Constipation in Toddlers

My 1st born had constipation and my midwife told my to give him a little (tablespoon) of dark Karo Syrup in his cereal...it sounds horrible but I only had to do it for a short time and then he had no problems. I hope this works!!!

Use Arizona Green Tea. This has antioxidents and will help get things moving along. Dilute it half and half with water for the first week. I started using it with my 19 month old when she was 17 months old.

Works great for adults too with the same problem.

Nanc

My daughter is 2.5 and I have the same problem. Fruit doesn't work for her either and now I give her MIralax EVERY DAY. I wish I had an answer. I assume that you don't give them constipating food (like bananas, too much starch, cooked carrots, etc). Other than that, I give my daughter Activia yogurt once a day. It has active cultures that are supposed to help the digestive system. My pediatrician said the Miralax is completely harmless and that it is more important to keep the stool soft so that pooping does not become an ISSUE. If they start holding it in it can cause real problems. (Apparently this is a common problem with first-born daughters) So I am keeping her on the Miralax until she stops trying to hold it in (because she tore a little when she was constipated and it hurt for a long, long time). This is also a real problem when it comes to potty-training.

Hi, I completely understand your situation. My daughter and son both had constipation issues very early on, and did "hold" it in (sometimes for days) to avoid going. That turned it into a vicious cycle b/c that only made the stool more difficult to pass. I did finally have to go to a pediatric GI and he totally cured it. He put my children on children's senekot (it is over the counter), but he prescibed we give it daily. And it worked. It causes them to go and also softens the stool a bit so that it is not painful to pass. The key is to put them on it long enough so they learn that going to the bathroom isn't an aweful, painful experience. I would definitely go to a GI first though. As a matter of fact, my GI said that "foods" really don't make that much of an impact when children are already constipated. Foods high in fiber are more of a maintenence plan to keep bowl movements regular. Once they're constipated, sometimes more extreme measures need to be taken. My kids were about the same age when they began holding it in, and it turned into an emotional issue for them. They were afraid to go to the bathroom. The other thing I learned was that my anxiety over it wasn't making it any better. Try not to show any emotion regarding it (I know it's hard!). I also see that going back to work has been difficult. I too had to go back to work when they were young and they can pick up on our stress. Sometimes GI issues can be an emotional response to stress (for adults too!). Here's the good news: It is totally treatable. I would have the GI guide you though. My kids are now 9 and 11 and therefore, treatments may have changed since then (I don't usually read the toddler messages, but yours caught my eye). The bottom line is they are completely fine. They go to the bathroom daily, w. no issues (and have been since they were around 3). In addition, there are no residual damages as a result of me having been working all these years. They're fine! So don't worry about going to work. It's really okay! :)

I was having a little constipation issue with my daughter and I almost bought these new things i saw at the grocery store. I can't think of the name of them but I saw them in the produce section at stop and shop. They are individually wrapped prunes but the commercial says they tatse like candy. They come in a tube and they were on a side section at stop and shop in seymour. Maybe you can get the girls to snack on one or two of them?

Sound like they need to drink some water. Some kids don't like water. Try giving them plenty of water during the day. This will always work for my kids. At least 2 times a day with meals and more if possible.

This may sound a bit too simplistic, but fennel tea has always worked like a charm with my son. Get a tea ball (the kind you would use with loose tea leaves) and fill it about half way with fennel seeds (get these in the bottled herb aisle of the supermarket). Steep it in hot water like you would any other tea. It will be green, but it's kind of sweet tasting. My son drinks it straight, no milk or sugar.

Also, you might want to consider whether or not they're getting enough of the right kind of physical activity. Anything that engages core muscles (abdominals, low back) will help with bowel movements. You might want to get one of those big physio balls and do some sitting/balancing activities on it, for example. Of course, you might have to go the route of the GI doc just to be sure that there's no obstruction/organic reason for the difficulty with BMs, but if you get the all clear, you may want to check in with a pediatric physical therapist for one or two sessions on core muscle instructions.

Hope that helps a bit.

go to www.ask.com and type in infant constipation. There is alot of research, info and resources available before they have to be subjected to tests. At least if you do some trial and error you may be able to rule out certain things.

Good Luck
Grace

My daughyer had this problem for a while, we went and saw a pediactric surgeon and everything eventually worked itself out, They wont put your girls through any tests that are unecessary, it may be better to just get them done, if it can stop it ya know?

