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.
Hi when my son was very constipated we tried everything and the best thing that helped my son to poop was enemas and suppository. His tummy was hard alot he withheld his poop so me and my ex fiancé she had to hold his legs up towards his tummy while we had to manually remove his poop after he hadn’t gone in 9 days . any single moms has this issue try a pedialax enema or suppository or a qtip w vaseline will help if that doesn’t work try tummy massage circular motion
If none of these tips work try manual remove their poop w your finger w vaseline they will go poop believe me my son still has constipation and he is 11 years old. .any single moms need help getting their toddler child or baby to go poop let me know I will help u . my ex fiancé is a pediatric nurse .
Mam my daughter is 3 yrs old she is also facing the same issue. Her poop very hard… She cries a lot…. Please help me
Hello,
Thanks for reaching out! I’d recommend the tips in the article, but we do have another article with more tips for you as well. Make sure that she is getting enough fluids throughout the day! You can read more about it HERE
Best,
Desiree
Hi! Not sure if you are seeing this, but my son is almost 3 and going on day 6 with no pooo. He is withholding, I can see it there and I’m desperate! His pediatrician suggested of course…MiraLAX! I refuse it. What else can I use? I have done massage, diet changes, magnesium, nada so far.
Hey Mari,
So sorry you are dealing with this! The diet changes can take some time! I’d continue providing massage consistently as well. You can read about some updated strategies HERE
Best,
Desiree
HELP PLEASE.. my son is almost 3 yrs old and he has been on Restoralax for over 6 months, when he started withholding. He has the urge to go everyday, several times a days infact, but he does everything in his power to not go, and then gets constipated. I just dont want to keep giving him Restoralax. How do i break this cycle? Please help? I have tried warm baths, tummy massage, Natural Calm(magnesium citrate), Manna Fig, prune juice. I feel nothing seems to work……
Hey Rajni,
We know how hard this can be! So sorry you little one is having trouble. I would reach out to your pediatrician as well to see if they have any other suggestions. However, we do have another post with some updated suggestions for you! You can check it out HERE
Best,
Desiree
Yes I need help with my 3 year old greatgranddaughter that’s always have constipation problems. She was a preemie. What can I do to help her poop? I give her prune juice and sometimes I have to give her a enema
Hi Pamela,
Thanks for reaching out. Constipation can be such a problem. It is also a bit more common in kiddos who were preemies too. I’d definitely check out the newer article on constipation written by the Constipation Gurus. It’s a great resource and full of ideas.
Best,
Andrea
Pamela, sorry to read of her difficulties!
Possibly take her to holistic doctor or pediatrician.
Her problem may be caused by many other factors. Including diet or withholding.
Read on Soiling Solutions about withholding.
The enema should help. But best to find out the cause of her issues.
I give enemas when needed to my two.
One of mine is like her.
One of the remedies that works best for him is getting an enema or series of enemas sometimes.
The mild soapy water enema works best on him. Given with the rubber bulb syringe on a table.
Read on optimalhealthnetwork.com
For buying Made For Enema Soap bar and other ideas from Kristina there.
Did you find out the cause?
My daughter went 14 days without pooping.. it was beyond horrifying so yes suppository it was. Before that was 12 days. I brought her to the doctor and all he said was keep trying restorlax each day and keep increasing the amount. I am still having this problem 😭
Hey Kay,
So sorry your little one is having difficulties with going to the bathroom, we do see this happen a lot with kids. Not sure if you’ve seen in the article but trying a daily probiotic can be really helpful as well. We do also have another constipation article you can take a look at for more tips!
Hope that helps!
Best,
Desiree
Kay, possibly find another doctor?
Holistic doctor?
Constipated child seems to be more prevalent than when I grew up in the 50s.
My mom and aunt gave either the castor oil or a enema when one of us was sluggish, moody, fighting, constipated!
