How To Care For A Child With A Stoma

While ostomy surgery is a life-saving procedure, watching your little one undergoing it can be one of the most distressing things to notice. Most parents are concerned about their children’s needs that may arise after surgery.

With a little patience and practice, you can take care of your child with a stoma quite comfortably. In this article, we will discuss a few concerns that people have about their children with stomas.

Hugging a child after stoma surgery

Your surgeon will not restrict you from hugging your child unless there is an underlying reason that might complicate the stoma care regimen. You can hold and hug your child and allow him to play with friends. Nonetheless, you may have to ask your child to avoid playing contact sports. Your healthcare provider will tell you about any restrictions.

The look of the stoma

Ideally, a stoma has the following characteristics.

• Red, moist, soft to touch, and overall appearance that of the inside of your mouth
• Oval or round in shape
• Slightly raised on the surface of the abdomen

Since a stoma has a good blood supply, it may bleed quite easily when you rub or clean it. However, it doesn’t feel anything due to the absence of nerve endings in it. If you see any abnormalities in the stoma of your child, contact your doctor or ostomy care nurse immediately.

Does the stoma hurt?

Since there are no nerve endings in the stoma, your child will not feel pain in it while passing stools or urine. The stoma will be tender and swollen during the first few days after surgery, but this swelling will subside in a few weeks. A stoma in its usual form suggests normal functions of the bowel.

Change in the stoma after surgery

It will take a few weeks for your stoma to settle to a permanent shape and size. Usually, it takes six to eight weeks for the swelling in the stoma to subside. After this duration, the shape and size of your stoma will be permanent. In some cases, the stoma may protrude or sink from the level of the abdomen. While a slight protrusion or retraction may not be problematic, an extensive movement should be addressed immediately.

Emptying the child’s ostomy pouch

You have to empty an ostomy pouch as soon as it is one-third to half full. It will help prevent the pouch from pulling away from the abdominal skin. Emptying a too-full ostomy pouch is also more difficult.

It is necessary to clean the end of the pouch to avoid odors and stains on clothes. Moreover, ensure that the tail closure is not pressing against your child's abdomen.

Wear time of an ostomy pouch

You will have to ask your stoma care nurse about the duration of the ostomy pouch wear time. Factors that dictate the wear time include the child’s size, activity level, type of ostomy, and stool consistency. An older child may wear an ostomy pouch for three to four days.

Problems That Might Arise With A Stoma

Stoma problems care common, but they can affect the quality of life significantly. So, instead of ignoring and letting those problems to leave an unpleasant impact on your ostomy care regimen, you will want to contact your doctor or ostomy care nurse. An ostomy care nurse is generally your first point of contact.

Common problems with a stoma

Below we will discuss the common problems that can occur with your stoma. This information should help you prevent these issues.

Leakage

The number one concern for individuals with an ostomy is leakage, which not only compromises the seal between the ostomy pouch and peristomal skin but also contributes to a number of skin problems that can make ostomy care every more difficult. The combination of leakage and skin problems initiates a vicious cycle that worsens with every passing day.

The best way to prevent this issue is to make sure that there is a tighter seal between the skin barrier and the peristomal skin. The seal should not allow the stomal output to come in contact with the peristomal skin in any case. Using the right ostomy pouch may be the most necessary thing to consider, especially when a standard skin barrier fails to adhere to the peristomal skin. If your skin is irritated, you may want to use skin products and other accessories to make the peristomal skin fit enough to respond to a skin barrier.

Pouch ballooning

Ballooning occurs due to the buildup of gas inside the ostomy pouch. It happens when the pouch filter becomes wet due to contact with the stomal output. This problem results in the pouch forming a noticeable bulge under the clothes.

To address the problem of ballooning, you will need to make sure that your pouch filter is clean and functioning. You will also need to pay attention to your diet. For instance, you may not want to eat cabbage, peas, and beans if you have a gas problem. While eating your foods, it will be a bad idea to drink plenty of water, as it can result in your swallowing a lot of air, which can cause gas.

Skin soreness

Skin soreness can occur due to many reasons. In some cases, skin soreness may be due to a visible problem. In some cases, however, the problem may not seem to have any reason. To know the underlying cause of the problem in this regard, you may want to talk to your doctor or ostomy care nurse.

An ill-fitting stoma bag is the foremost reason that can result in skin soreness. A too-wide opening of the ostomy appliance can result in a part of the peristomal skin become exposed to the stomal output. It can result in skin problems. While creating an opening in the skin barrier, make sure that it fits the shape and size of your stoma.

In some cases, your peristomal skin might become sensitive to a particular ostomy product or accessory. You will want to discuss it with your ostomy care nurse to understand what ostomy products are right for you.