5 Year Old Constipated

Hi K.,

I just wanted to chip in about the celiac suggestion. I was tested for it. The test came back negative. I stayed off wheat (and eventually all grains and cereals) because I felt better and was able to "go" more easily.

Sounds like you have a lot of options. Good luck.

: ) Maureen

Hi, we used Kondremul, it is an emulsified mineral oil, one table spoon a night. Gentle and regular. It tastes like marshmallo. Get it at the pharmacy, but usually they have to order it. Pharmacy on line has it. Google reviews. Some people take it for life. Good luck

Maybe consult a reputable chiropractor. They are very gentle w/children's adjustment. I like Dr. Chris at Brown chiropractic in Quincy

Hi K.,

As soon as I started potty training my oldest, I started giving her about 2-3 ounces of prune juice combined with about 30 ounces of water in her cup. After she has her 18 ounces of milk for the day, she goes over to water. The little bit of juice is a great catalyst for the water to be absorbed by the body (my dietician recommended that we use a little OJ, but I changed it to prune at potty training time) and the prune juice itself helps to move things along and keep them moving. I continue to monitor her BM's and adjust the amount of juice in the container that I use accordingly. I didn't want my potty training-resistant daughter to have any excuse to not use the potty--it worked great for us!

The Pain and Incontinence Program (terrible name!) at Children's Hospital Boston was a great help to my family when our five year old became constipated last year. We too had tried our own remedies, but that often makes the problem worse if there is impaction/blockage. The Nurse Practitioner we met with was so compassionate and easy to talk with she even got my son on board with her program. I don't know where your family member is, but many pediatric hospitals have such programs. We also discovered that it takes a significant amount of time (6-8 months) for the muscle to recover from a contipation episode-that made us feel a lot better about the lack of progress we had seen.

Interesting that she becomes allergic to the laxatives. My daughter was very colicky as an infant and VERY constipated. Finally we found out ahe had a milk protein allergy and put her on Miralax. She has now outgrown the issue.
I would stock her daily diet with fresh veggies and fruits. Also dried prunes, apricots and high fiber snacks. They should stay away from junk foods. I know when my daughter was really hurting we would rub her back, give her a warm bath and sometimes some warm lemon water to drink. Sometimes it helped.
Its really a crappy situation to be in...Good Luck!
Oh one more thing...Make sure she is seeing a pediatric gastrointerologist!!!

K.,
My step sister had the same problem witth her son at that age also. She brought him to the Dr. And they gave him a Rx to help soften his stool so that it wouldn't hurt when he went. (he didn't go for days because it hurt but wouldn't go daily because he was scared it would hurt, you can see the cycle) After a few days he was going easier. She finished his Rx and has continued with just a mild veg. laxitive and he has be poopin ever since. Hope this helps

Hello,

My daughter had this problem as well and we tried everything, the one thing that did help was Metamucil crackers.

D.

Hi. This may sound extreme, but I would have the child tested for Celiac Disease. Most doctors will balk at that and say that CD has the opposite affect on stools but it's not true. CD is a genetic autoimmune disorder that is widely underdiagnosed in this country. Two of my three children have it (so far) and the symptoms are vast. Ongoing constipation can be one of them. If many things have been tried to no avail, I would definitely insist that my child be tested.

Good luck!

B. in MA

Prune Juice. My 3 1/2 year old son suddenly became constipated with belly pain so bad we ended up at the hospital. Our doctor also recommended mirlax but also prune juice and more fiber. The mirlax doesn't really dissolve that well and I had concerns about giving it to a little one, and to our surprise our son loves the prune juice and it totally works. The first day we tried it we gave him two full glasses which was too much, so now we give him 1/2 glass prune juice every morning and he is like clockwork again. Good luck.

You should see a pediatric gastrointerologist. We tried to let our Pediatrician handle our daughter's constipation and it wasn't until we saw the GI doc (three years later) that it finally got under control. Good luck!

My 3 year old has had constipation since he was born (a preemie of 28 weeks). I have lots of experience with this. Myralax is great - never heard of anyone becoming allergic - so sorry to hear that.
We watch our son's diet - many foods are constipating and we limit them (WHITE rice, applesauce, bananas, cooked carrots, beef, apple juice (some can be). He is milk/soy protein intolerant, so we limit rice milk and try to offer hemp or oat milk instead.
We offer high fiber foods and lots of liquid. He doesn't like prune juice, so organic white grape juice is a BIG help, as is brown rice, raisins, fresh fruit and veggies (not bananas or cooked carrots or cooked apples), sweet potato

Gooey diaper cream or vasoline on the anus helps things slide out - he often cries when he poops and this is making potty training difficult.

Warm baths help relax the muscles and make it easier once already constipated.

