Son Is Constipated - Grand Rapids,MI

Prunes and prune juice! You can water down the prune juice if it taste too strong. My kids think that prunes are really big raisins! Cool! Apple Juice, apple sauce and apple cider have lots of fiber and work good too. Lots of water and fruit.

I've not heard of giving Karo syrup before but I have heard of molasses. Either way, it's the dark kind. :0)

Hi A.,
Been there and done that with all 3 of my kids... If he likes grapes, just give him some nice sweet cold grapes to snack on and wait for nature to take its course... it always woks for me. Good luck!
L. B.

I've only heard the Karo syrup thing for babies, but it might work for older kids. I usually just push liquids, juice and water(I think dairy will make it worse), and fresh fruit when my kids have a problem going.

My daughter had the same problem when she was younger. The ped. stressed to us to make sure she drank some apple juice every day. It did the trick. Good luck!

Hi A.,

My daughter was constipated and the pediatrician said that we could give her Miralax - it is over the counter and works great with no side effects. You can mix it in the his juice and he will never know as it is almost tasteless. Hope this helps.

Miralax is good - Benefiber in juice is also great. I've never heard of the Karo Syrup thing - we tried Mineral Oil mixed in yogurt - the recommendation of ped. The benefiber worked the best.

I would talk to your doc.

It could be a number of things. Are his stools very hard and pebbly? does he have a hard time pooping? Are you potty training?

some kids are afraid of pooping in the big potty- and even some who are trained- if they get splashed- it can be traumatic!

In the mean time increase his water and fiber intake. Lots of fruits and veggies and bran. there is a great recipe for Raisin Bran muffins- my kids LOVE them. it makes a bunch and you can keep the batter in your fridge for a few weeks (if you can get it to last that long without eating them! YUMM).

get some baby food prunes and mix it with water and other pureed fruits or even yogurt- it makes a great smoothie

The dark Karo syrup does work BUT...think what it is. It is straight sugar. Give him lots of fruit...apples, melon, raisins, grapes, apple cider or juice, grape juice but no bananas as they are constipating. Milk can also be constipating. What about his vegetable intake? I used to give my little ones peas (frozen and not cooked) in a cup for a snack, or call asparagus and brocolli "trees". Is he drinking enough water? How about some raisin bran for breakfast? Does he get alot of running around active play? There are so many other options than the dark Karo syrup that are better for him. Since this is a first time issue, think about what he might be eating that is different than before this started. Good luck!

We tried the Karo Syrup and it did nothing. My sisters doctor also said Miralax. It isn't habit forming and is safe for kids. You just have to watch how much you give. If you do too much it can make it runny. She started with a half capful in a drink . The kids don't know it is in there. It won't be instantaneous but it should help. Good luck.

One word -- MIRALAX!!! Worked great for us, recommended by our doctor b/c no side effects.

I dont think it matters light or dark, it's the sugar that causes them to go.

My daughter went through months of costipation. The doctor prescribed a laxative but I didn't like that because the colon gets used to laxatives and then you need more to stimulate. We used mineral oil when all natural foods failed. Mineral oil is a non stimulant, it softens the stool and eases it out (cause of the oil). It's not the best tasting but I would put a jelly bean or M&M in the lil cup and that was the treat for drinking it.

Miralax works wonders. Our doctor recomended it and it worked like a charm.

Use the dark Karo syrup, its the molasses in the brown sugar that gives a boost. I would try prunes or prune juice though, it works a lot better for my son. If it becomes a continued problem add Benefiber into his sippy cup a couple of times a day. It is tasteless so he won't know it's there and it should help, thats what my pediatrician told me to do. Good luck.

First try getting in more juices,water and fruit before going to the other stuff. The others are the last resort or if the problem becomes persistant but if this his first problem with it I would try getting in the juices,water and fruit. Also include high fiber in his diet green veggies and cereals. That should help alot. Don't over due find a balance otherwise you will end up having the opposite problem. Good luck.

hi A. ~ I have had this problem with my daughter at times also. A few months ago I was introduced to Buddy Bears. They are an all natural chewable supplement for kids that you can get at most health food stores. They have a laxative for when the constipation gets really bad and a fiber one to help keep them regular. She takes one every day and it seems to have been helping. Good luck! P. D

Hi A.-
No fears! Been there. Our magic potion turned out to be prune juice!! (no sugar added prune juice). We mix it in with his regular juice in the morning...maybe 1/2 and 1/2...and after about 2 attempts he didn't mind it at all. Dilute it a little at a time to get him used to it. It's an all natural way to get that system moving!!!! Good luck.

Besides just the Karo syrup you can do Juicy Juice or add Benefiber to his juice. 100% juices acts as a natural laxative for constipation in kids. Uping the fiber content will also help with pooping. My daughter has had to see a specialist because of this! The new Miralax that is over the counter you can use too!

My sister in law had to give my niece yogurt everyday to avoid this problem. She would sometimes mix it with a little milk to thin it and call it a milk shake or smoothie, just to make it fun!!! Good luck!

