CONSTIPATION
Constipation is one of the most frequent troubles visited upon people of all ages. “It is not a disease, it is a condition in which the number of stools is less or the consistency of the stools is greater than is normal for the individual at the given time.”[86] It may be caused by neglect of the bowels, which should be evacuated once or twice every day during infancy and once a day after that period. If the habit of emptying the bowels every day is established in infancy it adds much to the health and comfort of the individual during the entire remainder of life. Babies are sometimes constipated as the result of the opium administered in soothing sirups. Others inherit constipation, while still others are constipated by the taking of the wrong kind of food or too little food. In any case it is decidedly bad to resort to drugs, since the habit of taking cathartics is so easily acquired and so difficult to overcome.
Factors Inducing Constipation.—With artificially fed babies a formula which contains too high a percentage of diluent and too low a percentage of solids will cause constipation, chiefly because the solids are so completely absorbed that they have no residue to form feces. A formula with too low a fat content in proportion to its protein and carbohydrates may cause constipation because the latter two constituents are almost entirely absorbed, and the feces, which is largely made up of the fat, is correspondingly small. Excess of fat, however, has been proved to be one of the chief causes of constipation in infants, as has also been the case with excess starch. Boiling the milk for the baby at times results in constipation. Hence sterilization is more frequently to blame for the condition than the pasteurization of milk.
Constipation during Second Year.—During the second year, if the child is given too much milk and too little solid food, constipation is very apt to be the result. A maximum quantity of from thirty-two to forty ounces may be given. In many diseases brought on by malnutrition, constipation is an obstinate condition to be overcome. This is especially the case in rickets and anemia.
Use of Laxative Foods.—After the baby is a few months old, orange juice is given between the morning feedings. Malted foods likewise exert a laxative effect. The higher the percentage of maltose, the more laxative the food. The nurse must keep this point in mind in feeding babies. With older children and adults, the question of diet for constipation is quite as important as it is for infants. Prunes or figs cooked with senna leaves and thoroughly strained furnish an excellent adjunct to the diet under such conditions. The coarse breads such as bran and Graham or wholewheat bread should be used instead of white flour breads. Care should be taken in advising a cereal diet for children, since cereals, with the exception of oats, are apt to be constipating. Fresh fruits, stewed fruits, and fresh vegetables are all good under the above-mentioned conditions. Young children require the vegetables strained or cut fine. Adults should include one coarse vegetable a day in their dietary to obviate the development of constipation. Children should be taught to drink plenty of water, and babies should not be neglected in this respect. As a rule very few adults drink as much water as is necessary for the general welfare of their bodies.