Fiber in Diet

Updated on February 15, 2008
S.M. asks from APO, AE
11 answers

My 4 year old son was having a problem where he would only have a bowel movement every 4-5days.The doctor told me to add more fiber into his diet and I did,by giving him more oatmeal,beans etc.He still seems to have a problem with having regular bowel movements.I no this is a uncommon question but any suggestions would be wonderful.

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K.D.

answers from Stationed Overseas on

try pare's juce or just the frout. It tast better then proon's and it works better. That is what I did.
I hope that helps

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B.G.

answers from Stationed Overseas on

Does he drink a lot of milk? Sometimes too much dairy can make things difficult. Also, try watering down his juice. More water in his diet will help as well. What about raisins? My son loves them and they are a great source of fiber. My older son had a similar problem and the doctor told me to give him milk of magnesia every day...just a low dose to help things along. I don't remember what age that was but you could ask your doctor if that is an option. Good luck.

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J.S.

answers from Stationed Overseas on

Hi S.
Try giving them cranberry juice. It helped my son and myself.

J.

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L.T.

answers from Stationed Overseas on

You could always try raisins or prune juice. When my son was a baby he had the same problem, and I had to put 1 tsp. of prune juice in each bottle. Also, too much milk, & I believe oatmeal as well, could make them constipated as well. Hope this helps.

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A.C.

answers from Stationed Overseas on

Hi S.,
I have had this problem with my son who is almost 2 now. His problem started before he was one but got worse. We tried all the usual suggestions as well. Nothing worked. Not even strained prunes. Due to this problem my son began holding his bowel movements because they had become painful to pass. This is now a work in progress to fix. He is now taking a stool softener called Miralax. Not sure what the generic name is. We are using this until we can retrain him to go normally. The medicine is mixed in his juice or milk and has no side effects. It is not a stimulant laxative. I am not sure if this would be an option for your son, but after seeing several docs here and in the states this medicine has been the only thing that has worked for us. I hope you find the answer. It has been a long, hard road for us and I hope it gets easier from here.
Good luck!
A. in Geilenkirchen Germany

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G.L.

answers from Stationed Overseas on

Have you tried Prune juice? It only takes a little. You can put it in his apple juice or even orange juice with barely a change in taste. It does change color .. so choose his cup accordingly. If you are really lucky, he might like prunes! You MIGHT be able to find it in the baby section of the commissary.

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M.O.

answers from Stationed Overseas on

Try giving him more water and fruits, specially papaya. Some kids do not like the smell of the papaya. You can squeeze some lime or lemon on it or add a little honey.

Good luck

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E.H.

answers from Stationed Overseas on

Hi S.,
does he take any type of supplements? My son just turned 6 yesterday, he has been on what is called Usanimals and loves to eat the Lemon Fibergy bars. He also drinks the shakes we use that have fiber in them as well and drinks plenty of liquid. I don't know if this will help but this is what we do to keep him regular. I have another mom who said this was the big difference she noticed after her kids started the supplements, bars and shakes.
E.

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A.G.

answers from Stationed Overseas on

I personally have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome, primarily constipated) these are key things which have helped me: Staying hydrated, eating pre- and pro-biotics i.e. yogurts, excercise, low stress, good sleep. When all else fails prunes.

I also take a daily supplement from melaleuca called florify, I hate soliciting, but if you are interested in melaleuca you can check out their website www.melaleuca.com. They produce natural products without chemicals, anything from detergent to cereal. I am a representative, so I can set you up with an account if you are interested. I use pretty much all of their products and love them, but I'm just not outgoing enough to do the promotion.

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Y.L.

answers from Stationed Overseas on

S.,

I know they have a bad reputation, but prunes are one way to fix things ... we've been giving our kids prunes since they were little (they are 3.5 yr and 16 months now) and we've never had issues with BMs. If you can get him to try them, he might like them - they are sweet and sticky, all good things in a kid's mind. :) Or if not, then maybe introduce prune juice into his diet as that will do the same.

Also, we've been told to increase liquids (lots of water, a little more juice) when our daughter has been having a difficult time with BMs.

good luck!

Y.

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G.D.

answers from Stationed Overseas on

Coffee

No honestly, I ask questions on a website:

www.medhelp.org

I checked their credentials out already. They are all board certified, it is free, and painless. You will find several pediatric doctors on there. There may be more to you child's situation or not. A second opinion could not hurt.-Kujo

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