My daughter always poops after eating canned mandarin oranges, might give that a try. Also, lemon juice and garlic are natuarl diuretics so cook with them as often as possible, and as much as they can stand. Good Luck.

Essential fatty oils are good-you can get them (Omega's) in children size and form in the Health Food Stores. I also use the minerals in a little sachet form that you can put into water, formula or anything. Go to: www.xoomamiracle.com to order. It's only $25 for a full month supply and the girls can share a month. Our kids used it from day one! You might want to watch the fruit and juices. There are plenty of natural sugars in regular fruit, but the fruit juices are usually loaded with sugar which will make it worse.
Good Luck with the girls
D. K

Hi J.,
My oldest daughter was chronically constipated. I can completely relate to what you're dealing with! I tried every form of fiber, it sometimes made things worse!

I learned years later that for some kids, dairy just clogs them up- for some kids, it's the ears and sinus infections, for others, it's dry hard painful poops. Try a modified eliimination diet...in other words, no cheese, ice cream or milk for a week or a few days and see what happens.
If your girls don't have nut allergies, you could try Almond milk instead.

Kids do not need milk for calcium! There are lots of other great sources. Green leafy foods are one of the best.

Probiotic supplements designed for children might be a good idea too. They will help bring the "good bugs" into the digestive tract. ( I wouldn't recommend yogurt, because that would be dairy again) Check them out at your local health food store.
Good luck, hang in there!
Susan :)

I am not sure if you are aware of this but Bananas also constipate so make sure your fruit does not include these. My daughter also had a constipation problem when she was put on rice cereal so you want to make sure they are not eating a lot of that either. Since both girls do have the problem there could very well be a genetic component. Even though as a parent you do not want them to go through all the evasive tests it might be better to have them to make sure they are healthy and not sick. Hope this helps!
W.

My daughter was 2ish when this started with us. She was withholding and no amount of fruit or prune juice was making a difference. I took her to a GI who had me clean out her system with an enema and use the miralax every day, gradually backing down the dosage to find a daily dose that helped her go once every day or two. From there, she learned that this was not a painful experience, and I gradually took the dosage down, weaning her from the medicine. We live quite happily now with a 1-1/2 tsp dose every other day, and she will turn 4 next month. The GI solved the problem for us by giving a precise plan of action that made all the difference. My pediatrician could not offer this level of detail. I would advise seeing a GI if the problem is really bad.

Have to tried yogurt? Most yogurts contains live bacteria that help maintain proper stomach breakdown of food. Activa is a brand especially made for this, although there certainly are others. Make sure, which ever you buy, has a note on the container that says "live" cultures. 3 times a day is best, and before meals (maybe 10-20 minutes?). The nutrients in yogurt may also allow you to give them less milk (as it is made from milk.) I am not sure that milk is an issue, but you specifically referenced it. Good luck!!

The best cure I've found besides what you've mentioned is canned pureed pumpkin. My son had constipation a lot as an infant because he was on soy formula - and the pumpkin would help him have a bm by the end of the day. I usually mix it with a little cream cheese & cinnamon, which is a huge hit. Yogurt & cinnamon is also a good combo. Butternut squash also seems to work....

good luck!

Hi. I am mother to twin boys age 17 months. One of my sons has a very bad problem with constipation. The doctors advised Miralax daily and to avoid the 'Brat Diet' foods ie; Bananas, Rice, Apples and white toast. Now he's been switched to Little Tummy's Laxative (which is a natural product)Dose: One dropper every evening between dinner and bedtime and he has 1 tsp Fibersure every day. Also,watching the foods he eats and lot's of Prune and Pear juice. This has helped. When needed, he has Babylax enemas and recently 1/2 a pediatric enema. It is hard to watch them in pain. I'm hoping he'll outgrow it but doctor says this will be a life long issue for him. Good luck!

maybe they have an allergy to wheat or gluten that gums up their system. that's the problem with my second son. He eats wheat and doesn't poop for two days. go on-line and search for gluten free websites. try it for a four days. if you don't see a shift by then, then that's not it.

try eliminating milk -- helped with my son, turned out he had a dairy allergy -- but to try this you have to get rid of all "casein" -its a milk protein -- so no butter, cheese, etc.. and you have to read labels for whey or casein -- its not as bad as it sounds to avoid it all, and it helped him alot - of course, it might not be the cause, but you'll know within a week or two if it is. also, try a probiotic.