Hi I’d just like to point out that from your description, your son likely has a protein allergy to dairy so simply “going off cows milk” is not going to help. If you try eliminating ALL dairy from his diet for 30 days you may find he has no need for Miramax again. No dairy doesn’t just mean no butter, milk, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, yogurt etc. You will also find dairy in many processed foods and even seasonings. Just as a heads up. We are 100% dairy free since we found out that my daughter and I share this problem. (Also it isn’t a lactose intolerance so lactose free dairy will not help.) And no cooked dairy is not good either. Honestly there are so many delicious healthy alternatives such as coconut, almond, cashew, and macadamia nut products (to name a few) that you won’t miss dairy at all. There is dairy free yogurt and ice cream and it is all just as good with live cultures.
Do be careful for things that say “non-dairy” as well. They usually have milk derivitaves. And as a reminder ghee is just clarified butter and so it is dairy.
I’d try it for a month and if it helps it becomes an easy lifestyle. Eating out can be a challenge dairy is hidden everywhere from buttered buns on hamburgers to dairy in the eggs or sausage casings. Otherwise it is a breeze if you cook yourself.
I am Nanny to my maternal twin 4-year-old Granddaughters, so I basically have had the great joy of raising them. They were born 5 weeks premature and lost weight after they were born due to an incomplete colon. Needless to say, they both have IBS issues and one, in particular, holds it in. She has numerously ripped the delicate tissue when she does poop and it will usually be a huge round ball. (Poor baby). She has been on a regimen of Miralax for at least a year. It just isn’t working. I have limited her dairy (actually both of the girls’) but it doesn’t seem to make a difference, however since they are picky eaters and Mac and Cheese is their favorite and possibly the worst to eat, I only use organic whole wheat noodles and here is the trick, I cook carrots and blend them into a sauce (mirepoix) of whole wheat flour, lactose free milk, and real butter. I add to that a slice of Trader Joe’s cheese soy slices). Another sauce to use for Mac and Cheese is a spoonful of concentrated Cream of Chicken soup (no milk added). But still trying to figure a way out of using Miralax which has been prescribed by their doctor.
I would recommend the book “Cure Your Child with Food.” It speaks to that exact situation and about how to wean a child off Miralax.
My 6.5 year old son refuses to sit on the toilet, and he only goes in his underpants or a diaper at night. When I try to get him to sit on the toilet, he just shouts a decisive ‘no, I don’t want to!’ and there is just no way to convince him. During the day, he poops small pebbles or very liquid, but only does a real ‘movement’ if he’s wearing a diaper and in bed early morning. This is stopping him from many social activities and he is obviously distressed by his problem. I’ve tried doctors, psychologists, homeopathy, osteopathy, massage, laxatives, diet change, bribery, nothing, everything! Tomorrow we’re seeing an aromatherapist, fingers crossed he’ll be going to the toilet at some point this summer..!
I give my daughter Hemp Oil (about 1/4-1/2 tea) several times through out the day. I put it in her milk (which is almond), cereal, juice…wherever you can get it in. Make sure it’s well mixed as it’s not the best tasting. If I notice her poops are hard, I up the dose a little. If poops are soft, I cut back a bit.
It takes about 4 days to start working.
My daughter is 5, has a horrible diet (doesn’t eat many fiberous foods) and has never been constipated. Poops like a champ 1-2 times a day with 0 issues.
Every person i’ve told about it has had amazing results.
Dori where can I buy hump oil? My son is 4 1/2 and can go days without doing poop! Please help
How old is your daughter ? My one year old has so much constipation I wonder if she’s too young to try
Hi Dori
Which hemp oil do you use and where do you buy it from?
Can you tell which brand you use
What brand of hemp oil do you use?
HI , How is your son doing now? My daugher sounds the same. only poops at night. it’s been a frustrating ordeal. Did you have any luck with the aromatherapist?
