Benefiber Safe for Toddlers

Updated on July 08, 2008
M.L. asks from Seattle, WA
27 answers

My 22 month is having pooping issues. Is benefiber safe for toddlers? I have tried, fresh fruits, prune juice and even stool softeners. I need her to start going regularly otherwise, it gets so hard and hard for her to push.

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So What Happened?

Thank you all for the great advice! I am definely going to call my pediatrician and have this problem looked at.

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H.C.

answers from Seattle on

I see you mentioned that you've tried stool softeners - have you tried MiraLax? My daughter had rectal prolapse and severe constipation all the time. It began when she was about 2 1//2 years old. My doctor put her on MiraLax at 50% the adult dose. It can be mixed with any beverage. She told me that it is non-habit forming and can be used long-term safely. It has helped tremendously. She's still taking it (she'll be 4 in August). I recently cut back her dairy consumption - I'm giving her lactose-free milk and soy milk, and cheese is now an occasional treat. That seems to have helped as well. She has less gas and I am able to make her dose even smaller without constipation problems.

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H.B.

answers from Seattle on

Try Pear Juice before you start giving her Benefiber. Pear Juice is different than prune juice, and works better as well. It doesn't look like it, but it's powerful. Also, at the Vitamin stores (health food stores) there is a company that makes vitamin supplements in the form of Gummy Bears-they have one for fiber. I got some for my niece, and gave them to her and it worked wonders.

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T.W.

answers from Portland on

My 2 older kids have been on benifiber that young. They have both had server constipation all their lives. Dried fruit works well also. at that age I gave them a 1/4 of a tablet.

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L.L.

answers from Seattle on

My son is taking Miralax. It is an OTC stool softener. He has constipation issues. You might also try a children's enema (they are gross, but they work). The best thing for you to do would be to take your daughter to see a gasteroenterologist (poop specialist). My son has been seeing one regularly since January. He is doing great now! The doctor will be able to recommend the best treatment for your daughter to keep her regular and soft. The thing I like most about the Miralax is it is completely tastless. One other thing you can do for your daughter is limit her milk intake to 2 cups per day. A really wonderful cereal is Fiber One Caramel Delight. It is kind of like cinnamon toast crunch, but it has 9 grams of fiber per cup! It has some sugar, but I don't just hand out candy to my son, so I feel good about giving him the cereal with a little sugar since it has so much fiber. Most things with a lot of fiber have only 3 grams per serving. One thing my son's doc told me is to not try to potty train him while he is being treated unless he wants to. That is because it is painful for them already and if they don't want to do it, it will just make the training worse in the long run. I would strongly urge you to take her to the doc though. I did and I am so glad I did! I had no idea it was that bad or how much they could help!

I see you live in seattle. My son's doctor is at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma. Her name is Dr. Melawati Yuwono They are so great there! Having a specialist who also is a pediatric specialist is soo important for this type of thing because kids are so different that adults. Good luck. I hope your daughter's problem is resolved soon.

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C.T.

answers from Seattle on

I have a 5 year old foster daughter that has had many physical issues, one of them being extreme constipation. I was just warned by a doctor about giving my 5 year old benifiber. Basically she said that if not enough water was also consumed then the fiber turns into "concrete" in bowels and can make the problem worse. I would talk to your ped. or a natropath. The doctor put her on a strict diet and prescribed other meds that work differently with the body. Miralax is one of the meds. It pulls water into the bowels to make the stool softer. The other is mineral oil. It lubricates the bowels so that the stool comes out easier. We are on this med plan for 6 months to 1 year to get her system back on track. Again my daughter is an extreme case. I hope this helps. God bless you.

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A.O.

answers from Portland on

Absolutely yes. My son had severe constipation from birth until about age 4. So bad that he was hospitalized a couple of times. His doctor in Texas eventually put him on Miralax and it definitely helped, but did not solve the problem. When we moved to Oregon, we took our son to see a naturopath for the first time and she took him off the Miralax, put him on Benefiber and a probiotic. She also had me take fruit and sugar out of his diet, thinking that the problem could be yeast or bacteria in his digestive system. Within a couple of days, he was pooping normally for the first time ever! We were amazed and he was so much happier. So, I would definitely recommend the Benefiber. Good luck!

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P.G.

answers from Seattle on

Is she well hydrated? Drink lots of fluids. Sprinkle a tablespoon of wheat germ on her cereal. Oatmeal is also good.

