BM Troubles with My 4 & 7 Year Olds

My son occasionally has problems with constipation too but I treat him to some belly massages and chiropractic treatments along with orange juice and green veggies. that usually helps great. I did want to make mention on one thing. Apples and bananas and carbs like breads, pastas, rice all create more constipation. Green veggies and citrus fruits are great. Also if you cant get them to do that, high doses of Vitamin C will loosen them up. If you want I can recommend some good chiropractors that specialize in children.

My son had the same troubles. What I found that worked was simply an apple a day! It truly did the trick! Along with that, one Colace a day did the trick to soften things up. They're tiny little gel pills that go down easy - my son took them with no problem when he was 3. If I recall correctly, you can even open them up and put it on their food (they'll never know ;)

mom of 4, grandma of 2, pampered chef and partylite.

Since my kids were infants, the doctors have told me to give them apple sauce and bananas when they are on a round of antibiotics for something. This is because on antibiotics they get the runs and I've read and been told that apples and bananas actually harden the stool. So, although your son eats some fruits and veggies, they are ones that can cause constipation. What about dried prunes? I heard they have a reall good one that is wrapped individually and nice and sweet. That and what about salads, brown rice, oatmeal or berries?

L.,
It can continue to be painful for awhile. The secret for dealing with my son's BM problems a few years ago was to make it regular, right before bed, every day. Most people will go whenever they feel the urge, but once kids have "held it" for awhile their anal passage actually stretches out, and they never feel an "urge" to go. If, in addition to not feeling an urge, they are also associating pain with going #2 then they are likely to avoid it. That only makes things worse. I know they seem too old to have potty treats, but to make it a VERY good thing to go DAILY maybe there could be something special that happens after it's done. It takes quite a long time for that area to heal, and longer (like months!) for the "urge" to return once it's been stretched. You couldn't make ME wait till bedtime for anything, but it's really become a habit with my three boys. Good luck!

I, also, did not read through all of the advice, but did have the same problem when my daughter was about 2 or 3... she is 18 now. Her doctor recommended a sugar free liquid laxative that came in different flavors. It was wonderful.. only problem with a lot of the laxatives is they tend to leak and we had some messy pants until we got the dosage down pat. Also, not sure if you are aware or not, but apples and bananas are binding... we were always taught that if your child had the runs.. feed them a "brat" diet... bananas, apples, rice and dry toast.. all are binding.
Hope your kids find some relief.. good luck Mom.

Hi L.,
Your poor kids! There is no worse feeling than pain with your poops! I have been on a long quest for health and have ultimately discovered(not that I am a doctor or anything, but I read everything about health) that everything wrong with us begins with our colon. We also discovered that we have Celiac disease, or some call it gluten intollerance, which can cause constipation and/or diarrehea(among many other problems or NO problems!). Here is a great website if you want to check it out: www.enterolabs.com This problem is very common (about 1 in 80-100 people) although way underdiagnosed. If you'd like some good reading about colon health, here is a great book: Detox for Life by Loree Taylor Jordan. This is not exactly a book about kids health per say, but it has so much great info about health, that it will help prevent many problems earlier for your kids! Email me if you have any questions or ? Bless your heart, C.

Hi L.,
I have had problems in the past with my son (7). He doesn't eat veggies or fruits but never had a problem until one day.... Anyway, he actually got a fissure (tear) way up inside and it bled and was very very painful. It took us 3-4 months to get over. So Sad. However, I just wanted to tell you that our doctor put him on something that you sprinkle in food like apple sauce. (In our case my son LOVEs oatmeal, so I would put it in that and he never knew it.) However, my sister is a nurse and she mentioned using Benefiber in the food you cook. You can just sprinkle that in your spaghetti sauce, casseroles, applesauce, yogurt or anything. It is a tasteless white powder and no one is the wiser! Anyway, you might try that and just be patient. My sister in law thinks OJ works with her daughter. Just FYI. Sorry you are having to deal with this.
Also, about Juice Plus, I have to tell you that my son has been on that for about a year (gummies) and it has been his healthiest year in his life! I really think it works well! He use to get everything that would go around and once he was on JP for about 4+ months, I noticed a REAL difference. My pediatrician recommend it to us since my son had not had Fruits or veggies in about 4 years! (He also has texture issues with food, so he gags alot so using Flinstone and other products were not an option) Blah Blah Blah... anyway, if you can do it, I would keep on the JP!! Good luck

I would try to give them foods high in fiber such as brown rice and whole wheat pasta. After you add seasonings, sauce, etc to the rice or pasta, they shouldn't know the difference. Also, if you make meatloaf or meatballs, try grating the veggies (carrots, celery) into the meat and they won't even know. I like to cook with onion but my 12 year-old son can't stand them. I use a grater and add them to a lot of stuff to get a nice flavor without hearing him complain because he sees an onion. There's a cookbook (can't remember the name) but it's Jerry Seinfield's wife that has receipes for hiding veggies in food.

Hi L.!

One of my daughters has struggled with constipation since she was a baby. The crazy thing is, out of 3, she has the best diet! Loves fruits and veggies and can't get enough. We've seen a ped GI and all!

Anyway, fluid is EXTREMELY important. I thought she was getting enough until I started writing it down. She may have a glass of water, but she doesn't drink it all! So keep an eye out for that. Also bananas are binding. If that is what she eats, it's not helping. Apples can be too. Peanut butter can be binding too.

