For my 6 year old.....

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MarieRich
MarieRich Posts: 87 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My daughter is often constipated and misses out on activities for it. She loves fresh fruits and veggies, it is what her diet is based on. Any suggestions on how to help a 6 year old? Do you think processed sugar/flour has any affect? She is 6, so I don't want to put her on any radical food plan but she needs desperate help. (NOTE: this is not weight loss related. She only weighs 38 pounds!!! This is purely nutritional)
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  • trophywife24
    trophywife24 Posts: 1,472 Member
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    Have you put her on Miralax or anything like that? If her diet is good, she drinks a lot of water and is active, then she just might need some help.
  • MarieRich
    MarieRich Posts: 87 Member
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    We do give her Miralax when we know she needs to go. The doctor told is to give it to her everyday, but when we did that she couldn't control her bowels.
  • bookgirl_72
    bookgirl_72 Posts: 21
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    Maybe try a smaller amount/dose of the Miralax? Or give it to her every other day?

    My daughter has has similar issues, so you have my sympathies.
  • trophywife24
    trophywife24 Posts: 1,472 Member
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    I would say to give her a half-dose per day, but I'm not a Dr. My almost 6 year old went through a phase of this a couple of years ago. He had a stomach bug and was afraid to use the bathroom after that.. he was really, really sick from holding it, it was horrible.
  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
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    Water, water, water!
  • magdalen13
    magdalen13 Posts: 62 Member
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    I was going to say water... I know when my stepdaughter was about 7, she really didn't like drinking plain water, and as much as we gave it to her, she would drink as little as possible. Then after a few days of avoiding it, she'd be constipated... no surprise. (Thankfully that was a brief period and now she drinks water all day.) Or, my mother used to make my sister & I eat one prune every day with breakfast, if you want to try that :)
  • MarieRich
    MarieRich Posts: 87 Member
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    I was thinking water was part of our problem. She only drinks water, no milk. I am unhappy that her teacher won't let her keep water at school. Its because then all of the kids would want water and they will be distracted by it. Think I might have to insist on regular water breaks at school
  • MoniMoni2u
    MoniMoni2u Posts: 211 Member
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    I dealt with this same issue with my son and that age a normal dose of miralax did the same thing. I continually adjusted the dosage down until we hit the correct amount for him. It took some time and patience but having it every day was mandatory as he would become completely blocked. Come up with some % of the normal dose and start there and adjust accordingly.

    Once I got the dosage down I had to watch carefully that he was still regular. After some time I had to increase the dosage (I did it in small increments.) He's 14 now and we still use Miralax, although not daily.
  • justjenn1977
    justjenn1977 Posts: 437 Member
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    my 12 year old gets a "milkshake" almost every other day...

    1/2 dose miralax
    2t vitamin c crystals
    2t benefiber
    2 scoops protein powder (or carnation instant breakfast)
    1 cup milk

    sometimes I put a carton of yogurt in it and put it in the blender... sometimes I leave that out and just put it in the shaker... :)

    he has aspergers... and has issues with his gut... he used to get so constipated that he would lose rectal muscle tone (and then have accidents at night and have VERY large scary looking BM)

    this is a regimen his doc and I came up with... the vit c crystals have a laxative effect as well as being vit c (and helpful for immunity)

    occasionally we have to have a weekend where we don't leave the house and I dose him heavy fri morning and saturday morning... and then he spends sunday on the toilet... but those days are much more rare now that he regularly does his shake

    and we have talked so much about poop... that he knows how to tell when he is going to need a weekend... and he knows that if he doesn't go at least every other day he has to tell me... and he knows he has to drink lots of fluids and chew foods properly and eat veggies :)
  • MoniMoni2u
    MoniMoni2u Posts: 211 Member
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    As for the water issue, you need some kind of written instruction from your doctor. This could be considered a medical issue (if you want it to be at school) so that they can't deny the water. We also had every teacher that he came into contact with during the day fully aware that he was to have access to the bathroom any time he requested. Part of the problem is that the child is not going when the need is there.
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    An apple first thing in the morning on an empty stomach can do wonders for constipation, and probably wouldn't harm her any.
  • JenG_2011
    JenG_2011 Posts: 79 Member
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    I have a 3 and a 4 year old with similar issues. Fiber gummies and lots of water are what we consume on the daily. Good luck!!
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    Give her an activia yogurt every morning.
  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
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    I was thinking water was part of our problem. She only drinks water, no milk. I am unhappy that her teacher won't let her keep water at school. Its because then all of the kids would want water and they will be distracted by it. Think I might have to insist on regular water breaks at school

    Get a note from her doctor saying she needs water with her at school. They can't turn that down.

    In addition, try prune or plum juice, and let her snack on prunes for her fruit. This helped my son.
  • bpwparents
    bpwparents Posts: 359 Member
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    My son has that issue too. Popcorn works well to move things along. I give it to him everyday.
  • onrush
    onrush Posts: 25
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    Our schools allow every single student (including Kindergarten) to bring their very own water bottle at school which is left either at their desk or in the cloak room for easy access throughout the day. So yes you should advocate for that, it is a basic need, especially after playing etc... and helps the teachers because long line ups at water fountains take too much time away from important stuff!
  • cygnetpro
    cygnetpro Posts: 419 Member
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    My daughter was on a miralax-type thing for a while, and it really helped.
  • snarkymom72
    snarkymom72 Posts: 32 Member
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    They have indiviudally wrapped prunes now at the grocery stores that look like candy to a 6 year old. I called them "big raisins".
    I started giving them to my daughter when she had "problems" and she loved them b/c she thought they were such a treat.
    They work like a charm!
  • MoniMoni2u
    MoniMoni2u Posts: 211 Member
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    They have indiviudally wrapped prunes now at the grocery stores that look like candy to a 6 year old. I called them "big raisins".
    I started giving them to my daughter when she had "problems" and she loved them b/c she thought they were such a treat.
    They work like a charm!

    This is great! I did the same thing. He loved prunes and still eats them!
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
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    My nephew has the same problem. He couldn't drink regular milk at all for a long time because of it. Now he just has to have a few cup of Plum Smart juice every day. Regular prune juice did too much but Plum Smart is a little milder. Maybe you could try to limit the dairy for a couple weeks and see how that goes.

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