It's great that you are feeding them healthy stuff, but you may be feeding them too much, even the natural sugar in the fruit can cause them to be constipated. I have to give my son metamucil to help to soften so that it won't hurt to go to the bathroom. Giving him warm chamomile tea at night also aides to help him to go. Drinking soy milk also has helped him. I would definately go to the specialist at this point if it hasn't improved for it may be something that can cause more damage to them as they grow up, Don't wait. You know as adults how difficult time to time it is, just imagine their little bodsies trying to deal with it. All the best.

hi - I had a preemie with the same problem - here is an all natural solution to try - it worked for us!! Give them 1 TBS of either Molasses or Caro Syrup 1X daily - if it doesn't work you can increase the amount or do it 2x daily. It won't hurt them and is pure magic!!!!

Dear J.,
I'm sorry for the worry and concern you must have with your girls. It is never easy for any of us when any of our children suffer for any reason.

One thing you might try is eliminating the milk. You didn't mention that it was cow's milk, but I'm imagining that it is. Soy, rice or almond would not be constipating. Cow protein molecules are quite large, and difficult for most humans to digest. The majority of colic in newborns can be attributed to the cow's milk, either formula, or the dairy products a nursing mother is consuming.

Many folks erroneously assume - what about the calcium and/or protein milk is supposedly famous for? The truth is that in order to digest the protein, the calcium is excreted. In order to accomodate the fat (even skim milk is full of fat), the calcium is excreted.

To get calcium that is bioavailable you need to turn to greens, cooked and raw. The darker the color, the more calcium and folate you'll obtain.

Returning to work also puts a stresser on the whole family. Go easy on yourselves. Good luck! A.

what i would do is to have her eat lot orange, they have to eat the whole thing not just suck the juice. Also if they like to eat brocoli, it would help a lot and the carrots. Make sure they drink lots water too!!! NO CHEESE, JUICE, DEFINITELY NO PRUNES

I am a chinese and my baby is mixed (13 months old), the above method really works!!!!! It is worth to try it

My daughter struggled with this for well over a year and a half. It was awful to watch because she did hold it in. Without going into too many details, we saw a ped GI who was no help whatsoever. She had an xray in the ER to make sure there was no blockage (there wasn't). Anyway, we switched peds when she was about 2.5 years and he put her on Miralax, which is now OTC. Within a month she was pooping and potty trained!!! Ask your ped about Miralax, don't let the problem get as bad as ours did. Good luck!

just went to a specialist and found out my son has an inherited problem, go to your doctor and ask to be referred. My son is now almost 7 and it does not go away!
He was on Miralax and this is not good for long term problems and thier bodies ajust to it over time. Don't wait like I did go get help, hope this helps.

My child has the same problem. I now give her Miralax everyday. I know this sounds crazy but if we mix it with LACTAID it really works. She is not lactose intolerant, I think it is just that lactaid is easier to digest. Canteloupe seems to really help. Acidophilis too. You can get it in a liquid form and mix into things... Watch out for applesauce...but Pear sauce is a good substitute(I got it at Trader joe's). Baked goods/treats definitely constipates her. We do visit a GI. It is not traumatic at all. I too was hesitant to go to the GI, but he is very gentle. He is Dr. Kaslow at Columbia Pres. You can look him up. He also has hours in Ridgewood, NJ and in Nyack, NY.
I have also had my daughter treated by my chiropractor who does the "network" method. "NETwork" is very gentle, and is more like reiki. It is really "energy" work. This seems to help. .Good luck

My 5 month old used to get constipated on occasion. My pediatrician reccommended mix 2 oz warm h20 with 2 teaspoons of dark brown sugar. Once in the morning and once in the eve. It worked wonders. Sometimes I would adjust the frequency based on the consistency of her stools. check with your pediatrician.

you may want to talk to your Doctor about this.
I do know that fruit cocktail and homemade fruit juices
help wuth this. It is not unusual for toddlers to hold
back their BM's.

My son is 5 and basically has had the same problem since he was 3. We cut down on milk and other foods that would cause the problem. We finally had to put him on GlycoLax (prescribed by physician). We had to start at one full dose per day until he was "cleaned out". We are now down to 1/2 dose per day. If we miss a day the old problem starts to come back. I have found no food or anything else that has helped except for this. Our doctor said it is just his body and it might take a year or so before he can be completely off the GlycoLax.

