Constipation in Toddlers

My daughter is 2.5 and I have the same problem. Fruit doesn't work for her either and now I give her MIralax EVERY DAY. I wish I had an answer. I assume that you don't give them constipating food (like bananas, too much starch, cooked carrots, etc). Other than that, I give my daughter Activia yogurt once a day. It has active cultures that are supposed to help the digestive system. My pediatrician said the Miralax is completely harmless and that it is more important to keep the stool soft so that pooping does not become an ISSUE. If they start holding it in it can cause real problems. (Apparently this is a common problem with first-born daughters) So I am keeping her on the Miralax until she stops trying to hold it in (because she tore a little when she was constipated and it hurt for a long, long time). This is also a real problem when it comes to potty-training.

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I am not sure if you are aware of this but Bananas also constipate so make sure your fruit does not include these. My daughter also had a constipation problem when she was put on rice cereal so you want to make sure they are not eating a lot of that either. Since both girls do have the problem there could very well be a genetic component. Even though as a parent you do not want them to go through all the evasive tests it might be better to have them to make sure they are healthy and not sick. Hope this helps!
W.

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I was having a little constipation issue with my daughter and I almost bought these new things i saw at the grocery store. I can't think of the name of them but I saw them in the produce section at stop and shop. They are individually wrapped prunes but the commercial says they tatse like candy. They come in a tube and they were on a side section at stop and shop in seymour. Maybe you can get the girls to snack on one or two of them?

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Sound like they need to drink some water. Some kids don't like water. Try giving them plenty of water during the day. This will always work for my kids. At least 2 times a day with meals and more if possible.

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This may sound a bit too simplistic, but fennel tea has always worked like a charm with my son. Get a tea ball (the kind you would use with loose tea leaves) and fill it about half way with fennel seeds (get these in the bottled herb aisle of the supermarket). Steep it in hot water like you would any other tea. It will be green, but it's kind of sweet tasting. My son drinks it straight, no milk or sugar.

Also, you might want to consider whether or not they're getting enough of the right kind of physical activity. Anything that engages core muscles (abdominals, low back) will help with bowel movements. You might want to get one of those big physio balls and do some sitting/balancing activities on it, for example. Of course, you might have to go the route of the GI doc just to be sure that there's no obstruction/organic reason for the difficulty with BMs, but if you get the all clear, you may want to check in with a pediatric physical therapist for one or two sessions on core muscle instructions.

Hope that helps a bit.

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Hi, I completely understand your situation. My daughter and son both had constipation issues very early on, and did "hold" it in (sometimes for days) to avoid going. That turned it into a vicious cycle b/c that only made the stool more difficult to pass. I did finally have to go to a pediatric GI and he totally cured it. He put my children on children's senekot (it is over the counter), but he prescibed we give it daily. And it worked. It causes them to go and also softens the stool a bit so that it is not painful to pass. The key is to put them on it long enough so they learn that going to the bathroom isn't an aweful, painful experience. I would definitely go to a GI first though. As a matter of fact, my GI said that "foods" really don't make that much of an impact when children are already constipated. Foods high in fiber are more of a maintenence plan to keep bowl movements regular. Once they're constipated, sometimes more extreme measures need to be taken. My kids were about the same age when they began holding it in, and it turned into an emotional issue for them. They were afraid to go to the bathroom. The other thing I learned was that my anxiety over it wasn't making it any better. Try not to show any emotion regarding it (I know it's hard!). I also see that going back to work has been difficult. I too had to go back to work when they were young and they can pick up on our stress. Sometimes GI issues can be an emotional response to stress (for adults too!). Here's the good news: It is totally treatable. I would have the GI guide you though. My kids are now 9 and 11 and therefore, treatments may have changed since then (I don't usually read the toddler messages, but yours caught my eye). The bottom line is they are completely fine. They go to the bathroom daily, w. no issues (and have been since they were around 3). In addition, there are no residual damages as a result of me having been working all these years. They're fine! So don't worry about going to work. It's really okay! :)

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Essential fatty oils are good-you can get them (Omega's) in children size and form in the Health Food Stores. I also use the minerals in a little sachet form that you can put into water, formula or anything. Go to: www.xoomamiracle.com to order. It's only $25 for a full month supply and the girls can share a month. Our kids used it from day one! You might want to watch the fruit and juices. There are plenty of natural sugars in regular fruit, but the fruit juices are usually loaded with sugar which will make it worse.
Good Luck with the girls
D. K

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Hi J.,
My oldest daughter was chronically constipated. I can completely relate to what you're dealing with! I tried every form of fiber, it sometimes made things worse!

