What Can You Give A Toddler For Constipation

Symptoms Of Constipation In Newborns

How can I help my toddler with constipation?

As with anything concerning newborns, sometimes it can be tough to figure out what is going on. Keep in mind that every childs bowel routine is different. One baby might have a bowel movement after every feeding, but another might have only one per day, and sometimes might even skip a day for no apparent reason.

1. Appearance of the Stool

Newborn constipation often shows up as a very uncomfortable baby who is not passing stools, even when she tries to do so. When stool is passed, it is likely dry and hard, and might cause discomfort for the child. If your child hasnt had a bowel movement in three or four days and seems to be uncomfortable, constipation might be the culprit.

2. Child Behaviors That Show Discomfort

Beyond the dry and hard stools, your baby will have other ways to show you that shes uncomfortable. A child who fusses, cries or even screams when passing the stools is a sure sign of a child who is constipated. Very young infants might pull their legs up to their chest repeatedly, as though they were trying to rid themselves of something. They might fight against being swaddled, fuss and cry for no apparent reason and they might even refuse milk or food.

When to Call the Doctor

If you notice that your child is passing stools that contain mucus or blood, dont try out any home remedies instead, head for the doctors office right away.

How To Help A Constipated Baby Or Toddler

Constipation doesn’t just make your little one miserable. It can get worse when left untreated, making it even harder for your child to pass stool. So if you suspect constipation is the cause of her discomfort, take quick steps to get things moving again with these tips for baby and toddler constipation relief.

Pay attention to the calendar, too. You should call the doctor if your formula-fed newborn baby seems uncomfortable and fussy and she hasn’t pooped for several days . You should also call if your older baby or toddler hasnt had a bowel movement for four or five days.

Constipation is rarely an issue for exclusively breastfed babies, but if your little one seems to be going longer than normal without a poop and youre concerned, theres no harm in checking in with the doc.

You should call the doctor, too, if your baby or toddlers constipation is accompanied by abdominal pain or vomiting, theres blood in her stool, or at-home measures to get things going arent working.

But What If I Have A Picky Eater

It can definitely be difficult with picky eaters . For tips and tricks to get your toddler to eat more vegetables, you can check out my favorite vegetables for picky eaters!

In the meantime, heres one of my favorite high-fiber smoothie recipes that are filled with foods to help things keep moving along. I like to call itwait for it.. an evacuation smoothie!

So, what is an evacuation smoothie? Sounds yummy, right? Just as the name implies , it helps your child poop. Its very simple to make and tastes great.

Don’t Miss: What Foods Are Good For Gut Microbiome

For Toddler Constipation Remedies Is Miralax Ok

You may be tempted to solve your toddlers constipation with medication. We get it you want to help your baby poop so theyre no longer uncomfortable. While Miralax may work wonders when youre backed up, it isnt recommended for toddlers. For that matter, Boston Childrens Hospital advises that you really only want to use medication to treat your childs constipation if their doctor recommends it. So, if your toddlers constipation isnt aided by more natural methods or seems serious, go ahead and schedule a consultation with their pediatrician.

How To Treat Your Child’s Constipation

If you think your child may be constipated, take them to a GP. The treatment for constipation depends on your child’s age.

The longer your child is constipated, the more difficult it can be for them to get back to normal, so make sure you get help early.

Laxatives are often recommended for children who are eating solid foods, alongside diet and lifestyle changes.

It may take several months for the treatments to work, but keep trying until they do. Remember that laxative treatment may make your child’s overflow soiling worse before it gets better.

Once your child’s constipation has been dealt with, it’s important to stop it coming back. A GP may advise that your child keeps taking laxatives for a while to make sure their poo stays soft enough to push out regularly.

Read Also: Can A Leaky Gut Cause Weight Gain

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Infant Constipation

The following signs may indicate your baby is constipated:

Your baby has hard bowel movements that look like round, ball-shaped pellets
Your baby may arch her back or cry when having difficulty passing a bowel movement. Keep in mind that itâs common for infants to strain when poopingâafter all your baby will most likely be pooping while lying on her back, which isnât that easy to do. If your baby passes a soft bowel movement after straining, she is probably not constipated
Your baby’s bowel movements are happening less frequently than normal.

What Is Constipation In Children

Constipation is when a child has very hard stools, and has fewer bowel movements than he or she normally does. It is a very common GI problem.

Signs that a child has constipation include:

Having fewer bowel movements than normal. Constipation is often defined as having fewer than 3 bowel movements a week. The number of bowel movements may be different for each child. But a change in what is normal for your child may mean there is a problem.
Passing stool that is hard and sometimes large
Having bowel movements that are difficult or painful to push out

Don’t Miss: Does Leaky Gut Cause Weight Loss

What Are The Symptoms Of Constipation

Symptoms can occur a bit differently in each child. They may include:

Not having a bowel movement for a few days
Passing hard, dry stools
Having belly bloating, cramps, or pain
Not feeling hungry
Showing signs of trying to hold stool in, such as clenching teeth, crossing legs, squeezing buttocks together, turning red in the face
Small liquid or soft stool marks on a childs underwear

The symptoms of constipation can be like other health conditions. Make sure your child sees his or her healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

Seattle Children’s Urgent Care Locations

8 Effective Home Remedies for Constipation in Babies

If your childâs illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.

