Constipation Issues in 2 Year Old Boy

Hi V.,

You really need to discuss this with your child's pediatrician. Giving adult laxatives to a child that young is very dangerous and ultimately will worsen the problem but building a dependency. This is likely way the usual remedies don't work. Tell the pediatrician about the laxatives and find how to get your child off the laxatives and then develop a regimen that includes natural fiber in his diet to keep more regular. Good luck!!

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Hi V.,

Giving ExLax can be very dangerous and may exacerbate the problem. If he won't eat those fiber rich foods (can't get my 2 year old to much!), please look into Triphala. This is made form the fruits of 3 different trees and it a very gentle, mild cleansing herb that's a staple of Ayurvedic medicine. You can mix it with juice or honey and give it to him a few times a day (about a half tsp. of herb) Also slippery elm bark is an option. This is considered a food and it's also gentle, nourishing and cleansing. You can get the inner powdered bark and make a warm, concentrated tea for him.

Good luck to you and your little one! Keep him hydrated with plenty of water!

Love,
C.

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Our pediatrician recommended Miralax for my daughter since she was about 18 months old. I still give it to her regularly since she has dry, hard bowel movements and complains of her tummy hurting (she's now 3 years old). You can buy it over the counter, but don't use the adult dose- start with 1/2 teaspoon every day and go up to 1 teaspoon if needed. It completely dissolves in milk, water, or juice and has no taste (Yes, I've tried it myself!).

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Hey V.,

Just as Tonya said, Miralax is a life saver! My daughter had the same problem as your son at the same age, and we had many horrible days of dealing with trying to get her to poop! I did cut back on cheese, dairy and cooked carrots - they are really bad for constipation-all her favorite things. I had a friend who is a dietician that recommended to give these things in moderation - 1 or 2 times a week. She also suggested sprinkling bran on cereal/oatmeal for breakfast, and putting it in the baking mix for muffins. This adds some extra fiber without them ever knowing it. I believe regulating these type foods plus the use of the Miralax saved us! She is 5 now and I only give it to her if she eats a lot of these foods. I would definitely hold off on the potty training until you get this under control and he has several good weeks - just so he doesn't think it's going to hurt. Good luck and I hope this helps!
P.

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We had similar problems with our son when he was younger, and per another friend's advice, we started giving him prune juice every morning mixed with apple juice or orange juice. It helped him, and he and his brother still drink it every morning now. Since they started so young, they don't have a problem with it at all.

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I had the same problem with my son at that age, we had to give him enama's till his bowels ran clear ( 1 a day for 2 days) then I just gave him meralax in his drink first thing in the morning. All of this was doc. recomended and supervised. Good luck.

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My son had the same problem to the point where he would mess his underpants just a little because his body was making him expell it. My in-laws gave me the phone number to a hollistic therapist (just means "natural") and he said that kids can have the spine get mis-aligned just slightly, but enough sometimes to be on a nerve. It can happen during birth, playing at the park, jumping wrong, etc.

It's expensive but we only had to go for a month, each time he gently moves that part of his spine back into position until his body "memorizes" it and it stays there. His last visit he put it in the worst position it could be in and then re-aligned it to the right one and that afternoon, my son had 3 bowel movements and he never had the "spurts" in his underpants again, he is 5 now. It never hurt him and he didn't mind going, he always got a sucker just for laying there for a moment.

I would highly recommend it, it was much nicer than having to give him medicine all the time and wonder when he was going to grow out of it. if you need any other information, feel free to email me and good luck!

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Hey V.- my daughter went through a similar thing. She didn't want to "poop" in the potty, so she would hold it, which of course just made it worse. My ped recommended an extremely mild laxative that was supposed to be used on a regular basis, but it was so nasty we never got into the habit. The thing we found that worked surprisingly well was fig newtons.

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My girls have had constipation issues since they started solid foods. Now they use Miralax every day and will for a while still. You can use this occassionally too. Just check with your pediatrian for the correct dosage for your child. This saved my sanity!

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Please don't give him EXLax. It is a stimulant and not good at all to take, not even for adults. Increase fiber via diet, any fruit that starts with a p... pears, prunes, peaches, etc should work well too. Talk to your pediatrician too.

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My son did not eat fruits at all when he was that age. No bananas or apples! The simplest thing that would get my children going was apple juice. They know that if they're having problems pushing one out that they need apple juice (my daughter likes to eat her peaches now) and if it's too runny they know it's banana time. You may want to also look at the rest of diet. Sure grease is the "evil" guy but sometimes the oils off the fries can help it move along, LOL! Good Luck and Congrats!

