If your child is having less than three bowel movements a week, she is constipated, according to FamilyDoctor.org. Don't worry if your child is not as regular as you may hope. By changing your child's diet slightly, you can help her pass stool more regularly. Give her foods to help with constipation.
Olive Oil
If your child is a picky eater, he may feel nervous about a change in his diet. Luckily, he doesn't need to know you've started cooking with a different oil to get his bowels moving. Cooking foods your child already eats in olive oil may help reduce constipation, according to KidsHealth.org. Drizzling olive oil on salads, bread or pasta also may help relieve your child's constipation and let him pass hard stools more easily.
Bran and Oatmeal
Incorporating bran into your child's diet will bulk up her stool, making it easier and more comfortable to pass. If your child likes the taste of bran cereal, feed it to her in the morning. If she would rather eat her usual cereal, stir a teaspoon of bran powder into it. Whether your child is eating hot or cold cereal, adding bran may help get her bowels moving, according to BabyCenter.com. If your child is set against eating bran of any kind, eating oatmeal also may aid her constipation, according to KidsHealth.org.
Fruit and Veggies
If your child doesn't eat enough fruits and vegetables, it may result in constipation. Offer your child a variety of nutritious snacks that are fun to eat, such as strawberries, blueberries and carrot sticks with peanut butter. This will add more fiber to his diet, which may help eliminate constipation. If your little one won't touch fruits or vegetables with a 10-foot pole, shred them into foods he already loves, such as macaroni and cheese or spaghetti.
