Learn about natural laxatives for kids’ constipation to give them quick relief, without the use of Miralax as a stool softener.
Constipation has been an issue in my house for the last 3.5 years. It is a huge thorn in my side and frustrates me often. As an occupational therapist that specializes in feeding, I knew well about constipation and the effects it can have on a child’s eating habits. I know more than the basics to help with constipation, which I will share here, but in my case, it wasn’t enough.
My son’s constipation was chronic and unceasing. I had to dig deeper so that he could get off his dependence of Miralax that started before he was 2 years old.
In my son’s case, his constipation began after transitioning to cow’s milk from breast milk as a young toddler. At it’s worst, he had sharp referral pain in his back, which was frightening. At that time, we put him on Polyethylene Glycol (PEG for short, or Miralax as you likely know it) an over-the-counter stool softener.
He was on it daily until about 6 months ago when I started to realize he wasn’t growing out of this, which had been several years at this point. I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep him on it indefinitely and couldn’t believe that much time had passed with daily use.
Although the doctors assured me that it was totally safe, after more than 2 years, I decided to do some of my own research. I was shocked to learn that although no major incidents or side effects have been reported, it has never been approved by the FDA for use in kids or for use on a long-term basis.
Miralax, and many other stool softeners, are not absorbed into the body, but keep water with the bowel as it is being digested, thus freeing a child of constipation.
Please know that my intent here is not to attack Miralax, for some kids, it is necessary and at times, it has been a miracle for us. BUT – I couldn’t help wondering, aren’t there other solutions, especially when this is a long term problem?
What natural laxatives for kid’s constipation were available? You can find out here…
UPDATE: As our journey has continued, we’ve added even more quick relief for kids’ constipation in this follow up post: Chronic Constipation in Kids
Causes of Constipation in Kids
First, we have to talk about the causes of constipation, as an OT, I’m always thinking about what the underlying cause is of any challenge a child faces. Constipation is no different. Here are some of the most common causes of constipation in kids:
1. Genetics – Unfortunately, for some kids, it is in the genes, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t potential for them to grow out of it.
2. Diet – Processed foods, low fiber foods, mostly white bread products, and frequent consumption of the foods on the list to avoid below.
3. Intolerance to dairy or wheat or both – An intolerance is different than an allergy and some kids may have difficulty digesting wheat or dairy, which slows down their elimination. Dairy is more likely and often moderating it and eliminating cow’s milk is a winning combination.
4. Holding it in – Some kids actually hold it in because they don’t like how the poop feels coming out or they had a previously painful movement. This can snowball quickly and the longer that they hold it in, the worse it becomes. I’ll talk about this more in the next section.
5. Poor Chewing – If your child doesn’t chew their food well or has difficulty chewing and swallows large pieces of food, it could contribute to constipation because the food isn’t broken down enough when it enters and then exits the stomach into the intestines.
6. Picky Eating – With a diet limited in fruits and veggies, constipation is a likely outcome. But, constipation can also cause picky eating. If a child is backed up, then there isn’t a lot of room to get more food into their stomach so they will often refuse to eat.
If you feel your child isn’t getting enough variety and may be a picky eater, I’d recommend starting with my free picky eating workshop! You’ll learn 3 keys you can start utilizing today to tackle picky eating.
7. Poor Water Intake – A low amount of water makes it difficult to move the poop through the intestines. Kids need to drink half their body weight in ounces of water daily. A 50lb kid, needs 25 ounces baseline. If they exercise, sweat, or it’s hot outside, they’ll need more. A major factor in a recent trip to the emergency room because of my son’s severe constipation on the 4th of July was not drinking enough water in the heat.
8. Low Muscle Tone – Kids’ muscle tone can actually affect their ability to push poop out and if this is the cause, too much fiber can make it more difficult for them to poop. Read more about low tone here.
22 Natural Laxatives for Kids’ Constipation
Natural laxatives for kids’ constipation can come in the way of foods, natural supplements, or even some techniques as you’ll learn about below.
First and foremost, start with food because your child is eating anyways. Some of these foods may be difficult to get into your child if they’re a picky eater. If that is the case, don’t try to lay down the law, slowly start to introduce these foods in fun and playful ways to get your kids interested. Keep serving them as you consider some of the natural supplements in the mean time.