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I had this problem with my two year old as well. His pedi put him on a daily dose of Miralax and it worked miracles.

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Hi V.,

I recommended a product to a friend of mine a few months ago because she was having the same problem with her little one. It has worked wonders. I would be glad to give you more information if you're interested.

As a side note, I grew up with ulcerative colitis that I'm sure you know is a precurser to colon cancer. The fiber product has given me complete colon health and I am living a totally normal life now. It was an answer to many years of prayer! Feel free to get back to me if you'd like to talk. I always love sharing my experience!

God bless!

M.

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My son had constipation issues starting at an early age. It is due to not eating enought o stimulate the intestines to have a bowel movement. We put him on Miralax which is a Natural Laxative and not harsh on the body as is ExLax. It can be used every day and especially during potty training. It is over the counter now(it wasn't when he was on it).You put it right into his milk or juice and they are none the wiser.

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My son had constipation as a baby. and I would swirl a rectal thermometer just inside his rectum to stimulate him pooping, but that may not work in a 2 yr old. Your boy is at the "no" stage, trying his independence. Try being real casual about leaving fruit out where he will see it, frequently. Have it all chopped and ready-to-eat, and don't talk about how he needs to eat fruit. If he is hungry, it is likely to disappear. It takes about 40 servings of a food for a child to develop the taste for it, so keep trying. You may also want to play games w/ him, having a bowl of fruit out, and telling him, "Now, that is mine....you better NOT eat my fruit, silly guy" , or something to that effect. Because he is in the no stage, that may make him want to have some. Of course, you laugh when you "catch" him eating your fruit...Make it fun, and low-stress on the fruit issue. Kids love fruit, so presenting this in a diff way may help. Good luck!

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Hi V.,

My friend has had the same problem with her 4 year old son. She has been giving him a glass of Plum Smart juice everyday (about 4-6 oz.) and it has worked for them. It works the same as prune juice, without the awful taste and is not a harsh laxative. You can find the juice in most grocery stores. Best of luck to you.

J.

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Apple juice worked for my little one. I make sure she has one every day to ensure a bowel movement.

My Pediatrician told me never to use a suppository.

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Does your son like apple juice? I have a 2 1/2 year old girl and apple juice usually does the trick-but don't water it down. Also, have you tried dried apricots? They are more like a gummy bear and he may look at it like candy. Good luck.

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Hi V.,
He really needs to be getting water. The water will make him go alone. Our bodies are made up of more than 90 percent water, if we dont replenish this on a dailly basis then we will continue to have problems like constipation. Try watering down his juice or favorite beverage. If he outsmarts you, make it a demand. He will get thirsty and want to drink, offer the water if the watering down doesnt work. It is for his health and wellbeing so I wouldnt let him just choose not to have it. Another idea to get some down would be ice chips. Some kids like to eat them:) Best of luck!

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I would get him some flavored water and or secretly water down his juice. And blueberries my kids love blueberries but I have to ration them cause if I don't they work like instant draino for them. Also you can look into those little packets of flavor stuff for regular water my kids love them. Things like crystal light are also good, he is still getting the water he just won't know it. Also its easier to poo on a potty than it is in a diaper so you might if you see him trying to go suggest it to him that it will make it easier.

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Try Mango juice !! It is tasty and it helps with out having to actually eat the fruit. Or sneek prune juice in some other juices....just a thought
D.

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Hi V.--I have had similiar issues with my oldest. The peditrician blamed it on his eating habits.I beat myself up trying to get him to eat the "right" foods. After a few weeks of dealing with the situation, it esculated to my son screaming when he had to go poop. It was NOT a nice situation. I demanded that my son be sent to a GI Dr. With our insurance at the time, we had to be referred. Anyway-- we went to see a PED GI Dr in Greer. She said that James has an issue that he had had since birth. Apparently his bowels did not clear all the meconium out and the constipation was related to a back-up in his bowel and colon!! I flipped out! How could I, as a Mom, not know that my baby was having that much trouble!!! Anyway--he was 2 and a half at that time. She put him on a series of medications; mineral oil, ex-lax, enemas for the first week, and Glycolax!! Within a month, he was cleaned out and going regularly. He still has to take Glycolax daily to keep up his bowel habits, but she does not anticipate that this will be for long. You can now buy Glycolax (Miralax) over the counter. It is NOT A MEDICATION!!!!! It increases the amount of fluid that is in the intestinal tract as well as in the bowel system. This facilitates bowel movements. He has done wonderfully with this and it helped us to get him Potty trained without fear of pain. I wish you the best with your Li'l man. If you need to talk or ask more questions about what we went through, please let me know. I will help if I can.

