Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Constipation in Children
How can a child's diet help prevent or relieve constipation?
A child should drink water and other fluids, such as fruit and
vegetable juices and clear soups, to help the fiber in his or her diet
work better. This change should make the child’s stools more normal and
regular. A doctor can help you plan a diet with the appropriate amount
of fiber to help treat a child with constipation. A list of high-fiber
foods appears below. Use this table as a tool to help replace less
healthy foods with foods that have fiber.Children ages 1 to 18, depending on their age and sex, should get 14 to 31 grams of fiber a day. Fiber guidelines are not available for infants less than 1 year old, who normally eat little to no solid food yet. Talk with the infant’s doctor about possibly breastfeeding the infant or what kind of foods he or she should eat.
| Examples of Food That Have Fiber | |
|---|---|
| Beans, cereals, and breads | Fiber |
| ½ cup of beans (navy, pinto, kidney, etc.), cooked | 6.2–9.6 grams |
| ½ cup of shredded wheat, ready-to-eat cereal | 2.7–3.8 grams |
| ⅓ cup of 100% bran, ready-to-eat cereal | 9.1 grams |
| 1 small oat bran muffin | 3.0 grams |
| 1 whole-wheat English muffin | 4.4 grams |
| Fruits | |
| 1 small apple, with skin | 3.6 grams |
| 1 medium pear, with skin | 5.5 grams |
| ½ cup of raspberries | 4.0 grams |
| ½ cup of stewed prunes | 3.8 grams |
| Vegetables | |
| ½ cup of winter squash, cooked | 2.9 grams |
| 1 medium sweet potato, baked in skin | 3.8 grams |
| ½ cup of green peas, cooked | 3.5–4.4 grams |
| 1 small potato, baked, with skin | 3.0 grams |
| ½ cup of mixed vegetables, cooked | 4.0 grams |
| ½ cup of broccoli, cooked | 2.6–2.8 grams |
| ½ cup of greens (spinach, collards, turnip greens), cooked | 2.5–3.5 grams |
What should my child avoid eating if he or she is constipated?
If a child is constipated, try not to give him or her too many foods with little or no fiber, such as- cheese
- chips
- fast food
- ice cream
- meat
- prepared foods, such as some frozen meals and snack foods, such as saltine or animal crackers, angel food cake, and vanilla wafers
- processed foods, such as hot dogs or some microwavable dinners, such as pizza, Salisbury steak, and pot pie
-
Treatment for Constipation in Children
How do doctors treat constipation in children?
Parents or caretakers can most often treat a child at home. However,
if a child does not respond to treatment, call the child’s doctor.
Treatment for constipation in children may include changes in eating,
diet, and nutrition; behavioral changes; and enemas and laxatives:
Changes in eating, diet, and nutrition
Changes in a child’s eating, diet, and nutrition can treat constipation. These changes include
- drinking liquids throughout the day. A health care professional can recommend how much and what kind of liquids a child should drink.
- eating more fruits and vegetables.
- eating more fiber.
Behavioral changes
Changing a child’s patterns and behaviors about having bowel movements can help treat constipation. You can help the child by- encouraging older children to use the toilet shortly after meals to build a routine
- using a reward system when children use the bathroom regularly
- taking a break from potty training until the constipation stops
Enemas and laxatives
Some children need to have an enema or take medicines to treat constipation. Most often, a doctor will first recommend using an enema. Cleansing a child’s bowel with an enema flushes water or a laxative into his or her anus using a special squirt bottle, which helps the child pass stool.A doctor may prescribe a laxative for a child to take by mouth until his or her bowel movements are normal. Laxatives clean out the bowel and help a child have a bowel movement. Once a child has better eating and bowel habits, the doctor will recommend stopping the laxative. If you stop giving a child the laxative too soon then the child could become constipated again. You should not give a child laxatives unless told to do so by a doctor.
SOURCE:NIH
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