Foods that are Natural Laxatives for Kids:
- Pears
- Avocados
- Prune juice
- Pear juice
- Psyllium husk powder – mix in a teaspoon or tablespoon into your child’s hot cereal or make a bread or pizza crust with it. This is a strong natural laxative!
- Peas
- Broccoli
- Barley
- Lentils
- Beans, especially black beans – add to burgers, rice, or soup
- Oatmeal
- High Fiber Bread
- Flax Seed Meal – add a tablespoon to yogurt, hot cereal, or breads
Many of these food are naturally high in fiber, for more ideas, head over to Tasty High Fiber Foods for Kids. In general, anytime your child is having a carb swap in a whole wheat version because it usually works as a natural laxative. Whole wheat pasta, cereals, and breads are often readily available.
However, you can’t always assume that because something is whole grain, whole wheat, or brown rice that there is fiber. Also, there are a lot of high fiber products that don’t necessarily fit into those categories either, so it is really important to read the label.
I’d try to avoid buying foods that have anything less than 2 grams of fiber.
That may sound overwhelming, but there are so many options now when it comes to breads, pretzels, crackers, etc. You will also want to try and maximize the fiber, don’t just stop at 2 grams. Keep flipping over boxes and bags until you find the highest number. Of course, the natural sources of fiber are superior because many of the high fiber products add processed fiber.
Supplements that are Natural Laxatives for Kids
14. Fiber Advance Gummies For Kids – When we started to back off of Miralax, I was happy to have found an all natural fiber gummy that I give to my kids. There are very few ingredients and no sugar. My kids love them.
15. Fletcher’s Gentle Laxative Kids – Several readers have found this to be a helpful natural laxative for quick relief.
– A Facebook fan recommended this, and we tried it with some success. Before using this with your child, I’d check with your doctor for dosage.
20. Water – As I mentioned above, get the water in! Have a cup ready to go at the start of your day and readily available all day long. Give gentle reminders as needed. Also, take water with you everywhere so they can drink in the car or running errands.
21. Tummy Rub for Constipation – Having your child lie on their back and with a little lotion, rubbung their intestines in a circular motion can stimulate the bowels to get moving. Get full directions for a “poop massage”, these stomach rubs can take just a few minutes and be highly effective.
22. Wellement’s Organic Baby and Toddler Constipation Support – If you have toddler or baby, this natural relief supplement has incredible reviews and is completely all natural.
**It’s important to note that if your child is SEVERELY constipated, you should talk to their doctor. It’s critical that they get relief and will likely have to rely on Miralax or Restorolax in very large doses to clean them out and then for sometime afterwards. When my son went to the ER, after 2 enemas, he also drank some 10 capfuls of Miralax to completely clean him out.
Depending on your child’s age and weight, this amount will have to modified. Don’t follow that guideline, I only share it show how much they may need initially. If you aren’t getting the answers or support from your doctor, get a second opinion, see a pediatric gastroenterologist, and/or head to emergent care to get immediate support.
Timing Matters for Constipated Kids that Need Quick Relief
Sooooo many kids hold it when they have to go because they are somewhere they would rather not “go” or they don’t want to run in from outside or stop in the middle of playing.
Missing those cues can have a huge impact on how constipated your kid gets. If you happen to be staring at your kid at that moment, you might catch the signal and can rush them off anyways, but sometimes, they hide it well and often we miss that quick moment.
The solution is to have them sit on the toilet at the same time everyday. The best time is usually within 15 minutes after they eat. I try very hard not to turn toilet time into something negative or worse, a power struggle.
I need to give my son lots of warnings throughout the meal (“As soon as you’re done, go and pick out your book for the potty.”) and mornings usually work really well. When we are on top of this, it is very helpful.
If you’re still struggling with potty training and/or withholding, check out The Potty Training + Toileting Problems Toolkit: For Kids with Sensory Needs in the Your Kid’s Table shop, It’s full of amazing information to help tackle the constipation battle when sensory issues are a factor!
Foods to Avoid for Quick Relief of Kids’ Constipation
As a feeding therapist, I hate to tell kids there are foods they can’t or shouldn’t eat. At four years old, I did begin to explain to my son that these were foods we could only eat sometimes because they made it much harder for him to poop – can’t say I liked doing that, but he gets it. None of these things are totally off limits, but I do limit them as much as possible.
