How to Treat Consipation in Children
At one time or another most children will suffer a bout of constipation. Characterized by a decreased frequency of bowel movements and hard stools that are often painful to pass, constipation can sometimes be a sign of a more significant medical condition, but is usually transient. Most of the time it's easy enough to treat children's constipation with changes in dietary, exercise and toileting habits.
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Instructions
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Recognize the Symptoms of Constipation
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Keep track of your infant's bowel habits, particularly when she has begun to eat solid foods. When solids become a staple of a baby's diet, she will typically have fewer bowel movements anyway, but if she strains to pass dry, hard stool and seems to be in discomfort or straining she's most likely constipated.
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Watch for toddlers who complain of abdominal pain and have blood-streaked pebbly stools in the potty or diaper. Toddlers with constipation frequently pass gas and look as though there are having a bowel movement without any success.
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Ask older children periodically about their bowel habits. They're more likely to be embarrassed to tell you that they are constipated, but may complain of stomach aches and have an unusual aversion to using the bathroom.
Change a Child's Habits
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Treat constipation with increased liquid intake, approximately 2 to 3 extra glasses a day. Many juices (such as apple and prune) have a natural laxative effect and an increase in fluids can help to soften hard stools. Babies and toddlers should be given juice diluted with water, while older children can drink the undiluted version.
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Increase the amount of fiber in your child's diet. Though fiber without enough fluid can often be a cause of constipation, increasing the amount of vegetables and whole-grain foods your child eats in conjunction with increasing his fluid intake can be helpful. Fiber, like that found in popcorn, beans, peas and graham crackers, helps hard, dry stools to absorb water, softening them and making them easier to pass.
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Limit the amount of milk and other constipating foods your child consumes. An overabundance of dairy products like cheese, milk and yogurt can often cause difficulty with bowel movements. Other foods to avoid include carrots, bananas and many snack foods.
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Get your child moving. Play "bicycle" with your infant's legs, bending her knees up to her abdomen and making pedaling motions. Encourage your toddlers and older children to run around, ride bikes and do other types of exercise. The movement makes digestion easier and can stimulate peristalsis--the muscle contractions that move waste products through the intestine.
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Treat the fear that constipation can create. Help your child relearn good toileting habits by encouraging him to take his time when using the bathroom. Younger children may benefit from the use of a reward system that provides positive incentives for every "good try."
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Tips & Warnings
Talk to your child's pediatrician if, within a week or two, home treatments aren't working. He may ask you to try mild laxatives or stool softeners, like milk of magnesia, mineral oil or flax seed.
<br>Acute constipation--that which lasts for weeks--can cause great pain and bowel impaction. Speak to your child's doctor about whether an enema or other dis-impaction procedure is a necessary intervention before making long-term dietary changes.
Don't ignore your instincts. If you think your child's condition may be an indicator of a more significant disease process, mention that to the pediatrician and ask him to run the appropriate tests.
