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I struggle with a 6 year old w/constipation issues. Any suggestions on what to do? I have tried more fruits and veggies, but they usually end up the garbage, more fluids etc. We were on Miralax but have since been removed due to some Nerurological issues. I am struggling what to do for him.
A blog on Constipation is what I am looking for teh new year :(
Okay, Christine. I’ll work on a post about constipation. It’s COMMON in children of all ages and stems from a myriad of causes. Look for it in the coming month!
For now my 30 second advice:
1) Keep doing what you are doing! Working on taking bulk/natural fiber/hydration are key. Don’t give up or let up on those efforts
2 Restrict dairy products. Even some 6 years olds reach for dairy for comfort. In the end, your child needs 2-3 sources of calcium daily, but no more dairy is essential. Limit milk to about 16 oz daily.
3) Great hydration may help, and will never hurt.
4) Behavioral changes are essential. Have your 6 year old (if able) sit on the toilet after EVERY meal and try to stool. There is a natural reflex (called gastrocolic) that causes the bowels to move after you fill your stomach. Work to take advantage of it by trying to poop after every meal. Goal of 1-2 soft poops daily.
5) Lastly, there are other medications for constipation that you can talk with your pediatrician about. But diet and habit change are by far the best remedy.
Okay, more later… :-
Hi Seattle Mama Doc! We made a video about vaccine rejectionism that you might get a kick out of: http://zdoggmd.com/2011/01/a-pestilence-league-of-their-own/
Happy New Year, keep up the great work!
I’d be interested in your (and your readers’) take on what
social media are doing to the doctor/patient relationship, if
anything — good, not-so-good, bad. Or is there even such a thing
as a doctor/patient relationship anymore? Are patients really
clients, as some administrators encourage us to regard them, and
are physicians best thought of as vendors delivering (or selling) a
product to clients? I don’t really think so, but I’m in the geezer
class of docs; I wonder both what you youngsters and the families
of your patients (clients?) think about it.
Great idea, Dr Johnson. I will work on a post and it will be great to hear from readers. Look for it in the coming weeks.
Happy New Year!
I am with Christine. Our 3.5 year old has been potty trained (through the night since before she was 2). She had a painful BM at some point recently and now is terrified to go. Last Monday she had her tonsils and adenoids out at Children’s and was prescibed a painkiller so I asked also for miralax. It hasn’t helped! We’ve had it every day since the 27th and I finally put in a suppository on Sunday. Her stool was rock hard and she was crying. I felt horrible. Now that we’re done with the pain meds I am sure that situation will improve but not sure how to get her over her fear. Do I use the glycerine suppositories everyday until I “prove” to her that it won’t hurt?
other topics:
toddlers refusing to eat veggies
Liz,
You can use the glycerin supp daily for up to a week without significant complications. Talk with your pediatrician if you feel you need to use them longer. If it helps your 3 1/2 stop holding the poop in (due to pain), they may get some relief.
Further, using Miralax properly is important. Miralax needs water around to be effective. When giving Miralax, make sure it is dissolved in 6-8 ounces of clear (transparent) liquid like water with juice, NOT MILK.
Hope things get better this week!
Thanks! Also, just thought of one other thing…Gummy
Vitamins. What do you think about ’em?
What about fissure’s? Babies getting them sometimes when
they start on rice and fruits and veggies. What to do if they do
get one and how to help them with the pain???
A post on getting kids to try new foods (vegetables
included) would be great. I’d love more ideas for my picky eater
who doesn’t respond to sticker charts and the like. I’ve got a
bunch of ideas for you :) Baby Friendly Hospitals (is Children’s
one??), Post Partum Depression, finding GOOD sources of information
online, the debate around BPA. And just yesterday at our
pediatrician’s office I noticed a festive winter display of cute
snowmen filled with free bottles of formula (basically an ad for a
formula company’s give-away that the doctor’s office put together).
They consider themselves very “pro-breastfeeding” so this
frustrates me. A post about the WHO Code and formula marketing
would be great. In my experience, there’s A LOT of misinformation
and bad advice about breastfeeding coming from pediatricians. And
they lack experience and training in this area and research shows
the important role care providers have in the success of
breastfeeding for moms & babies.
I’d love to see more posts about adolescents. Especially detailing why it is important to keep having annual check-ups, what exactly is covered when the parents are out of the room, information about the teen booster vaccinations, and clarification about the laws surrounding adolescent confidentiality. Also, when and how do we start talking about sex, puberty, drugs and all the other bad things that they will be exposed to in middle/high school. Thanks!
Dr. Swanson,
Please post about male infant genital cutting. You can skip the so called “studies,” though, and get to the real point — do parents have the *right* to request non-therapeutic infant genital cutting? Do doctors have the *right* to carry out that request given it is non-medical in nature? If so, why only in boys — why not girls too?
Thanks!
All the best,
Barefoot Intactivist
How do I as a parent balance a desire to actively pursue natural care, minimizing unnecessary intervention without being manipulated by buzz words. What are some other good resources to help in the journey of pursuing natural care, best treatment, practical solutions… all without throwing out traditional methods simply because there is a “new, organic way.”
Children and emotional needs. What’s normal, what’s not, when to be concerned as well as what can we as parents do to reassure, comfort and soothe them.
Also any information on childhood anxiety.
Also maybe something on Vitamins that all children need and how much we should be giving them. What foods can we find them in. Also what purpose and influence those vitamins have on our growth and sustaining our everyday life.