater-a
blendof chamomile,peppermint, fennelandothernatural
stomachsoothers-canreduce
G E R Ds y m p t o m si n s o m ei n fants.
Seek
medicalattentionimmediately
whenthereis persistentvomiting
in a child lessthan four months
ofage.Also call ifyour child is
unableto keepdown clearliquids
or becomesdehydrated.
fhe bestpl.ace
afterthe
Womb.
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