We were surprised at how many "standard" baby/kid foods are constipating. Each time we have an especially bad episode, another nurse or nutritionist teaches a new food to avoid. Maybe an appointment with a nutritionist might help.

Our son's GI doctor has had us add pro-biotics to his diet. The health food store has a tasty blueberry flavor - that really helps. Many non-dairy yogurts can contain live active cultures - but not all. He can't eat most - so we use the pill. Really helps!

My heart goes out to the child and parents!!

She might not have enough fiber & water in her diet.

OR a food or sensativity to wheat so it could be one or the other.

The other suggestion, get her into Children's to a specialist, if the mom is reaching out to you to get advice I would go that route. If my gut is telling me something isn't right then that is when I have always sought out the advice of a professional. The Peditrician's are not all the helpful sometimes and we parents need to be our children's advocate.

Find a Pediatric Gastrologist .. my suggestion.

Along with all the other suggestions maybe she could also try eliminating wheat from her diet. She might have a gluten allergy. Not always easy but worth a try. Also she should make sure her daughter is drinking lots of the purest, cleanest water she has access to. A Brita pitcher is great for making nice clean drinking water. Get her in the habit of carrying a water bottle with her wherever she goes. The body has natural rhythms of its own and colon cleaning happens in the morning...usually from about 5-7am-ish. Maybe taking time in the morning to give her plenty of bathroom time might help as well. She should be getting plenty of fiber in her diet from fresh, raw fruits and vegetables. Eliminating as many processed foods from her diet will also help. Good luck!

is she getting enough water fruits and veggies in her diet?
cut back on crackers of any kind and cheese. have her checked for food allergies. and definately seek a pediatric internist. The little one may have a blockage. this isn't something i would wait on for long myself. keep us updated please

Have they tried prune juice or eating prunes. When my daughter was a year old she got very constipated and a bit of prunes or prune juice would do the trick. My kids also like some fiber cereal mixed with their yogurt. Hope this helps.

Here is a tried and true remedy that a 98 year old woman gave me when i was pregnant and terribly constipated after having tried multiple treatments available at the store. I have since used it for both of my children (one of whom did use miralax for quite some time with varying degrees of relief). It has a pleasant taste and is all natural and safe as well as pain-free and bloating-free. It works within a few hours usually, but may take a couple of doses to get started after 8 days. Take a handful of pitted prunes, place them in a 2-cup glass measuring cup and cover with water. Add the juice from 1/2 of a fresh lemon. Microwave 2 minutes. Let stand until just barely cool enough to drink (still very hot- this is important)and pour the liquid into a drinking glass. Have her drink it - there will be about 1/2 a cup of liquid or so. It is NOT the same as prune juice. It is thin and more like slightly sweetened water or hot lemonade. When the prunes are cool, have her try those- they are now sweet and tender. She can do this every morning and become very regular without pain or strain. The woman that gave me this remedy had done this daily her whole life. i use it whenever needed for me and my family and it has never failed. Good luck!

We have always added Flax Seed oil to oatmeal or hot cereal for our now 12yo daughter. She suffered with terrible constipation as a small child when she first came to us as a foster child. She knows this helps her and asks for it if we are running low plus her hair, nails and skin are glistening! Drinking lots of water and adding fiber plus fruits and veggies are the thing that "keeps her going".

HTH,

G.~~~

Poor little girl, she must feel miserable! If I were her parent(s), I would have her see another doctor for a second opinion as well as a specialist Gastrointestinal issues. It could be due to something as simple as not drinking enough water (little children get dehydrated easily) to perhaps a food allergy to dairy or gluten, for example. She also may hold it in due to a nervous/anxiety issue. There's too many reasons why, and all would need to be addressed, so a doctor that doesn't look into the reasons why isn't doing his/her job.

Until she's able to see another doctor, I would have her drink a lot of clear fluids (water best), eat prunes, apples, even gummy bears (lots of glycerin in them) and stay away from dairy for a bit. Provide her with reading materials or little writing pads/crayons in the bathroom, so she'll take the time to go (sometimes our little ones don't take the time needed to go, then it becomes impacted and hurts when it does finally come out. This starts a habit of holding it in because it will hurt...my daughter did that when she was 3ish...she was miserable!!

Good luck with it all!!!

I agree with the folks who suggested prunes/prune juice. It sounds so simple, but it works. This is based on my own experience with constipation and the advice of my nurse midwife. I had already tried prescription stool softners. The prunes work better! I use them with my kids whenever there is an issue.
Take 2 the first day and 1 a day after that.

Hi there-
Have you tried some more natural stuff, like prunes and cutting out white flour? If she doesn't like them (prunes), you could chop them up in her oatmeal or something... Or just sipping a few oz of the juice would help too!. Make sure she's drinking lots of water! HOpe this helps! Good luck!

