Diet Recommendations for Children with Constipation

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Diet Recommendations for Children with Constipation

Question:

My child is easily constipated. As an infant, I fed him regular prunes. Now that he is a toddler, is it too much to give him prune juice every other day?

Answer:

Not at all. If it's not enough to keep his constipation at bay, you can give it every day. If this gives him diarrhea, cut down on how much you give.

Many kids find the taste of prune juice too strong. If that's the case, you can always continue with the prunes. Or try giving him dried prunes, chopped up. They taste like raisins. If you start early with him, there's a good chance he'll get used to them and like them.

Give him lots of fruits and vegetables every day. Make sure he drinks water every day. Be watchful to see which foods bind him up. Rice and bananas are common offenders. And be sure he doesn't drink more than 24 ounces of milk a day, as that can be constipating.

I think it's great that you are thinking about using his diet to head off problems. That's the very best way to treat constipation. If he still runs into problems with pooping, give your doctor a call.

Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".

Last updated:	July 23, 2009