Living and Loving – September 2019

68 | SEPTEMBER 2019 | L&L

S

tomachachesarecommonin

children,buttheyseldomturn

outtobeaseriousconcern.

“Mostofthetime,it’sjust

amildstomachbug,constipation,

hunger,orachild’swayofgetting

outofsomethingtheydon’twantto

do,”saysDrClaireMcCarthy,faculty

editoratHarvardHealthPublishing.

Ifyourtoddlerisconstantly

complainingofasoretummy,

however,theremightbeahidden

causethat’sworthinvestigating.

1

Afraid of the toilet

Believe it or not, toilet phobia is a

real thing. In fact, it’s quite common for

toddlers and preschoolers to withhold

bowel movements. “Often, the problem

becomes a vicious cycle. Your little one

probably got constipated and had an

uncomfortable bowel movement.

But now, not keen to repeat the

experience, he fights the urge

to move his bowels, which

worsens constipation,” explains

community paediatrician

and associate professor at

the University of Western

Ontario in Canada, Dr

Fabian Gorodzinsky.

WHAT TO DO Firstly, you

need to find the reason for

your child’s toilet phobia.

Perhaps he isn’t ready to poo

in the toilet yet. According to

the Canadian Paediatric Society,

children are only ready to start toilet

training between 18 months and

four years of age. If you suspect your

child’s stomach ache is the result of

constipation, consider taking a

break from toilet training for a while

and giving him a few more weeks

or months with nappies before

revisiting potty training again.

Have you tailored your

toilet for your child? Often,

little ones are reluctant to use

the toilet because they aren’t big

enough to sit comfortably and bear

down. “They’re too busy holding

themselves up to be able to move

their bowels, or their feet are dangling

in mid-air,” says Dr Gorodzinsky. He

suggests getting a toilet seat insert

and footstool to make going to the

toilet more comfortable for your child.

If constipation is a consistent

problem, make an appointment

with your healthcare provider

to get it checked out.

Here are six

reasons, other

than gas or

too many

sweet

treats,

why your

little one

may be

complaining

about a

tummy ache.

TUMMY

TROUBLES