Diet and Health

Constipation in children is a very difficult issue for the child to deal with and should be remedied as quickly as possible.  Sometimes it is something very simple such as not drinking enough water, other times it is a chronic illness that they will have to deal with throughout their lives.  If your child is experiences constipation you should first check to see if they are drinking enough water.  Do not count things such as soda as part of their daily water intake.  Soda and other drinks with caffeine in them cause the body to need more water.  Children need 6-8 glasses of water per day, spread throughout the day.  Next make sure they are getting enough fiber.  They should be eating a minimum amount of five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.  Nine servings of fruits and vegetables for optimal health. 
If your child is still constipated and you know that they have had plenty of water and fiber, you should then look into the possibility of constipating foods.  Some foods that are constipating to children are meat and milk.  Try eliminating meat and milk from their diet to see if that helps. 
Next you will want to look into the possibility of an allergy.  There could be another food or medication in their diet that is causing the constipation.  Work with your doctor to try and pinpoint the culprit.
There are a few quick remedies to relieve constipation.  These remedies should not be used on a continual basis but only for an individual occurrence. The first is mineral oil.  Giving your child a tablespoon of mineral oil should get things moving.  You can even mix it into their food if you need to.  Another remedy is a suppository or enema.  Both of these methods will cause some slight discomfort and the possibility of diarrhea.  The third instant remedy is an over the counter fiber, such as Metamucil or Citrucel.  Citrucel is completely clear and your child will not know it is in their drink.  Metamucil has some fiber cookies children can eat.  The problem with using a fiber supplement is that they will make your child feel like they need to go all the time and they may cause some diarrhea.  Also it may take several days to become regular.
To sum things up, give your child water and fruit throughout the day to keep them regular.  If constipation arises first try mineral oil, it has little or no bad side effects.
If your child continues to have a problem he or she may be suffering from chronic constipation.  Ask their doctor for help.

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