Poo Issues

I'm a bit confused as well. I have an almost 20 month old and his diapers tend to be more on the "mushy" side with a solid here and there. He's also underweight(less than 5%, but healthy as can be), and he doesn't like sweets, but loves fresh fruit which can make the mushy diapers. If he drinks juice that can cause some changes in the bowel also. I guess I don't understand why the doctor would want to put him on medication just because his bowel isn't "solid".
Also, if by any chance he's cutting teeth or working on some teeth, that can cause for runny/mushy diapers as well. Every single time my son cuts a tooth we go through a few days of runny diapers.
Hang in there, I think he's just a normal kid.

My daughter (16 months) was the exact same way. She's on soy too as dairy just destroyed her tummy. She had such bad hemorrhoids that we often ended up in Urgent Care and were on our way to have surgery. Our doctor prescribed MiraLax (which is over the counter now) and that really helped us. We tried 3-4 different medications but MiraLax worked the best. Emme only has one BM a day but it's not hard/constipated consistency anymore. I also found that giving her some diluted juice once a day really keeps things moving and at a healthy rate and consistency. Hope this helps!

If it were me, I wouldn't worry so much. 2 of my 3 children were unable to have a bowel movement without stimulation for up to 6 months of thier little lives. My daughter who is almost 3 has days she still doesnt have one, and days where she has lots. My son, he wont go for 2 sometimes even 3 days and my youngest who is 5 months probably 1 time a day. Every one is different. My kids peditrician is great, he was mine when I was little also, I have brought up the bowel movements and he said if there is no blood in the stools and if its not diahreah then it can come any way shape or form, even color. As long as he is eating fine and drinking plenty of fluids he will be ok. Also the stress from home or daycare if he has any can affect him. I dont know if you have him on vitamins, but if not try giving him tri-vi-sol with or without iron, whichever you prefer. Its normally kept behind the pharmacy, or even poly vi-sol shich is on the shelves. If he acts like his bottom hurts or at any time blood, I would get him checked out and run test for the ibs or anything else. Until then keep doing what your doing, give him bananas and peaches to kinda even it out, one makes it hard one makes it real soft so maybe it can be regular or the same every time. Good luck!

Hi J.,

Can you try rice milk instead of soy? Soy Milk gives my daughter diarrhea. I wouldn't put him on medication, just try rice or the B.R.A.T. diet (Banana, rice, apple, toast).

Hoping to help,

Mariana Abadie
www.MyKidsdFirst.com

I have to agree with the juice, prune, apple work well on little ones. If that dosen't work Then try the OTC medications. Good luck and God Bless

It's always worth it to talk it out with your doc but I'm a nurse and really, soft stools are not usually a bad thing. The abdomen is supposed to be round at that age and as long as it isn't hard (and I mean rock hard) or tender he probably doesn't have bowel problems. 3-4 stools a day is not abnormal with a 14 month old either. My daughter just started on milk and it has made her BM's hard and less frequent, I am more concerned about that than I would be of soft stools. Your son is active and his bowel tract is not as long as an adults so to me it sounds like he is just moving things through well.
The average adult carries 10-30lbs of unpassed stool in their colon. The colon of a child is like brand new piping- things just flow better. If his stools become liquid (like honey consistency) I would be concerned. Good luck!

It sounds to me like he is healthy and I wouldn't worry unless some other issues come up.He is eating well and acting ok then I would say he is not in any pain.My Son is not even on the charts for his weight.He has seen two different specialist,his stomach becomes bloated and you can tell at times he is in pain.He also has a decreased appetite alot.He either has diarreah or constipation nothing in between.They have ran tests for everything under the sun.We are now considering IBS and if you have it you are familar with the symptoms.So as long as there is no bloating,cramping,constipation,or he stops gaining weight I would not be concerned.My pediatrician and specialist said they want two soft BM's a day.My son is taking Miralax to make that happen.As you know with IBS you normally either have diarreah or constipation.So as long as the bowels stay soft and are not runny or hard I think he is just fine.Good luck,hopefully this will ease your mind.Oh and PS as one Mother to another unless things become more serious then I would not put him on medicine for it.

Ok, I am a little confused are you concerned that he is only having one solid bowel a day or do you feel he is constipated (straining?)?
If you are concerned with the number of bowel movements every child and how they digest food is different. However my son only has one bowel movement a day total, while my daughter would have at least 3 or 4. Depending on what they drank, if I give them juice they will have softer or runny stools. If they eat alot of fresh fruit and veggies they will have the same.
If your little boy is not acting like he is in pain leave him alone. His body will do what it needs to do. I have a little 16 month old girl in my daycare that doesn't have any solid bowel movements, hers are always mushy and she will have 3 or 4 while at my house. And she is on all regular table foods and vit d milk. All children are different, if I were you I would not medicate him for something like this.
Hope this helps.
Michelle

I have an 18 month old that has the same symptoms. His doctor recommeded a gastroentologist at Children's Mercy who has been helping us figure it out. So far his food trigers are gluten and wheat products. We have also tested for Celiacs Disease which is a wheat intolerance that damages the intestines and can cause lactose intolerance. Celiacs isn't serious and is controlled by diet. Your Dr will have to request a blood test to determine Celiac. We don't have Celiac, but possibly toddler IBS that is triggered by eating wheat products. Still working on it. Let me know if you find anything new that might help.

J.,
From what you have shared I think it would be beneficial to have you and your son both tested for Celiac disease. My husband was diagnosed with IBS years ago and come to find out he has celiac disease. It can run in families and the symptoms that you describe in your son sounds like it could be celiac. It is great to get it diagnosed early and control by having a gluten free diet. One of the symptoms for kids is that they tend to be a little smaller than their peers but after getting on a gluten diet they usually catch up with the peers. It is important to get a good doctor that really understands celiac disease.
Good Luck!
J.

Hey J.,

IBS can come in all forms for little ones. My son was constipated all of the time and my daughter was the same. My son had to suffer with enemas almost daily. The IBS made him a picky eater. His little body knew what would make the constipation worse. My daughter got to suffer with ingesting oil everyday. As a little girl she had to wear panty liners as the oil would seep through her bowels and spot her underwear. She was embarrassed but it worked.

I would be very thankful that your little one is not constipated or suffering from diareaha. Unless he has unbearable gas or bloated then just watch over him. Make sure he has a balanced diet with plenty of fiber and fruits. As he ages you need to ensure he has plenty of water and/or juice to supplement his liquid intake. I have been told that Ensure can be a good source of protein and fiber for children as well. You might check with your doctor on that one.

You seem to be doing the right thing with staying in touch with your doctor. You might do some internet surfing to find out more on IBS and children. Meanwhile I will be thinking of your little one and include him in my prayers. Just remember that you are not alone in this effort.

God Bless, Lilly :)

Hi J.,
Before going though with a bunch of medical procedures and meds try peanut butter. Get the sugar free kind.- Smart Balance make one with omega's in it. Give him a couple of spoon fulls a day. If he loves his veggies and is eating a lot of them they maybe loosening up his stools. Also try rice or almond milk instead of Soy. Soy sometime is a irritant and is not as healthy as it was once believed to be. I've done a bit of research on soy. Good luck with your little one. There are a lot of natural resources out there and I could give you references if you are interested in keeping him off the meds.
S.