It can be difficult to see your toddler in pain as he strains to have a bowel movement. No parent wants to watch their child suffer, but what can you do to help? Most children under 2 are too young to take commercial laxatives, so the best option is to go natural.
There are a variety of ways to naturally stimulate your little one’s bowels without causing any harm. The best way is to avoid constipation problems by reviewing your child’s diet and make sure he is getting enough fiber. Avoid white breads and overly processed foods, since these tend to cause the intestines to freeze up. Instead, aim for whole grain breads and bran cookies which offer both fiber and more nutrition.
Fruit is a wonderful natural laxative and it is one that children usually love. Stay away from bananas, as they tend to block things up more, but any other fruit is fine. Apples are particularly good for loosening the bowels and if your child enjoys them, let him have as much as he wants. Raw apple is fine, but if you prefer, you can give applesauce. While juice is also a good natural laxative, it doesn’t have the fiber that the actual fruit does, so unless your child is refusing to eat fruit, don’t give him juice.
Prunes are notorious for their ability to loosen even the most constipated of intestines and this is very true for small children. Since dried prunes tend to be a choking hazard for toddlers, it is better if you boil them in water and use the pulp mixed with cereal. For children who dislike the skin, you can put the pitted, cooked prunes through a food mill, which will remove the peel.
Since many children drink a bottle at this age, you can mix the formula or milk powder with a natural laxative such as the juice from the cooked prunes. Another good natural bowel loosener is flax water. Simply boil two or three tablespoons of flax seeds in two cups of water for 10 minutes. If the liquid becomes too thick, you may water it down a bit. This is best mixed with milk in a bottle, since the texture leaves much to be desired.
Another trick is to make sure that your toddler is drinking plenty of water. Not juice, not milk, but pure water. A child who refuses to drink plain water can often be coaxed by adding a very small amount of flavoring or food coloring to the water. This helps move things along in the digestive system and ensures that your child stays well hydrated.
If none of the methods above results in relief of the constipation, you may have to take more drastic steps. Glycerin suppositories work well and quickly, but they aren’t usually very popular among the younger set! Should these fail, it will be necessary to take your child to the doctor who can recommend more effective measures.
Constipation is fairly common in small children and is often diet related. By following the tips given above, your toddler should be back to normal within a couple of days, naturally.
