Double Checking Constipation Cures for My Little One

Wow. Interesting suggestions.

Our daughter, too, has constipation issues that have developed into encopresis (intentionally withholding BMs). She developed this around 20 months, and it's still an issue many months later.

I'd advise you call the pediatrician's office and see what they recommend. We were specifically advised NOT to stimulate it on our own (because of the risk of tearing the tissue in the anus) and to bring her in for a nurse to do if needed. We were also advised to do all the fiber stuff to help get things going, and none of it worked for our daughter. But, it did for her older brother as a baby. So, if it's not working, your pediatrician can give you the best advice based upon her age.

When chemo gave me horrible constipation, I found senna to be my best ally (it's vegetable derived), but the pharmacist was not about to make a recommendation for our daughter as a baby despite the Ped's office being OK with it. So, she's on a capful of Miralax/day in her milk. She's also a big girl in the 90%+ on both height/weight, so her dosing may be different than another child of the same age.

I'm a big believer in calling the pediatrician when guidance is needed.
Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful

Yipes! Don't use soap! If you go the suppository route they make Glycerin suppositories for children her age (my daughter needed them for awhile).

Don't know about a chiropractor, I would also reccomend talking to your daughter pediatrician and see what he/she reccomends.

Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful

My son has had issues since he was 8 weeks old. At six months, we started using miralax. Since he's been on whole milk, we've only needed 1/4 tsp a day to keep him going.

It's very safe - it simply draws water to the gut to keep the stool soft and make it easier for them to go.

I was told to use mineral oil and avoid rice cereal, but to used mixed cereal instead.

Is she getting enough hydration? (sorry if someone said it already). That and just dietary fiber like fruits in general. Suppositories can cause other issues down the road as I understand them since they weaken the intestinal tract if used more than a few times.

So sorry your LO is going through this. Here are some home remedies our dr! recommended when he went through the same thing at around one year:
1. cold fennel tea or cold chamomile tea in her bottle.
2. soak prunes in water overnite. drink the juice
3. strained tomatoes (if your Lo is not allergic). give her a small spoonful.
4. plenty of water and/or bmilk and/or formula
5. plenty of fruit
6. less bananas, bread, rice (binders)

HTH.

PROBIOTICS and fish or flax oil and a chiro can work wonders! find one that deals with children

I've used fleet glycine suppositories occasionally. Magnesium citrate can help. Calm is a product name of magnesium that can be found at a health food store. George's Aloe Vera tastes like water and can help. Docs love miralax and I've used it but I don't love it. Don't ignore it it is not normal. She is a bit young but yeast can cause constipation too.

My friend yesterday told me how her reflexologist told her that there is a way of rubbing the feet that helps. Her son has been constipated and she tried it and about ten minutes later he went to the loo! I'm afraid I can't remember it all and I think it would be too hard to explain in an email ( you might rub wrong and make it worse!) but if you could see someone or find a book out? It might be worth a try! Good luck.

My oldest daughter was like that from the get go as well. I had a friend/mom tell me about Kyro Syrup(found in the baking isle). I put a tablespoon in her bottle/sippy cup and it worked great! It made it just easy enough that she could go without pain. My daughter was so bad that she would just start crying in the middle of playing because it hurt so bad. I did sub milk for soy milk but that really didn't seem to help that much. Stay away from apple juice...very binding, also stay away from bananas & cheese. Increase water intake, that also helps. I started my daughter on Benefiber at 2 and now she no longer has problems, unless she has too much cheese and I forget to give her benefiber. Good luck. I wish I had this website when my girls were babies.

I took my daughter to a chiropracter at 3 months. It did not help with her GERD or constipation issues but it did seem to calm her during and after the visit(she screamed constantly and slept 1-4 hour every 24 hour period). We had to put caro syrup in our daughters bottle. We started out with 1 tbsp in one bottle per day. I do know of a mother who had to put 1 tbsp in each bottle(which was recommended by her pediatrician). This worked well. Suppositories did not work well. I would not suggest a sliver of bar soap. Infant suppositories are relatively inexpensive and safe to use.

I've used glycerian suppositories and it worked like a charm. I got it them at Walgreens. Increase her water and fruit consumption (grapes - cut in half of course!) Both of my children had some problems when they were her age. Very common!

Hi E. - definitely take her to see your doc or a pediatric gastroenterologist. They may recommend a stool softener for her like miralax. I would not administer any soap suppositories or any other home cure like that until you talk to your doctor. You need some professional advice. Another poster mentioned senna - that's the same ingredient as exlax so beware of using that for a little one.

