constipation - toddler

[nateboy]

I have a three year old with HORRIBLE constipation. He has had that problem pretty much all of his life. It is so bad that he can no longer where underwear because he is trying to push something out for hours on end and nothing comes out. He has given up. So, we have been going to the doctors and they gave him some prescription liquid meds. Those help a little but not enough. We have appts every one to two weeks lately. Well, we went in today and he was so backed up we needed to give him an enema. It was the most horrific, sad experience ever. He was screaming and looked at me like, "Why are you doing this to me mommy!" They put a little toilet in the "treatment room" and about 10 minutes of screaming later he went and it was one big poop. He has had bigger poop before but even the poop that came out the doctor was completely shocked and said it would have been uncomfortable for even a doctor.

He is a dairy kid and we have cut down on those constipating products. We give him water and other liquids that don't cause constipation and he can probably use more water, but I can't force him ALL the time. He drinks as much as the next kid, so it seems. I have digestive problems, too, but does anyone have any tried and true techniques. This stinks! It completely interferes with his living a normal toddler life. People judge us for not having him wear underwear but when you have a child that is pushing for hours on end, it is difficult. He doesn't even try to go poop on the potty anymore because it is too difficult and nothing ever comes out. Again, we are talking hours of pushing. He can't just stay on the toilet all day!! I am wondering if he has some kind of problem metabolizing certain foods. Would you check into seeing a specialist???? This is so frustrating.

 

[Linnis]

Have you tried prune, pear or apple juice? Does he get enough fiber?

Is what he drinks high is sugar?

Try watering down his juice adding more and more 100% fruit juice until it's 1 part juice and 2 parts water. You can also mix prune juice into other juice so he won't notice it.

If it's a reaction to dairy you may have to remove all dairy from his diet for a good 6-8 weeks(It can take 6 weeks for it to come out of one's system completely) and see if he improves and then slowly start adding dairy back in...starting with dairy that's been denatured like cheese or milk cooked in something.

You can make sure he's getting enough calcium by adding more things to his diet that have them. Or getting powdered vitamins and adding them to his juice.

I nephew used to get horribly backed up until we learned it was an allergic reaction to apples and dairy. So we removed them completely from his diet and slowly added them back in. He now only had milk on cereal and apples in a cooked form like apple sauce.

 

[RedTulipMom]

I can relate totally! My son Luke is 2 yrs 7 mos old. He has had horrible severe constipation since he turned about age 1. We have tried EVERYTHING!! karo syrup in warm water, mineral oil in juice, watered down juice that is 1/2 to 2/3rds water, doubling his fiber, prune juice, taking him completely off dairy, probiotics, suppositories and even prescription laxatives (miralax)..everything new we try works for a short time..then stops working. The doctor has no more ideas left. I wish i knew the answer. I feel so bad for him, i know what your going through. Have you tried taking him off ALL dairy products?? that worked atleast for a short time for us!! The miralax (a white powder prescription laxative did work for a few months then stopped working)..ask the doctor for some and he will have relief for a couple months anyway!! i wish i could tell you the miracle cure..but i dont know it!

 

[synger]

My daughter will be six in April, and she has chronic constipation. She was born with an imperforate anus and had surgery as a newborn, so this is something that she may have to monitor and live with all her life. Plus, she's a picky eater, so the fiber-filled veggies are out of the question.

She eats fiber cereal as a snack (and has for years) -- Cheerios are remarkably high fiber. Crunchy Oat Bran we call "Crunchy D's", and Quaker Oat Bran we call "Brown Sugar Pillows". She eats fruit, thank God. And we've always used whole grain bread. She eats a fiber pill every day -- something she got into because Daddy had one, too, so it became a daughter-Daddy thing. We mix a bit of Benefiber into her milk in the morning -- not enough to make it thick, but enough to add a little more bulk.

