We have all felt the frustration of constipation at some point or another, and for little ones, it’s a common ailment that can be irritating and uncomfortable. It often presents as infrequent and/or hard stools that are dry and difficult to pass. Additionally, it can often manifest as appetite, mood, and behavioural changes in your child.
It’s important to note that while constipation in children is extremely common and often not serious, there are times when it can be a signal that something deeper is going on. Some main red flag symptoms that warrant more investigation include:
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal swelling
- Pain during bowel movements
- Blood or mucus in the stool
- More rarely, rectal prolapse (part of the intestine protruding from the anus)
Monitoring changes in your child’s stool is important, and you should always speak to your primary healthcare provider to investigate potential medical conditions that could be contributing to the constipation.
WHAT IS CONSTIPATION?
Sometimes it can be tough to distinguish if your child is constipated or not; the number of bowel movements per day that are considered normal depends on your child’s age. Below is a breakdown of normal bowel habits by age:
Normal Daily Bowel Movements
-
Newborns: 4 soft bowel movements daily
- First 3 months: 3 soft bowel movements daily (2 if formula-fed)
- 6 months to 1 year: 2 bowel movements daily
- 1–3 years: 1–2 bowel movements daily
- 4 years and up: 1 bowel movement daily
While your child may be having the proper frequency of bowel movements, the consistency of their stool, and experience during a bowel movement, are just as important. If your child’s stool is dry or pebbly and painful or difficult to pass, this may also be considered constipation. A “great” bowel movement can be characterised as smooth and formed with no straining.
3 TIPS TO GET THINGS MOVING
The good news is that constipation can be ameliorated with three very simple interventions that you may already have in your home.
1. Hydration & Diet
A great place, and arguably the most important place to start, is with your child’s hydration. Consuming enough water daily is vital for overall health and well-being, and is also a key player in the consistency of your child’s stool and motility through the bowels. A general rule of thumb is to have your child consume half of their body weight (in fluid ounces) of water per day. For example, a 30-pound child should consume 15 fluid oz per day. If reaching this level of hydration is difficult, consider using some tricks to increase hydration, such as purchasing a fun water bottle for your child or adding a splash of organic juice to their water to add colour and taste.
Diet is another important factor. Adding more fruits and vegetables (make them as colourful as you can) is a great way to kick fibre up a notch and foster a healthy microbiome. Fibre is critical to smooth and regular bowel movements, and it’s recommended children have their age plus five grams per day. For example, a three-year-old child should eat eight grams of fibre each day. Fruits and vegetables such as cucumber, melon, tomatoes, and celery also have high water content and can help improve your child’s hydration status while increasing their fibre. You can also incorporate organic 100 percent pure prune, apple, or pear juice, as they all have great fibre content. Another important consideration is that your child may be experiencing changes in bowel movements due to underlying food sensitivities and allergies. If you suspect this may be the case, it’s important to bring this to the attention of your healthcare provider.
2. Castor Oil
One useful at-home remedy for constipation that can be used for various age groups is castor oil tummy rubs. Castor oil massages on the abdomen help physically facilitate the movement of stool through the bowels. These tummy rubs are also a great relaxation technique and a terrific way to relieve stress for your little one at the end of a long day—which is a win-win, as stress is a major contributor to constipation in many cases.
What You’ll Need
Materials:
- Castor oil
- Old pyjamas/t-shirt
Instructions
- Nightly, before bed apply a loonie-size amount of castor oil directly on your child’s abdomen and massage in a clockwise direction with firm but gentle pressure until it has been completely absorbed
- You can bicycle your child’s legs and squeeze their knees to their belly with 10–15 second holds to encourage stool motility through the bowels and help release trapped gas
Please note: Castor oil is sticky and can stain clothing and linens, so exercise caution and opt for old clothing and bedding (if you use a loonie-size amount, most should absorb and this is often avoided).
3. Nutraceuticals
If diet, hydration, and castor oil tummy rubs don’t seem to be doing the trick (and you have investigated and ruled out other causes with your healthcare provider), some supplements can help push things along and provide relief. Magnesium citrate, an osmotic laxative, has impressive evidence for helping relieve constipation, as do some strains of probiotics. It is critical to discuss supplementation and dosing strategies with your healthcare practitioner before administering them to your child.
Constipation is a common and often mild ailment that many children face; however, it’s critical to investigate ongoing constipation or the red flag symptoms mentioned earlier to ensure nothing serious is contributing to your child’s constipation. Being backed up can be frustrating and irritating, and can influence your child’s overall mood, health, and well-being. By optimizing the foundations of health—like keeping your children active, managing their stress and hydration throughout the day, and promoting a colourful diet full of fibre—their constipation should improve substantially. Added interventions such as castor oil tummy rubs and nutraceuticals are great to consider if your child needs an extra push to get things moving again.