Our doctor had us do the Karo syrup. 1 tsp in a small amount of liquid every hour for 3 hours. This pulls more fluid into the digestive tract making the stool softer and easier to pass. Then push fluids. Then if this is a trend for your child, consider adding more fiber to her diet as juice and the Karo route should not be a regular solution. Also if this is occurring several times then I would suggest a pediactric GI to go over the why's. They may even suggest testing for things like Celiac disease, Crohns and diabetes.

Good luck and hope things are moving along for ya.

Hi E.,

If you're going to use a suppository, go to the store and get a glycerin one. Soap is caustic and can cause damage.

The chiropractor is a great suggestion. I recommend going to a principled upper cervical chiropractor. The really understand the body and can get it working properly. If you don't have one, a good website to find one in your area is ucspine.com. If you're unsure, interview them and ask them how chiropractic works, specifically how it helps the immune system. If they don't know, then you're in the wrong place.

You're little one needs a diet high in fiber all the time. It keeps the digestive system clean and healthy. I was denied that as a child and had a myriad of conditions that had me hospitalized and traumatized most of my life. When I figured out that fiber could have saved me the trouble, the pain and the expense, I changed my lifestyle, even against doctors orders. I haven't been sick since.

God bless,

M.

PS My mom's generation used to use soap as a suppository but most soaps back then WERE glycerin.....

I swear by this...pear juice. I purchase the juice boxes (although bottles are also available) at whole foods they are organic and my son drinks it in the morning and it works by the afternoon. It's worth a try...he likes it and it's super easy. My ped also recommended the p's: peaches, pears and prunes.

good luck

I agree with Dana, go to the doctor and get some advice. As far as I know, doctors are the only way to find a cure for anything, all the advice you might get here is a way to releive an occasional typical incidence of constipation, but when it becomes a chronic problem, your pediatrician is the way to go!

I think that the soap is an old remedy that comes from soap being made of gylcerine many years ago, and I have never heard of modern soap being used. You can buy glycerine supposotories that are safe and effective for mild, occasional consitipation and pediatricians may suggest these to you, but I get the feeling from your post that what you really need is a doctors advice.

I hope she feels better soon!
M.

My daughter had this problem from the time she started solids. Our ped was absolutely no help. Ask your doc if you can supplement her magnesium. From what I've read most of us are deficient. Since I started this, it's no longer an issue. I figured out the dose for her weight was 1/4 of a 250 mg tablet...I use a pill cutter to chop them, then crush with a spoon and put in her juice each morning and give it a good shake. Now I've reduced it to 1/6 of a tablet each day because the poo was shooting out of her ---tmi :) Good luck...this is a frustrating problem for both of you.
http://ibs.about.com/od/constipation/a/magnesium.htm
http://ibs.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=i...

oh, and my daughter was seeing a pediatric GI doc for other issues at the time and his only suggestion was feed her peaches (which didn't work and aggravated her reflux) so going the gastroenterologist route might be a waste of time.

Both of my children had constipation issues. After over a year of GI visits and Miralax we are in a good place. My kids get Keifer (a probiotic) drink every morning with breakfast instead of milk. The bugs and added fiber are enough to keep them regular. That and insuring that they sit for a "potty time" at the same time everyday, after meals.

i highly recommend the chiropractor! Its natural and gentle with no side effects. My 3 kids have all seen a chiro since birth and only once (on vacation) did one of my kids get constipated and as soon as we got home and got to the chiropractor she pooped. Our chiro is lovingly called the poop doctor! Lol!
I have also heard that probiotics help a lot. We have chewable probiotics that kids have always taken so maybe that is another reason why we haven't had problems...

If you would like my chiros info let me know. He is in st. Charles.

Good luck!

I wouldn't even begin to go the suppository route. You want to try things to get her body working on it's own. You don't want her body to be dependent on artificial methods. Lots of fluids, fiber. You need to look up what the requirements are for one so young. Or visit a pediatric dietician.

If she has always had this problem, has she been seen by a pediatric GI doc? I would certainly investigate that route as well. Maybe she has a motility problem that is causing her system to move slowly.

Chiropractors can work with a variety of ailments so it's not a bad route to check. Again, do some research on they type of chiropractor you need and the ones local to you and their experience with children.

As a chiropractor with a pregnancy and pediatric specialty I have seen and helped adult and pediatric patients with constipation issues. To find a doctor with a specialty go to www.icpa4kids.org. My office is in Oak Park.