Children’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution Identification
Harmonious Constitution
The TCM constitution is an inherent characteristic of the human body formed on the basis of congenital endowment and acquired factors. The TCM constitution is closely related to children’s health and diseases. By classifying and identifying children’s constitutions, effective health management and “preventive treatment” interventions can be implemented.
Children’s TCM constitutions can be divided into the following nine types: Harmonious Constitution, Qi Deficiency Constitution, Yang Deficiency Constitution, Yin Deficiency Constitution, Phlegm-Damp Constitution, Damp-Heat Constitution, Blood Stasis Constitution, Qi Stagnation Constitution, Special Constitution.
A偏颇 constitution is a type of “sub-health state” and is not a pathological condition. For different偏颇 constitutions, through acquired conditioning and care, early detection, early adjustment, and early recovery of children’s sub-health states can be achieved, effectively achieving the goals of “preventing disease before it occurs”, “preventing minor issues from becoming major ones”, and “preventing changes in existing diseases”.
“Inheriting from the congenital, nurturing through the acquired”
This article mainly introduces the care and nurturing of children with a harmonious constitution:
The Harmonious Constitution means that the constitution is balanced, being the most stable and healthiest among the nine types. It is influenced by good congenital endowment and closely related to acquired nurturing. Children have “five organs and six bowels, developed but not fully formed, complete but not robust”; they exhibit both vigorous growth and a delicate, fragile side. Therefore, the proportion of children with a harmonious constitution is lower than that of adults, approximately 15%.
Children with a harmonious constitution have balanced Yin, Yang, Qi, and Blood, with a moderate physique, rosy complexion, and abundant energy. These children are often lively in character. Although they are less prone to illness, they recover easily after falling ill. However, attention should be paid to regular daily routines, ensuring good ventilation indoors, increasing outdoor activities, dressing appropriately for the season, and maintaining good habits such as regular bathing.
The general principle of dietary nurturing for children with a harmonious constitution is: balanced diet and nutrition.
On this basis, attention should also be paid to flavor balance and seasonal nurturing. Children with a harmonious constitution can adapt well to various foods, but it is essential to maintain a balanced dietary structure, avoiding excessively cold, raw, and hard-to-digest foods. Parents should also cultivate good habits in their children, such as eating well at main meals, minimizing snacks, enjoying meals, and focusing while eating.
For children with a harmonious constitution, the following foods are very suitable: grains such as rice, corn, and yam; meats such as pork, black-boned chicken, and duck; vegetables such as spinach, black fungus, silver fungus, mushrooms, and lion’s mane mushrooms; fruits such as jujube, hawthorn, olives, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, black sesame, lotus seeds, and bayberries. Foods with a balanced flavor like these are less likely to cause shifts in the child’s constitution.
Seasonal Medicinal Dish Recommendations:
Spring: Recommended dishes include lily and lotus seed soup, and silver fish and cabbage soup.
Summer: Recommended dishes include Poria and glutinous rice porridge, and mung bean and pumpkin soup.
Autumn: Recommended dishes include prince ginseng, lily, and lean meat soup, and lily and pear soup.
Winter: Recommended dishes include jujube porridge and barley lamb soup.
In addition to dietary care, regular health massages can be given to children, such as abdominal massage, back pinching, and acupressure on points like Zu San Li (足三里), Ying Xiang (迎香), and Si Shen Cong (四神聪).
Teaching Videos
Children’s abdominal massage and back pinching video tutorial
Ying Xiang massage video tutorial
Si Shen Cong massage video tutorial
References: “Consensus on the Characteristics and Care of Children’s TCM Constitutions” – “Chinese Journal of Integrative Pediatrics”, August 2023, Volume 15, Issue 4.
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Contributed by｜Duan Xuebin/Zhang Fangxia
Edited by｜Liu Weina
Editor｜Yang Rong
Chief Editor｜Zhan Guangbao
