13 Month Has Painful Bowel Movements

this is caused by a food intolerance. Stay away from milk, soy and wheat. Also get some probiotics (good bacteria) that will significantly help with digestion. You can also supplement with flax oil to help lubricate the intestines (so much better than that corn syrup that some dr's tell you to use!). Good luck

My daughter had the same symptoms at that age and we found she was allergic to milk...not lactose intolerent (there is a difference) she was allergice to one of the protiens/ enzymes found in milk...she is 3 now and slwoing outgrowing it but if she has a lot of cheese she can still occasionally have uncomfortable bowel movements. We had to take her to an actual allergist to get a proper diagnosis as her pediatrician was not too helpful in determining this...she did finally refer us tot he allergist and it was a pretty strong reaction to milk. So we bought soy milk fo rher and she loved uit yuio could also try rice milk...lactose free milk will not help if it is a true milk allergy. I hope this helps!

-N.

We also have had this problem. The best remedy I have had is to add 1 tsp of Miralax to my sons juice once a day. Also get some triple paste from your local drug store (Target carries it in the baby aisle) and with every diaper change put in around and in his bum, not to far though. I know it sounds gross but it helps create a barrier and a lube without the horrible feeling of suppositories. It has worked really well for us as well as no skins on any fruits and limiting milk while he is so constipated. I hope this helps! From one mom of a constipated son to another! :)

Hi H.,

I do not know the answers to your questions about the cause of this--there are quite a few possibilities. However, I can tell you that when I potty trained my older daughter, she would hold back and prevent herself from going, which of course, made things harder and more difficult (no pun intended) LOL. In order to facilitate the process, I started adding prune juice to her water. She has been trained for almost 3 years, and I still monitor her movements and adjust the amount of prune juice accordingly. Perhaps you could add some prune juice to his diet--in milk/formula/mixed with other fruits like applesauce--and that would help to soften his movements and cause less strain.

Good luck to you.

Because he is having hard stools, not loose, it isnt lactose intolerance, but it IS the milk. Many children have another problem with milk which causes constipation. The 2 girls I nanny for, and also my son, have this problem. I started giving my son cows milk when he was 12 months old, but stopped about a week in because he was only having a bowel movement ever couple days, whereas he usually was VERY regular. I immediately stopped giving him pourable cows milk, and everything is fine now. I make his daily oatmeal with milk instead of water, and he has cheese and yogurt everyday, as well as breastmilk 4x per day, so I am confident that he is getting enough calcium and Vitamin D (we also go outside and play everyday, giving more Vitamin D). Children their age need 2-3 servings of dairy per day, and the example I gave of my sons dairy intake is 3 servings. I would suggest giving him his dairy in ways other than cups of cows milk.

lactose intolerance usually loosens the bowels, so I think you are safe there. A small amount of fruit juice (like apple or prune)would be far more beneficial and safer than 1-2 teaspoons of KARO syrup a day. I cannot for the life of me think why he would suggest such a thing. it is pure sugar.
Another solution might be a glycerin suppository.

I've heard that this can happen when milk is introduced. My oldest didn't have a problem and my youngest is allergic my son drinks rice milk and lots of rice can cause constipation so he has flaxseed generally milled flaxseed added to his oatmeal or shakes and that has made a huge difference in his bms I can always tell when he's skipped his oatmeal/flaxseed breakfast because he miserable and has an awful time. We had better luck w/ the flaxseed then with the Karo syrup but I believe w/ the Karo syrup you should use so much in every bottle/sippy. He could also have other issues going on. My son also has celiacs disease and celiacs can cause constipation so that is something to look into also.

Hi H.
I know that my oldest son had not pooped in 3 days and when he did-it was so painful for him.
I can't imagine having this as a normal procedure.
I was chronically constipated my entire adult life and now have no issues-just by adding Reliv nutrition.
The children's product is safe, effective and helps with all aspects of a child's body functions.
When you give the body (of all ages) the right fuel-it works at its best.
I can get you in touch with other moms whose babies had constipation and now have (natural) relief.
J. H

hi H.,

so sorry for you guys. last night my daughter (21 mo.) had one of her first bad rashes from her diaper and to see her in pain broke my heart.

i am not an official on these things, but just had a thought. my husband and i stopped eating dairy a year ago and it's really helped with "smoothing things out" if you know what i mean. my daughter never had a problem...but i know dairy is very binding. perhaps you could talk to your kiddo's doctor about soy? these days, soy milk has the same amount of calcium, iron, and vitamin d as cow's milk...just make sure you read the label as i know some don't (i.e. a trader joe's brand i bought had less, although another trader joe's brand had the same.)

hope my babbling helps. good luck.
A.

