As miserable for children as adults, constipation does have effective natural remedies that are helpful in many cases.The first cure to consider for constipation in children is simple dietary modifications. Children should be taking in adequate fluids. Many children do not drink enough water. Sometimes, just adding more water to a child's daily routine will help him with constipation.
Adding some apple or pear juice to a child's diet may also help him with constipation. While too much juice can cause a child to not be hungry enough to take in adequate carbohydrate and protein, some juice each day is good for children, especially those prone to constipation. Fresh apple cider is an especially helpful juice constipation.
Prune juice is also very helpful. It should be given in small amounts at first. For children under a year and over six months, only a teaspoon a day at first. For children over a year, just a tablespoon or two each day may be effective.
Prunes, grapes, raisins and berries can be added to the diet. Again, start with less at first as a child is adjusting to different foods.
Certain foods can cause constipation,especially when consumed in large amounts. Milk, cheese and ice cream, white flour, sugar products, and processed foods are common causes of constipation in children.
Some children will avoid using the bathroom in certain settings.
"Holding it," is a cause of constipation. Some children may avoid using public restrooms. A school age child sometimes prefers to wait until he has the comforts of home to relieve himself. If a child has experienced pain during bowel movements, he may be avoiding the pain. Making sure there is plenty of "low stress" time at home will encourage relaxation and may help with this issue. Making sure morning routines before school include enough time for bathroom visits is important. Too often, this time of day is too rushed.
A great remedy for an acute constipation problem is an epsom salt bath. Add one cup of epsom salt to a warm bath and let the child play in the tub for 20 minutes or so. Not only does relaxed play in the tub encourage the body to relax and eliminate, the body absorbs the magnesium in water and that often helps constipation. A child's magnesium supplement would be another option to consider.
Please keep reading below to see what others have found helpful in relieving childhood constipation, and be sure to report back what works for your child!
Additional Pages of Interest:
Constipation Cures for Adults