But she's on Miralax almost daily. It's the only thing that works consistently for us. For a while we'd give her some until she had a good BM, then stop. She was either constipated or having diarrhea. The cycle was horrendous. She finally got so she'd tolerate enemas, but they were never very fun. We were afraid of what would happen when she went to kindergarten (she started last fall). The doctor told us a couple things that have helped.

• She needed to "train her body" what to do, since the cycles of constipation had made it so she really couldn't tell when she needed a BM. So every night, she has to sit on the toilet for five minutes, with her feet up on a stool. That often helps her go. We started by doing it after every meal, but soon foudn out that she's an evening-BM person. Everyone has their own rhythms.
• We made up a bottle of juice with one cup of apple juice to one cap-ful of Miralax (the normal dosage is half-cap for her). She has a quarter to a third cup of juice every evening. That serves to keep her semi-regular. We can adjust it up or down if she needs it.
• We've helped her learn to be responsible for her own BMs (well, mostly we are, but she's learning) When she messes her panties, she has to rinse out the solids in the toilet. She keeps a change of clothes in her school backpack. If we are out travelling and she has an accident, we sometimes go home early. She doesn't like having fun trips cut short. She doesn't have half as many accidents as she used to.
• We talk to her about the fiber in different foods. I'm teaching her to read labels, and compare the 0 grams of fiber in Rice Krispies to the 15 grams in Fiber One with Honey Clusters (a really good-tasting fiber cereal, in actuality). Also, we talk about making good choices, since she gets hot lunch at school and chooses her own food at noon.
• We praise her a great deal, adn make a really big fuss over every "poopie" she makes in the toilet. I remind her to listen to her body, and when she has an accident I say "think about what you feel like when your body is pooping. that's the feeling you need to remember for next time."
• We put a "B" on the calendar every day she has a BM, so we can track them (and we know when to increase her medicine).

In some ways, you are fortunate. Your son will probably outgrow this as his body gets bigger and his diet expands. I know it can be SO frustrating to deal with. I get so tired of smelling poop all the time -- on my hands, in my bathroom, in a cloud around my daughter -- but it's also important to me to make sure she knows it's not HER that I'm frustrated with.

Your son is old enough to reason with, to a degree. Once we had to do an enema on her the first time, we were able to use that experience to teach her the cause and effect of eating her fiber and taking her medicine, or not. I don't mean for you to use it as a boogey-man -- "If you don't eat your peas you'll get an enema!" -- that would be counter-productive. But we've found it useful to say "You haven't had a BM in two days. We're giving you a larger dose of medicine tonight, and here are two foods you like with fiber in them. If you don't have a BM by Friday, Daddy will have to give you an enema. So you may want to eat less milk and eat more fruit, if you want to avoid it."

If nothing else, know that you are NOT alone. And that you'll figure out things taht work for your family and your son. My prayers are with you.

 

[jgonz]

I would suggest that you look into an elimation diet. Usually babies/children who have bowel issues is a Huge red marker for food allergies/sensitivities. It can be something so normal that you'd never think of it...

Dairy, unfortunately, in this day & age, is an Extremely common offender. Like someone already said, you have to cut out ALL dairy for at least 2 weeks before it will all get out of the child's system.

A Fabulous book on food allergies/sensitivities is Doris Rapp's book Is This Your Child? I was stunned to find out one of my children's problem was something he was eating... and is in nearly every food item we were buying. This book was a Definate eye opener for us.

HTH~

 

[RedTulipMom]

synger..if you dont mind me asking..what is an imperforate anus..and HOW did you know she had it??

 

[nateboy]

Wow! Thanks all for the emails!! Your suggestions are very helpful.

