Constantly Constipated Toddler

[becca_howell]

DD (3) is constantly constipated (she gets it honestly from me). Her constipation has created an anal fissure that, if her stool is too hard, bleeds like crazy. When people ask me how much, I typically tell them it looks like she's got a period after she poops. Our hands-off pediatrician has sent us to the local children's clinic for treatment by a GI specialist. The GI specialist has told me to give her 2 teaspoons of MOM every night at bedtime. I've had an issue getting the dose "just right". Prescribed dose=diarrhea. Prescribed dose every other day=constipation and bleeding. Half of prescribed dose=softer, but not "oatmeal" consistency the GI doc said she wants.

There has to be something easier on her tummy! She cries her eyes out when I give her the MOM. I mean, come on, it tastes like liquid chalk! Any suggestions?

[babygirlie]

oh no oh no oh no! Poor thing! I have fissures and I cry. It is horribly painful and take forever to heal. Been over a year and I'm still waiting. Yes, lots of blood and can be kind of scary. And then pushing too hard will make more fissures and hemmeroids. Colace stopped working but I discovered Miralax. I thank goodness for it! You can put it in any beverage and they say it has no flavor but I just know it's in there. you need to let it fully dissipate in the beverage though. I am not sure if it's safe for kids though.

[Llyra]

Besides the Miralax (which yeah, would be my first choice over MOM), you might think about dietary interventions. Increasing dietary fats can help a lot, as can a good probiotic and plenty of life-culture foods like yogurt.

My DD1 suffered from severe constipation at that age, and for several years after. Everybody kept telling me she needed more fiber, but that just made it worse. It was increasing the fats that finally got us back on track. We used Miralax for a few months, because she'd gotten so she was scared to go, and was withholding, and then she had soiling issues because of that. So it was a complex thing.

It can be so hard. I remember how DD1's poops kinda like ruled our house, for a long time. Good luck! I hope you find a solution.

[kjbrown92]

It can also be a sign of food intolerances (top offenders are dairy, gluten, soy, and corn). And magnesium can help sometimes (we use the glycinate form here). I believe that constipation is a symptom, not a diagnosis.

[babygrant]

If DS gets dairy he seriously poops rock hard bricks!! He's been hospitalized for bowel impactions. Not fun.

I would eliminate dairy for at LEAST 2 months and see how things go. Make sure you read read read read read to make sure she gets no dairy at all.

I would also do miralax instead of MOM. The miralax mixes right in with juice and doesn't taste at all.