Question
A 31-month-old boy has been found to have difficulty moving his left hand and feet. When he was six months old, it was discovered that his hand always remained in a fist. A medical examination revealed small shadows in his brain. The doctor at that time said the child would improve as he grew older, but there has been no improvement to date. The child has received medication from Shenyang Second Hospital. The parents hope to receive further treatment recommendations.
Answer
In traditional Chinese medicine, symptoms such as food accumulation and yin deficiency are mainly due to children’s insufficient congenital spleen and stomach function, combined with the need for a large amount of nutrition during growth and development. Some parents, in an effort to supplement nutrition, give their children high-fat, high-protein, and high-sugar foods that are difficult to digest, which increases the burden on the spleen and stomach, leading to food accumulation, prolonged accumulation of heat, and possible symptoms such as heat in the palms and soles of the hands and feet, abdominal heat, and abdominal distension. Such children may also experience symptoms like loss of appetite, dry stools, red tongue coating, and abnormal breath. However, their body temperature is usually normal. Associate Professor Li Wei reminds all parents to pay attention to their children’s balanced diet, reduce the intake of puff snacks, and increase the consumption of fresh fruits, seasonal vegetables, and coarse fiber foods such as soy products, white fungus, black fungus, millet, barley, mung beans, cucumber, and mixed grains. Fruits can be chosen from duck pears, bananas, jujubes, watermelons, kiwis, etc. In summary, avoid being biased in food choices. These foods are sweet and cool or sweet and neutral; they are sweet-sour and transform yin. Their coolness can treat heat and are suitable for nourishing yin and removing internal heat.