What You Should Know about Constipation:

Constipation is common in children.

Most often, it’s from a change in diet. It can also be caused by waiting too long to stool.

Passing a stool should be pleasant and free of pain.

Any child with pain during stool passage or lots of straining needs treatment. At the very least, they need changes in diet.

Here is some care advice that should help.

Normal range: 3 per day to 1 every 2 days. Once children are on a regular diet, their stool pattern is like adults.

Kids who go every 3 days often drift into longer times. Then symptoms start.

Kids who go every 4 and 5 days almost always have pain with passage. They also have lots of straining.

Diet for Infants Under 1 Year Old:

Age over 1 month old only on breast milk or formula, add fruit juice.

Amount. Give 1 ounce per month of age per day. Limit amount to 4 ounces .

Pear and apple juice are good choices. After 3 months, can use prune juice. Reason for fruit juice: approved for babies in treating a symptom.

Age over 4 months old, also add baby foods with high fiber. Do this twice a day. Examples are peas, beans, apricots, prunes, peaches, pears, or plums.

Age over 8 months old on finger foods, add cereals and small pieces of fresh fruit.

Diet for Children Over 1 Year Old:

Increase fruit juice . Note: citrus fruit juices are not helpful.

Limit milk products to 3 servings per day.

Stop Toilet Training:

Stool Softeners :

Also Check: Is Diarrhea A Sign Of Pregnancy

How To Know If Your Toddler Is Constipated

Again, defined broadly, constipation in kids will look like fewer than two successful poops per week. But children can still experience discomfort before things get to this point.

If youre parenting a toddler, you know their verbal skills may not have developed to the point where they can pipe up and say, Im constipated!

Still, the signs and symptoms arent too difficult for parents and caregivers to spot.

Watch out for these indicators of constipation in toddlers:

stools that are hard, dry, or pebble-like
straining or pain when trying to pass large pieces of stool

Just like with adults, toddlers digestive habits are a delicate balance of multiple factors, from diet to emotional issues to daily routine. Add potty training to the mix and you may find yourself with the perfect storm of digestive delay.

Here are some of the causes of constipation in young kids.

How Can I Help My Child Live With Constipation

Constipation can be either short-term or long-term . Children with intestinal diseases may have chronic constipation problems. But in most cases, constipation is a short-term condition. If your child has chronic constipation, work with his or her healthcare provider. Together you can create a care plan that is right for your child.

Recommended Reading: Which Probiotics Help With Constipation

Symptoms Of Constipation In Babies

The amount of bowel movements your baby has depends on their age and their diet. Itâs normal for babies to strain or become red in the face while passing bowel movements. Pooping is more challenging for them because they have weaker abdominal muscles and are typically lying flat.

Breastfed babies tend to go to the bathroom more often than formula-fed babies because breast milk is easier for them to digest. As babies reach around 3-6 weeks of age, they begin having fewer bowel movements, sometimes only one or two per week.

If your baby is passing soft stool and the movements happen infrequently or your baby strains to pass them, your baby probably isnât constipated. Typically, if your baby becomes constipated, it happens after they start eating solid food.

Some common symptoms of constipation in babies include:

Symptoms Of Constipation In Children

Your child may be constipated if:

they have not done a poo at least 3 times in the last week
their poo is large and hard
their poo looks like “rabbit droppings” or little pellets
they are straining or in pain when they poo
they have some bleeding during or after having a poo, because their poo is large and hard
they have a poor appetite or stomach pain that improves after they poo

If your child is over 1 year old, soiled pants can be another sign of constipation, as runny poo may leak out around the hard, constipated poo. This is called overflow soiling.

Don’t Miss: Can Wine Give You Diarrhea

What Could Cause Toddler Constipation

So, why do toddlers get backed up in the first place? Myriad issues could be to blame. A few possible explanations include:

Withholding This especially happens during and after toilet training. Your toddler can be playing or in the middle of another activity, so theyre reluctant to stop and go to the bathroom. The pain related to constipation could also keep them from trying to go to the bathroom again.
Too Much Milk Toddlers love milk , but all that dairy may be contributing to constipation.
Not Enough Water Hard and hard-to-pass stools can be caused by not enough liquids.
Not Enough Fiber All those bran commercials got it right fiber does help you stay regular, and that applies to your kids as well.
Too Sedentary Movement helps bowel movements. If your kid isnt getting enough exercise and activity, that could affect their ability to poop regularly.

