Children’s Poor Digestive Function: Focus on Three Nourishments
Children’s poor appetite, emaciation, constipation, and anemia are often linked to stomach problems. The root cause lies in weak spleen and stomach function—especially noticeable in early autumn.
Professor Ding Xuesheng, a renowned senior TCM practitioner in Shanghai, believes children are born with weak spleen and stomach function, predisposing them to poor gastrointestinal health. Due to limited language skills, children often cannot express discomfort clearly—so obvious stomach pain indicates serious illness, possibly already involving superficial gastritis or ulcers. For common pediatric digestive issues, adjusting gastrointestinal function and cultivating good habits are more meaningful than medication. Dr. Shi Saibao, head of the Department of Gastroenterology at Rui Xing Hospital in Shanghai, developed a "Three Nourishments" theory.
Cultivating Good Eating Habits
First, children must develop good lifestyle and eating habits. Modern medicine confirms that *Helicobacter pylori* spreads via oral contact—thus, children should adopt separate dining to reduce transmission risk from parents. In China, asymptomatic children show rising *H. pylori* infection rates—many contracted from family members. Children should dine separately from adults to prevent cross-infection. Also, correct bad habits like biting fingernails or chewing foreign objects—preventing bacterial entry into the stomach.
Some parents excessively spoil children, fostering bad habits and disrupting digestive function. Children should avoid fried chicken, ice-cold sodas, and chocolates—foods that harm the stomach. Children are still developing—organs are immature. Without restraint on raw, cold, or greasy foods, the stomach lacks rest, leading to food stagnation. Over time, this causes poor appetite, indigestion, abnormal bowel movements, and various stomach diseases. Maintain proper balance between main and side dishes. TCM holds that grains nourish the stomach—grains are best for digestive health.
Establishing Good Feeding Practices
Second, parents must establish proper feeding habits—especially grandparents caring for grandchildren. Feed with attention to personal hygiene. Many children face academic pressure and fatigue, which stimulate the gastrointestinal tract. Prolonged stress leads to recurring issues like poor appetite, stomach pain, and gastritis. Untreated, this may affect growth and development.
Gastric issues often lack obvious early symptoms, easily overlooked by parents. Parents must take seriously signs like poor appetite or stomach discomfort—don’t ignore subtle changes due to work busyness. Also, protect children from abdominal cold—after weather turns cold, avoid cold foods.
Emphasizing Digestive Tract Regulation and Care
Finally, focus on regulating and nurturing children’s gastrointestinal function. A child’s stomach is delicate—adjustment must be done carefully. Dr. Shi believes that treating pediatric gastritis solely with antibiotics causes significant gastric irritation, worsening discomfort and leading to non-compliance and treatment discontinuation—potentially causing gut flora imbalance and diarrhea. Treatment requires continuity—else recurrence is likely. Integrated Chinese-Western medicine is fundamental. Use TCM to stimulate appetite and restore digestive function first, then use antibiotics. However, herbal medicine is bitter—children resist it. Thus, altering taste to improve palatability is crucial.
Notably, some parents wrongly give children adult-dose digestive or stomach-strengthening medications—simply reducing the dose. This is absolutely unacceptable. Pediatric gastric issues require entirely different treatment from adults. When children have stomach discomfort or poor appetite, do not self-medicate. Always consult a doctor for examination and diagnosis, using appropriate pediatric formulations.