Question
My 8-month-old baby has been a bit constipated. After eating shrimp yesterday, he kicked off the blanket last night and has had six or seven bowel movements since then. What should I do?
Answer
It is recommended to carefully inspect the stool to confirm if it is due to indigestion or enteritis. Also, be attentive to whether the intestinal function is disordered due to fever. If it’s indigestion, you can take symptomatic anti-inflammatory medication such as Shanyao Jianpi Oral Liquid and Montmorillonite Powder. In severe cases, it is advisable to consult a doctor, which may require intravenous treatment. You can shorten the interval between breastfeeding to let the gastrointestinal tract rest and drink more water. When introducing complementary foods, if the situation does not improve, you should pause or reduce the intake until it improves and then gradually resume. Avoid eating difficult-to-digest foods and perform anti-inflammatory treatment when inflammation is detected. If there is a high fever, it is necessary to reduce the fever, and in severe cases, intravenous treatment may still be needed. Additionally, drink more water and appropriately shorten the breastfeeding interval to let the gastrointestinal tract rest.