I am hoping this is temporary but my problem was pretty bad as a kid and still is as an adult. It is helpful to know that we are not alone in this. The doctor gave us Miralex yesterday and he had it for the first time this morning. We haven't seen anything yet. I have been worried about the whole diarrhea and constipation thing, too. We will see. My son is also extremely picky and unfortunatelly all he likes is DAIRY!! We don't just feed him dairy because of his problem but we haven't eliminated it. That is our staple food. It looks like we will have to lay off of it for a while. HOW HARD! It will be worth it. I do believe my child will drink less milk with the mere mention of enema. I may have to use that as a motivation to get him to drink more water. Oh Synger, you already teacher your daughter how to read labels? I am very impressed. You are giving her wonderful skills already.

I will also look at that book by Doris Rapp. It sounds very good!!! I will have to give my son some more juice as well. He doesn't drink a lot of juice. Actually, he pretty much just drinks water and milk...mainly milk...that is probably the MAIN problem. I will try those juices that have been mentioned. I will buy some prune juice this week.

It looks like I need to get busy. I really hope some of these ideas work. I will update you all in about a month and let you know how it's going.

The hardest thing will be the elimination diet!!! Perhaps my whole family needs that. I really think my husband is lactose intolerant. He has some of the "not so fun" signs after he eats milk and cheese. I also have a constipation problem and I eat cheese twice a day (I am pregnant and crave cheese all the time - hence 15 pound weight gain in only 6 weeks!!). We will see.

Thanks again!!

 

[synger]

Warning: This is more info than anyone but a concerned parent might care to know. Thanks for letting me vent.

Imperforate anus is when a baby is born with a malformed or missing anus. It can be misplaced (closer to the vagina than it should be, like Gem's was) or missing altogether. If it's missing, the opening might be in the vagina or penis, or might not have made it to the outside at all. We found out when she was born, after her initial check-over by the doctor. Her anus was there, but not in the normal place, or the normal size. It was between her vagina and the nerve bundle where it should have been. If it had been missing altogether or she were voiding through her vagina, they would have had surgery on her immediately.

As it was, we were able to wait until she was six months old to have the surgery (warning: anatomical medical pictures). We used small plastic anal dilators twice a day on her, starting with one no bigger than a pencil and moving up to one about the size of my finger, so she could have BMs regularly.

The surgery moved the fistula (end of the colon) to the right place. We knew that she would have a high likelihood of constipation and potty-training problems, because the nerves in the sphincter are not normal. It is the doctor's hope that they will grow to the point that she will be able to feel when she needs to go, and control her bowels.

Until that time, if it ever happens, we have to teach her to go regularly (the sit-for-five-minutes regime every night) whether she feels the urge or not. Half the time when she has a BM, she's surprised -- she had no idea she needed one. But we can tell, because not only do we keep the calendar, but her little tummy gets all distended. It doesn't seem to hurt her. At least, she doesn't complain about it. But I'm not sure if that's because it isn't uncomfortable or if she's just used to it and sees it as normal.

It just seems like it's never-ending. I know, there are parents out there who have seriously ill children. I have nothing to complain about. Other than this, she is a bright, energetic, loving, normal five-year old. But I know this is going to be a thorn in her side the rest of her life, and it saddens me. My aim is not only to get her through each BM, but to help her learn how to care for her own needs. She's a regular in the school nurse's office when she has accidents. But as she gets older and goes out on her own, she'll need to be able to take care of herself. That is my goal.

 

[jgonz]

Synger That's a lot to deal with. I'm so glad your daughter is doing so well.

 

[nateboy]

Thanks for sharing, Synger. That does sound like a lot to deal with but it does sound like you all are doing well. Thanks again for all your assistance.

 

[Ms.Garnet]

My heartfelt sympathy to everyone of you whose child has this problem. Here is our experience just a week ago. We have always been horrified at the huge "poop logs" our 5yr. old gr.daughter & 3yr. old gr.son have been able to pass. The gr.son did some awful crying when it was time to poop. Last week the gr. daughter was taken to the ER screaming with a belly ache. Long story short ...she was severely impacted...took a couple of hours to get her ok to go home. THE DOCTOR SAID SHE HAS MEGACOLON.... a colon disorder..born with it ..not developed after birth. Said the gr. son probably has the same condition. Gr. daughter is to see a specialist next month. We are working on their diet for now. When I looked on the web for MEGACOLON I first found mostly articles about cats & dogs with it....BUT I did find some articles about human MEGACOLON. I hope the doctor is wrong about both kids...regardless we know they both have to have some help with the problem.

