What should my child eat and drink if he or she is constipated?
Have your child eat enough fiber. Have him or her drink plenty of liquids to help the fiber work better.
Fiber
Depending on your child’s age and sex, he or she should get 14 to 31 grams of fiber a day.2 Fiber guidelines are not available for infants less than 1 year old. Your child’s doctor can tell you what kinds of foods your infant should eat and whether you can try making changes to his or her formula or breast milk.
Talk with your child’s doctor to plan meals with the right amount of fiber for your family. Be sure to add fiber to your family’s diet a little at a time so everyone gets used to the change.
whole grains, such as whole wheat bread and pasta, oatmeal, and bran flake cereals
legumes, such as lentils, black beans, kidney beans, soybeans, and chickpeas
fruits, such as berries, apples with the skin on, oranges, and pears
vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, green peas, and collard greens
nuts, such as almonds, peanuts, and pecans
Plenty of water
If your child is dehydrated, have your child drink plenty of water and other liquids, such as naturally sweetened fruit and vegetable juices and clear soups, to help the fiber work better.
Drinking enough water and other liquids also helps avoid dehydration. Staying hydrated is good for a family’s overall health and can help avoid constipation. Ask your child’s doctor how much liquid your child should drink each day based on his or her size, health, activity level, and the climate where your family lives.
What should my child avoid eating or drinking if he or she is constipated?
To help prevent or relieve constipation, your child should avoid foods with little to no fiber, such as
chips
fast food
meat
prepared foods, such as some frozen meals and snack foods
processed foods, such as hot dogs or some microwavable dinners
Feed your child a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other foods high in fiber, which can help form soft stools. Encourage your child to drink water. Drinking enough water helps keep stool from hardening. Other fluids may help, but watch the calories.
Feed your child a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other foods high in fiber, which can help form soft stools. Encourage your child to drink water. Drinking enough water helps keep stool from hardening. Other fluids may help, but watch the calories.
Often making changes in your child's diet will help constipation. Help your child to eat more fiber by: Adding more fruits and vegetables. Adding more whole-grain cereals and breads.
While chocolate is constipating to some people, cocoa or components of it might actually help with constipation in other people. In a 2006 study , researchersgave cocoa husks, which are the outsides of the cocoa beans that are discarded during chocolate production, to chronically constipated children.
Increasing the amount of fiber in your child's diet by adding more fruits and vegetables or adding more whole grain cereals and breads. Learn more about good sources of fiber. Offering your child fruit juice instead of soft drinks. Encouraging your child to drink more fluids, especially water.
If an accumulation of fecal material creates a blockage, your child's doctor may suggest a laxative or enema to help remove the blockage. Examples include polyethylene glycol (GlycoLax, MiraLax, others) and mineral oil.
The BRAT diet ― bananas, rice, applesauce and toast ― is one dietitians recommend for a range of digestive issues, and it can help with both constipation and diarrhea.
Watermelon. Watermelon doesn't boast the most impressive fiber content, but it is high in one thing that helps us poop: water. The refreshing fruit contains about 92 percent water, which can encourage bowel movements.
For infants and small children, massaging the abdomen and bicycling the legs are great measures to help pass stools. It's safe and not too traumatic for the child or parent. Use natural laxatives. Foods that help with constipation in kids include prunes, apples and pears.
Peanut butter is a great source of dietary fiber, plant protein and unsaturated fats, which make it a helpful tool for preventing and relieving constipation. Besides peanut butter, you can also add fruits, nuts, vegetables, whole grains and legumes to your diet to up your fiber intake and prevent constipation.
Fried or highly processed foods. Eating large or frequent portions of fried or highly processed foods may also increase the risk of constipation. Examples include frozen pizza, canned chili, and french fries. That's because these foods tend to be high in fat and low in fiber, a combination that can slow digestion.
Treatments: The optimal treatment regimen of encopresis involves both a medical and behavioral approach. The treatment goals will likely be multifold: To establish regular bowel habits in the child. To increase amount of liquids and high-fiber foods in the child's diet.
Eat high-fiber foods such as whole-wheat grains, fresh vegetables, and beans. Use products containing psyllium, such as Metamucil, to add bulk to the stools. Try to drink 2 to 3 liters of fluid a day (unless you have a medical condition that requires you to restrict your fluid intake).
Diets high in fiber usually help, but sometimes can worsen constipation if your child does not drink enough water with a high-fiber diet. Check with your healthcare provider about how much fiber and fluids your child may need every day. Plan to serve your child's meals on a regular schedule.
Researchers looking at 14 studies investigating the effects of probiotics in people with constipation found that probiotics increased the participants' weekly bowel movements and made pooping easier. Another study of 30 people with constipation had similar results.
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