18 Month Old Always Constipated

[Unregistered]

I have an 18 month old DCG who has major constipation issues. As a baby she did not have any problems, but when she hit around one year old, she has been chronically constipated. We thought maybe it was due to cow's milk, so mom took her off of that. Mom has been taking her to a chiropractor regularly and giving her probiotics to try and help. This seemed to help for a bit, but lately it has become an every day problem. The pediatrician does not see this as a big issue and hasn't given ideas of how to help it other that suggesting giving her miralax. Mom doesn't want to do that because she wants a long term solution, not a temporary fix.
I am getting frustrated with the situation because this little one is miserable and struggles all day to go and is in obvious pain because of it. She is unhappy most days lately because all she is doing is trying to poop without any success and watching this day after day makes me feel so bad for her. Any ideas on what else to try for her? Would you send her home because of the situation?

[Cat Herder]

Is she getting enough fiber in her diet? How is she drinking?

[AmyKidsCo]

What does she normally eat?

I've got a 2 yr old who's not constipated, but has really hard poo on Mondays that are soft by Friday. I only serve whole grains, little sugar, few processed foods, and the ones I serve are whole grain and/or organic.

I'd try switching to whole grains, pushing water or watered down juice, and reducing processed foods. See if that helps.

[LysesKids]

I have an 18 month old DCG who has major constipation issues. As a baby she did not have any problems, but when she hit around one year old, she has been chronically constipated. We thought maybe it was due to cow's milk, so mom took her off of that. Mom has been taking her to a chiropractor regularly and giving her probiotics to try and help. This seemed to help for a bit, but lately it has become an every day problem. The pediatrician does not see this as a big issue and hasn't given ideas of how to help it other that suggesting giving her miralax. Mom doesn't want to do that because she wants a long term solution, not a temporary fix.
I am getting frustrated with the situation because this little one is miserable and struggles all day to go and is in obvious pain because of it. She is unhappy most days lately because all she is doing is trying to poop without any success and watching this day after day makes me feel so bad for her. Any ideas on what else to try for her? Would you send her home because of the situation?

I had a dcg whose food allergies caused severe constipation & intestinal issues... she got tested by an allergist at age 24 months & the foods were removed from her diet; she was so much better after that & it's rare that she has issues (when she accidentally eats something she shouldn't). Her baby brother is the same way but NOT near as allergic to so much as older sister - he gets constipated when he eats something he is allergic to

[Ariana]

Is mom now giving her dairy? Why did her progress stop? All dairy causes constipation so it all needs to be cut out. We all know dairy is 75% of most kids diet! Probiotics are also good and making a smoothie with greens mixed in is a good idea as well as lots of fruit and berries.

[Unregistered]

She drinks very well. A lot of almond milk and water. She is a good eater as well. I serve a variety of fruits, veggies, and whole grains with the meals throughout the week.

[Unregistered]

I should probably clarify. What I meant by it getting better for a while was that she wasn't completely miserable and crying because of the struggle, but poop has always (since 1yr old) been a big hard ball when it comes out. It seemed like it wasn't quite as much of a struggle for awhile.

[Blackcat31]

Just passing along some info I have about this:

What is not considered normal?

Painful bowel movements
Abdominal pain
Blood in the stool
Feeling of incomplete evacuation
Hard stools
Straining
Fecal soiling
Weight loss
Vomiting
Problems with growth and development
What Causes Constipation?

Organic disorders causing constipation are rare, but include:

Hirschsprung Disease
Cystic Fibrosis
Metabolic diseases
Thyroid disease
Spinal cord abnormalities
Malformations of the anus or rectum
Diabetes
Celiac disease
Lead toxicity
Medication side effects (antidepressants, ADHD drugs, antacids, narcotics)

[Ariana]

If she is eating lots of produce and drinking lots of liquids then I would definitely ask her parents to take her in for tests. It is definitely not normal and is kind of sad for a kid to suffer this much without anyone doing anything about it.

I would recommend a naturopathic dr and also an allergist.

[LysesKids]

If she is eating lots of produce and drinking lots of liquids then I would definitely ask her parents to take her in for tests. It is definitely not normal and is kind of sad for a kid to suffer this much without anyone doing anything about it.

I would recommend a naturopathic dr and also an allergist.

See it was the alot of fruit and certain veggies causing my dcg issues... including apples tomatoes and mushrooms; turned out she was also dairy and soy intolerant. she loves fresh but her favorites were actually hurting her

[Unregistered]

Magnesium supplement!

[LysesKids]

Magnesium supplement!

This would have been totally devastating to my daycare child because of the reason behind the constipation... how about a DR visit first to rule out medical issues before giving Magnesium. I mean the child in question is under 2 years old still

[Unregistered]

She said Dr was not concerned.

[Unregistered]

This would have been totally devastating to my daycare child because of the reason behind the constipation... how about a DR visit first to rule out medical issues before giving Magnesium. I mean the child in question is under 2 years old still

She said the pediatrician is not concerned so that is why i suggested the natural route. Magnedium has done wonders for my child and children I know with the same issues.

[hwichlaz]

mirilax can also be a long term solution


I have a little guy on tube feeds, he gets a half dose every day or he gets stopped up because of his high iron diet.