Constipation in Two-year-old

Updated on October 11, 2011
S.S. asks from Campbell, CA
12 answers

Hi All, one of my two-year-old twins seems to suffer constipation now and again. It doesn't seem to have a lot to do with what he eats, as I've been keeping my eye on that. And he drinks more water than my other two children put together, so that's not the issue. But I've recently been thinking of him potty training and thinking this might affect him. A friend suggested I start using Miralax, but I hesitate to use something like this for long-term. Does anyone know if there are side effects or has anyone had any experience using this? Also, is there anything homeopathic I could try first? He's in terrible pain when it happens and I've thought of using a children's laxative on those days, but having used them myself, I know there's sometimes a lot of cramping and diarrhea with them, so didn't want to put him through that either.

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K.P.

answers from Seattle on

My son has the same problems, all the time. At least a few times a week. Its so hard to watch and he cries from pain :( My doc said not to give him anything like that because their little bellies cant handle it.

Told us to give him prune juice, or sweet juices to help push it out. We have been giving him Apple-Prune juice in his sippy everyday, it really has helped, in fact, I smell something stinky right now!

Try that before getting anything else, and talk to his doctor. Best wishes, and I hope you find something to help him, so sad to see them like that.

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N.I.

answers from Portland on

What ever happened to prunes. That an age old remedy - no side effects and it works.

N.

✿.R.

answers from Boston on

Try Ultimate Aloe juice. Just a couple ounces a day and they will go every day. Strawberry kiwi is the one the kids love. I take it too for the same problem. :)
Here's a link so you can check it out. There is free shipping on it right now.

http://bit.ly/ripp5j

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K.M.

answers from Richland on

My husband and my daughter have gastro problems & see specialists. Grape juice is the number 1 thing they recommend to get things moving. Up his fruit & veggie intake. If that isn't working, try the Miralax. Miralax is flavorless & can be mixed into any drink. It is gentle & not addicting. I would use it before a laxative on your child.
Is it that your son is just getting used to going poop in the big potty & holding it in until he can't hold it anymore? That is a normal thing in potty training. Try the grape juice & more fruit & veggies 1st.

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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

When one of my older girls was about 2 1/2 she was potty training but would get so constipated. The poor thing would hide behind the couch or her bed. You could tell she was in pain. I tried the liquids the doc suggested, the suppositories which seemed to give her more pain than it was worth, vaseline, mineral oil. Nothing worked. We cut her milk because she could really drink it all day if we let her. It did not help much but just a tiny bit. I used Senokot and it worked for a little bit then no more. Prunes and prune juice did nothing for my kids. My other one would eat the box of prunes my dad had and no effect at all. I also tried apricots. Then we turned to Juicy Juice. I know, the sugar. But after a couple of weeks, she was fine. Whenever she seemed she was getting there again, more Juicy Juice and she would be fine in a day. I usually chose apple juice or grape.
When my little one seemed constipated at abuot 2, I asked the doc about Miralax and he wanted me to try something else first instead of giving meds.

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K.G.

answers from Fort Wayne on

Sunkst 100% pure prune juice. It has been working wonders for dd who is also 2yo. My pedi said to try is before using the other meds. I let her drink it up and bam she has monster poops now. It does take a couple of days for the fiber the get into the system to get things moving. Only use the 100% NOT FROM CONCENTRATE prune juice. gl

R.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

I just started my 2.5 year old on Pedia-lax Fiber Gummies, they're for children 2-11, and I found them at Target. I read lots of parent reviews online and decided to try them. I also talked to the pharmacist before buying them, and she said they are excellent for long-term usage, they're just fiber, no sugar and gluten-free. I asked if she has ever heard of problems with a child using them and she said "no." And they work : )

Pedia-lax also makes a chewable tablet laxative for children 2-11 that works in 30 minutes to 6 hours, without painful cramping:
http://pedia-lax.com/products/chewable-tablets

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R.Y.

answers from New York on

I used pedialax (like Miralax but flavored for kids) and Benefiber for my toddler when she had this problem. For us Benefiber daily worked better.

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L.R.

answers from Washington DC on

Yes, use prunes (cut them up into little pieces) and/or prune juice. He may like prunes better than the juice. I love them, myself, and so does my daugther, now 10. If you dislike them yourself don't let him see that; if he thinks YOU think they're sweet as candy (which they are) he will be interested. The whole dried fruit gives more fiber than the juice but the juice may work faster. I see a lot of moms on Mamapedia recommending Miralax and other chemicals but that sounds unduly harsh -- try foods before chemicals. Besides, prunes have a lot of potassium which is a vital mineral for development!

J.S.

answers from Jacksonville on

S.,

My 3 year old will sometimes have problems with this too. When she seems to be having a hard time, I give her some of the baby food prunes. If that doesn't do the trick then we give he combo prunes and diluted pear juice. Usually the prunes are enough. In fact I did it yesterday, she had an easy BM within an hour. :)

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K.S.

answers from Portland on

We tried prunes, apple juice, grape juice, pear juice and all the fruit my son could eat (and he can eat a lot!) and it didn't take care of the constipation. If your son eats well and drinks lots of water like you said, he may just be a little slower. Some people are just like that. You don't want him to be uncomfortable.

Our pediatrician recommended Miralax and after putting it off and trying a lot of other things, we tried it. It works great. It actually worked so well that I felt really bad that we hadn't tried it earlier. I hate to think of my little guy and what a hard time he had until we started using it.

According to everything that I could find on it, it isn't addictive, unlike fiber laxatives. It pulls water into the stools and makes them softer and easier to pass. It doesn't cause cramping, thank goodness. It really worked wonders with our little guy. After we finally used it, I talked to a number of other moms who said that they'd used it for their sons. One of the moms said her son used it for several years before he finally became regular on his own. Maybe boys just have this problem more often. Who knows. But Miralax has been great for us.

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❤.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

I never used medicine for my baby as I was told to use prunes (baby food
when he was little) and purune juice for when he was older.
Rachel had some good ideas. Maybe ask your ped.
I will ask mine too regarding the Miralax & Benefiber.

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