Question About Laxatives for Children

Hi M.,
Not laxatives but a very good fiber drink containing solable and insoluble fiber. You can also give him more roughage, like fruits and vegetables, that should take care of his problem. The same goes for grown-ups! A person should have a daily intake of 25-35 grams of fiber!

C.

I would just give him more water and maybe some fruit juices if it's not already a part of his diet.
It does not sound like he needs a laxative, you never said he was constipated.
He might be stinky due to his diet. Veggies can smell awful.
More water always helps

Hi M.,

you're going to get some great advice from others, and all I can tell you is: No matter what you start doing for diagnostics, first find out REALLY what he is putting in his mouth while you are not watching, and pay attention to any diet change you might have had recently.

All the hospital diagnostics in the world will take time and money and disruption of your relationship, and still not be nearly as efficient and effective as figuring out if he happens to be eating something strange on a regular basis that his body disagrees with.

He might just have developed a reaction to a food or a diet change, or he might be snacking on availabe snacks (like when he is out in the garage doing chores or at school) that are not typical (one child liked to gnaw on raw potatoes, another small one took a liking to dog biscuits once...strange body things happened frequently when these started)

We watched carefully, breath smells are a dead givaway for things like cat food (yuk - salmon flavor is the worst...), and substituted oatmeal or oatmeal bars and education and good examples, and praise for good habits, and consequences for irresponsible behavior, and the problems pretty much went away except for the occaisional too much curiosity experiment.

I would say NO to laxatives. Don't put more chemicals into your child when you don't have to. Many foods have fiber a natural laxative. Green vegies are great. Gas is good too. Nature does it best.

M. N.

I've only heard of using laxatives for constipation, usually on the 3rd day that they have not gone. I haven't heard of using it for strictly gas. You could try beano, I've heard that works.

gassiness usually indicates some sort of dietary response (and very often not a bad one). some cheif gas-inducing foods are any dried fruit, but especially prunes and apricots, even just one (!), and lettuces, mushrooms, cabbage, to name just some of the more obvious ones. i wouldn't worry about it. you seem concerned for little or no reason.

I've never heard that about gas. Is he constipated? Try changing things in his diet. It could also be due to stress. I don't think laxatives are the answer unless he's constipated. If the gas is uncomfortable to him, I'd call the doctor if changing foods in his diet doesn't help.

If he is not constipated please do not use a laxative. Even then I would only use an infant suppository but good luck with that one on a nine year old. Just because he is stinky when he passes gas absolutely does not mean he needs to be cleaned out-he's only 9! Give him some veggies and freshly squeezed juice.
Laxatives can be very dangerous and cause alot of harm to ones system, especially someone so young. Please contact a doctor before doing anything.

My two and four year old use Miralax to clean them out. It was doctor recommend. Just mix a little in their juice, they will never know it's in there. Good luck!

Not to be mean..but you know,...farts are stinky!! lol I mean you do know where they come from right? ;^) You have nothing to worry about, Farts smell. Always have. Just ask him not to do it around you and then you dont have to suffer! And no, definitely do not give him a laxitave. It is something he ate.

We like Fiber One granola bars. The chocolate chip ones are my children's favorite. Genetically we have bowel issues and these help things along.

D.

talk to your doctor before trying ANYTHING even herbal or natural remidies. You don't want to "destroy" the good stuff that has to be in the bowels for them to work right. A.

That can be caused by too much fatty, greasy foods. Make sure he is eating healthy, especially foods with fiber. Still, it's pretty normal for boys to be stinky. I would not give laxatives, they are not for kids and this would just make him go more. Some natural laxatives are dried fruits like dried apricots, prunes, etc, some fresh fruits and fruit juices.

Dear M.,

I would never use laxatives unless he was very constipated, and even then I would try diet changes first. I would try to notice if the gas occurs after something he is eating. He may have a lactose problem and dairy could be the culprit. Keep a journal of his daily diet, which shouldn't be to hard kids pretty much eat the same things all of the time and see if you can narrow it down and then eliminate it. I am sure there is something natural to give to help with the gas. Check with your doctor before giving anything. Good luck!!

He just needs a diet change - perhaps he's eating too much greasy food???

I don't think that is the answer nor a good answer. I would check on google or something and ask the dr and I don't like the thought of that. MY third son and when he "breaks wind" it stinks and I just think that is natually him that's all.

i would talk with your doctor first. Laxatives are not safe for anyone and our bodies become dependent upon them. There are a lot of natural products in health food stores, I have used them as an adult but would be nervous about giving them to a child. If he is really constipated and backed up the only safe and non-habit forming thing (besides prune juice and other foods that help you go)are glycerine suppositories. But he probably wouldnt like that very much. i would try giving him a big glass of apple juice. Apple juice causes cramping but acts as a laxative for many people.

Hi M.,
I would not administer laxatives to a child based on an overheard conversation. I would consult your son's doctor before giving any medications such as a laxative, which are typically given for constipation.
Good luck

Hi M.,

I would check with the Doctor before giving laxatives.

To help clean out naturally drink lots of water and eat foods high in fiber including fresh fruits and vegetables.

If he's constipated, you could try the glycerian suppositories. They're quite uncomfortable, but work well in a short period of time.

When this happens, food has not digested. He may have allergies(lactose),etc. Try to cut back on allergy prone foods for a few days and see if that helps. Talk to your doctor. Nix on the laxatives. B.

Hi M., I would check with a doctor before giving a laxative to a child. Have you tried lots of water and/or fruits and vegetables? Also there is a virus going around that can cause excess gas. Best wishes, Grandma MAry

Hi. Ive had a bunch of experience with stuff like this in my family, so here's my more than two cents. Hope some of it is helpful.

1) never give a laxative to a child without consluting your pediatrician!

2) yes, water is always helpful, never harmful! If he doesnt drink water at all, start there. If he does, up it some.

3) He might need more fiber, which comes naturally in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. If he is a steadfast stick to my favorite foods kind of kid, incorporate these into your son's diet slowly. You can look on line for creative ways to do so.

4)It goes against my intuition, and what many pediatricians and older parents have told me, to mess with the workings of a child's digestive system unless they are in pain or obviously ill. I would put the question to you as the one who knows best, but might not have total control, over what your son eats - what gives a human being their level of gas and its smell or frequency depends almost completely on WHAT THEY EAT, with a bit of the factor being if they are battling something like a cold (since all systems are connected, digestion can go out of whack if the immune or sinus system is depleted, there can be a lot more mucus, etc).

That said, I think it is up to you first to look at if there has been a change in his overall health, diet, or both since the problem began. Try to ask him about this as delicatedly as you can. (New treat at a freind's house? etc). If it is not that, I do realize that a lazative is the easy way out, it is quick, involved minimal coersion on your part. However, this is invasive. Your son's gut is not your friend's kid's, it is his own, and what worked for her kid may harm him.

If none of the above work, and you want to be gentle to his gut and have a bit of energy, try an elimination diet: taking out one problem food at a time, then reintroducing it after a few days, observing any changes that you see. (With adults, it is best to take out ALL food that could be the problem, then reintroduce them one by one, but that's never easy with kids and could lead to great resistance). If you are going to do this, bring him in to the process, so he doesnt feel like your taking away sugar for two days is punnishment for something: If he is into gross stuff, science or both, you can bring him into it with an experiment: today and tomorrow no dairy, and you can write down how many times you fart in this notebook, we'll call it your fart journal." The foods that are big culprits of gut stuff are:
1) dairy
2) sugar (sorry)
3) meat
4) fried food
5) wheat products (the culprit here is gluten, the protien in wheat)

Good Luck!
Alex