I don't like him having to relay on medicine, but it is MUCH better than all the problems with refusing to go to the bathroom and pooping in his pants.

My daughter get constipated too. Not that bad though. I have brought her to nutritionist though. I have had to do a lot of research when my son was young because as I learned then sometimes the pediatricians don't give you all the info. Like my son had asthma and I thought it would change if he stopped drinking and eating dairy. The pedi said no way it had nothing to do with it. I brought him to the nutritionist and he put him on a specific diet, no dairy, for 2 months. Would you believe that he didn't have another attack for three years. Until he started drinking milk at school did he get them occasionally. Well anyway, sorry I got off track. My daughter is on a very clean diet. She doesn't have any dairy other than yogurt and only stonyfield yogurt! She eats lots of fruit and veggies. We give her rice pasta and rice bread instead of wheat. My sister had a severe allergy to gluten. She has all her life but my mother did not know it. One of the issues she had with her was constipation from like birth. It just got worse. It got so bad that she couldn't go to the bathroom unless they used a glycerin. You may want to seek out the advise of a nutritionist. Wheat and gluten are in things you would never think. I hope this helps.

Hi J.,
Both of my boys have had this problem. For my older son, now 4, berries especially blueberries, cantaloupe, and lots of water with a splash of apple juice really helps.
My younger son 13 1/2 months we found had a milk intolerance. I was breastfeeding him and he would not go for days. My pediatrician assured me that it was normal for breast feed babies to do this but he was miserable. He would push and push, he would scream and either clench is stomach or arch his back and never slept for more than an hour at a time. After much research I removed all dairy from my diet. I read every box you would be shocked what has dairy in it. Within a week he was a completely different baby. He has subsequently grown out of this stage as his digestive track has matured.
You do not state if the girls were born term or premature but if they were preemies it is possible their systems are still a bit immature. My oldest was 3 months early and we did see a GI doctor and like you I was afraid of all the tests they might subject him to but they approached it very slowly and started out with completely non-evasive tests. After reviewing the results of these tests along with taking a comprehensive history they felt his digestive track just needed to catch up. This is also a possibility for term babies. What came of the visits was a relief nothing serious was wrong and they gave me a bunch of suggestions to alleviate his discomfort. I would suggest seeing a specialist if this is causing your girls this much distress. When you go convey to the doctors that you are serious about find out if there is a treatable problem but you would like them to start with the less invasive measures and work up.
I wish you the best of luck in finding a solution.

Try a teaspoon of olive oil you can give it in apple sauce.
My son who is now 18 years old had that problem alittle olive oil worked wonders. Hope it helps.

Mom of 7 in New York

Vitamins can be constipating as well as anything containing iron. If the formula you used had iron that could have contributed to it. I had to switch to a low iron formula for both my kids. Also the vitamin drops have iron as well. I pray it all works out.

Rgds
H. C

Toddler magic tea is the best remedy to treat your toddler’s constipation and certain tummy related problems without any side effects. It’s totally organic herbal tea that contains no preservatives at all.

My oldest daughter, who will be 8 next week, has always had constipation issues. She drinks apple juice like water and eats fruit also. I think that, like you said, she would hold it in because she was afraid of it hurting, which only made it worse. Now that she is older, she understands a little bit more that if you don't hold it in, it is much easier to go. I also tried benefiber last year, every morning either in her juice or oatmeal, until she was on a normal schedule. You may also want to try having your girls get into a bethroom routine, if you haven't already, by bringing in a few story books or soft music. Something that they can relax to while they sit on the potty so they don't think about the actual "duty" and their bodies and muscles are relaxed and more comfortable. Good Luck!

I have the same problem with my son, 21 months, I'm at my wits end on how to handle this situation. My son does hold it in because he's scared of it hurting. I have tried all the juices, mineral oil too. I hope you find out some information because I'd like some too. I have already taken my son to the doctor and they said we should just give him more fiber and juices. I'm already giving him all he will eat. He is a picking eater, but looking at him you can't really tell. He's about 30 lbs. He gained alot of weight when he was an infant and hasn't gained anymore in a long time. He doesn't eat hardly at all because he doesn't have room for it because he needs to go potty. I hope you find out some ways to help your children because it will help me as well. Thanks so much for posting your concern it helps a lot of us out here.