Thank you so much for this post. My nearly 6yo has been through most of what you described and over the years we also tried most of what was adviced here, incl removing milk and gluten from his diet etc etc, and yet got desperate enough to very reluctantly reach for prescribtion cosmocol (our uk equivalent sachets). I applied some of the various good advice shared here, but for us amazingly, what seems like possibly a long term solution, was found in something as simple as watching the youtube video called ‚The Poo in You’, together with our son. In fact, he watched it several times, understood why the soiling/overflow occurs, with the help of a couple of paediatric cosmocol cleared the worst out of the way, and then began to make a conscious effort to try and use the toilet after every meal, to prevent build up, sitting correctly etc. He now knows that withholding is not his friend, and that each day missed makes matters worse. We had one or two hickups, but other than that, he has been to toilet every single day for the past three months and says it is no longer difficult or painful as before at all. He now uses the toilet without even calling me too. I think this is our definite breakthrough, and he went back to enjoying milk (mostly the real raw milk though) and bread/other gluten, and still no issues this far. I do intend to get all my children regular probiotics. Wishing other parents success too. There definitely is a hope.
Most people shouldn’t be consuming dairy, especially the highly processed stuff on the market. It’s so sad that doctors say “Here, give your child this synthetic, man made, by-product of the petroleum industry instead of changing their diet.” Smh…
Please try pegalax or Jaslax ofcourse with doctors consultation. My kid was 4 years old and I was begging everyone to help me ,just could not see my kid in so much pain and struggling everyday pain.
found pegalax, started daily basis as recommended and then within few months (as my kid was in this state for a quite few months by then) , I needed no medicine , no worries no dependency on any thing..normal routine..
but I still watch that I give proper water and fiber in diet.
Hi, it was informative to read your piece. Hope your son has grown out of it now. I have a 4.5 year old who started bouts of constipation from the age of 16 months. We tried miralax which worked and then for a year she’s fine. It started back again from this Fall and I am now going on fiber and prune juice. She wouldn’t eat any of those fruits except for pears occasionally. Everytime she gets severe cold she gets constipated and refuses to go after 30 hours. She’s regular otherwise. Without one eating and drinking as required it is totally out of hands. I’m clueless
Thank you, my son is doing great! Over a year ago we started using juice plus (it’s a fruit and veggie gummy). I now distribute it, you can find it at alishagrogan.juiceplus.com if you’re interested.
Yogurt is an everyday accessible nutritious food at every home. But, can it be given during the cold winter months considering yogurt is considered a ‘cold’ food in itself.
https://www.parentcircle.com/article/is-it-safe-to-give-yogurt-to-toddlers-during-winters/
Very good blog. Great information on here.
Constipation is unhealthy and can cause other ills. The child feels bad when constipated and with holding. Causes tummy aches, head aches. A constipated child who does not have regular daily BM s will be sicker and recover from illness slower.
Not a doctor or medical person here. Strictly my opinion only. No giving medical advice. Consult with your pedi or naturopathic doctor before giving any remedies.
As stated above there seems to be more children constipated and having tummy aches than years ago. I do not know why this is. Possibly some one can state the reason for this.
I hate giving miralax to mine. Prefer natural home remedies. Do not like giving meds, chemicals, harsh laxatives and such.
My 5 yo with holds. It is a constant struggle to monitor him and have him go. Not with hold. Which causes so many problems.
I do, or tried, many of the things listed on here to have him go.
A older mom, who is a older retired nurse, told me he would benefit from being given enemas. I did research on Soiling Solutions. Enemas are part of the program. As well as “sitting”. “power hour” etc.
I could not afford the book from the program by Dr Collins? (think that is the doctor). Another mom is dong the program with hers. She let me read the book. We discussed enemas.
He is given enemas. They have helped. Actually better than miralax. Horrible stuff that is.
The first ever enema may be difficult. But later enemas are easy to give.
I will post more later.
Blessings.
