Toddler Dealing with Constipation and Other Digestive Issues.

Probiotics really help make you regular. I open a capsule into my sons cereal in the morning.

I'm so sorry your baby is having issues. Just a thought: Kids seem to have far more food sensitivities today than in the past. I'm amazed by the number of children with allergies to gluten and dairy, even sugar. My son included. We opted to monitor his diet closely and eliminate foods to see if it helped. We haven't taken him in for allergy testing, but know we really have to watch his sugar intake, as well as foods that convert to sugar. We did this almost 2 years ago, when he was 4. What a huge difference it's made for him! If he were more severe, we would certainly take him in for testing. I'm by no means saying we replaced a medical diagnosis.

It's worth checking out. Best of luck.

Hello K.,

is anyone in your family lactose intolerant? You probably stop the cow milk. switch to oat or soy milk. Although most people (and doctors) associate milk with diahrrea. Milk CONSTIPATES big time. That was happening to my daughter too.
http://www.drgreene.com/21_106.html
here is an excerpt:
The observation that constipation might sometimes be caused by milk intolerance has appeared in the medical literature from time to time, dating back as far as 1954 (Pediatric Clinics of North America, 1954; 4:940-962). But only recently has there been a well-designed study published showing that this is indeed the case. The results of this study, when widely known, can set many children free to enjoy the exuberance of childhood without pain.

Researchers at the University of Palermo in Italy worked with 65 children with chronic constipation. All of these children had been treated with laxatives when dietary measures had failed. Even with the medical treatment, these children were still constipated, having hard, painful stools only every 3 to 15 days. Forty-nine of the their little bottoms had fissures and redness or swelling from the hard plugs of stool.

Each child received either cow's milk or soymilk for 2 weeks, with no one knowing which was which. Next, they had a week during which they could eat and drink anything they wanted to wash out the effects of the first 2 weeks. Then they switched sides for 2 weeks and got the milk that they didn't get the first time. Careful recordings of the bowel habits were made.

When the secret code was broken at the end of the study, they found status quo constipation for each child while he or she was on cow's milk. But while they were taking soymilk (which causes firmer stools in most kids), 68% of these kids were no longer constipated! The redness, swelling, and fissures on their bottoms healed (New England Journal of Medicine, 1998; 339:1100-1104). How wonderful to finally have relief after diet and medicines hadn't worked for so long!

The results were most dramatic in kids who also had frequent runny noses, eczema, or wheezing. Nevertheless, sometimes constipation can be the only symptom of cow's milk intolerance.
~~~~end of excerpt~~~

another link:
http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bhealth/0,,3vtz,00.html

just google: milk + constipation.

Good luck! ~C.~

I agree she needs probiotics and be sure she's drinking plenty of water.

The constipation sounds like something we suffered with for about six months with one of my daughters. Finally, after months of begging for a solution, the doctor suggested that we give her Miralax. The pedi suggested that part of the problem was psychological, and that my daughter, due to the pain she suffered from the constipation, was forcefully holding back, and she needed to stay on the Miralax for a long time to break her of the habit. Willing to try anything, we started with an enema for a couple of days in a row to "clean her out" so to speak, and followed with treatment with Miralax. We kept her on it for at least six months. Thankfully, mercifully, the nightmares ended. I can really relate to the heartbreaking screams when you have to change her diapers. Another tip, the best we found was Aquaphor; slather it on after each change to keep a layer between her bottom and the poop. Good luck and discuss Miralax with your pediatrician. Hope it's not one you have already used.

I have a daughter who's had digestive issues since she was born, but we seem to have really turned the corner in the last six months. She had been on prescription laxatives before, but I hated using them because it was just some man-made chemicals I couldn't pronouce. PROBIOTICS are what has helped her GREATLY. Fiber seemed to aggrevate it, because it caused abdominal swelling.

When I stopped giving her the laxatives, I started having her eat a yogurt a day, every day. Because it's not a drug, I feel better about her having it--and it has the added benefit of getting a little actual nutrition in at the same time.

Try and see if it helps her and let me know!!

S.

Our daughter had some of the same problems and her doctor put her on the Miralax as well. We did the same enema for a couple of days to clear her out tehn the miralax till she became regular. It really did work. Good Luck

Glycerin suppositories (baby fleet) are our best friends when this happens.. when she is constipated, try to aim the suppository between the poop and the edge of her colon - not in the middle of the ball (gross I know).. it softens, lubricates, and pulls a little water where it's needed to provide almost instantaneous relief without diarrhea (which can actually travel around the impaction).

Good luck
S.

We used Miralax with our daughter too. We gave her some in her sippy cup with her water, juice or milk everyday until she became more regular, then we slowly backed off how much we gave her. We keep Miralax on hand and if we ever see either of our kids venture very far off their normal schedule we give them some for a day or two.

Good luck!