L.

MOM,

Why not try a stool softener, or more water?

And I just want to say that the kids don't have to poo everyday.

Oatmeal works, its natural,
and so does Coffee, its a stimulant,
Aloe juice sold in walmart

I let my boys have a sip in the morning, and it shoots out like clock work.,

Other than the stuff you have tried already, it seems that the specialist is the only way to go at this point

M

I had the same problem with my son. It started when he was 4 months old and at the time he was exclusively breastfed. We tried everything the doctor recommended mineral oil, fiber, natural juices etc. He was a very miserable baby. He would wake up in the middle of the night screamming trying to pass. It got so bad one time we had to bring him to the ER to have him manually impacted. Finally we took him to the GI when he was around 2. The tests were uncomfortable but they only did it during his first visit. They prescribed him Miralax. It just softens the stool. From then on I had a very happy and comfortable child. He is now 6 and doesn't need to take it anymore.

Hi,

She might be a bit too you but my pediatrician suggested apricot nectar and popcorn. Not sure why this combination but it really worked. My son had also been suffering since birth. Once we tried this we had very little problems. I think he might have been 4 or 5 when this suggestion was made. Check with her MD about Popcorn at such a young age.
T.

You don't mention how much fluid they're drinking daily. Check with your doctor for minimum requirements and how to balance milk/juice/waters. Also check about the total variety of foods you're offering them, everything they eat. Maybe you need to adjust the overall choices.

Your return to full time work could also be taking a toll on you and them. They might be expressing their displeasure with your absence by "holding it in." Just be as loving and attentive to them as you can while you're with them.

Hi, I give my daughter "Erivan Acidopholis yogurt" mixed with a little jam (it's pretty bitter) which helps a lot and I also open an acidopholis pill and put it in her water. Without fail she goes. I buy the yogurt at Mrs. Green's. Hope this helps. GOod luck!

They sound like more fiber in the diet would help. A lot of fruit juices don't have fiber. Also, more water would help. I gave my son a teaspoon of metamucil a day for a few days, to get things going. Once he was moving well, we would give him the metamucil once a week, with a daily drink with a teaspoon of mineral oil. The bowel needs to be trained. Don't worry because you can straighten this problem out. If you need to get things started immediately, use a baby lax (well lubricate the tip for gentle insertion). Your babies will thank you once they get some relief. Best of luck.

My son is 11 but has always had the same problem. My doctor suggested he stay away from the same things you listed and also suggested he drink apple juice. I was also giving him brown rice but my dr said to stay away from that too. But the thing that really worked for us is Miralax in apple juice. He used to take it every morning but now is down to every other day. When he got regular I tried to ween him off but it caused him to be irregular again and when he would go, well, let's just say it could not have been comfortable for him and it scared the heck out of me so now it's back to every other day. Good luck.

Hi J.,
We went through the same thing with oue daughter and we found that she has a problem with lactose (milk, cheese, etc). She would push so hard trying to pass that she would scream and then pass out from trying so hard. We finally tried lactose free milk (they have whole milk with added calcium) and life is so much better! We did this without consulting the ped. but he now says whatever works. We did the no bananas, rice, etc and nothing was working either. Hope this helps your little ones.

~Kristal

Have you tried olive oil? If you can get them to have a teaspoon great but you can also massage onto their abdomen in circular downward motion. I sat in on an essential oil therapy class and this was a rememdy they had given for constipation in children. It is not a problem my kids go through that often but the olive oil has worked every time.

it sounds funny and is not a permenate thing but there is something in oreos (regular or double stuff) that seem to help.

Have you tried seeing a homeopathic practitioner? Children respond really well to homeopathy as their systems are still so pure. The doctor would take in their whole life story (mind, body, spirit) and find a "constitutional" remedy to help their bodies realign. Then you would only need other remedies for occasional acute bouts. Unfortunately I don't know of one but do know that really good ones exist in NYC. Probably not that hard to find.