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L.R.

answers from Portland on

I would check with you pediatrician before giving anything like that. My daughter had horrible constipation issues when she was very little. Once they experience the discomfort of a hard poop they tend to hold it and it creates a vicious circle. Her pediatrician put her on Enulose. It's a sugar substitute that keeps the stool soft. I started doing research online and found that mineral oil (just a small amount in their juice or milk once a day) really did the trick. I felt it was more natural than the sugar substitute and you can get it at any store. She is nine now and hasn't had any problems at all in years. Run it by your Pediatrican and see what they say about it. Mine was all for it. Good luck!

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A.H.

answers from Seattle on

We've used Benefiber with our 3-yr-old daughter. Just check with your pediatrician for dosing since the bottle only lists adult and older kids' dosing. I'd try this before Miralax, since it's more natural. Best to avoid medications when possible when they're that young, but that's just my opinion. We've used Miralax, too, but prefer Benefiber. Less "mess" if you know what I mean.

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R.R.

answers from Seattle on

my 5 year old has just gotten over 2 1/2 years of the not pooping problem. Thinking back and things I had read on this web site, I found many childern with the same problem and it actually has a name, which I can't remember now.
We went through the fruit and pear juice but nothing helped. When my son felt he had to go he would go in another room or behindsomething and hold it in, then when it would come out it would be hard and his underware a mess, we tried everything, sticker charts, bribery, nothing worked. His doctor finally put him on marlax RX, she started him out on 2 teaspoons a day mixed with fuild, it really didn't work. Now we had another problem, he had held it for so long, those little musules in the rectum didn't know how to release and push. So now he is on 2 tablespoons a day and getting if we miss a dose it's OK.
It started because as a infant (please excuse my spelling) he would have a hard stool sometimes we thought it was change from baby food to reg. food, so in came the pear juice, anyway he got so bad he cried when the poop came out and all I could do was sit him in a warm tub to help relax him enough for that long rock turd to come out. I created another problem at that point. He would scream and cry at the top of his lungs at bath time, tub ment poop, which ment pain. So the holding got worse. Finally we found the answer, we started mixing the meralax with milk and choc instant breakfast, it does taste nasty with juice. Now we just we plan milk. Anyway he has it at night with dinner and everyday when my son and husband get home from pre school and work they sit on the pot, same time every day, My son now goes in and poops most days on his own, but he knows, do not flush till momma or popa has a look at it, that is a rule because we need to seee that he is going a proper amount, alot to them is a little tiny turd. Check with your doctor about the meralax and if your insurance co pay, or don't pay is to high, Costco has it at the best price.
Your little girls mind and body has to learn it don't hurt to poop and that pooping is a good and wonderful thing.
And of course, we have to do the poopy dance and yell and scream, good job, you did it, I am so happy, I know it's not a pleasent part of the body's function, but you have to make it one.
Good luck

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A.S.

answers from Eugene on

It would be much better to find and eliminate the cause. If she's eating lots of fresh ripe fruits and vegetables and drinking plenty of water, it could be that she's eating too much animal products, especially milk products, they can cause constipation and many other problems. And cow's milk is not good for humans anyway (please see notmilk.com). I'd also make sure she isn't having some other emotional/psychological issue that's making her not want to poop, like being scared of the flushing toilet or something else going on in her life.

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J.H.

answers from Seattle on

not sure about that brand but I do know that Myrolax (sp?) works wonders and is safe for children. My daughter has had poopy issues for 3 years (since age 1) and she was prescribed myrolax but no it's in stores. You just mix it in juice or whatever each day and within a day or so--your child will have a poppy. If you give some each day, it will help. You monitor the amount as well so you can do more or less depending on how soft you would like stool to be. Due to my daughter holding her bm--I had to make it almost diahrea like for several months so she would forget how much it hurt.

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J.W.

answers from Seattle on

Increase her fluid intake for starters. Look at what she is eating that could be constipating: bananas, rice, cheese. Applesauce is a great source of fiber, kids love it as a rule and it's easy to add a serving at every meal. Having a good bowel movement every other day is probably all that is necessary, but if you are concerned, I strongly suggest that you see her pediatrician before you start with stool softeners or any other OTC remedy. The body can become dependent upon those resources. Also, increasing her activity level will help move her bowels. Walk with her, even at 22 months, you can go for walks or manually 'bicycle' her legs. Best of luck!!!!

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K.O.

answers from Portland on

Mirilax. Half a cap full, once a day, mixed in juice. If it doesn't produce "results" within a few days, contact your pediatrician. :)

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D.D.

answers from Seattle on

Your 22 month old probably has a food allergy. Check him for that. A normal digestive system - especialy a child's - should not need extra fiber or stool softeners. Either the diet doesn't have enough fiber (which I doubt) or there is a different problem. My daughter was Celiac, and she had terrible constipation. Now that we have taken out wheat, she no longer has that problem.

