Constipation - Hillsboro, OR

My grandson had chronic constipation for the first 3 years of his life. Nothing OTC worked for him. The pediatrician prescribed the powder mentioned by another mother. I don't remember it's name but I think I heard that you can now get it OTC.

I give you the following information in case the other suggestions don't work or you want to try this. His aunt was babysitting him when he tried to poop and wouldn't stop screaming. She called an ambulance. The EMT put on a rubber glove, put something on his finger to make it slick and put it up his anus. He pulled out the poop. I don't know how much poop he got but it took care of the problem for a few days.

I remember seeing my mother gently insert her finger part way into the rectum to help my younger brothers poop when they were babies in diapers. I don't know if they were constipated. I suspect it caused the intestines to react which started the poop. However, one brother had trouble with constipation as a child, well into elementary school.

When one of us kids had a headache or upset stomach my mother would ask us when was the last time we pooped. If it had been longer ago than usual she had us drink lots of liquids and eat prunes. That worked. Every once in awhile the same happens to me. I drink lots of water and use metamucil. I do think there is a correlation between constipation and not feeling well.

If you haven't yet it is time to consult a doctor. Not going for a few days can be ok, if she doesn't eat. However, you don't say how much she actually drinks, and not drinking enough can cause constipation as well. I agree with the prune juice - however I believe if a child is sick, you should give them whatever they want, I usually give mine her favorite juice diluted with lots of water.
Anyways, after 3 days and additional symptoms it's time for an office visit.

Hi J.,

The OTC powder Marda is talking about is called Miralax and it works great. It's a stool softener, so it doesn't make you go, it just softens the stools, which makes it easier to push the poop out.

Because your dd is only 2, I would definitely ask your pediatrician before using this product. The instructions on the bottle only give recommended amounts for older children and adults. My pediatrician only recommended 1 teaspoon of Miralax for my 3 year old daughter, but please check with your pediatrician, because no two children are the same.

FYI - it is common for toddlers, who have constipation for the first time, to then start holding their poop because they associate pooping with pain.

This might not happen with your dd, but I wanted to mention it in case it does. It's very normal. There's actually great threads on this board about the subject, if it does happen. The best advice I got was to make her diet so "poop-friendly" that she literally wouldn't be able to hold it in.

Best of luck and I hope she's feeling better soon.

My son also wouldn't drink Pedialite when he got sick. I'm not sure if you've tried it, but it's not good at all. I always gave my son Propel fitness water instead. He really likes it and it's low in sugar. You might keep trying different things like sparkling water mixed with apple juice (makes a healthy soda that most kids will drink). If those things don't won't you can give her a glycerin suppository, which is harmless and effective. :)

I second the propel - it has much of the same nutrients and tastes way better. For higher electrolyte counts get gatorade. A glycerine suppository is safe and effective way to clear up constipation as well. She may actually be being picky because she's backed up. Knowing that eating leads to pooping will often make kids fussy and not want to eat so you may actually want to pursue this route sooner than later. If in doubt you can go to your doctor and they can prescribe this powder that you mix in their drinks to help them get regular again. I hope your little one gets better! I have had to deal with constipation in my little guy on a few occassions and it is really not fun.

Try popsicles, fruit and diluted juices. Does she have a fever? Try motrin (call dr. for dose) as her throat may hurt. How many pee diapers? Is it dark yellow? If so, she may be dehydrated and you should consult with your pediatrician.

Try to add a tsp. of dark karo syrup to a drink for her. This was recommended for my daughter when she was still drinking from a bottle. They said to keep adding the tsp. to each bottle until she was able to poop. Try to limit the cheeses in her diet as well, which can cause constipation. Best of luck!

Aloe vera juice is the best thing I have found. It is easy to put in juice and some brands taste good on their own. This will help keep her regular and help loosen the present clog. I use it with my daughter regularly, as she tend to stop up. It never causes the opposite effect that you get with laxatives. You can find it at New Seasons or whole foods. Good luck.

Our pediatrician told us to avoid apples, bananas, rice and milk/cheese. These can all bind her up. Grape and prune/plum juices tend to promote bowel activity and you can always ask your pediatrician about Mirilax... we use that for all of our kids who have had chronic constipation at one time or another.

Hope that helps.

