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Stomach And Bowel Disorders Among Infants At the Period of Weaning

By Mike Steven

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Published: 07Nov2009
Word count: 614
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Great care and judgment must be exercised in effecting the object of weaning as there is great susceptibility to derangements of the stomach and bowels of the child at that period. Usually, however, the bowels are deranged during this process from one of these causes; from weaning too early, from effecting it too suddenly and abruptly, or from over-feeding and the use of improper and unsuitable food. There is another cause which also may give rise to diarrhoea at this time, independently of weaning, viz. the irritation of difficult teething.

The substitution of artificial food for the breast-milk of the mother, at a period when the digestive organs of the infant are too delicate for this change, is a frequent source of the affections now under consideration.

The attempt to wean a delicate child, for instance, when only six months old, will inevitably be followed by disorder of the stomach and bowels. Unless, therefore, a mother is obliged to resort to this measure, from becoming pregnant, or any other unavoidable cause, if she consult the welfare of her child, she will not give up nursing at this early period.

Depriving the child at once of the breast, and substituting artificial food, however proper under due regulations such food may be, will invariably cause bowel complaints. Certain rules and regulations must be adopted to effect weaning safely, the details of which are given elsewhere.

If food is given too frequently or bigger quantities are given at a time, the stomach will become oppressed, wearied, and deranged in both the cases; some of the food may be thrown up by vomiting, whilst the remainder will pass on into the bowels irritating its delicate mucous membrane, not having undergone the digestive process and producing flatulence, griping, purging, and perhaps convulsions.

Further, improper and unsuitable food will be followed by precisely the same effects; the disease will become most seriously aggravated unless a judicious alteration be quickly made. Remedies will have no influence over the disease unless the cause is taken care.

Therefore, it is of the primary importance to the well-doing of the child, that at the time of weaning, when the mother is about to substitute an artificial food for that of her own breast, she should first ascertain what kind of food suits the child best, and then the precise quantity which nature demands. Many cases might be cited, where children have never had a prescription written for them, simply because, these points having been attended to, their diet has been managed with judgment and care; whilst, on the other hand, others might be referred to, whose life has been hazarded, and all but lost, simply from injudicious dietetic management. Over-feeding, and improper articles of food, are more frequently productive, in their result, of anxious hours and distressing scenes to the parent, and of danger and loss of life to the child, than almost any other causes.

The irritation caused by difficult teething may give rise to diarrhoea at the period when the infant is weaned, which is not related to weaning. Such disorder of the bowels, if it manifestly occur from this cause, is a favourable circumstance, and should not be interfered with, unless indeed the attack be severe and aggravated, when medical aid becomes necessary. Slight diarrhoea then, during weaning, when it is fairly traceable to the cutting of a tooth (the heated and inflamed state of the gum will at once point to this as the source of the derangement), is of no consequence, but it must not be mistaken for disorder arising from other causes. Lancing the gum will at once, then, remove the cause, and generally cure the bowel complaint.

Mike is a post graduate and is associated with medical transcription services, medical billing services and development of web-based emr for more than 10 years.

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