14.4 Lifespan Considerations

Newborns

The initial stool is called “meconium,” which is described as thick, dark, and tarry.  Breast milk is the preferred nutrition for newborns.^[1]  If breastmilk is not utilized the newborn is fed with iron-fortified infant formula.

Children

The expected abdominal contour of a child is protuberant until about the age of 4. Healthy eating in childhood and adolescence is important for proper growth and development and to prevent various health conditions.^[2]

Older Adults

Constipation may be more common in older adults due to decreased physical mobility and oral intake. Urinary urgency, urinary frequency, urinary retention, nocturia, and urinary incontinence are also common concerns for older adults. A common medical condition in males as they age is prostate hypertrophy (i.e., enlargement of the prostate gland), causing uncomfortable urinary symptoms such as urgency and frequency.^[3]

Attribution

WTCS