- Bananas
- Marshmallows
- Ice cream
- Cheese
- Rice Krispy treats
- Rice cakes (unless they are brown rice and have a few grams of fiber)
- Applesauce
- White rice
- White bread products/crackers/pretzels
Hope for Kids with Constipation…
Figuring out what’s causing your child’s constipation will be helpful in overcoming it. It will likely take time for your child’s intestines to shrink back to their regular size in the mean time.
If something is working in your house that I didn’t list here, PLEASE share so that it can help others! Be sure to check out more ways to ease constipation from The Constipation Gurus, a brilliant physical therapist and dietician team that are working to help kids suffering with constipation.
How to Start Tackling Picky Eating
If you believe your child is struggling with constipation even partly due to picky eating, grab our free Picky Eating Essentials printable, it includes 9 important steps to improve eating and 25+ food ideas for picky eaters.
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Alisha Grogan is a licensed occupational therapist and founder of Your Kid’s Table. She has over 18 years experience with expertise in sensory processing and feeding development in babies, toddlers, and children. Alisha also has 3 boys of her own at home. Learn more about her here.
Oh man – I wish I would have seen this a year ago! My guy is about to turn 4 and we are still using miralax several times a week and still having potty training problems. We did figure out the dairy component about six months ago, and that made a huge difference for us. We have also found popcorn to be a great source of fiber that both my boys love! Thank you so much for sharing your story – at least it is so nice to know we are not alone, and it’s great to have a few more ideas to try!
thanks!!!!
You might need a stool softener, not a laxative. I had oral surgery and was prescribed amoxicillin (antibiotic) and endocet (pain reliever containing acetaminophen and oxycodone). In the patient prescription information for endocet it lists constipation as a possible side effect, and goes on to say “To prevent constipation, eat a diet adequate in fiber, drink plenty of water, and exercise.” I had not had side effects from medication before that I can remember, and unfortunately, I did not read all of this prior to using this medication. After the surgery I became severely constipated.
I had not eaten anything for several days, so when my bowl movements stopped I did not notice. Rarely in my life have I been constipated. Once I started eating again, I became uncomfortable within a few days and realized that I was constipated. I tried prune juice, laxatives such as Ex-Lax, Phillips Milk of Magnesia, SenokotXtra, and a self-administered rectal suppository. Nothing worked. Days were going by and I was becoming extremely uncomfortable and was very close to going to the emergency room for a rectal water enema. I decided to call my doctor (general practitioner) first to ask his advice, but he was on vacation so I spoke to another doctor in the office. I related the story above. Although I was seeking advice on what over the counter medication I should take, I was advised instead to go to the emergency room and have an x-ray because I might have a tumor. Of course, I thought that was ridiculous. I did not suddenly develop a tumor. Although I had not read it, it seemed to me my problem was the result of taking pills for several days while not eating much of anything. Then I called a pharmacist, who then recommended medications that I had already taken. No new ideas there either. Finally I called the oral surgeon who operated on me. This seemed at the time to be an odd question for him, but I was getting desperate.
He immediately said I needed a stool softener and recommended Colace. He said such problems were common in hospitals and this is what patients were often given. I bought it, took it, went for a long walk around the neighborhood and periodically walked around the perimeter of the backyard for 15 minutes at a time, and in 12-18 hours began to have relief. The stool came out in hard compact clay-like nuggets. It was difficult and a bit painful to pass and I squatted in the shower to do it, but once the process started I experienced relief in increments over the next 12 hours.
My goodness. What an ordeal. Glad you were able to find advice that worked and will look into stool softener for my child.
Baby constipation is not uncommon. However, parents who have it happen to their little one usually want the situation to ease as fast as possible. There are several foods that really help with constipation in both adults and babies.
http://jtrader.hubpages.com/hub/Best-Fruit-Juice-Combinations-for-Baby-Constipation-Toddler-Recipes
My son too has constipation problems and I have been using Miralax to help him out too. Be careful using that stuff it is poison. I will NOT use miralax anymore. I appreciate your blog..it has given me new ideas to try for my son.
http://www.gutsense.org/gutsense/the-role-of-miralax-laxative-in-autism-dementia-alzheimer.html
poison how?
Thanks so much everyone for all the amazing tips and advice you are sharing. That is exactly what I was hoping for! I can tell you that the more my kids drink a lot of water the better off they are!