Things You Should Not Do When A Baby Is Constipated

Dont give prune juice to infants under six months of age it contains a natural bowel irritant, even when diluted.
Dont add any form of sugar, malt extract or rice cereal to formula it will not help the constipation.
Dont introduce solids before four to six months of age its not recommended as a way to treat constipation.

Recommended Reading: What Makes Heartburn Go Away

Toddler Constipation Can Cause Plenty Of Pain And Discomfort For Your Child These Expert

Toddlers normally poop at least once per day, although some healthy children have bowel movements every few days. Stools that are hard, painful, or very large might signal constipationa common condition that’s often misunderstood, says Steven Hodges, M.D., a pediatric urologist at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the coauthor of It’s No Accident and Bedwetting and Accidents Aren’t Your Fault.

Keep reading to learn more about why some kids get backed up, with tips for how to help a constipated toddler.

What Can You Give Your Baby For Constipation

3 ways to help a 3 month old baby with constipation

If changes in your babyâs diet havenât given him relief from constipation, your babyâs healthcare provider might recommend an infant glycerin suppository, which is placed in your babyâs rectum. These types of suppositories are meant to be used only occasionally, and shouldnât be overused. Do not use mineral oil, enemas, constipation medicine, or any stimulating laxatives to treat your babyâs constipation. Always follow your healthcare providerâs advice.

What Is Toddler Constipation

Constipation in toddlers is very common. Toddlers who are constipated poop less frequently than usual. Every toddler is different, but this usually means they poop less than two times a week. When they do go, their poop is hard, dry and large in size. Their poop may be difficult or painful to pass.

Toddler constipation usually doesnt last long. Its typically not something to worry about. Only rarely, is it a symptom of an underlying health condition.

Rome Iv Diagnostic Criteria For Chronic Constipation

To objectively identify chronic constipation, healthcare professionals look at the Rome IV diagnostic criteria, which were established by expert consensus:

Your child has suffered for at least 3 months with at least two of the following symptoms:

lumpy or hard stools in more than one out of four bowel movements
straining during these movements
a feeling that there is more stool to pass but he is unable to pass it
a sense of blockage preventing the passage of stool
needing help to remove stool
less than 3 spontaneous bowel movements per week
rare instances of loose stools

Read Also: How Do You Fix Leaky Gut

Prevalence Of Constipation In Kids

Did you know about 3 to 5% of general pediatric office visits are due to constipation complaints?

Thirty percent of all referrals to pediatric gastroenterologists are for constipation, according to UptoDate.

Constipation is common in kids, and I am seeing it more and more in my practice.

Constipation happens when a child is unable to, or has difficulty passing stool.

Typically, this is due to hardened stool, which can occur for several reasons, including poor diet, dehydration, medications, or a medical problem.

I will be focusing on a real food approach , using foods that are natural laxatives.

First, a little background information.

Things To Do In Constipation

What is the best remedy for constipation in babies?

Guava is a very effective remedy for constipation. You should eat it with its seeds.
Few people suggest to use the castor oil but I dont recommend. Its not a right choice for your little ones still developing tummy.
Keep your baby active so that his bowel movements can be more regular.
Give all the fruit juices in a diluted form otherwise, it can cause diarrhea.
Try to keep your baby as relax as you can.
If you are a breastfeeding mom then limit dairy intake in your diet.
Make a routine of going to the toilet as first thing in the morning. Encourage your child to poop in the morning.
Ground flaxseed can be used as supplemental fiber.

Also Check: Does Plan B Cause Bloating

Milk Of Magnesia Works Too

Many people also use milk of magnesia to treat constipation as it a form of laxative. It primarily functions by pushing water into the intestines, which triggers the bowel movements. But this is used for a short duration only. You can mix a spoonful of the powder with milk and feed it to your child. But try this remedy only after consulting with your childs paediatrician.

What Causes Constipation In A Child

Stool gets hard and dry when the large intestine takes in too much water.

Normally, as food moves through the colon, the colon absorbs water while it makes stool. Muscle movements push the stool toward the rectum. When the stool gets to the rectum, most of the water has been soaked up. The stool is now solid.

If your child has constipation, the colons muscle movements are too slow. This makes the stool move through the colon too slowly. The colon absorbs too much water. The stool gets very hard and dry.

Once a child becomes constipated, the problem can quickly get worse. Hard, dry stools can be painful to push out. So the child may stop using the bathroom because it hurts. Over time, the colon will not be able to sense that stool is there.

There are many reasons why a child may become constipated. Some common diet and lifestyle causes include:

Don’t Miss: Will Probiotics Help Acid Reflux

How Is Toddler Constipation Diagnosed

To diagnose constipation, your childs healthcare provider will ask about your childs symptoms and medical history and perform a physical examination. Theyll ask you about your childs:

Bathroom and bowel movement patterns.
Diet and eating habits.
Health problems .

During the physical exam, your childs healthcare provider will check your childs belly. Theyll want to see if its swollen, tender or has any masses or lumps. They may also examine your childs rectum to look for blood or a blockage.