It sounds like you're on the right track food wise. Maybe pureed carrots? Warm apple sauce with ground flax mixed in? Would be best if the applesauce was homemade with whole apple, skin and all. Warm whole milk with molasses mixed in? Tastes yummy, moves the bowels and has good iron content. Nice alternative to hot coco in the future, too. Strong tea of chamomile mixed with organic apple juice, the kind that still has some pulp in it? Serve it warm, every day, as many times as possible. I would say overall that whole, pureed vegies will be more beneficial that fruits. If they'll eat them. Could mix bits of squash, carrot, spinach. etc, into applesauce. Or add generous amounts of organic unsalted butter. Or coconut oil if you wanted to avoid the dairy. Though butter would probably be beneficial. Good fats help the body be more relaxed. The trouble with the fiber supplements is that a body needs soooo much liquid to flush them through. Can actually make the problem worse in that regard. Lightly cooked vegies or fruits, with skin still on, served pureed will give fiber and liquid. They should probably be taking a good probiotic too. To balance out their intestines.

What was their birth like? Perhaps there is a key in that story to sorting the constipation issue for good.......

I hope some of this is helpful!

I was extremely constipated as a child from birth. For most of my life I only went bm 1x/week. Doctors told my mother to give me prune juice, lots of fiber, etc. Only as a young adult when I began to drink enough water did this problem resolve itself. Enough water is not the fabled 6 to 8 glasses. Enough water varies for everyone but is generally 1/2 your weight in pounds in ounces of water. If your girls are 20 pounds, make sure they get at least 10 ounces of water every day. If they drink anything that is not water they should drink that amount of water again, in addition. Just make sure you use filtered water, as the chlorine may not be good for them. Try more water for 2 weeks and see if it makes a difference. You may be surprised.

poor things. I don't have this issue with my son, but he was constipated one time. The pedi suggested flax seed powder. I also make pasta that is made with flax seed, and I notice it working very well when he eats that. It's worth a try.

Hello, My name is D.. Mother of gio 5 and Sofi 2. We have had some constipation problems.... My midiwife had a few great suggestions. sometimes the constipation can be due to an increase colonization of yeast in the digestive tract. there is a great powdered probiotic mix called:

EUGALAN FORTE, 14 oz, BIO-NUTRITIONAL
this is dairy based

its soy conterpart
LACTOPRIV/B, Healthy Bacteria 14 oz, BIO-NUTRITIONAL

you can buy it online.. try using it until the box is gone(two scoops a day mixed in rice milk/almond milk is good) and see if there is a difference. Another trick is giving food enzymes to help your daughters digest her food better. Some food enzymes are derived from papaya. papaya seeds taken like a pill also can help with constipation, lots of fiber. some homeopathics and teas are great too:

Traditional Medicinals
Smooth Move Herbal Stimulant Laxative Tea, Bags

http://www.truestarhealth.com/Notes/2215009.html

they also make metamucil cookies you can buy at walgreens.

buy some glycerin suppositories while you are there. they have childrens size. it is natural and can help when you know it's there but the child is holding it in for fear of pain. this is what my son and daugther do from time to time.. We call them the bad poopies. the ones that hurt. the glycerin also lubricates the way out.

hope these sugestions help. we also do lots of hugs on the toliet.. I think just loving them through it helps a lot. give it positive energy. it will pass, no pun intended. YOu are right to look for a path other than the more invasive medical testing route...

Also cosider that you going back to work is a serious change for them. Maybe this is the only power that they have to express thier complex transition.

You can call me if you want to chat more.. ###-###-#### my cell

Hi J.,
I know that dark Karo syrup worked on my son when he was an infant (I added a tablespoon to his formula). Its pure sugar but the molassas did the trick. Also my friend uses fennel tea for her daughter. Hope these help!!!

Castor oil & Sorbitol. Castor oil is used to clean the bowel of small children before certain medical procedures. I can't tell you how much but starting out slowly with some watered down juice can't hurt. Also, sorbitol is a natural ingredient found in apples, pears, prunes. cherries, & grapes. It is also used as a sweetener for diet (no sugar) foods, and in children's medicines and Tom's of Maine toothpaste! It is a know natural laxative for children above approx. 10grms. per day. Some children are intolerant to it and develop diarhea when they have too much (mine). You might want to try to use more of these in thier diet.
Good Luck!

I had the same issue with my daughter. Same story: fed her fruits, lots of veggies, only whole wheat everything, not much milk, tons of water. My pedi told me she'd grow out of it (which I am happy to say she DID!! Right around the time she was potty trained, around 2 1/2). In the mean time, I added mineral oil to whatever I could. Her oatmeal, a little in her sippy cup etc. It made her poops greasy but it helped enormously. Unfortunately, I think some kids are just like that. Benefiber never helped us either. Good luck!

