Tips On…Constipation in Children

Common causes of constipation in children include:

• Diets low in fiber
• Diets of excessive milk products
• Waiting too long to go to the bathroom
• A small tear in the rectum that makes stool passage painful.

A change in diet usually relieves constipation. The following tips may also help.

• For babies younger than 4 months, try giving one to two ounces of fruit juice such as grape, prune or apple-prune twice daily
• For babies between 4 months and 1 year, try strained foods that contain high fiber such as apricots, prunes, peaches, plums, pears, peas or spinach twice a day. Avoid strained carrots, squash, apples and bananas as these may aggravate constipation
• For children over 1 year, encourage them to eat fruits and vegetables like those mentioned above at least three times daily. Also encourage other high-fiber foods such as graham crackers, shredded wheat, whole-wheat bread and bran cereal. Increase the amount of water your child drinks. You also may give your child peach, pear or apricot nectar
• Decrease the consumption of constipating foods such as milk, cheese, dairy products, cooked carrots, apples and bananas
• For potty-trained children, encourage regular bowel patterns by establishing a schedule of 10 minutes of "toilet time" after every meal
• A footstool for the child's feet can make stool passage easier. For safety reasons, remove the footstool after use.

These changes should help relieve the constipation. Occasionally, a stool softener may help. However, do not give any suppositories, stool softeners or enemas without consulting your doctor first.