Constipation, Age 11 and Younger

Home Treatment

Constipation can usually be treated effectively at home.

• Make sure your child is drinking adequate amounts of fluids, especially water.
• If your child is over the age of 6 months, add fruit juices, such as apple, pear, or prune juice, to relieve the constipation.
  • After age 6 months, give 0.5 Tbsp(7.4 mL) to 2 Tbsp(29.6 mL) of prune juice. Increase the amount slowly over time.
  • At age 9 months, add 1.5 Tbsp(22.2 mL) to 3 Tbsp(44.4 mL) of strained prunes per day.
• If fruit juices do not help, add baby foods with a high fiber content twice a day. High-fiber baby foods include cooked dried beans or peas (legumes), apricots, prunes, peaches, pears, plums, and spinach.
• Follow the diet outlined in the Prevention section of this topic to help relieve and prevent constipation.
• Gently massage your child's abdomen. This may help relieve discomfort. You can also have your child lie on his or her back with the legs flexed onto his or her abdomen and rotate the legs in a clockwise direction.
• If your child is having rectal pain because he or she is unable to have a bowel movement, try the following:
  • A warm bath with 2 oz(56.7 g) of baking soda in the tub. This may help relax the muscles that normally keep stool inside the rectum (anal sphincter) and help pass the stool.
  • If your child is age 6 months old or older and the warm bath does not work, use 1 or 2 glycerin suppositories to lubricate the stool, making it easier to pass. Use glycerin suppositories only once or twice. If constipation is not relieved or develops again, discuss the problem with your health professional.
• Do not give laxatives or enemas to children without first talking to your health professional. Children should not need an enema or laxatives to have a bowel movement.

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See also: ConstipationCuresAndRemedies
Source: WebMD∞

CategoryFamilyHealth