5 Ways To Prevent Constipation in Toddlers

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Dolapo Marinho

A friend once told me a story about how as a toddler, she got such a bad bout of constipation that her mum had to use tweezers to literally unplug her from her ordeal! It became their family joke but yes, constipation can be as serious as that, especially in smaller children. It can be extremely distressing to see a child suffering from constipation and often, parents are at a loss as to how to help. The most common causes are due to diet and behavioural habits. The good news though is many of us have the power to change our habits!

Here are 5 tips to help banish constipation from your toddler’s life!

1. DIET MAKEOVER!

Nowadays, children have before them an avalanche of food choices. Even though we parents know about balanced diets and the need to avoid simple sugars, the stresses and strains of child rearing and life means we sometimes opt for the easiest options. Many toddlers are now consuming vast amounts of convenience foods every day, from breakfast cereals, pack lunch drinks and snacks and instant noodles. The effect is a massive shortage of dietary fibre in the body. Fibre or roughage is essential for the healthy movement of food waste from the bowel.

Top Tip – Make sure your toddler has at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. This could easily be done with baked beans in the morning, an apple in the lunch box, an orange after school and mixed vegetable meatballs for dinner!

Avoid bananas! This can add to the problem, for some kids.

2. WHEN YOU GOTTA GO, YOU GOTTA GO.

Many kids that have mild constipation begin to dislike going to the toilet. They hope that the urge will disappear so they do not have to deal with the discomfort. The trouble with that is, the longer the stool stays in the bowel, the more water is absorbed from it, making it even more difficult and painful to pass! This is one of the behavioural causes of chronic constipation and parents have to be in tune with their child to understand what is happening.

If you find that your toddler is withholding, talk to her and explain that she needs to make sure she goes to the toilet as soon as she feels the urge! Even if it’s in the middle of an episode of Sofia the 1st!

Do an experiment – get an old pair of tights and cut in half. Roll 2 balls of playdough. Leave one ball of playdough to dry out completely and go hard. Oil the softer ball of playdough and place one ball in each of the tights. Ask your toddler to push the soft playdough through the tights while you push the other one. The hard ball will snag on the tights and be difficult to push through. This is a perfect, visual way to explain what is happening inside when she does not go when she needs to!

3. GET ACTIVE

The human body thrives when it is active. The lungs suck fresh air in, the heart pumps perfectly oxygenated blood round the body allowing it’s vital systems to work effectively. The digestive system is one system that greatly benefits from body movement and exercise. Toddlers that are encouraged to run around and exercise are generally less plagued by constipation. If you find that your child is sedentary and constipated, simply adding some exercise to his daily routine could spell the end of his toilet woes!

4. WATER…e no get enemy!

Constipation and dehydration go hand in hand. Drinking lots of water once constipated however, is not an effective remedy. It is therefore essential to keep your toddler hydrated at all times. The best way to do this is to make sure he has adequate water intake. Reduce the amount of sugary drinks and juices, don’t be fooled by the claims of freshly squeezed juice. Many supposedly healthy juice drinks are made from concentrates and still contain high levels of sugar.
Train your child to love water from an early age. Draw up a water chart and ask your toddler to tick a box every time he takes a drink. Award a sticker at the end of every day, (if the right number of boxes have been ticked) and give him a treat at the end of the week!

5. WHEN all else fails…

If despite all your efforts you still have a screaming, irritable, miserable child, then you might have to pop over to your family doctor for assistance. Your doctor will most likely prescribe a mild laxative that will soften your toddlers motions and help her resume regular, pain free bowel movements. Remember though, that without a change in diet and behaviour, you may well find yourself back to square one!

Prevention is better than cure, get your little bundle of joy, eating right, drinking right, exercising right and pooping right!