Take Care.~~ T. ~~

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I would suggest giving your son peach nectar. It has helped my son who was on miralax for several years. I have been giving him peach nectar for about a year now and he has been w/o medications since then!!!
The brand we prefer is call Del Valle Peach Juice Nectar from concentrate. It comes in a 67.2 oz red box with a big peach on it. I usually find it in with the juices (not refrig. section). It can be hard to find at grocery stores sometimes so I normally get it from Wal-mart.
I usually give my 6 and 4 yr olds a small glass each morning. I would probably start your 2 yr old off with a 1/4 cup of juice and then add more if needed. I have also deluted it with a little water if it is too thick.

I am so grateful that this juice has worked for us. Good luck. God bless you and your family.
Keep well,
A. H

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Water, water and more water!! Even if it is watered down juice (which is better for him that straight juice anyways) will help some too. Also, too much fiber can cause just the opposite to happen and bind him up even more. And and adult does of exlax might be a bit hard on his little tummy, try Fleets children's susapastories (sp?). Break one in half and try that first before a whole one as even a whole one may be too much. I used to have to use these on my daughter when she was a baby and they work like a charm. Oh and if you get them, keep them in the fridge after you open them. Food wise, try rasins, baked beans, and just feed him other stuff he'll eat too.

OH, and DON'T give him miralax!!! You are only supposed to be on it for up to 7 days, not years like DRs are doing to people, especially little kids and most people if they try to stop taking it have worse problems than before because their bodies can't function without it!!

Good luck!
S.

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Constipation is generally caused by not enough fluid intake and lack of fiber--also can be caused by too much refined sugar (and other things). Check with your pediatrician to see if it would be o.k. to give him something like Benefiber--you put it in anything fluid and it is totally tasteless--for adults it is used 3 times a day but I'm not sure about children. If he doesn't like plain water (as most children don't) try the flavored water brands they have out now--he will probably like one of those and then you can put the fiber additive in that (if the pediatrician or pharmacist says it's ok for a child this age). Also if he will eat yogurt, that will help because it will put the necessary bacteria in the digestive tract that will help with digestion. About 75% of one's immune system is in the digestive tract so it is very important to keep the digestive tract healthy. Hope this helps. God bless and have a wonderful day.

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Hi,
There is a product out there called FiberSure. It is a powder that you can mix in anything that you eat or drink. It is tasteless. We mix it in tea, soda, juice, mashed potatoes, applesauce, yogurt, you can even bake muffins and put some powder in it. Your son will never know he is getting somethng to help him go potty, unless he sees you put it in there. Give that a try :)

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Sorry for the late reply but I'm just catching up on my email. I had the same problem with my daughter and it went on for years. I think I tried just about everything. We did the enema/Miralax routine. While she was on the Miralax she did ok (have to be careful b/c it can cause the runs and make their tummy hurt) but as soon as we pulled her off we had the same problems. At the worst point she was pooping once every 7 days. She's doing much better now. I wish I could tell you it was one thing that turned the tide but it was a combination of changes. And your son may need a different combo so it's just trial and error. We go to the chirpractor regularly. I monitor her dairy (she's a cheese lover and now Kraft has a chesse specifically for digestive health YAY!) and water down her apple juice. I get her to eat more variety of fruits by making smoothies and we get fiber rich chocolate chip muffins/breads from a local bakery. The biggest help, though, has been giving her a reward just for pooping. My girl loves chocolate ice cream but she only gets to have some when she poops. And it doesn't matter when she does it. If it's 7am or 10pm, as soon as she goes she gets to have her ice cream. So find something that he really loves and make it a special treat. I hope some of this helps. Good Luck!!

T. D

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NO ExLax Please!!!!!!! Our pediatrician recommended Karo syrup (the white one) and fiberous drinks and foods such as apples, apple juic, prunes, raisins, grape juice etc. The Karo syrup can be found in the grocery store on the aisle with the pancake syrup. It worked very well for my son. Juice add it to his juice and milk about three times a day and he will go shortly after. At first it will be a little difficult for him but after a couple days he should be on track.

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When my children were that age I was told to change My milk to 2% milk that the Vitamin D milk was causing the constipation. As soon as i did chamge I could see results. Also if needed blend in the fiber use a blender to blend the fruit or veg and add to pudding or something or bake in brownies...saw that on Oprah LOL! GOD BLESS!!

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