G.M.

answers from Seattle on

Couldn't tell you about Benefiber, but I've found Pedialax (NOT the laxative versions, I know nothing of those, but the liquid stool softener - it's oral ducosate sodium) has been WONDERFUL for my 11 month old. It's not recommended for children under 2 without doctor's approval, so I'd check with your doc first. This product has been amazing for us. My son would push and push until he bled sometimes, after we had also tried everything we could think of.
He no longer pushes until he cries or bleeds, it's still thick-ish consistency, but no longer hard.

Good luck!

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S.G.

answers from Seattle on

My doctor prescribed Glycolax for my infant and it has been awesome. Good luck.

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H.T.

answers from Seattle on

I was just at Target the other day and they have Benefiber designed for kids. I dont know who young but I am sure it says it on the bottle. Good luck :)

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L.Z.

answers from Anchorage on

Ground up flax seed...get omegas while you are at it.

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S.M.

answers from Portland on

M.,
fist off PLEASE do not give your child ANY adult medication prior to speaking with his doctor first, other mothers may mean well however they are gving you advice that could put your child at risk.
There are a few alternitives to putting chemicals down your son to help regulate him.
I am a mother of 2 children I am also in healthcare, My 15 month old goes from constipation to liquid stools and back again everytime she gets a new tooth, he doctor recommended acidophilus, the bacteria found in yougurt, I buy the chewable kind and crush them for her, they are sweet so she thinks it is some kind of cany or treat. It helps regulate her quite well. Also there are new yogurts that have added fiber and bacteria, they can be spendy but if you dont want chemicals that could possibly do more harm than good it is worth a try. Good luck :) S.

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C.M.

answers from Bellingham on

make sure he is not drinking too much milk, as that can lead to constipation. Limit should be 2 cups per day. Make sure he is getting enough water. Fiber therapy is, of course, something that will probably help, but it does address the symptom, not the core issue. I would see a good naturopath or nutritionist who can evaluate his diet to see what is causing the constipation in the first place.

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J.S.

answers from Seattle on

We've used Fiber choice for our 18 month old. It is chewable (4grams of fiber per tablet) and we only give her half a tablet. It is fruit flavored so she thinks it is candy. Fiber Choice and natural yogurt like Yo Baby which has more active cultures than yoplait helped straighten out our daughters digestive system.

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J.M.

answers from Seattle on

I had major issues with my 3 yr old son. He is #5 and all my other kids potty trained by age 2. At age 3+ the Dr suggested I could use Myralax after I asked him about it. It works awesome. It was a capful which was an adult portion which surprised me. I actually saw a specialist. He had too take double that for 2 weeks to clean him out. Had to have 4 enemas at SEPARATE times...and less than a month later he was totally trained. Nothing worked for him either..and we tried home remedies..for about a year and nothing worked. Myralax I would do on my own, but doubling the dose or enemas I would do only after asking the Dr. I slowly cut back on the Myralax and never needed it again. He also only weighs 26.5 pounds..so he's a tiny 3 1/2 yr old. I was amazed how much could pass through a tiny guy! Good luck!

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E.B.

answers from Portland on

Try some miralax...just find out from your pediatrician how much they can have but it is really easy to mix in milk, water or juice.

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K.M.

answers from Seattle on

You may want to try Welch's white grape/cherry juice. It is the only thing that worked for my son. He was constipated from birth, even though he exclusively breastfed. We tried fruit, prune juice, prunes etc... and the only thing that really worked was the Welch's grape/cherry juice. I only give him 2 -4 oz of juice a day, watered down with 4 - 6 oz of water, but as long as he gets it every day, he poops like normal - no more straining. If he misses the juice for more than one day he goes back to having problems. It may not work for your little one, but it is worth a try.

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K.R.

answers from Portland on

Our pediatrician recommended Miralax - you can get it over the counter now, and I think there might even be a generic. I had to use it regularly for my oldest daughter for a few months until we got the problem well under control, and she never even knew that it was mixed into her juice or milk. Now she just needs it every rare once in awhile, but it works well for her and is non-habit forming.

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M.F.

answers from Seattle on

M., I am not familiar with the benefiber, however the company I am associated with manufactures powdered nutritional supplements and we have an excellent fiber product that is patented and safe for children. We also have a hydration drink that is part of our foundational nutrition that we start people on. My little daughter who suffers sometimes with constipation is greatly helped by just drinking that as it quickly hydrates her bowel. We notice a direct correlation between her drinking enough water and having very little white flour and white sugar and not having issues in that area! If you would like more information on the nutrition we use let me know. M. F

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