Question
A three-and-a-half-year-old boy is experiencing symptoms of distended stomach. After a period of herbal medicine treatment, there was some improvement, but after more than a month, the lack of appetite returned. What are some traditional Chinese medicines recommended for frequent use to regulate the spleen and stomach?
Answer
The term “distended stomach” encompasses both retention and malnutrition. Retention refers to a condition where a child, due to internal injury and improper diet, experiences food stagnation in the middle burner, leading to indigestion, abdominal distension, and irregular bowel movements. Malnutrition, on the other hand, is caused by dietary imbalance, improper feeding, or various diseases that damage the spleen and stomach, leading to general weakness, emaciation, yellowish complexion, and lack of vitality. Traditional Chinese medicine says, “Without retention, there can be no malnutrition; retention is the mother of malnutrition.” It is recommended that parents take their child to…