The ubiquity of refined processed foods, “kid’s meals,” and “picky eaters” often leads to constipation. Many children have hard or painful poops and/or strain to have a bowel movement. Over time, this can cause a variety of medical issues including abdominal pain, stool leakage (encopresis), bladder infections, bed wetting, and anal fissues/hemorrhoids.
When this is a concern, I always counsel parents to keep a “poop diary”---gross, I know, but it really helps! Knowing how often your child is pooping and what it looks/feels like can help stay on top of any constipation issues.
How To Manage Constipation
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Minimize constipating foods:
- Give no more than 16 ounces of milk per day.
- Bananas, white rice, white bread, bagels, pizza, cheese, ice cream can also be constipating
- Drink plenty of water and eat plenty (9 servings!) of fruits and vegetables every day. Prunes and pears often work great: Try 2-3 prunes daily to start (dried or pureed).
- Fiber: Ground flax seed or Benefiber: 1/2-1 tablespoon twice daily, mixed with food or drink. Increase or decrease the dose as needed to achieve about 1 soft stool daily. Ground flax seed can be purchased at most supermarkets, and Benefiber at most pharmacies.
- If this does not work, ask your doctor if your child can try Miralax or another laxative.