Depending on how constipated he is, you may just want to try Benefiber. Our pediatrician said that I can give my kids 1 teaspoon of it up to 3 times a day. (I believe that's what it says on the package also.) I usually mix it in with milk or juice. You can even mix it in yogurt or soup. When my son was having a lot of trouble, I gave him the Benefiber 3 times a day. Now I just give him a teaspoon if he hasn't gone for a couple of days or if he seems to be struggling.

I have used a variety of all the things listed. I did the (light) corn syrup when my kids were babies and have used the diluted prune juice. My son will drink the prune juice and my daughter won't. I have used the Miralx personally but never given it to my kids. Also if he likes granola bars get the bars called Fiber One. He won't even know he is getting something to help the constipation. Also just talk a lot about eating good fruits and veggies to help you poop easier. 3 year olds are pretty fascianted by the topic and it's good to help them to start understanding good nutrition and what the body needs. Also remember bananas, applesauce, rice and too much milk/dariy can cause constipation so limit those items. Good luck!

I make bran muffins with raisins in them. My daugther thinks they are a real treat, they are healthy and they always make her poop.

Sounds more like a lack of fiber problem. I'd look into that. That's dietary. Have it checked out in case there's an obstruction. You want to have all bases covered for your own peace of mind. Rule one thing out after another.
But does he run around a lot? Sometimes rolling around helps with being plugged up.

Hi A.---How is his diet? Does he eat lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes? Does he drink alot of milk? Both of these could be problems if the answers are no and yes. Cow's milk is highly allergenic and can cause a number of health problems not easily traced to that source. Please check out this website for more information, http://www.strongbones.org. If he's not getting enough fiber, that would be a problem as well. One way to add VERY healthy fiber to an already decent diet is to use freshly ground flaxseed. And don't forget to have him drink lots and lots of filtered water.

The Karo syrup will just be treating a symptom of something else that is encouraging the constipation. Our bowels are like a second brain and they are the first to tell us when something is not quite right.

I have been studying wellness and disease prevention for several years and have collected alot of information that may be helpful to you. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Good luck. In health, D. ###-###-####

Use the dark Karo syrup. I had to use this for my son when we were trying different formulas. Also, milk of magnesia works wonders and instantly. The karo syrup didn't work for my son, but i've heard it works for other children. The milk of magnesia will work within the day, and it isn't painful. Good luck.

We have been fighting this battle for a while now, my kids are on Miralax daily (love it) but we started with dark Karo...1T in every bottle/cup. Im thinking it only worked while they were babies, but it sure is a safe thing to try! You can use it long term, too, the sugars stay in the gut so it won't affect his diet.

Other things we've tried (to no avail):
prunes
prune juice
mineral oil
yogurt
Fletchers
glycerine supp.
fresh fruit
water/increased fiber intake
...you name it, we tried it! Thank God for the Miralax!

What made the problem worse:
cheese
milk
bananas
rice

Good luck...I hope it's temporary!

~L.

**Just wanted to add that Miralax is not a stimulant laxative, despite the name implying it. Be wary of stimulants...he'll get used to them.

I would call the doctor.

I'm not sure about the Karo syrup, but I do know fruits and juices that start with the letter "P", pear, peaches, prunes, etc, help alot for constipation. I have gone through that with my son as well, and started loading him up on "P" juice. I'd mix pear juice with a little prune (since it does taste kind of yucky) and another juice he really likes and called it "Super Hero Juice" and made up a story about his favorite superhero drinking it for super strength, etc. It worked. Also more fiber. I've also added a tiny amount of one of those dissolvable fiber powders into juice as well to move things around. Also, avoid bananas, rice, things that are binding. Good luck!
C. R

Hi I'm sorry for the late response and hope his problem is better already, my son also had this problem on and off in his toddler years I knew hid diet was fine and not really the problem the ped. at the time tried to make me feel it was my fault as if I didn't feel guilty enough my son was in pain and became afraid to go so he would hold it even longer which made it even worse I by the way found a new ped. but anyway I asked the pharmasist what he would recommend and he suggested PERI COLACE liquid over the counter it's minty and not habit forming it worked very well it's a softner and can be used as needed and you'll know as a mom when he needs it I wish I today lived in the same area just to thank the pharmasist good luck my name is R. I have 3 kids I've never heard of karo syrup used for this problem

I personally do not like to give my kids any drugs unless absolutely nessary. I beleive your body needs to learn to fight things. If you give him miralax he may always need it. My son was a very constipated child, sometimes where he would bleed. I found it was completely dietary. He was allergic to cows milk. Too much constipated him. So now we give him organic soy milk, and he can still eat cheeses and yogart to get his calcium. TOO much cheese though and he has problems. I would try that. Also make sure your son is drinking enough water throughout the day. Water naturally moistens the bowels and body. If your son is constipated it could be a sign a VERY VERY slight dehydration.