Seeking Help for Toddler Constipation

My daughter had this problem. She wasn't getting enough fiber in her diet. Dr. said to stop applesauce, cheese, peanut butter, white bread. We added more fruits and veggies in her diet. She ate them well, but needed more than average would. Also gave her "Cracklin' Oat Bran" cereal as snack with a cup of water. That added a lot of fiber. After a while, she was able to go back to cheese and peanut butter and other normal things.

I'm a nurse in a pediatric office and we see this ALOT. It is common when toddlers are potty training b/c they're scared and hold their stool in. but there are some things to help. First, if she hasn't had a BM in a week, check if she's in pain and her belly is hard. if so, you could try a pediatric suppository to get her to go. at our office the docs usually recc trying milk of magnesia (they make it flavored)once a day and if that doesn't work then Miralax. both meds go off of weight so you should talk to your doctor about it first. otherwise, at home make sure she's drinking juice (apple and pear work good and don't taste bad) and eating fruits/veggies (good luck getting a toddler to eat that though!).
i hope this helps!!!

My youngest child did this while potty training. He didn't want to poop in the potty and held it till he was very constipated. My husband, a nurse, purchased a bottle of magnesium citrate. It's in the laxative section and it is in a green glass bottle with soda pop type of lid. It's carbonated and works very well. Don't overdo it...just give him a little bit mixed in some juice. See what happens and if he still needs some the next day, give him a little more. Also, you might try infant sized glycerin suppositories. As a last resort, a pediatric enema might be needed.
Everyone swears by prune juice and such, but that didn't seem to work for him.

my 5 month old gets constipated. the doc told me to cut out apple sauce and bananas, becuase they can be binding. They said to mix some DARK caro syrup with water and give it to her to drink. If all else fails, use some sort of infant laxative. I found some at Wal-Mart called Little Tummies Infant Laxative drops. They are all natural and chocolate flavored. They can be used for children up to 12 years of age. I gave her on dose and she had a b.m. with in about an hour, but it can take up to 12 hours for relief.

I did not have this problem with my son, however I did find out what made his BM's loose. Blueberries, Corn, Popcorn, and basically anything that is fiberous that doesn't digest easily and travels through quickly. Good luck!

My oldest son who is now 13 had these issues from the time he was born and he grew out of it. So as a mother of three, one who wouldn't then went to one who wouldn't stop, Just relax and feed her things that will move it along, any kinds of juice (maybe prune) and keep an eye on it. If she hasn't had the problem before I would thing your doctor is on the right track.

I've had two daughters now with constipation problems while potty training, and while yes, it is common, it's not fun for the little ones!! Our ped. suggested mineral oil. You can mix it into just about anything, it doesn't have a taste or smell, so the child won't even know it's there. It doesn't necessarily soften the stool, but it makes it easier for it to come out, makes it more slippery I guess you could say (not trying to be gross!!lol) When that didn't work for our 3yr old, she prescribed a powder called Miralax. Basically a laxitive for children. Again, no taste or odor, so you can mix it in any drink......dosages depend on need. This worked wonders for my daughter!! After about a week, she was poop trained, and now we just use it rarely, like if I notice she's gone a few days without a bm, I add some to her milk, and ta da!!:) Hope that helps:)

C. G

My now 4 year old daughter was prescribed Miralax by her pediatrician for constipation problems when she was potty training. It works by drawing in water into the intestinal tract so the stools are softer and hence easier on the tottier. We tried prune juice, but it didn't work. However, you could give that a try first (it has worked for several friends' kids).

Someone told me that you can rub (gently but with some firmness) the soft part along the hip bone on the front right side of the body for constipation. It helped me while pregnant and is supposed to help children as well. Give it a try!

my grandson's pediatrician suggested Citricil, have not had to try it yet. Good Luck

Prune juice, pear juice, and apple juice are good. The best thing, IMHO, is dark Karo syrup mixed with one of the three juices above mentioned. It worked wonders for my 4-month-old daughter, who has bowel movements everyday now, with no help. With her, we did 2 tablespoons of the syrup with 4 ounces of the juice and gave her half of it at a time. So, with a toddler, I'd probably give her the whole four ounces.

I have heard it is common. Try sweet potatoes (Yams) or Blueberries. I know blueberries worked for my niece who is 18mos. Just beware, it will be messy when it comes! Also, my 4.5 mo old son just got constipated last week and since I can't give him any of the above they suggested a warm bath and LOTS of just water. I guess when the get constipated it gets hard to go and is painful so the body soaks up the water from the feces and makes the poo too hard to go through, so I gave my son TONS of just water one night before he went to bed and the next day we had success, it was messy though! LoL good luck!

Like Melissa said, try Milk of Magnesia... just a table spoon a day. They have cherry flavored kind so it's not so bad. My son had a rough time when it came to bm's. Again, like Melissa said, he was scared & didn't want to let go. I took my son to the Dr. & was told that it's completely normal for toddlers to "hold it." Also, a warm bath helps to relax the muscles & white grape juice acts the same as prune juice. I hope this helps.