If your child suffers from constipation, changing his diet will help. Constipation can cause hard or dry bowel movements that are difficult or even painful for your child to pass. A normal stool is soft and easy for him to pass. Constipation can lead to abdominal pain, bad breath, gas, headaches and other issues, notes Theresa Roberts in "The ABCs of Bumps and Bruises." Kids who eat diets high in fats and refined sugars often suffer constipation. Adding several foods to his diet, and increasing the amount of fluid he drinks, will help alleviate the problem.
Fruits and Vegetables
Add or increase the amount of fruits and vegetables your child consumes, says Dr. Vincent Iannelli on the Keep Kids Healthy website. This adds needed fiber to her diet. Utilize fruits and vegetables that are raw and unpeeled for best results. Peas, tomatoes and turnip greens are top choices. Also try beans, sweet potatoes and vegetable soups, which also add fluid to her diet. At the same time, decrease the amount of constipation-causing foods your child eats. Some of the top culprits are bananas, cheese, cow's milk, yogurt and cooked carrots, Iannelli says.
Fiber
Swap the white bread for wheat bread, recommends Joni Bosch of the University of Iowa Center for Disabilities and Development. Also switch to bran cereals, whole grain crackers and graham crackers, recommend Dr. William Sears and nurse Martha Sears, authors of more than 40 pediatric books who appear on shows such as Oprah and Good Morning America. Popcorn also is a high-fiber food. Kids sometimes enjoy bran muffins as well. Overall, ensure the grams of fiber your child consumes equals his age in years plus five, Iannelli says. Be careful because feeding your child too much fiber can backfire and cause diarrhea, says Judith E. Brown, lead author for "Nutrition Through Life Cycle."
Flax and Ginger
Add flax to your child's diet because it will help to soften her stools, Roberts recommends. Flax is high in fiber as well as omega-3 fatty acids. Ginger also is a digestive aid. It can be given as tea that will add fluid to your child's daily intake.
Prunes
Feed your child prunes, says Bosch. Prunes are natural laxatives. The easiest way to feed your child prunes is adding 2- to 4-oz. of prune juice to other juices he is drinking, like cranberry, apple or apricot juices. Alternately, try freezing prune juice into a Popsicle for your child to eat. Note that whole prunes also provide fiber. Also, apricot and apple juices also will help soften his stools.
References
- University of Iowa Center for Disabilities and Development: Your Child and Constipation; Joni Bosch; 2001
- Keep Kids Healthy: Constipation Treatment Guide; Vincent Iannelli
- Family Doctor: Constipation in Children
- "Nutrition Through Life Cycle;" Judith E. Brown et al.; 2007
- "ABCs of Bumps and Bruises;" Theresa Roberts; 2008
