Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Paediatrician Shares Guidance On Children’s Screen Time And Constipation
Dr Deepa Suvarna answered questions about children’s screen use, eating, and constipation.
She said a six-year-old should use screens for no more than one hour each day.
Parents should set rules calmly and avoid giving in to tantrums.
Adults should also reduce their own screen use at home.
A child who eats very little should be checked by a paediatrician to make sure they are growing properly.
The doctor can also look for nutritional deficiencies.
For long-lasting constipation, a stool softener such as Movicol may need to be given daily under medical supervision.
Blood and severe pain during bowel movements should be checked by a paediatric surgeon because an anal fissure may be present.
Children aged six should have screen time limited to a maximum of one hour daily.
Parents are advised to set calm, firm limits, ignore tantrums, and model reduced screen use.
Picky eaters should be assessed by a paediatrician to check growth percentiles and nutritional deficiencies.
Daily Movicol Paediatric may be used under medical supervision until bowel movements become consistently painless.
Recurring painful constipation and blood in stool warrant paediatric evaluation for a possible anal fissure.
- Who
- rediffGURU Dr Deepa Suvarna, a paediatrician with nearly three decades of experience, answered parents’ questions.
- What
- She provided guidance on children’s screen time, picky eating, and chronic constipation.
- When
- The guidance appeared in Dr Suvarna’s latest advisory; no publication date is stated.
- Where
- The advice was published by rediffGURU on Rediff.
- Why
- It addressed parental concerns about healthy screen limits, possible nutritional problems, and recurring painful constipation.
- Recommended screen time
- A six-year-old should have a maximum of one hour of screen time per day.
- Managing screen-related tantrums
- Parents should set firm boundaries calmly, avoid giving in, and lead by example.
- Picky eating evaluation
- A paediatrician should check height and weight percentiles and assess for nutritional deficiencies.
- Constipation treatment
- Movicol Paediatric should be administered daily under medical supervision until normal, painless bowel habits are consistently established.
- Possible cause of bleeding
- A paediatric surgeon should evaluate the child for an anal fissure.
- Dietary advice
- Temporarily eliminating cow’s milk and dairy products may provide relief for some young children.
- Medical disclaimer
- The article says online responses are informational and do not replace professional, in-person medical evaluation.