Hi K.,
My advice is going to sound simple but my daughter (19mos) frequently gets constipated. I usually mix prune and apple juice together and give it to her. She loves it and has a bowel movement soon after. I hope this works!

Hi K., This happened to the child of a friend of a friend, and she took her to Dr. Ellen Blomerth at the corner of Lowell St. and Route 1 in Peabody. She was able to correct the situation in one visit! With a couple of very gentle touches to certain muscles, etc., she simply re-aligned the child's muscles or whatever and basically removed the obstacle in doing that. Dr. Ellen claims it is a fairly common issue in children and wishes pediatricians were more open to recommending and allowing their patients to see chiropractors for specific issues. Dr. Ellen treats people of all ages but specializes in children and women. She has helped babies just a couple of weeks old. I know a gal who went to her during her pregnancy several times and said that the pregnancy and the birth itself was so much more comfortable than her first that she highly recommends Dr. Ellen to everybody she knows. You can reach Dr. Ellen at ###-###-####. Hope this helps. E. Taft ____@____.com ###-###-####

Reliv International makes a patented kids' nutritional product which contains full nutrients IN THE PROPER PROPORTION (that's key). It's available in vanilla and chocolate and can be mixed with milk, water, any milk substitute product, or yogurt, or whipped into a smoothie with fruit. I think a small amount of their Fiber product would be great (adults take up to a full scoop which contains both soluble and insoluble fiber AT THE SAME TIME - also key) which also helps with allergies to everything because it scrubs you out! I can't say enough about what Reliv has done for my family and I would be happy to talk to you more. There's nothing else out there that's like Reliv - hence the patents. It's completely safe for infants, pregnant moms (it's a great pre-natal), the elderly and everyone in between. I'd love to talk to you more about it. I think high fiber foods would be a great move for your child, but it doesn't sound like that's going to be enough for your daughter. Why not make this easier for all of you? Try this for 2 months before putting her through a battery ofo tests. Let me know if you want more info from more moms.

She should try sitting on the potty ten minutes after each meal. They can bring some books, toys, or a hand held game and set a timer for 5 minutes. I read that after each meal your body is naturally ready to dispose of waste. It works for my son!!

That is so tough. She must feel helpless and stressed out at the same time. Things I have heard work for others: using acidopholus or other pro-biotic supplements along with the usual digestive enhancing foods - fruits like grapes, pears, dried fruits like raisins, and lots of water and fiber - no refined flour or sugar - just whole grains, whole grain oatmeal, things like that. Another thing that worked for a friend of mine whose son had painful and infrequent bowel movements is taking him off dairy and putting him on Soy Milk. I guess the Soy has fiber in it which helps with the bowel movements. She should also consult a nutritionist - not just the pediatrician.

Hope that is helpful! W. - ____@____.com

I agree with getting a second opinion, while trying the prunes, apple juice and natural remedies, too. You should never feel desperate for help. If your doctor isn't making you feel comfortable with treatments, then go elsewhere. Put your child's welfare first! I hope she follows this advice. I switched ped. when my daughter was 6 months old after something told me I wasn't getting the care I needed and I am so grateful that i did. Good Luck.

Hi K., My daughter had the same problem when she was small. I gave her a colace each morning. It is an over the counter stool softener. Always ask her doctor first, but this has worked and she has had to use it for her daughter also. I hope this helps.

A.

I have a friend who is a massage therapist who has helped me with my daughter. First there is a part of the massage that can help, so you can always see if there is a good massage therapist in your area who can help. Also there is something called gripe water. It can be found in natural and herbal stores.
I hope this helps.

is there a Internal Medicine clinic in your local Childrens Hospital? I would request to be referred to that Clinic by the Pedi. rather than wait anything out. It is unfair to the child to wait and i would then maybe consider changing Pedi's.
good luck to your friend.

Hi K.,
Have you tried prune juice? My son has 1oz in the morning & again in the evening. He only weighs 20 pounds so you'll probably need more juice. We do a 1:1 ratio between water & juice. It works wonders- he typically has 2 bowel movements per day!
Good luck,
R.

Hi K.,
I found these flax seed muffins and they work so well for me I make them as mini-muffins which gives 1/3 of the fiber listed. I take one when feeling blocked and it will work fairly fast, in a day. Girls are more prone to being blocked. Be sure she is well hydrated as that is a contributing factor. http://www.spiffyman.com/recipes-super-flax-muffins.html
Good Luck,
D. C

I have access to an all natural Aloe juice that has done miracles for kids with this problem. It is strawberry kiwi flavored so kids love it. Aloe has tremendous benefit for us all and again has helped a lot of children i know with this problem. I have a 2 and 4 yr old and they love it. If you want any info to read about this product Please email me at ____@____.com and i can forward you some great information!!!

