Question
What’s happening with a 7-year-old boy who has a bowel movement every 7 to 8 days?
Answer
For about 2 to 3 years, the boy has had bowel movements every 7 to 8 days without any medical treatment, which could be due to constipation. Treatment generally involves lifestyle changes, medication, biofeedback training, and in some cases, surgery, to restore normal defecation physiology. Adopting a reasonable diet habit, such as increasing dietary fiber content, increasing water intake to enhance colonic stimulation, and developing good defecation habits, is also recommended. At the same time, physical activity should be increased. There are many factors that can cause pediatric digestive diseases. If a child is diagnosed with pediatric digestive disease, parents need to cooperate with the doctor for immediate treatment, including gastrointestinal decompression, and develop good hygiene habits. Parents should also be cautious not to foster picky eating habits in their children and promote a balanced diet.