Has your child been suffering from chronic constipation for a long time and none of the over the counter medicines or high fiber foods have helped? Have you had to use Glycerin suppositories to get relief from constipation? Well, my daughter suffered with it for many years until I figured out what it was about.
Constipation is a condition of slow-moving, hard or compacted stools. Your child is constipated if they have less than 3 bowel movements a week and/or stools that are hard, resembling pellets and difficult to pass. It becomes chronic if it has been going on for a long time.
A child’s constipation is always a worry for parents. Finding out the cause can be difficult for most parents. For some parents increasing Fibre, giving them more water has still not resolved the issue.
What are the Possible Causes of Constipation?
Constipation is mainly due to an imbalance in your gut. The gut flora is responsible for the formation and elimination of stools. It could be one or more of the following reasons that could give rise to an imbalance of the gut flora and its composition:
- Dehydration
- Lack of exercise
- Stress
- Poor diet
- Food sensitivities
As a first step, you will need to make sure your child eats a well-balanced diet, with the right amount of fiber, fruits and vegetables and the child takes plenty of fluid. I will not recommend you try anything different until you make sure these basics are covered. If you still haven’t solved the issue, then it is important to look further. In my case, none of the above including prunes, pears nor high fiber foods really worked.
Look at the following ways you can address your child’s constipation.
6 Ways to Get Your Child’s Bowel Movements on Track
1. Elimination Diet
A child’s constipation could be caused by food chemical sensitivity or intolerant to certain types of foods. Food chemical sensitivity is when your body reacts to chemicals in food such as salicylates, amines, glutamates and oxalates. Constipation is one symptom. This is often overlooked by conventional medicine.
Trying out an elimination diet recommended by RPAH (Royal Prince Alfred hospital) could be helpful.
It is recommended that you start with a failsafe diet. FAILSAFE stands for Free of Additives, Low in Salicylates, Amines and Flavour Enhancers. It is a diet which focuses on reducing your intake of the above-mentioned chemicals as well as food additives and preservatives.
After a few weeks on this diet, you can slowly reintroduce food items one at a time to identify the foods contributing to your child’s constipation.
Many find removing dairy, wheat/gluten and corn from the child’s diet has helped get their child’s bowels going. I found this to be the root cause of my daughter’s constipation and the elimination diet helped her tremendously along with some of the other methods I describe below.
2. Epsom Salt Baths
Epsom salt is made from the minerals magnesium and sulfate. Epsom salt increases the amount of water in your intestines which can relieve constipation. Epsom salt is available at drugstores, grocery stores, and some discount stores but taking it orally can be sometimes hard on your toddler’s stomach.
Give your child an Epsom salt bath. Throw in Epsom salt crystals or flakes into a bath full of warm water (preferred filtered water without chlorine). This will help relax the gut and soften the stools as the magnesium gets absorbed through the skin. This will help produce a bowel movement.
As the pores open up at that time please refrain from using soap or personal care products on your child after the bath.
Epsom Salt Dosage: for children under 60 lbs, add 1/2 cup to a standard bath. You could add in a tablespoon of coconut oil too
3. Toxaprevent/Charcoal
Toxaprevent’s digestive range helps detox the body hence relieving constipation. Its active ingredient natural clinoptilolite naturally works like a sponge and lets it absorb toxic substances including histamine, ammonium and heavy metals.
The result of this process is that it detoxifies the body by absorbing the chemicals which are then excreted by the body through natural bowel movement. There is also activated charcoal powder and pills that have proven to offer similar benefits (although I have not used them personally)
Toxaprevent is available in sachets, capsules and chewable forms.
4. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an effective natural remedy for constipation. High doses of vitamin C have been shown to have a laxative effect, which can provide some relief for constipation. It works by increasing the speed of the digestive process, thereby increasing the frequency of bowel movements and allowing food matter to pass quickly through the intestines and preventing blockages or build up.
So how much vitamin C should you give?
The RDA for children under the age of 10 years is 30mg a day. However, if your child is suffering from constipation, then you can give them extra vitamin C in split doses during the day to help get things moving.
Start slowly and increase over time up to around 400mg a day for children under the age of 3 years old and up to 650 mg for those under 10 years.
I recommend either:
- Calcium Ascorbate or Sodium Ascorbate: It is less acidic and is gentle on the stomach.
- Buffered vitamin C: This includes calcium, magnesium and potassium and is also good for individuals with sensitive stomachs as it is easier to digest, with the bonus of other minerals. Ester-C is a buffered vitamin C.
5. Yoga
Children derive enormous benefits from yoga. Physically, it enhances their flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness. In addition, a daily routine of yoga for kids is a great way to keep their digestive tract moving and prevent constipation.
There are two ideal poses that help in stimulating the colon, small intestine, and stomach, which means it will help with overall digestion.
Down Dog Pose
To get into this position:
- Start out on all fours
- Spread your fingers and press your palms flat onto the floor
- Lift your buttocks, straighten your legs
- You should be forming an upside-down “V” at this point
- Look down between your legs
- Bend the knees very slightly and hold for 10 deep breaths
Childs’s Pose
To get into this position:
- Kneel on the floor, touching your big toes together
- Sit back on your heels and separate your knees hip-width apart
- Slowly bring your head down and rest it on your mat in front of you
- Rest your hands comfortably by your side
- Relax and breathe, holding this pose
You can learn more about Yoga for kids here
6. Prebiotics
Alterations of gut flora can contribute to constipation. kid’s probiotic supplement could help in getting the slow-moving bowels going. When buying a probiotic supplement for kids buy one with one or two strains. Also, ensure it is Dairy and wheat free. I recommend the Ethical nutrients range of dairy free and wheat free probiotics.
If you are struggling with food intolerances, allergies, SIBO or other digestive problems, there are products that can help with symptom relief. I know it can be frustrating but there are treatment protocols and supplements which can really help.
I have designed this product guide to equip you with the best and most effective supplements you can buy for treatment as well as symptom relief. This list has been compiled through my own experience as well as working together with trusted and experienced practitioners.
You can check out my recommended supplement guide here.
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