We have had the same issue from 6 months and after being told by a pediatrician to use actalax/lactolose whih is also not intended for long term use-our chiropractor recommended Metagenics fibroplex for kids. We are in Australia not sure about worldwide but it is a magnesium powder for kids. I’m my gosh worked from day one-AMAZING. Our boy at 1 1/2 has gone from pooing every 4-7 days to every day if not every 2 days. Magnesium is apparently to drug that doctors will not prescribe as it does every thing from lowering blood pressure to depression to helping autistic kids and constipation as it relaxes the muscles. Please try it it is natural and we are in the process of increasing our sons intake of magnesium rich foods. We are so thankful to our chiropractor as our son would still be being dosed up with artificial stuff to make him poo wen he went to school
My daughter has struggled with this since she was just over a year old. she would have tears everyone she had a bowel movement from the pain. she still eats dairy products, but I switched her to almond milk. There is also a great juice called “plum smart”that works wonders! It is good tasting prune juice that she willing asks for. Might be something others want to look into as well!
My third child is a holder and it upsets the entire family because she night wakes in pain 🙁 She is almost 2 and is still nursing. If we give her a “pooper” (enema) she can hold it still until the next day. Sometimes she even vomits when she tries to poop. It’s really awful. She doesn’t get much dairy except yobaby (with probotics). I would really like to be done nursing so I plan to switch to the Silk until we get this figured out. She doesn’t seem to be allergic to anything and she’s overall pretty happy. I just think she hates to poop. We tried miralax and she started throwing up.
Things we have done that DO help:
She does great with adding mineral oil to her yogurt.. She also seems better with some fiber bars and lots of water. I saw a stool suggested on Amazon…
http://www.amazon.com/Squatty-Potty-Toilet-Stool-Elimination-Aid/dp/B008G9B11E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410217667&sr=8-1&keywords=constipation+stool
and Magnesium lotion:
http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Minerals-Magnesium-Lotion-Bottle/dp/B0079QHN0S/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1410217756&sr=1-1&keywords=magnesium+lotion
I hope this helps!! Poor Babies!!
My 6 year old has chronic constipation (since at least age 2). She struggled with daytime wetting (and had daily BMs – but her insides were full of stool pushing on her bladder). I wanted to add that too much fiber can also be constipating when not balanced with liquid.
Daily fiber should be the child’s age + 5g with minimum fluid being total fiber x 3oz. (For example my 6 year old needs 11g of fiber at at least 33oz fluid daily.) If she eats more fiber than that she needs to drink more water, etc. this info is from our GI clinic. All the best you all the moms & kiddos dealing with this!
Thank you so much for that very helpful comment Cathryn. I haven’t heard that before but it makes a lot of sense and I will be figuring out the calculation for my kids!
I’m a PNP and I second absolutely everything you said in this post!! My recommendation usually is for a big initial clean out with miralax, then starting to do the dietary stuff along with fiber and probiotic supplements (I like florajen and culturelle) but like you said one of the most important things is to have a scheduled bathroom time. I like your idea of reading books but one thing I have found very helpful is blowing balloons!!!! Sounds crazy. But of course it forces them to valsalva without even knowing they’re doing it. Works like a charm and makes bathroom time fun. Give it a try sometime!! Thanks for sharing your tips. I often send my mommy friends to your blog. You’re one of the few mommy blogs I feel like I can trust to give evidence-based advice!
Thank you so much for the helpful comment. I will be trying the balloon!
Wow..I am a PNP as well. Have you had success with this. How old are your children? Thanks, Sheri
If any single moms still having trouble getting their child toddler or baby to go poop I know a great nurse in Pennsylvania she has helped my nephew to poop very easily. If any single moms still need help getting their baby or toddler/child to go poop please let me know i can help u help your child baby kids toddler to go poop over the phone ok . any moms need help still I can help u help your baby toddler child to go poop
Im on pintrest . any single moms need help making their baby toddler child to poop call me on my cell phone . I dont have email or Gmail anymore .
Great post, i have a two kids which of one get often constipation problems. Thanks for sharing this informative post i would be following this tips.
I have a daughter and she has had the abdominal pain off and on for about a year now. We’ve been in and out of her doctor’s clinic. The doctor ordered for an x-ray then said it’s just poop while I know for a fact that my daughter is not constipated because she regularly moves her bowel. We’ve also done ultrasound, stool test, etc. All tests came clean. But she is still in pain.
I’m sorry Brandy, that is so frustrating. Sometimes you have to keep going to different docs until someone finds a solution. It might be helpful to try a natropathic dr- they look at problems through a different lens. Good Luck!