I learned years later that for some kids, dairy just clogs them up- for some kids, it's the ears and sinus infections, for others, it's dry hard painful poops. Try a modified eliimination diet...in other words, no cheese, ice cream or milk for a week or a few days and see what happens.
If your girls don't have nut allergies, you could try Almond milk instead.

Kids do not need milk for calcium! There are lots of other great sources. Green leafy foods are one of the best.

Probiotic supplements designed for children might be a good idea too. They will help bring the "good bugs" into the digestive tract. ( I wouldn't recommend yogurt, because that would be dairy again) Check them out at your local health food store.
Good luck, hang in there!
Susan :)

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My 1st born had constipation and my midwife told my to give him a little (tablespoon) of dark Karo Syrup in his cereal...it sounds horrible but I only had to do it for a short time and then he had no problems. I hope this works!!!

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My daughter was 2ish when this started with us. She was withholding and no amount of fruit or prune juice was making a difference. I took her to a GI who had me clean out her system with an enema and use the miralax every day, gradually backing down the dosage to find a daily dose that helped her go once every day or two. From there, she learned that this was not a painful experience, and I gradually took the dosage down, weaning her from the medicine. We live quite happily now with a 1-1/2 tsp dose every other day, and she will turn 4 next month. The GI solved the problem for us by giving a precise plan of action that made all the difference. My pediatrician could not offer this level of detail. I would advise seeing a GI if the problem is really bad.

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The best cure I've found besides what you've mentioned is canned pureed pumpkin. My son had constipation a lot as an infant because he was on soy formula - and the pumpkin would help him have a bm by the end of the day. I usually mix it with a little cream cheese & cinnamon, which is a huge hit. Yogurt & cinnamon is also a good combo. Butternut squash also seems to work....

good luck!

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Hi. I am mother to twin boys age 17 months. One of my sons has a very bad problem with constipation. The doctors advised Miralax daily and to avoid the 'Brat Diet' foods ie; Bananas, Rice, Apples and white toast. Now he's been switched to Little Tummy's Laxative (which is a natural product)Dose: One dropper every evening between dinner and bedtime and he has 1 tsp Fibersure every day. Also,watching the foods he eats and lot's of Prune and Pear juice. This has helped. When needed, he has Babylax enemas and recently 1/2 a pediatric enema. It is hard to watch them in pain. I'm hoping he'll outgrow it but doctor says this will be a life long issue for him. Good luck!

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maybe they have an allergy to wheat or gluten that gums up their system. that's the problem with my second son. He eats wheat and doesn't poop for two days. go on-line and search for gluten free websites. try it for a four days. if you don't see a shift by then, then that's not it.

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Have to tried yogurt? Most yogurts contains live bacteria that help maintain proper stomach breakdown of food. Activa is a brand especially made for this, although there certainly are others. Make sure, which ever you buy, has a note on the container that says "live" cultures. 3 times a day is best, and before meals (maybe 10-20 minutes?). The nutrients in yogurt may also allow you to give them less milk (as it is made from milk.) I am not sure that milk is an issue, but you specifically referenced it. Good luck!!

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Use Arizona Green Tea. This has antioxidents and will help get things moving along. Dilute it half and half with water for the first week. I started using it with my 19 month old when she was 17 months old.

Works great for adults too with the same problem.

Nanc

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go to www.ask.com and type in infant constipation. There is alot of research, info and resources available before they have to be subjected to tests. At least if you do some trial and error you may be able to rule out certain things.

Good Luck
Grace

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My daughyer had this problem for a while, we went and saw a pediactric surgeon and everything eventually worked itself out, They wont put your girls through any tests that are unecessary, it may be better to just get them done, if it can stop it ya know?

My daughter always poops after eating canned mandarin oranges, might give that a try. Also, lemon juice and garlic are natuarl diuretics so cook with them as often as possible, and as much as they can stand. Good Luck.

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