My 2 year old daughter has had problems with constipation...?

Question

this has been going on and off since she was born- we have tried putting wheat germ in her food and even went to her dr for help. they gave her a syrup to take every day-but it didn;t help. I am concerned because (I know it sounds gross) but her poop is so big...like adult size, and she is very uncomfortable. Any ideas for my little princess?

Answer 1

My 3 year old daughter had the same problem from the age of 1 through 2 1/.2 yrs. We spent a year going back and forth to her Pediatrician for different prescriptions (about 6 different ones), over the counter remedies, and changes in diet but nothing worked.

Finally I took her to a Pediatric Gastroenterologist and she said the problem is she is withholding because pooping can be painful and scary for toddlers especially if they have solid stool. She ended up recommending the following:
- She put her onGlycolax.
- reduce her soy milk intake to one cup a day
- dilute all juices with 1/2 water (she couldnt have more than 8oz of juice a day)
- Must have at least 2 (8oz) cups of water a day
- no bananas (they cause constipation)
- reduce amount of starchy foods (pasta, rice, potatoes)
- add high fiber furits (apricots, apples, prunes, rasins)

As rigid as this regimine was, it started to work in only a week. We only followed the regimine for about 8 weeks and she has never had the problem again.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

My daughter is 5 now and she struggled with this since she was little. I can tell you that the best anticdote is her diet and lots and lots of water. Yes, Water, not juice. The biggest misconception is that apples and apple juice will get her going, but the truth is that apples and bananas are binding fruits, meaning that they will make it worse. Also cooked carrots are bad for her, raw is fine. The best fruits are peaches, plums, prunes of course, pears, grapes (fruit not juice). She needs lots of green vegetables. She can eat more veggies than the AMA reccomends. It will not hurt her when she is in this situation. Also you will want to get a grip on it now. If it continues, her large bowel will get so stretched out that she will not be able to feel the contractions anymore (that is the urge we all get that makes us feel we have to go to the bathroom). If this happens, her colon will get impacted and she will not know when she has to go and she will start having accidents, and I mean a lot of accidents. My 5 year old daughter started pooping her pants after being potty trained for 3 1/2 years. I actually had to have her DR put her on a perscription laxative for long term use. She is still on it. It is called Miralax.
lastly, I would camp out in the Dr's office until they did something better for her, if the diet change does not work.
I can also tell you that the best thing that has worked for us has been WATER!!!!! Lots of it!
I know what you are going through! Good luck!

Answer 3

I would avoid dairy, eggs, peanut butter, and bananas. Those can cause constipation in certain people. Feed her whole wheat breads, mix a teaspoon of black strap molasses in a serving of apple sauce or juice per day. Also try not to overdue it on the grains. Increase her fatty intake, (olive, canola, sunflower oils are all healthy), you can add these to anything with little taste effect. A child's serving is very little though, too much and it may not sit well in her sweet little tummy. And overall fibrous foods should keep her bowls working smooth.
After you eliminate the first items from her diet, and you start noticing changes, try introducing them one at a time by small amounts into her diet to see if one of those could be a culprit.
I used all of these things with my son (now nearing 3) He was having the same problem and is having a hard time wanting to poop in the potty, anxiety I think from all of his problems before.
Good luck with this I know it can be frustrating and painful for your baby!!! Just comfort her as best you can when she is having this distress.
A little prune juice daily too. (1-2 oz.)

Answer 4

Best Constipation Cures

Answer 5

my daughter has the same problem. her doctor has put her on miralax (the white powder that everyone speaks of) constipation is very common in toddlers, but if this has been going on since birth maybe you should have a serious discussion with the doctor. tell him/her how concerned you are and have them look into it more. perhaps she should see a G.I doctor to rule out anything serious.

prune juice is a good idea, but seeing how your daughter is two, it might be difficult to get her to drink a whole lot of it. i know my daughter would never touch the stuff. diets are hard with children at this age because they are picky and do not eat alot to begin with. try avoiding binding foods like cheese and bananas. and don't load her up with fruit juice. fruit juice has little if any fiber and is filled with sugar ( yes even 100 percent fruit juice) and alot of sugar can cause constipation its self. it's best to serve the real deal and give her fresh fruits and veggies instead of extra juice. alot of water is also key. constipation is caused by the stool becoming "dehydrated" and hard. water is very important.

Answer 6

My 3 kids all have this problem - as always - prevention is better than cure. If cons.. is really bad and causing unwell ness see a doctor quick! but if things ARE moving, just slow, diet is the key lots and lots of water, some added sugar in the diet (brown sugar dissolved in water is good for babies with this prob.) My little boy who is 2 needs one kiwifruit every day to stay regular. My kids do love prunes and any stone fruit in bigger than usual quantities will help. Never let her get thirsty.

Answer 7

Try Miralx or Glycolax (same thing). It's a tasteless white powder which dissolves easily in water or juice. Couple of small capfuls in her drinks/day will solve the problem. It does not get absorbed by the body so it is very safe. I know because my now 3 years old daughter had the same problem. Now she goes to "poop" without any problems.

Answer 8

Have you ever given her juicy juice. My two girls drink it but if they drink it to much then it will give the poops (like three cups). My oldest daughter has the same problem but the juice always works and lots of water helpls to. She could be a little dehydrated which causes the stool to get hard because it has no moisture. i know sounds really gross but i just want to help.

Answer 9

Ask your doctor if a 2 yr old could use a stool softener. If so, that would help a lot. I dont know if they recommend that or not.

Plenty of juice and fruit helps, too, as does fiber. But do check on that stool softener. If she can use it, it makes going a whole lot more comfortable. I know. I have the same sort of problem.

Answer 10

My 3 1/2 yr old has the same issues. I started giving her Metamucill ( 1 tsp) in her drink. That lasted about a mnth, then she figured out what we were doing. We now give her the Metamucil crackers. My mom said that they are kind of sweet (cinnamon & sugar). My daughter loves them and we give her 1 cracker/1 wk. Helps alot. I think that she just needs more fiber in her diet. she's a picker eater like me.