A Guide For Parents Fighting Constipation Toddler Issues

By Amy Gibson

One of the most frustrating problems a parent needs to deal with is constipation toddler problems. Constipation pain with toddlers can be brought back to four reasons:

* Consuming food that don't contain enough fibers * Drinking more milk than the recommended daily amount (12-16 oz.) * Not drinking enough water * Waiting to long to go to the bathroom, or ignoring it all together

And here's the kicker. Once you start recognizing the constipation symptoms your child suffers, you'll also start noticing that they are holding bowel movements. The reason being is that their stools have become hard and painful and they end up holding it in to avoid the pain.

You want to learn what constipation treatment will help your toddler regain soft comfortable stools again? Stay with me and read on.

First of all you should start focusing on what your toddler is eating and drinking during the day.

What do I mean:

1. Juice, milk and water - make sure you are giving your toddler enough. Dehydration will make stools harder, especially during hot weather.

The best way to check if your toddler has enough to drink is checking how often it urinates. If your child goes to the toilet at least once every three hours you're good.

2. Fibers are essential to prevent constipation. Fresh fruit and vegetables are high in fiber. Give your toddler at least 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit every day.

Do you have a picky eater in your house? Try to feed him breakfast bars and cereals that are high in fiber. Also apples, bananas and peanut butter can help when treating constipation toddler issues.

Also, to help stools absorb more water, you can give your child supplemental fiber such as Metamucil that allows fecal matter to flow gently through the colon.

3. You could give your child 2 tsps of vegetable oil every day. This will add a coating to the stool which helps it slide through the intestines much easier.

Increase by 1tsp every other day until your childs stool is soft and the rectum has healed. Understand that mineral oil will taste disgusting to your child, so mix it with a shake, juice, ice cream or even Jell-O.

4. Get into the routine of having your child sit on the toilet for 5 to 10 minutes after eating. Its important that your child get out of the habit of resisting the urge to go to the bathroom due to the pain. This only makes stools harder.

When you follow these guidelines you wont have to battle with constipation toddler issues for much longer. More fiber, avoid dehydration, mineral oil and setting a new bathroom routine are all you may need to give your child a sense of relief and comfort. - 30224

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