Constipation In Children
What Can You Do To Help?

Constipation in children is not uncommon. There are natural remedies you can use to help your child overcome difficulty with bowel movements.

It can be heart breaking to deal with a constipated child. You know they are in misery and you want to help them. Sometimes you just don't know what to do.

Children become constipated for various reasons. They may have a poor diet with too much sugar and processed foods. Not drinking enough water or getting enough exercise can also contribute to the problem.

Quite often if a child has one painful bowel movement, they become afraid to "go" and so begin holding it in. That allows the feces to get even more dried and hard, making elimination even more difficult. It becomes a vicious circle.

If your child is constipated, there are steps you can take to help. You may have to be "cruel" to be kind. Cut out the junk food! I'm as guilty as the next person. I love to "reward" the little ones with "treats" and candy. When you realize you are really encouraging their suffering by indulging them in fast food and candy, that may help you quit.

Just as with adults, children need to eat a lot of fiber in their diet. Except for extreme and rare cases of abnormalities of the bowel, a child's digestive function should naturally process their food and eliminate their waste without difficulty.

Signs of Constipation in Children:

1. Hard, dry pellets as stools
   
2. Painful bowel motions
   
3. Not going as regularly as "normal" (at least once a day is best)
   
4. Hard or very firm abdomen.
   
   

How To Help A Constipated Child

There are several things you can do to help relieve the constipation of your child. We already mentioned changing their diet, but here are some additional steps you can try.

• Have the child sit on the toilet after each meal for about 10 minutes. This will help the bowel relax and encourage proper elimination. The bowel naturally begins to contract the muscles after eating. This will help encourage good bowel function.
  
  
• Place a stool under the child's feet so the body will be in the best position for proper bowel movement.
  
  
• Have your child drink plenty of plain water. If you can get them to drink it, add a little of fresh squeezed lemon juice to the water (but no sugar or anything else).
  
  
• In smaller children who are constipated, a warm bath may help relax the tension in the abdomen and bowels and encourage BM.
  
  
• A gentle tummy massage may also help ease and relax the intestines and help the child to go.
  
  
• Try to be sure the child gets plenty of exercise throughout the day. Exercise stimulates the function of the colon and promotes healthy bowel movements.
  
  
• Add some fiber supplement powder to their food or drink. A teaspoon of Herbal Fiberblend or another good quality natural fiber. 
  
  If it is a very small child, reduce the dosage to meet the child's weight. For a toddler, I'd start with only 1/4 teaspoon of HFB.
  
  
• Sprinkle some flaxseed or Salba seed on your child's breakfast cereal or in some other food or beverage. Flaxseed and Salba are whole foods rich in essential fatty acids and are a good support for aiding elimination.
  

• Try a 1/4 cup of aloe Vera juice each day. For smaller children, cut the amount down to a couple of teaspoons. Aloe is very soothing to the lining of the intestines and helps to soften the waste impacted there.
  
  

I hope these remedies for constipation in children will help you and your kids get some relief. If you have trouble determining the amount of the supplements to give, ask your doctor for advice.

If you suspect that your child is suffering from more than simple constipation, be sure to consult a medical practitioner. Long term constipation in children can cause long term health issues. Don't let it go untreated.

If you've used any of these constipation in children remedies with success, or have tried some other natural constipation remedy, please tell us about it using the comment form below. Parents helping parents is one of the most practical things I know of.

To your good health!

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