OUCH!!!

I would call my pedi again, get a second opinion and get to the bottom of it (no pun intended)!!
In the meantime, I would be trying what these smart moms have been suggesting..but call your pedi Monday & get a second opinion to address the cause!

I'm lactose intolerant, and let me tell you it does not constipate me.... quite the very uncomfortable opposite!

He probably has blood in his stool because the stool could be rupturing his anus trying to pass it.

Poor guy!

HI,

My son was exactly the same. We put prune juice in his milk and that seemed to help some. My son is now 5 and he is extremely sensitive to cheese. Like any more than one slice and he is constipated for two days. It could be something to do with the milk and your baby. There are yogurts that might help - they are for just such a problem. Good luck and of course go to another doc for a second opinion if you are concerned.

I absolutely agree with the other mom about Reliv, to address the underlying cause, which could be tthe milk or the lack of enough fiber, or both. Karo syrup treats the symptom but ask the dentist about all that sugar for the teeth and for causing more sugar cravings going forward! Pooping needs to be natural, easy and at least twice daily, without him fearing the pain and holding it in. I would go with a top company like Reliv and get connected with other parents who faced the same thing - the first mom can absolutely help you but d be happy to answer questions too.

My fourteen month old went through that. Rushed her to the doc to find out she was having a bowl movement problem. He told me to give her a half suppository and then Miralax for two weeks. Well the Suppository relieved her that day. The Miralax has reset her system and she is now happy again!!! So are we!

Have you tried prunes? We fed our little guy the gerber tubs of prunes and also mixed some prune juice in with his cereal each morning. We've NEVER had a problem with constipation since!

My daughter went through something similiar (not as severe) when we were potty training her. She would try desperately to hold on to her BM. I myself was born lactose intolerant and my pain was more associated with the actual digestion of the milk product not the elimination of it (but I don't know if that's true for all). When my daughter was your child's age we had to really be careful about the amount of dairy, particularly cheese, that she was having. Especially when my mother was here....we had to really stress not to keep giving her yogurt, cheese, along with all the milk she was having. Cheese was so constipating to her that there were a couple of times when it was actually stuck. We also tried the Karo syrup (which takes a bit to kick in but eventually does the trick), limiting dairy intake to small amounts, and always paired with fiber. I found that Crackling Oat Bran broken in small bits was a good snack for her. We mix all her juice with half water to increase the water intake. Your child has probably now associated pain with going to the bathroom so he may be anxious about it now so I'd just be mindful of your reaction. Try to stay neutral and not look worried. Keep in contact with your pediatrician very closely and good luck. Also, mixed prune juice in with everything so she couldn't taste it.

talk to his ped.. have you tried benefiber or something like that?? you can mix it right into his milk. raisins, prune juice.. good luck.. my son went thru it too..

Hi H., You have probably already received many ideas since this was from Saturday; however, I'll add one more. I know several Moms who have brought their infants, toddlers and young children to Dr. Ellen Blomerth for this issue, and she has taken care of them in one visit with a simple gentle touch to allign them. She is one of only a couple of chiropractors on the East Coast who has been trained in this gentle method, and it is one of her specialties. To speak with her and/or make an appointment, call her at ###-###-####. She is located at the junction of Lowell St. and Rt 1 in Peabody and is in Suite 102. Please mention that I referred you to her when you call. I wish you the best with this issue. E. Taft

Hi- My son experienced the same thing. What helped him was alot of fruit- 3-4 servings a day- one of the servings is pears. 4-6 ounces of prune juice each day. I did have to start with a mixture of prune and apple juice and slowly decrease the amount of apple juice so that he ended up with just prune juice. Lastly, a little bit of vaseline on the outside of his rectum. Good luck, it is so hard to see them uncomfortable. S.

My 7 month baby has the same problem - I had the nurse at my pediatrician help me get one of her poops out, she scream so hard as it was stuck. I would be careful about the foods you are feeding him - try more whole wheat foods, and give him plenty of apple juice. I have been giving my daughter avacado - she is still struggling but not as bad.. I stay away from bananas and any binding food.

