Constant Constipation

I am a first time mom but have had years of experience with children. i grew up with the old Mexican wives tales and a litle Karo syrup in the water usually helps. Another thing is to get a Q-tip/rectal thermometer, put a little bit of Vaseline on in and insert the only the tip into her rear end and that should help. I also know that anything with rice will constipate. And lastly, when she gets constipated, has she tried any new foods??? If she has, it could be her body adjusting to the new food/s.

Hi I just wanted to let you know that not only food makes children constepated but sometimes they get to busy to take the time to go...unfortunatly my 12 year old son still does this and always has.

Other foods including too much salad and grapes have caused constipation in my daughter. She started having problems at 1 year old and she is now 5. While things are much better, she still occasionally has problems. We started reducing her dairy portions to smaller ones at different times during the day. Additionally, we started with prune juice 2-3 times a day and then weaned her off of it after about a month. We also limit the amount of salad and grapes to smaller portions and, the pediatrician moved her to 1% milk when she was about 2 years old (I think). Good luck.

My 5 year old daughter rarely had a constipation problem.

I, regularly, fed my daughter oatmeal (old fashioned regular oatmeal or instant oatmeal) and fruit; vegetables, too. But, she liked fruit more than she liked vegetables.

About 1 year ago, my daughter was constipated, for her first time, so I resumed the diet (above) and she was not constipated, anymore. Of course, I've added more vegetables to her diet, too.

P.S. Approximately 3 years ago, I discovered my daughter was Lactose intolerant to cow's milk, so I gave her Almond Milk or Rice Milk (which can be purchased at Trader Joes, Whole Foods, etc.)

L.

It sounds like you need to consult with your pediatrician. I have read responses to avoid apples. Contrary advice: apples with skin are high in fiber thus GOOD for constipation. Also some advice I diasgree with: eat applesauce. Yikes! Applesauce constipates! It belongs in the BRAT diet for diarrhea which is bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. My daughter, 3, has the same problem. Her doctor had us do pediatric enemas until she reached diarrhea. Now she is on Miralax. It dissolves in juice and is tasteless. She is soooo much happier! What a relief. Consult your pediatrician. Don't let him or her just say "Change the diet" if you have already done those interventions. Good luck!

Hi Tiffany,
My son has been cronically constipated ever since he was a few months old (he is now 3 years old). We have managed to alleviate constipation by controlling his diet and in the process have become experts on constipation relief. To prevent constipation, avoid bananas, apples, high fat dairy products, white rice, cooked carrots, and childrens' cereal. If you are feeding your child cereal, try the Kashi brand, we give the Heart to Heart cereal to him for snack. Finally, the best remedy we found for his cronic constipation is soluble fiber sold as the "Benefiber" brand, which was recommended by a pediatrition. We dissolve a teaspoon into his milk or apple juice three times a day, and it works like a charm with no side effects. Also, your child should drink lots of fluids, specifically more water, and obviously lots of fruits and vegetables.

Hope this helps,

S.

My suggestion to you is that you visit NAET.com, order and read the book "Say Good-Bye to Children's Allergies." If you want to do more research on the subject, you may also want to go to narfnet.org (Nambudripad Allergy Research Foundatin). There are now over 9000 NAET certified practitioners world wide. I go to Dr. David Karaba in Fullerton and absolutely love him. His phone number is ###-###-####. One of the wonderful things about NAET is that for children or the infirm, they can be treated through a surrogate, i.e., you. Here is the description paragraph from the book information.

"Say Good-bye to Children’s Allergies
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Paperback-1st Edition 2000
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ISBN: ISBN: 0-###-###-####-8-4
In Say Good-bye to Children’s Allergies, Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad, the developer of NAET®, will help you understand your child’s illness and will assist you in finding the right help to achieve better health for your child. This book will show you how certain commonly used products in your foods and environment can cause health problems in your child; how you can test your child in your privacy of your own home using the Nambudripad’s Testing Techniques described in the book. This book will educate you how your child’s health problems can relate to allergy, a traditionally under-diagnosed or misdiagnosed condition; and, how allergies can manifest into myriad symptoms that might seem unrelated. The author also provides remedies for mild conditions of common childhood ailments arising from allergies and how to find help in assisting your child find the right help for serious problems such as, asthma, hay-fever, common colds, sinus problems, milk allergy, peanut allergy, sugar allergy, hives, gastritis, vomiting, colic for newborns, ear infections, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, bronchitis, drug reactions, and many other conditions. Dr. Nambudripad explains how allergies are often the underlying causes to pediatric problems and how NAET® testing procedures and NAET® treatments can offer relief from these allergies. The book is supported by NAET® practitioners’ testimonials and patients’ success stories."

My 16 month old daughter has the same problem. Actually, today I called her pediatrician to ask him to look into in a little more because she's always had the problem. He told me it's normal. I was upset at the answer. He told us to give her prune juice (we have), to give her fresh fruits (she eats them everyday), more vegetables (she loves vegetables). She drinks a lot of water because she likes it. So, what is the problem! She was on soy formula, at the year we started whole milk and the constipation got worse.