Hi,

When my kids have constipation issues my Dr. suggested putting corn syrup in some liquid (milk, water, etc) and drink it. My kids are a little younger and I think we do 2 T spread out over a few hrs. So one T with some liqued and then a couple hrs. later another. We would keep that up and it seemed to work especially with my older daughter who is now 5.
It's worth a try!

Good Luck!
C.

You've gotten some great advice here.
Our peditrician suggested we sit our daughter on the potty for 5 minutes (read to her) after breakfast and dinner to help her body learn that it's time to eliminate.
Our pediatrician also noted that popcorn, graham crackers and oatmeal are high in fiber.
Glycerine suppositories make it easier to pass hard stool, but she's probably too old to be willing to try that.
Good luck,
J.

I agree with everything mom Alicia said. My son has had the same issue since birth and he sees a pediatric GI specialist at Children's Lexington. They are very good there and are focused on making sure the child is comfortable. Your friend needs to stress to her pediatrician that this is a serious issue. Good luck!

One thing that my doctor recommended to me during my pregnancy was blackstrap molasses. Doesn't taste great, but works WONDERS. It's best to mix it with something else if your daughter really doesn't like the taste - like oatmeal or I used to put it in a vanilla milkshake.

I'm all in favor of using a healthy diet to fix these kinds of problems. Fiber One makes great tasting breads, yogurt, cereals, granola bars (my daughter is 8 and loves the granola bars) that are all super high in fiber - no way you can be constipated eating that stuff!

has anyone tried "the old fashioned way" of treating this? feed the child prunes, or even prune juice!~! make sure she is drinking water ALL DAY LONG. if she won't eat prunes, try raisins. check with the local health food store and i bet you find some help!!

i use and herbal supplement called Swiss Kriss that i got at a health food store; it is GENTLE and doesn't hurt my kid, but it does get things moving! also, i get it in a pill form that is a little minty tasting, and can be chewed.

good luck!

Hi K.,
I can relate....My 4 yo daughter has had constipation issues since birth. I have had her to the dr's so many times saring she hasn't pooped in over a week. Her pedi only put her on myralax which did not work. I took her to childrens hosp in Lexington and they said it is relatively common in children. They loaded her up on choc ex lax, milk of magnesia, myralax and suppositories because their main goal was to get her cleaned out. Her diet is very good too. I would press the issue with the pedi and or maybe even go to childrens. They have a lot of experience with this. Have they xrayd her belly to see how backed up she is? It can become very serious. My daughters last incident was so bad that she couldn't eat ot drink without vomiting. Press the issue though. Good luck

Have they tried prune juice yet? It has always solved our family's problems with constipation!

I have had constipation problems since I was a baby and my mom told me that she always had to give me suppositories to make me go. Now my daughter gets constipated sometimes, she is 2 and will drink Gerber apple prune juice which helps alot. Also, there is a new product out called Pedia-Lax and she can give her that, I think they make laxitives and stool softeners for kids....I would go with the stool softeners. Try lots of water too. I hope it helps.

U can read here

www.pedia-lax.com

This may not fly at all, but you might want to consider Acupuncture. There is a student clinic in Watertown called NESA (New England School of Acupuncture) which is doctor supervised. It's great if you don't have the $75 a session a normal doctor charges (it's closer to $40/session). I know treating children this way is much more holistic then pumping them with medicines. I would recommend calling and explaining your situation, and ask if it is something they can treat. As an adult, I've had treatments for about 4 years for many issues, helping to avoid taking certain medicines for what "ails me". I know it works well with children. Good luck!

I suggest caffeine in the form of a Hershey's chocolate bar. Caffeine is a natural stimulant, obviously she probably shouldn't be drinking coffee. I would also suggest green tea, as this has a natural antioxidant in it. It tastes kind of icky to kids on it's own, but squeezing some lemon into it will help.

My son had a similar issue when he was 4 although our son had blood on his stool sometimes when he pooped. We went to Dr. Russell at MGH who was great. He put our son on Miralax and did a colonoscopy (NOT FUN for a 4 year old) and found that our son has extra cells in his colon which causes the constipation and blood. The good news is that he anticipates our son will "grow into" the cells and the problem will slowly diminsh. Just something to consider.

Good luck to your friend and her child!

Drinking water helps tremendously. Not juice or milk or soda - which are counterproductive - but plain unsweetened drinking water. I had the same issue with my child, who routinely went for 8 days with no #2. But giving her a glass of water would often bring results very quickly. Especially during summer, dehydration and resultant constipation are very common with kids (adults too). Drinking more water helps so much, and it's cheap and easy.

Good luck!