My 2.5 year old suffers from constipation off and on and has since she was a baby. My doctor recommended Miralax. We put half a capful in a cup of milk and it dissolves completely. Usually just one does gets things moving for us.

We tried all the natural remedies and she just wouldn't eat/drink/take them.

Good luck. Oh, warm baths will also help get things moving and help her relax her bottom when she needs to go.

-M.

Push liquids. Try a prune or little prune juice. Gatoraide--I can only stand the stuff when I am sick or dehydrated. I like the Ice flavor.

We deal with this all the time with our 2 lil ones. It's not fun, I know. I recommend full strength (not diluted) apple juice (we always buy 100% juice). I also have started a 1/2 cap full of the generic mirilax for our lil one, soon to be 5, for over a year now, per her pediatrician. Raisins are also very helpful, along with regular servings of grapes. Of coarse prunes or prune juices work, I love the sunsweet prunes! :) Getting a picky eater to eat these isn't always easy, but the powder mirilax is great to put in anything she wants to drink! :) The other thing to consider, if that doesn't work, is glycerin suppositories (found in the baby area or with the other constipation things, but in a pink labeled jar.) These DO work, but I can't get mine to let me use them on them anymore. lol

Our lil one got so plugged up that she couldn't walk and asked to be carried to and from the restroom (to podie only) as we didn't know that she'd gotten so bad. I had to take her to the urgent care clinic, and then to get an xray, to tell us that she was 'over full'. lol Poor baby. Thankfully, the miralax stuff worked great and she was fine soon after starting it. I try to give it to her about 1 time a day now, to keep her more regular. But she get's stopped up pretty easily, regardless of eating fruits and veggies daily. (Think she gets it from her daddy!) lol

Gosh, I understand your concerns. I hope some of this helps out. Oh, I just remembered that I've also giving grape juice at times, but apple seems to be the best. Also, if you can get her to eat the baby food in the jars, my girls both ate the pureed prunes and loved them! Good luck!

I've seen good results from chiropractic treatments, specifically with our chiropractor Steven Kingston in Portland, OR. One time my daughter had 3 solid movements within 12 hours of being adjusted. It could be worth a try!

My oldest daughter had constipation problems starting at around age 2. Her doctor put her on Miralax (before it was over the counter) and took it for 2 years. It does work. But she also had a few occasions where she just refused to go and then she couldn't go because she was so backed up. One time she was in so much pain and it was over Christmas. She didn't even want to open presents. I ended up giving her an enema on Christmas Day. It's not fun or pretty, but after filling 3-4 diapers she felt a ton better and was able to enjoy the day. By the way, her doctor recommended the enema and I just bought one at the drug store.

I know when our daughter is really sick she doesn't eat so she might not poop for a few days. However, she's also been easily constipated her entire life. Prune juice works wonders! We've used it since she was a baby. We buy those little 6-pack cans and keep them on hand. A little goes a long way so you only need a couple of ounces. We give our daughter half a can when she complains that her butt hurts. Start with 2-3 ounces and give her 15-30 minutes too see what happens. If after an hour she's still not gone, try a LITTLE bit more. I wouldn't give 4-6 ounces at a time - my husband gave our 3 year old the entire can once (he didn't know that she only gets half a can normally) and she had way too liquid stools. I hope your little girl is feeling better soon.

Try jello water. Watered apple juice or white grape juice. We've had this terrible flu/cough/fever/nausea now for 10 days. It hangs on. You could try BabyLax, it's a liquid glycerin suppository if you believe she's constipated. Fever and a lack a fluids will cause constipation. Try feedng her applesauce. But check with your nurse hotline at the pediatrician's to see if the suppository is appropriate. A warm water enema could be just as effective, but many moms are afraid to give them as they don't know how much water to use and the nozzle of the enema can be intimidating. The BabyLax applicator has a guard on it to prevent over insertion. I hope that you all don't get the bug. Wash, wash and wash some more. Take cleaning wipes that have bleach in them to wipe down your door knobs and other common surfaces on a daily basis to prevent a repeat visit or to limit the number of folks who get his bug in your home. Get well soon!!!

