my 2 year old having constipation?

Question

MY boy lately have a hard poop(crying,sweating,really tried to push it out really hard till the face turn red) and the stool would had trace of blood.It happends 4 times already. Is it normal? should I take him to the doc.?

He LOVES biscuits,crackers,HATES fruits,Is it eat too much biscuits,meats makes hard to poops? thanks

Answer 1

We used to have this problem with my 2 year old son. I've tried every possible suggestion that I get and nothing seems to work consistently until I tried this one.

Add some minor amount of Agar Powder in his/her diet. What I did is I add a 2 gram package into the rice when I am cooking for the whole family. He eats about 1/4 so that's about 0.5 gram. I do that every 2-3 days.

Every since I add that into his diet, he poop regularly and without any pain. This is the only one that works like a charm for us. Agar powder is something Asian people more used to. Not a lot is being used here. It's completely natural and contains tons of fiber so helps the constipation a lot. And the best thing is, it is tasteless so your little one won't even notice that this is coming...

Hope this info can help another child to get through this problem.

Answer 2

I think you should probably at least call your child's pediatrician and talk to a nurse. It's not "normal", and while the blood is most likely caused by small tears in the anus from trying to push so hard, traces of blood in poop should not be taken lightly.

In the meantime, check what your child is eating. If he's really into grilled cheese sandwiches, or he eats no fruits or veggies, fix it. Make sure he has some whole grains every day, and the right amount of fruits or vegetables. You can also offer him some juice, occasionally this can help with the constipation. Make sure he's getting a good portion of fiber every day. With 2-year-olds, it's hard to make sure they get enough of anything, since they can go through phases of not eating, or only wanting to eat one thing. However, whole grains, fruits and vegetables (fresh is best) are generally high in fiber, and could help loosen him up a little bit.

You may want to try glycerin suppositories. We had to use them occasionally with both of my kids. It sucks, but it works. Lay your child down in a way he can be most comfortable ("comfortable" is a relative term here), and insert the suppository and hold it there for a little bit. It always worked pretty quickly with my kids. Make sure he is laying on a diaper, and you have a spare.

Also, there is a laxative that is made for kids (seriously... I can't remember the name of it, though, and I would strongly suggest that instead of picking something up yourself, you ask the pharmacist about a laxative for children that young). I don't know if it's for kids as young as 2, though. We used it once with my son when he was four. Either way, only use it when you feel you have NO other choice.

Call your kid's doc, though. Pooping pain is not normal for kids that little, and they may want to have him come in.

Answer 3

I am going through all that right now with my own 2 1/2 year old daughter. She was doing great with potty training then she had one painful bowel movement now she holds it in because she's afraid it's going to hurt again. This only makes it worse because when she finally does go it's as big as my fist and she screams in pain. We took her to the doctor and no blockages so this is what he told me. We use FiberSure soluable fiber and I sprinkle that in a lot of her food when cooking just to get that extra fiber in her diet. She enjoys prune juice but most kids won't (trying mixing it with apple juice). Kids should eat lots of fruits and veggies and drink lots of water. My child , the same as yours, doesn't eat much fruit or veggies, so I give her a multivitamin and use the FiberSure. Also I got a prescription for Miralax which is a stool softener but it can take 3-4 days for results so the doctor recommended Milk of Magnesia (about 2 teaspoons a day). It's cheaper, always on the shelves without waiting for a prescription to be filled and works overnight (get the cherry flavor). He told me to keep her on that everyday for the next 6 months and then slowly wean her off of it for the next 3 months. Right now it's all phychological and she needs to get past the idea of it hurting. It's been a few weeks and she still doesn't want to go on the potty and cries but once she does it she says it doesn't hurt. I guess it's going to have to take a lot of patience and time and understanding to get past this. Good luck! I know what you are going through!

Answer 4

You can try to improve the fiber content of his diet and if that doesn't help take him to the doctor.

Here is a soup that might help:
1/3 leeks
1/3 carrots
1/3 potatoes
Cook in chicken bouillon until the veggies are soft and then wiz it all up in the blender.

Of course the best is bran cereal but it is hard to get kids that young to eat it. Raisins are high in fiber, you might have better luck getting him to eat them.

You can look up high fiber foods on the internet and see if there is something he likes on the list. Maybe prunes cut up in yogurt...

The blood is probably coming from small tears in the anal tissue. It should stop when the stools are softer. If his stools are better but there is still blood, the doctor will have to see him.

Answer 5

Make sure that he is getting plenty of fluids water, milk, and juice. Apple juice tends to be a good natural laxative. Also make sure that he is getting a lot of fruits and veggies, as these make the stool softer and will keep him more regular. Cut out the sugars and junk and any "heavy" foods.

If he is already getting these things in his diet, then I would definitely call the doctor. He/She may have some other answers, but diet and fluids are the best way to make sure that he is staying regular with softer stools.

Answer 6

I would try to get some more fiber in his diet. Have him eat whole wheat bread, oatmeal, fruits and vegetables. Bananas and cheese are both constipating foods. Make sure that he drinks plenty of water. If none of that works prunes are good. Also make sure he gets lots of exercise (just running around or stuff like that)

I will say any doctor would probably say he wanted to see a child with blood in his stool but if it were me I would just increase the fiber and see what happens before taking him to the doctor. If you increase his fiber and it ever happens again, do take him to the doctor.

Answer 7

Try giving him lots of fruit juice to drink, and foods high in fiber to eat. This should help him in a natural way without having to resort to drugs. The blood was likely from the straining. If he doesn't improve soon then take him to the pediatrician. Good Luck!

Answer 8

My daughter was the same way we just started giving her apple juice and cut out the crackers etc. Try raisins or pieces of apple with peanut butter on them. But I would take him to the Dr if there is blood in his stool he may have hemorrhoids.

Answer 9

Try giving him sundried cranberries or prune juice. This is what I use when my son is having a hard time and it works everytime. The cranberries are actually sweet and he loves them. If this doesn't work I would talk to your doctor and see what they suggest...

Answer 10

The blood may come from the straining he is having to do. I would call the physicians office, they will tell you what to do. Good luck and God bless****