3 Year Old and Irregularity

Updated on March 23, 2008
B.H. asks from Detroit, MI
4 answers

recently my 3 year old has been having issues with his bowls (#2). And this seem to have happened shortly after he was potty trained. Lately he will go for days without going #2. At one point almost 6 days! Its gotten to the point where I have to give him prune after every 3 or 4 days when he does not go so that he will have a movement.
almost 2 weeks ago he had diarehea really bad after drinking prune juice. Before the juice he had gone almost 6 days without a movement. His diet has not changed so I can't figure out what the problem is. I have been thinking about taking him to the Dr. but I know they only thing she will tell me is to change his diet and give him prune juice. Any advice or experience on what could be going on with him? Any suggestions would be of great help to me.
thanks.

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A.A.

answers from Kalamazoo on

Make sure he is drinking water regularly. Water helps to soften bowl movements so that they move through more easily. Plenty of fiber also. That aids in regularity.

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T.

answers from Detroit on

My sisters doctor also recommended the miralax for her son. Makes it easier for them to go. Good luck

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S.H.

answers from Saginaw on

The easiest solution for my son, after trying the Milk of Magnesia, mineral oil, apple juice, prune juice, etc. was muffins made from raisin bran cereal. I let him have 3 of them the first day and then 1 every couple of days for about a month. He had what is sometimes called megacolon. His colon had been stretched out from not going for a long time over the anxiety of potty training. So, it would take him a LONG time to get full to the point of needing to go. The increased fiber helped things move along easier without causing his BMs to get too runny. Eventually, his colon contracted to normal size and he is now 6 and goes fairly regularly. Our pediatrician told us that some kids don't go everyday or even every 2 or 3 days. If they aren't feeling discomfort and their stools are not hard, then you don't need to give them any medications to force them to go.

I hope this helps.

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V.K.

answers from Saginaw on

You're probably experiencing the same thing our son went through. He's holding it too long and becomes constipated. We went through the diet issues - fiber, water, prunes, etc. - and none of it worked for us because it wasn't a diet issue. Our pediatrician put him on Miralax regularly for 6 months to soften his stools. He's now off the Miralax and has no issues since he's become accustomed to using the potty. You may ask your ped about it. It's much better for kids than using things like milk of magnesia because it doesn't contain the metals that others do. It is available over the counter now. We started with half a dose once a day in the morning (I think it was 8 grams), and the ped said to monitor him and adjust accordingly. If you have to make any adjustments, give them 24-48 hours to take effect since you won't notice the change right away. Good luck to you!

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