Constipation,Age 11 and Younger - Prevention
Diet
A nonconstipating diet is the best way to prevent constipation. If constipation develops, a nonconstipating diet will help restore normal bowel movements.
For babies younger than 12 months:
- Breast-feed your baby. Constipation is rare in breast-fed babies.
- Make sure you are adding the correct amount of water to your baby's formula.
- For babies ages 6 to 12 months, give an extra 2 fl oz (60 mL) of water twice a day. Instead of water, you can add 2 fl oz (60 mL) to 4 fl oz (120 mL) of fruit juice, such as grape, pear, apple, or cherry juice, twice a day.
- Make sure to add only one new food at a time, and watch for signs of an allergic reaction or food intolerance.
For children age 12 months and older:
- Make sure your child is drinking enough fluids. When the weather gets hot or when your child is getting more exercise, make sure he or she is drinking more fluid.
- Add high-fiber foods.
- Add at least 2 servings of fruit-such as apricots, peaches, pears, raisins, figs, prunes, dates, and other dried fruits-each day.
- Add at least 3 servings of vegetables-such as cooked dried beans or peas (legumes), broccoli, or cauliflower-each day.
- Children older than 4 years may be offered unbuttered, unsalted popcorn as a snack. To avoid choking, do not offer popcorn to children who are younger than 4.
- Increase whole-grain foods, such as bran flakes, bran muffins, graham crackers, oatmeal, brown rice, and whole wheat bread. Offer your child whole wheat bread instead of white bread.
- Make
sure your child is not eating or drinking too many servings of dairy products.
At age 1, a child needs 4 servings a day. Dairy products such as milk, ice
cream, cheese, or yogurt can cause constipation when a child has too many
servings in one day. One serving size of a dairy product is:
- � cup (6 oz) of milk.
- 1 oz of cheese.
- Set a good example for your child by drinking plenty of fluids and eating a high-fiber diet.
Toilet training
Constipation sometimes becomes a problem when children start toilet training:
- Encourage your child to go when he or she feels the urge. The bowels send signals when a stool needs to pass. If your child ignores the signal, the urge will go away, and the stool will eventually become dry and difficult to pass.
- Set aside relaxing times for having bowel movements. Urges usually occur sometime after meals. Establishing a daily routine for bowel movements, such as after breakfast, may help.
- Make sure your child has good foot support while he or she is on the toilet. This will help flex your child's hips and place the pelvis in a more normal "squatting" position for having a bowel movement.
- Make sure your child gets plenty of exercise throughout the day. Set a good example for your child by following healthy routines of eating, exercising, and going to the toilet.
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
Last Updated:
October 06, 2010
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor.
Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this
information.
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
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