If a child is pooping that doesn’t mean they are not constipated or blocked further up. My daughter was pooping every day, but it’s the type of poop that makes the difference (ie hard pebbles, softer stools). Also they can be impacted further up but some can get through to give a regular poop. If the dr saw poop in the xray then it is most likely there. They also should have followed it up, because impaction is very painful for kids and can cause problems. I know as my 2 have had them. My youngest has been on a stool softener for 12 months. When constipated the bowel stretches. Once going regularly, with the correct poop consistency they need to stay on the stool softener for twice the length of time they were constipated; as it takes the bowels this long to go back into shape. I know this as my childrens bowel issues are hereditary and have been extensively researched by paediatricians, gastroenterologists and other specialists. Impaction can also mimic signs of recurrent UTI’s as the bowel compresses the bladder; causing frequent urination, pain when weeing etc. I would go to another gp, get an xray and if there is still too much build up then ask them to follow it up ASAP. Good Luck.
Check for chronic appendicitis! I had abdominal pain for almos 1 year, several visits to the ER, c-scans, MRI, endoscopy/colonoscopy all my tests came back fine! Last month, the pain was intolerable called my GI doctor e told me to go to the ER, and he would meet me there he called a surgeon. They did a exploratory surgery in my abdomen, removed my appendix and I’m fine!!! Finally!!! Most doctors don’t believe in “chronic appendicitis”, you should mention that to you’re daughters Gi doctor. Good luck!
Oh no. Watching a child experiencing pain and not being able to help or fix it is just awful. As a little kid I had major issues with my digestive tract. I fear my 1yr old will develop the same issues. I know this is old but if they seen that she was full of poop on the xray then they must have seen poop. If you told the doc she goes regularly then he should have taken the time to figure out why it appeared she was backed up. Maybe she had a small blockage allowing her to still have BM. I had several xrays taken for my pain as a child with all of them saying i was “full of crap” i am curious what happened in your daughters case.
My daughter (now nearly 4) started having issues with constipation when I began introducing solids. It didn’t matter what she ate, she was constantly constipated. I don’t know if she was holding it in (at ~1 year old?) or what, but I tried everything. Asked my doctor for help, and he told us to use PEG. It just gave her a massive diaper rash and diarrhea. Finally I brought her to my chiropractor, and he found that her spine was out of alignment down where it is connected to nerves in the intestines. He also suggested aloe vera juice. There was not an immediate change, but after several visits she was pooping regularly and not long after we ditched the aloe entirely. She still goes regularly for wellness visits, but hasn’t had problems since. She can eat tons of cheese and bread and is still fine. I literally credit my chiropractor with saving her life, because otherwise I have no idea how she would have been able to eat properly.
Thanks Anje! That is a really helpful idea, that I’m going to have to consider!
Alisha, I really appreciate this post! My son is also 4.5 and he has been dealing with constipation issues since he was about 10 months old. Though we try to maintain a diet mostly of whole grains, fruits, and veggies, we often fall short and are inconsistent. He is completely dependent on Miralax once, sometimes more a day. We’ve had him tested for food sensitivities, celiac disease, Hirschprungs disease and more, of which he has none. When he turned four it finally dawned on me that he could be withholding much more that we have been aware of. We are still working with him to sit on the toilet. He gets backed up and its as if he simply can’t hold it in any longer and then it comes out, often without his control, so it seems. He has a lot of accidents and I think he gets frustrated. Sometimes he insists on wearing a diaper still. He is suppose to start Kindergarten in the fall, but I get really discouraged that he may not be able to participate for 3.5 hours a day, 5 days a week. Anyway, thanks for your post! I’m definitely going to try having him go after breakfast every morning. Thanks for the fiber supplement recommendations too. I look forward to hearing more about your journey.
Hi Brittany, thank you so much for that comment, I really appreciate it. Our stories are so similar, I just added a few more products that were recommended by other readers, you will see the bold UPDATE above, if you are interested. Sitting him on the toilet regularly was a huge success for us, although we admittedly don’t always follow through. I have ordered the tummy fiber and am really hoping for success with that- I will update that too! The accidents have been an issue here to and I think that is where the miralax doesn’t allow them to hold it anymore. Best of luck to you to, I hope some of these strategies are helpful!
Brittany ramirez my son had the same problem with constipation since he was 5 months old now he needs an enema or suppository by pedialax every 5 days
Now my son is 12 years old but still relies on a fleet enema every 5 days .