My daughter had this problem for the first three years. It was worse when she was sick. Our doctor suggested any 100% fruit juice that starts with P, Pear, Peach, Papaya. I was told apple juice doesnt work as well. They all help with pushing poop through. When my DD is especially blocked, I will give her full strength juice instead of diluting with 1/2 water. This usually works within 2 days. I have had to use an enema, not fun. I also use Benefiber (tasteless mix into water) with doctors support.

I had a few experiences with screaming and complaining child cause she was so gassy and blocked. It is not fun. Make sure she is drinking as much as she can especially while she is sick. Popsicles, frozen pedialyte popsticks, anyway to get her to swallow liquids. I even made special popsicles with the P juice to make it more interesting (didnt work for us, but may for others) Make sure she is peeing and hopefully this will all pass (no pun intended)

Good luck

I looked it up on Wed MD and this is what I found (it's rather lengthy but hopefully useful information):

Question:

My toddler has been constipated for days. What can I do short of taking her to the doctor?

Answer:
The goal is to help your child to have soft, comfortable stools again. In toddlers, constipation is almost always related to diet, so a step-by-step approach that targets what she eats and drinks is the best way to treat this condition:

1. Make sure your child is drinking enough fluids -- juice, milk and water. If your child is dehydrated, her stool will become harder, leading to constipation. It is particularly important for your child to stay hydrated in hot weather. Since it's difficult to make specific recommendations as to how much fluid is enough, try following the pediatricians' rule of thumb: If your child is urinating at least every three hours while awake, then she's probably getting plenty of fluids.

2. Increase your child's fiber intake. Many fresh fruits and vegetables are high in fiber. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit daily for 2- to 6-year-olds. This may seem an impossible goal to meet if you've got a picky eater, but not all high-fiber foods taste "yucky." Prunes and raisins are particularly high in fiber. In addition, fiber breakfast bars and cereals, bananas, apples, peas, grainy breads and peanut butter (which does not cause constipation, but actually helps prevent it) are all good choices.

In addition, supplemental fiber preparations such as Metamucil, Fiberall and Citrucel can be helpful as they make the stools absorb more water, allowing them to move gently through the intestines.

3. Try giving your child mineral oil. This remedy is somewhat controversial, but in my practice, I've found it's one of the best treatments and is generally safe. Mineral oil coats the stool and helps it slide easily through the intestines. At one time, it was thought that it blocked the absorption of important minerals through the intestinal wall, but this was recently found not to be the case. In rare instances, it has caused pneumonia, but only in children who were unable to swallow properly.

I recommend that parents start by giving their child 2 teaspoons of mineral oil twice a day, for a 20- to 30-pound toddler. Thereafter, increase the dosage by 1 teaspoon every other day until the child is passing soft stool and any anal fissures have healed. (Mineral oil tastes awful, but it can be well-disguised in shakes, juice, Jell-O and ice cream.)

4. Encourage your child to sit on the toilet after meals. Children who have experienced painful bowel movements are often reluctant to sit on the toilet. But the longer a child avoids going to the bathroom, the harder the stool will become. You can help break this cycle by having the child sit on the toilet for 5 or 10 minutes after meals, when intestinal reflexes make passing bowel movements easier.

5. Consider eliminating milk from your child's diet. On occasion, a child can become constipated due to a cow's milk allergy or sensitivity. However, because cow's milk is an excellent source of protein and calcium, which are both essential for growth, you should not eliminate it from the diet without first consulting your doctor. If you have tried the above strategies without success and feel that milk may be the culprit, contact your pediatrician.

Don't give your child an over-the-counter laxative. Laxatives should be used rarely, if at all, in children and can cause serious problems such as electrolyte imbalances. Only a doctor can determine if this level of treatment is needed.
Do consult your doctor if constipation develops suddenly or is associated with pain or fever.
Don't worry if there is a small amount of blood on the surface of the stool or the toilet tissue. This probably indicates an anal fissure, a painful but non-serious condition. Larger amounts of blood, blood mixed with the stool, or blackening of the stool, however, may indicate a more serious condition.
Do contact your doctor if constipation develops in early infancy -- this might indicate a more serious condition, such as intestinal blockage, and should be evaluated quickly.

Take her to the DR. She could have a blockage in her bowel.

My 16 months old son had chronic constipation and I was struggling to release his constipation but prune juice, gripe water etc didn't work, then a friend told me about Toddler magic tea that helped a lot and he started going daily without any pain.