chronic constipation in 6yo

[JennyClaire]

My six-year-old has always had problems with regularity. He is skinny, and eats less in general than his siblings do. In addition to making sure he eats fruits and veggies and drinks plenty of liquids, we frequently have to give him fiber and laxative supplements. They work, but I just want to make sure we're not covering up an underlying condition. When we don't give him supplements, he can go up to six days without a bowel movement (and strangely, without any discomfort from not having one). I should note that the doctor isn't concerned.

[HRJ]

I would have him tested for celiac and food allergies. There is a new genetic test for celiac that shows if you have any genetic tendencies towards it and doesn't give you an actual diagnosis. But if there are no genetics for it, it is assumed no further testing needs to be done. Or if you didn't want the invasive scopes done, you could try a gluten free diet for a few months and see if that helps. There can be malabsorption issues with celiac and food allergies. My son had horrible constipation before I took him off dairy (which he is allergic to). Now he goes daily - sometimes twice a day.

[JennyClaire]

Thanks, I will look into both of those. He doesn't have any obvious food allergies and is healthy (other than the constipation).