Could your supermarket dairy case hold the solution for your child's constipation? It's worth considering: Products with probiotics, especially yogurt, are touted as tasty ways to ensure healthy digestion. But a study published in May 2011 raised some doubts about the effectiveness of probiotics for children with chronic constipation. You might want to consider some other steps to relieve your child's problem --- in consultation with your pediatrician.
Kids and Constipation
Constipation may develop when children withhold bowel movements out of stubbornness or don't go when they should because they fear using a toilet away from home, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Stools may become hard and bowel movements painful. You also might observe some blood in your child's stools and some soiling between bowel movements. Constipation tends to run in families, but helping your child develop better bathroom habits can help him avoid long-term constipation problems.
About Probiotics
Your digestive system contains a variety of living micro-organisms, including both harmful and beneficial bacteria. Probiotics are micro-organisms, usually bacteria, similar to the beneficial bacteria that aid digestion and help protect against disease. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine advises that more research is needed on probiotics' potential benefits. Meanwhile, the center regards probiotics as possibly useful for treating many digestive ailments including constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammation.
Yogurt Study
After some promising research in adults, a Dutch study looked at whether probiotic yogurt could help children with persistent constipation. On average, children who ate the probiotic yogurt daily did increase their bowel movements from two to four per week. However, so did those in a comparison group who ate yogurt without probiotics. Lead researcher Dr. Merit M. Tabbers, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Emma Children's Hospital in Amsterdam, said there was not enough evidence to recommend probiotic yogurt for kids with constipation. The study was published in the journal "Pediatrics" on May 23, 2011.
Recommendations
Dr. Tabbers told Reuters Health that some parents still might want to try yogurt with probiotics and that it might help some children. He said it wasn't clear why there was improvement in both groups in the study. One possible factor was the counseling the children received. For example, all were advised to try to use the bathroom after every meal. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that you also encourage your child to drink plenty of water, eat high-fiber foods and get regular exercise. Laxatives are another option, but only after you've discussed the situation with your pediatrician.