J., your child sounds a lot like mine. My daughter is 7 years old and has had chronic constipation since she was 2 years old. A lot of my friends children went through similar problems. After 5 years of trying all the same stuff you did and she never grew out of it. I did take her to a G.I. doctor at The Connecticut Children's Medical Center this summer. She was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and lactose intolerant. I.B.S. can cause diarrhea or constipation. The doctor told us to add as much fiber, water, fruit, and vegetables to her diet as possible. He also said to give her Miralax everyday. He said she could be on it forever with out any bad effects. She has been doing great since. The Miralax is what really makes the difference. I hope one day she will grow out of this, the last thing I want is her on medicine the rest of her life. It's the only thing that works right now. The doctor did not put her through alot of test. I.B.S. is a symptom based diagnoses. I hope my info helps you. Good Luck.

J., I am a Chiropractor in Bethany commons. My name is S. Addessi. I have had GREAT success with adjustments to relieve constipation. If you would like to come in for a complimentary consultation, please let me know. ###-###-####. My daughter is 16 months and has been adjusted since she was 4 days old. It is COMPLETELY safe and very effective. Please do not hesitate to call me.

It seems like you probably tried everything, but maybe this will help...when my daughter (also 14 months) had constipation, the pedi recommended I put Karo syrup in her milk- about a teaspoon to a tablespoon. Its the dark syrup used in pecan pie- sold at the grocery store. It did help a lot. Maybe you can try this. Good Luck!

We had difficulty with my son when he was a preschooler (3yrs) -- ended up in ER from severe constipation pain. We did use the given the pediatric laxatives Rx (which I hated using, and only used when there was nothing for over a week) a few times. We were told that hot chocolate has a natural stool-softening effect -- and that worked amazingly! Ended up just encouragin fluids (water, and whatever juice) and every-other-day "treat" of hot chocolate for a few months (you can put your milk in the hot-chocolate too, which works and makes the milk less binding). We haven't had any constipation issues in 2 years.

Seems that girls are ususally the ones constipated. My daughter was also. In the beginning the doctor told me to put light caro syrup in her bottle. I understand that now they are afraid to go because it hurts. Try rubbing vaseline inside their rectum just a bit it might help.
Make sure they drink alot of water also. Hope this helps.

I feel your pain. My oldest daughter who is now 9 years old has had this problem since she was born. I tried the prunes, vaseline on a Q-tip or thermometer to stimulate her, glycerin suppositories, Benefiber, a persciption, and finally Miralax. My daughter would get to the point where she wouldn't have a BM for a day or two and then she would be afraid to go because it would hurt her, just like your girls. The worst was 9 days w/o a BM. I knew I didn't want my daughter to have to be dependent on taking medicine or something unnatural to be able to go the rest of her life, but I didn't know what to do. It was heart breaking for me to not be able to help her. Finally someone suggested I try Florify. Florify is a little miracle pill! It has probiotics, which are the good bacteria in the intestines, (some yogurts have it). It aids in digestion and helps keep my daughter regular. (It comes in a capsule, so you can open it and put it in your daughters food easily.) All probiotics are not created equal. The Florify is natural and has the same amount of probiotics as 10 cups of yogurt and it is AMAZING! It truly has changed my daughters life. She no longer has to worry about having a BM. It truly is such a releif for her (and me) not to have to worry. If she has to go, she goes. She lived for 8 years with this issue. Thanks to Florify, it is one less thing my daughter has to worry about. If you would like more information on Florify, please contact me at ____@____.com. I would love to help you to feel the relief that I have when this issue goes away for good!
R.

J.,
I was advised to give about a tablespoon of dark corn syrup in a cup of warm water to my kids, and it worked. It's an old remedy, but still effective.
S.

Hi J.,

My twins are 14 months as well. The only thing that works is Stonyfield Farm yogurt. I've tried other brands to try to save some money since this stuff is expensive for the big container. But, this is excellent & they have at least two bowel movements a day. If I run out & miss a day, it's noticable. Grab a single serving of it & see if that works. I get the low fat French Vanilla so I can enjoy some, too. =) I give a little with lunch & again at dinner...probably the equivalant size of a stage 2 jar. Believe me, it's worth the $3.25 I pay for this stuff.

Take care,
A.