Toddler Constipation

by morosinirichard
(San Diego, CA, USA)

My grandaughter has a terrible time with bowel movements for the past year. She is now two and a half years old.

She cries anytime she goes to the toilet. The pooh is usually hard and small. After these many months, she is now holding off going to the bathroom because it hurts so much.


She can hold her bowel motions for six days before she has to go. She is screaming when on the toilet. The doctors have no idea what to give her as a solution.

Can you help?

Richard Morosini

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Hi Richard,

I really feel for the poor dear. She's now associating pain with having a bowel movement and will hold it as long as she can stand it to avoid the pain.


Of course, this only makes the pain worse, but she is too little to understand this.


There are definitely things you can do to help her get past this and start having softer and regular bowel movements.


First of all, how much water does she drink each day? The hard tiny stools are usually a sign of poor hydration. If she doesn't drink enough water, the intestines try to pull all the fluid it can from the waste, making it dry little pellets.


Try to offer her a drink of water every 30 minutes or so. Even if she only drinks a sip, throughout the day this will add up and be a help.


Secondly, go over to Puritan's Pride and get a bottle of Salba seed. Mix one teaspoon in your granddaughter's food once per day. You can even go up to a tablespoon if necessary.


Salba is a whole food that is full of good essential fatty acids (Omega oils) that are very helpful in improving bowel regularity.


One of the particularly good things about Salba is that it is basically tasteless. You can add it to her cereal, yogurt, applesauce or whatever she likes to eat.


Not every solution works for every child, but I've found Salba to be pretty good overall. It really helped my nephew when he was struggling with the same constipation problem as a toddler.


Let me know if this works for your little darling.

Blessings,
Angie