 

[mittmitt1]

My 3 year old has the same problem. His doctor perscribed "GlycoLax". It's a stool softner. That seems to work.

 

[Ms.Garnet]

Thanks mittmitt. I just wrote the glycolax down and will tell my daughter. I don't know what the ER doctor recommended but the regular doctor said absolutely not ...no laxative...I don't know if regular doctor said stool softner or just diet. Thanks again!

 

[RedTulipMom]

hmm..im gonna have to ask the doctor about glcolax!

synger..thanks for sharing about your daughter

 

[Emma!]

The sorbitol in apple juice often causes constipation in children... try cutting this out. I would also go and see a dietitian, they will be able to go into this further... taking into account your family history of food intols (that it sounds like you have). Im sure that a dietitian will help you greatly, they specialise in the diet/body, if you can find one that further specialises in children thats even better.
Bless you all

 

[LittleThunder]

The sorbitol in apple juice often causes constipation in children... try cutting this out. I would also go and see a dietitian, they will be able to go into this further... taking into account your family history of food intols (that it sounds like you have). Im sure that a dietitian will help you greatly, they specialise in the diet/body, if you can find one that further specialises in children thats even better.
Bless you all

My friends daughter is ALWAYS constipated. They finally found that some foods that keep her regular. She has Raisin Bran EVERY single morning and they mix benefiber (or a similar fiber drink) in her water/juice daily.

Grain Products:

• whole grain breads, buns, bagels, muffins
• Bran Flakes, All Bran, bran Buds, Corn bran, whole wheat Shreddies, 100% Bran and Fiber 1
• Cooked cereal such as Red River and Oat Bran
• whole-wheat pastas
• whole grains such as barley, popcorn, corn and brown rice

Fruits:

• dried fruits such as apricots, dates, prunes and raisins
• berries such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries
• oranges, apple with skin, avocado, kiwi, mango and pear

Vegetables:
​

• broccoli, spinach, swiss chard, green peas and other dark green leafy vegetables
• dried peas and beans such as kidney beans, lima beans, black-eyed beans, chick peas and lentils

Nuts and Seeds:

• nuts and seeds such as almonds, whole flaxseed and soynuts

 

[chel4christ]

My husband I have been going through similar difficulties with our 4 year old daughter. We have been going from Dr to Dr for over a year. It is so frustrating. My prayers are the poor babies that deal with these issues as well as the parents. I pray for wisdom and guidance but mostly patience.

 

[jlreese02]

My 2 and 1/2 year old has had constipation problems since he switched from formula to milk. We had to take him to the hospital as well, where he had to get an enema because he had not had a bowel movement in over 6 days. It was the worst thing I've ever had to go through! Since then, he has been on a a powder laxative called Miralax everry day. It has no flavor so I just mix it in his juice. This keeps him regular but I have concerns of the long term effect of him being on laxative. I am also concerned about how he will respond to potty training, as i 've heard so many stories about kids getting constipation during potting training.

I thought that maybe my son had a milk allergy. However, when we switched him from a bottle to a sippy cup he refused to drink milk and now only drinks a cup of it every few days ( when I have the patience to get him to drink it : ) I have no idea why my son suffers with this problem and i am looking into taking him to a GI specialist soon. My doctor claims there is nothing that you can do and that some kids just have this problem, but I think we need to get a second opinion.

 

[hisbloodformysins]

Have you tried fresh fruit and juice or applesauce? Give him bran cereals.... those are other things that help with constipation. I'm sorry to hear about the hard time you guys are all having. Hugs.

HB