I took her to a hollistic pediatrician and she tolds us to take her off of dairy completely for a month and gave us some natural herbs (in liquid form). The herbs are to strengthen her digestive system and immune system and to alleviate the constipation. And, we also gave her rice water....it worked. Now, my mother started giving her lactaid a couple of weeks ago and she was constipated this weekend. The hollistic pediatrician told us that if we wanted to give our daughter milk, we could put her on goat's milk because it's easier to digest.....my mother just gave her lactaid without my consent.....anyway, I am going back to the hollistic pediatrician for a follow up and we'll probably put her on goat's milk and get more herbs.

FIBER! FIBER! FIBER! It could be the milk...soy is constipating too if it's too much. Give her some chunky applesauce that you make your self. Oatmeal...anything bulky than the poop can't help but come out!!! Then again, even it out with lots of liquids...I used to always give pears to my kids when they were "backed up." they are easy to digest. Just peel and de-seed them, steam 'em, throw them in a blender on a chunky speed and eat it. Refrigerate the rest and give her it maybe twice a day...she'll just love it. It tastes so good, even you will eat it...kind of like pear sauce. Try not to turn to chemical stuff that you have to buy in the store...nature has it's own ways of helping our bodies to live to it's ultimate potential.

Aloha, Laulii

I think you should talk to your pediatrician...someone already mentioned Miralax, this is working for my 2 year old who had been constipated off and on for several months..talk to your pediatrician about this product.

Hello
I,m an older Mom.. SO I only know old ways..BUT THEY WORK and are safe.. Try a Teaspoon of Dark Kero in 4 oz of warm water. That will help with the constipation. And Yes Milk can be constipating for some.

Hi T. H My oldest was like she had same thing with milk and cheese. Milk would make her get bad stumick problems and cheese would make constipated too. IT kind of runs in familys not be able to eat or drink milk preducts. You should not let her eat or drink milk products couple years and try and see when she is about 6 or 7 years old. locto free formalla or soy milk instead. i hope that helps. good luke Kimberly B

If my 12 month old drinks too much milk, she will become constipated. I try to give her fresh fruit or juice everday. Her favorites are the pre-sliced mandarin oranges and applesauce. I also give her a Pediasure with Fiber in the evening and that always keeps her regular. She wouldn't drink prune juice, but she liked Gerbers Prunes, and I now I actually put them in in our cake mixes and so the whole family can get some veggies and fruits and they NEVER have guessed. My doctor said she should only be drinking 16-24 ounces of cow's milk a day, but it is hard to keep her at that. Hoped this helped.

Hi my daughter is now 13 but for the first 2-3 years of her life she was constantly constipated. Her doctor and I were unable to find what was causing it, I just had to keep the high fiber and sometimes suppositories to keep her having bowel movements. It was very frustrating but eventually it went away. I am sorry I don't have a good solution, but hopefully her body will eventually be able to handle it on its own. Also, plenty of water. Hope this helps

HI T.,

We just switched to soy with my 9 month old and have the same problem. I have tried prunes and juices, etc. The doc said soy is more constipating (and I am a vegetarian, yikes), so I think we will switch him back after this can is done. Good luck!!!

B.

Water, Water and more water. A baby needs milk for strong bones and growth. As we all need water, so does a baby.

Any type of food can cause constapation, it depens on the individual. Just like an adault.

If child won't drink water, spike it with a little clear Karo
syrup. If your child driks 4oz of milk, match that with 4oz of water, but don't go overboard, child is still a baby.

soy and milk can cause it. give her more fruit when that happens. try applesauce and grapes. cut back on the dairy and soy when it happens. Stay away from so many veggies too when it happens. That can be hard to digest. it is normal so don't worry about it too much. also look at how she starts her day. A little grain like oatmeal in the morning is not a bad idea. May keep her more regular.

yes...milk can make it worse... i had the same problem with my oldest son... the doc. gave me a rx for it and had me stop giving him so much milk.

Hi, T.,
yes, constipation can be an effect of allergy to cow milk, and to soy. You might try powdered non fat or natural without the anti biotics of regular cow milk or something that is similar to mother's milk, maybe a product like similac or whatever they make these days. The baby is tooo young for more than just a little prune juice. Too much juice will rot her teeth as well as set up for obesity later(very concentrated sugar). The actual prunes, mashed up are better). Try giving her more vegetables in the reds, yellows, greens and oranges.
Her digestive tract is the same as an adult's, she needs fiber and water to poop.

I took my second baby (now 19 months) of milk at 13 months. She was nursed and would still get constipated with my milk. The only milk that works for her is goats milk. Do not give a baby girl soy milk. It has estrogen in it and will cause her to get little booby knots. Trust me, it happened to my oldest.

Good Luck!

Aloha T.,

I don't know about milk or soy, but I do know that bananas can bind.

When my daughter was little, I learned some baby massage techniques that were very helpful. I don't want to describe any because it's been a while and I don't want to give the wrong directions, but you could probably find info on the web.

Good luck discovering the source of the problem.

A.