My daughter has a daily dose of Miralax (a stool softener). This does seem to do the trick. As you don't want them dependent on this kind of help -- it has kept her pretty regular, stopped the bleeding and all. It is now over the counter and may want to ask about it. Does she like raisins? Those seem to help her too.

Good luck.

I had the same problem when my daughter was young.You could try a cereal that has more fiber. A. A.

Hey L.,
Your the Mom and it should not be an option for them to eat fruits and veggies. Don't have any other options for them its either broccoli or peas woth dinner not the option of no veggies same goes for fruit its either an apple or orange not a cookie. The choices you give should only consist of the good foods. Eliminate the not so good ones. For some yummy recipes I like the book Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld
http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/
Sneak the good stuff into their food and offer some on the side.
Also try getting your children involved- go to the fresh food market and allow them to choose 3-5 different veggies to make and try raw and a couple different fruits to try for the week- make it fun!
Try making a chart and each day they can put a smiley face sticker (or draw) next to the veggies and fruit they like and want to eat again. To much juice is not that good for anyone- just too much sugar. I like to make juice using a juicer and my 2 yr. old loves to help. But really make sure they are drinking water when thirsty.
Try a probiotic for children, you can find some good ones at Fruitful yield.

I second the post about prunes. Also, you could try prune juice. If they don't like it straight, you could mix a few teaspoons into apple juice to hide it. Also, do they eat yogurt? It sounds like they could use a few pro-biotics. You can buy something called Florastor over the pharmacy counter and mix it into their juice (its fruity flavored) to help restore/improve natural flora. I would also suggest a fiber supplement of some kind. If they can't swallow pills (which they probably can't) there are fiber chewables, and there is some kind of tasteless soluable fiber that you can mix into foods (soups, spaghetti sauce, etc.) which will boost their fiber a lot. Good luck.

I know what you are going through. MIRALAX is the way to go. My daughter has been on it for the very long time and it helps a lot. Remember that bananas can cause constipation!!!!! so try to avoid it. Bran cereal is great, raisins. I would talk to the doctor and ask how much of miralax to give them

Hi L.,
you might want to try MINERAL OIL. my pediatrition had recommended that for my 2 year old - and it works great. My mother in law even started to use it after seeing great results with my daughter. Now, if anyone in my family are having issues - a spoonful of mineral oil is all you need for a few days. it is tasteless, odorless, and clear so she won't even notice. I put it in my daughter's milk, juice, cereal, and she has no clue. it is a great inexpensive way to help the child with their BM's and make them soft and not constipated.

K.

Hi L.,
It already sounds like you've made some great strides. Have you ever thought about going to a chiropractor? We've been going since my youngest daughter was 6 months old. She's never had an ear infection, no colic and has never had a problem with her bowel movements. I can say that part of that is from the chiropractic adjustments that she receives. It has helped all three of my children with so many issues.

If you are interested you need to do a little research and go to one that takes care of a lot of families like ours does.

You also need to make sure you add fiber to their diet. We use a natural fiber from Melaleuca at times that helps my 10 year old. I would stay away from many of the fiber supplements you find at the pharmacies. They are full of chemicals, preservatives and sugar substitutes that can be harmful to your body.

Good luck!

I haven't read all the replies, but I vote for Prunes and raisins too. My 6 year old will let me know that when it's difficult and painful that she needs to eat some prunes. We've also recently discovered Fiber One Bars. They taste awesome, almost like a candy bar and I've actually been giving them to the kids instead of the sweeters snacks. The only thing is it does give them smelly gas. We don't normally drink a lot of water because we'd be in the bathroom constantly, but that seems to help with the above. Good Luck!

From the sounds of it, it sounds like a few words of advice may help the children somewhat; however, it sounds more like you need to do a serious overhaul of their diets. That can only be done with support from a medical doctor or nutritionist. Your children's pediatrician may be able to refer you if he/she cannot provide you with more guidance. In the meantime, here are a few things you might want to try: 1. Eliminate one "bad" food choice from the family groceries per month. (like doughnuts, chips, even white rice) When the kids ask for it, just say, "Oh, we don't buy that anymore." Offer no further explanation. Don't suggest something healthier either! If they insist on an explanation, just say, "It's my job to take care of you, and I've decided I don't want that in our house anymore." Slowly, bring in healthier choices such as brown rice, whole wheat crackers, whole wheat pasta. As for getting fruits and vegies in the diet: sneak them in!! Puree vegetables and if you don't want to, then buy jarred baby food (it's already pureed). You can sneak carrots (just a little) into mac and cheese. You can sneak pureed yellow squash into buttered noodles or soups. You can sneak pureed sweet potatoes into meatballs. I've even snuck pureed brocolli into the breading of homemade chicken nuggets or fried chicken. With fruit: blend fruit into fruit juice, freeze in ice trays -- instant desert popsicle that most kids will love. Another is to whip together frozen fruit such as strawberries, peaches, bananas with plain yogurt, apple or orange juice in a blender. Yummy smoothie. And finally, it sounds like they could use extra water in their diet. have ice cold water handy. There are a couple books on finding ways to sneak in vegies to kid's food. Ask at bookstore.