Advice From Our Doctors
Staying One Step Ahead of Constipation
Constipation is an uncomfortable issue that commonly plagues kids (and therefore parents). Parents would benefit if they get in the habit, early in their child's life, of managing and even preventing constipation.
Constipation is defined as : hard, infrequent, painful stools that usually involve straining. Of note, if an infant (less than 1 year old) has soft stools then the frequency is not as important (i.e. A soft stool every at least 5 days is satisfactory as long as the baby eats well and is not uncomfortable. However if the stool is HARD then the baby is constipated.) On the other hand, once a child ( >1y.o.) is skipping days of “stooling,” their colon is backing up with stool and heading towards a constipated state. So, in general , don't worry about skipping days of pooping if your child is less than 1year old AS LONG AS the stool is soft; but once the first birthday passes it is preferable that stools happen daily.
So, how does a parent prevent or manage constipation? Mostly by managing your child’s diet. If you know what foods soften stools and which ones harden stools then YOU are more likely to help keep your child “regular.”
The foods that soften stools are: THE "P. FRUITS"-peaches, plums, pears, prunes, apricots, berries, and vegetables.
The foods that harden stools are: Bananas, Bananas, Bananas and starches and cheese. (Bananas are the worst).
So, finesse your child's food intake according to this knowledge. (i.e. if stools are starting to harden or become more infrequent then shift to more "p fruits" and away from bananas.) Be ahead of the constipation so your child doesn't get to a point of severe pain, bloating and dread of having a bowel movement.
For the toilet trained child, sitting on the toilet daily after a meal is imperative. We call this "toilet time". Even if the child doesn't feel the urge to have a bowel movement, the child's colon/rectum needs to learn to relax rather than withhold the stool.
Good luck with being one step ahead of constipation. If you try these methods and your child is still struggling, contact your pediatrician for further guidance.
Rachel Bauer, MD Dr. Rachel Bauer is a board-certified pediatrician and a Fellow of The American Academy of Pediatrics. She is thrilled to be the Pediatric Director of Prima Kids, Prima Medical Group’s Pediatric Practice. She has a specific focus in behavioral issues including sleep and ADHD. She possesses a sincere passion for pediatrics, adores children, and feels a kinship with adolescents. She advocates being a partner with the parent, child and family.