Good Luck

Try soy milk.
We did a very slow transistion from formula to milk during which time my daughter had NO problems. The week we started milk only is when her constipation problems began. We used Karo, which helped, but the real benefit came when we used soy instead of regular milk. She took to it remarkably well. However, my son did not like it at all. They learned that the soy milk was her milk and both were quite accepting of this arrangement. When she was about 2 we went back to regular milk without incident.
She's a fantastic eater with a well balanced diet (eagerly eats her fruits & veggies and drinks her water). Now, when she needs a bit of assistance we use diluted plum juice or prune juice.

If you're not sure, run it past your doctor. But I did want to mention that soy milk (vanilla flavored) was the only thing that made a big enough difference in her day-to-day movements.

Good luck!
P.

Dear H.,

The problem most likely has its roots in your transition from formula to milk. Many babies and toddlers are indeed lactose intolerant, or have a sensitivity to milk protein. If you take him off dairy products (milk, any type of cheese, butter, whipped cream)and substitute another type of plant based milk like coconut or rice, you may find the problem not so troublesome. Also, making sure he eats some sort of fiber in his diet-like raisins or whole grain cereal such as oatmeal-will certainly help. Now is the time to get him eating the foods that you want him to eat because you know they are good for him. It will pay off in dividends later on!

Good luck,
K. F. Working mom of 2 former toddlers(girls)-now 19 and 17

The same thing happened to my daughter when we transitioned to milk. We started giving her a couple of oz of prune juice mixed with water every day for a while, it seemed to help.

that is so horrible. im so sorry for you both. it is what he is eating for sure!!! stop giving him white flour products altogether. stay away from too many grains. milk i have also heard is very constipating. try avocado, fruit, etc. stay away from all foods that are starchy and constipating!!!! my daughter also had this problem until i changed her food!

Hi!

My 2 1/2 yr recently started up with the same BM problems and the pediatrician told us to put two teaspoons of Miralax in 4-6 oz of fluid every day (I put it in a bottle at night) and it has made a HUGE difference. Aidan actually had an anal fissure from holding back his BM's and subsequently the feces was hard as rock and it just went around and around. You give them the Miralax once a day for a month then decrease the dosage to 1 teaspoon for a week then every other day for a week to twice a week then done. It really regulates their systems and makes things so much easier for the little guys. The Karo syrup worked really well for my older son. The sugar in the Karo draws water to the gut and loosens the stool. That it a tried & true method that all my mom friends use first.
Barb

My 17 month old son has the same problem. First I will say over the last month or so it has improved. His doctor doesn't want us using stool softners and just wants us to do it with diet. So I have spoken to a nutritionist. She said figs are great. I haven't tried it yet since right now things are moving along a little better. My son is also on pediasure and it seems to help when he has the one with more fiber. My doctor said all the "P" foods though are good. So prunes, pears, peas would be helpful. I think it's the transition to a more solid food diet that might do it. I was worried about lactose intolerance as well, although the pediasure has no lactaid.

Good luck, I know the heart wrenching scream and the look of help in your poor baby's eyes. Makes me feel so helpless. It likely will improve though. It always confused me with my son because it wasn't like he'd go days without going. Sometimes he'll go 2 times a day even. And it's not little rabbit poops either they are good sized poops, just firm. You can always bring the doctor a stool sample though to have them test for blood in the stool. I did that with my son and it was clear.

Try a teaspoon of Barleans or Spectrum Flax Seed Oil in his food. It helped my daughter become regular and her skin and hair glisten! It is loaded with Omega's and Lignan which helps, plus it boosts the healthy fats that support the brain and development. Use 1tsp per meal in food, up to 3 teaspoons per day.

HTH,

G.~~~

Not sure what anyone else has said, but I would immediately remove all dairy - that's the number one culprit with constipation. Number two is gluten. Start with dairy, it's easier!

She also needs high quality probiotics (can get at a health food store). And a pediatric chiropractor could really help too (check www.icpa4kids.org for one near you - Dr. Tgettis in Danvers/Gloucester is great if you are in the area).

Another thing to try, if she'll take it, is called "Natural Calm for Kids" - it's a powder supplement you make into a drink. Has lots of magnesium and works every time!! It's non-drug, all natural, which is nice...it's very easy for young kids to become dependent on miralax and other laxative drugs.