My 13 year old has been on miralax since 5 . It has caused my child all kinds of neurological problems including temporary loss of the use of her legs and arms . Her body overheats and we have to keep her cool at all times. Miralax isn’t approved for kids even though our doctor put her on this , so please think twice before giving this to your child over a long period of time. It has some of the same ingredients as antifreeze and you know what that does to animals. The FDA has over 25000 complaints for this hurting kids and killing over 100 of them!
Donna, sorry to hear about your child.
I no longer give Miralax to mine. Will never again.
Isn’t it shocking to learn what is in that junk?
Blessings
I am starting to think that palm oil and palm fat is a cause of tummy upset especially in small children because there seems to be a large increase in the amount of children that suffer from tummy trouble in recent years and if you think back to before it was in virtually all food it was quite a small number of children that had tummy troubles and I think that avoiding it is the best solution but obviously a healthy diet is the most important part. I found a lot of things here that have been very helpful thanks for your help
Hmm that’s interesting Rebekah, I haven’t considered that. Thank you!
Some time Constipation in Kids can make your kids unhealthy and may result in bad growth. But thankfully this blog post is giving some useful information regarding protection and other information. Thanks for sharing this post.
Dorothy, cannot agree more with you! In the last year or so I have learned so much about the constipated child. You are right! Constipation can cause many ills. Make the child feel bad. Have headaches, tummy aches, not eat, be sluggish, have dark area under the eye lids and so much more.
A friend of mine (she used to be a nurse) introduced to me the the enema for the child when she gave a enema to her boy. No the enema is not a cure all. But giving one is far better than giving that junk Miralax.
This is a very good blog. With lots of useful information on it and good open comments.
Being stuck at home for a few more days..or weeks…I will read more and write more on here.
Blessings
Carol A, Carol here too!
Hey, very good your nurse friend introduced you to giving the home enema.
I have given many remedies in the past for the constipated child. Since learning the enema I feel the home enema is the quickest and easiest way to help the child.
Once he knows it makes him feel better and does not hurt, giving him an enema is easy!
I also learned this very good remedy when was staying with a friend for a few weeks.
While there she told me she was going to give an enema to her 5 yo boy. I about died hearing that! But wanted to learn.
She told me it was good I learned how to prepare and give one. Later on I learned she was right when I had to give my first ever enema to one of my kids. I was glad I knew how.
Since I had seen the red enema bulb syringe sitting out in her bathroom I was curious about it.
I have given many home enemas since she taught me.
Always talk with your doctor before giving enemas.
I am glad to see I wasn’t the only one to question Miralax everyday recommendation from my daughter’s doctor. She is almost 11 now and we have solved the potty problem with Apple Prune juice. She enjoys the taste and we only have to use it once or twice a month.
That’s perfect! Research has actually been starting to come out with long term miralax side effects!
Hi everyone,
My daughter in 5.5 years old. She has had constipation problems since birth. For the first 3 years I was constantly talking to the doctor about her pooping. Her norm since birth was once a week at best. At first the doctors just told me this was her normal. By 3 I was having to do the miralax daily and then she was having constant accidents and had a long “potty training”. I finally had enough and demanded for a GI consult. It was the best thing we could have ever done. They did a ton of testing for dairy intolerance and other food intolerances. Once everything was ruled out we started PT. Yes……PT to teach her how to poop. My daughter was born at 30 weeks and the GI Doctor said it can be common with premie babies but can also be genetic, where their sphincter muscles just doesn’t know how to work. Anyway, after a few months of PT my daughter has been off miralax for 1.5 years!!!!!! Now, don’t get me wrong we still have our moments of her “holding it in” but I am so relived to have her off the medication. Just want to give that info out because like everyone else I did not want my daughter to be on that medication long term and it seemed to be what the pediatrician had planned. Hope this helps another family
You can be certain it will Lauren! This is so helpful and is another valuable perspective in helping the rest of us piece together the constipation puzzle! Thank you!!!
thanks for sharing~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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!