Help!!

Our soon to be 18 month old daughter is chronically? constipated (on average 1-2 times a week). She poops after two days and it is almost rock hard, then becomes normal and then back to the rock hard stuff. This is inspite of 250 ml of prune juice per day and equal amounts of cow milk and orange juice in between. An average of three straight veggie meals a week. Carbs and proteins are almost in equal amounts at every meal.

In addition we play in the swimming pool 3-4 times a week and fairly active throught the day, so much so that she has a standard 1-1.5 hour mid morning nap and a full 11 hour sleep at night.

Is there a remedy for this constipation? Massage?

She doubles up in obvious agony whenever she poops.

Use a suppository. Thats the nicest and gentlest way and will soften it up.

I'm sort of apprehensive about the massage technique.

Try this link it has lots of information which might help you.

http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/toddler/t...ills/11419.html

what ever happened to good 'ol castor oil?...I'm sure that it is available in Thailand under a local name...

it tastes terrible but if mixed with something and no heat involved could do the trick...

all the best...constipation for little ones is a big concern...

tomatoes, grated fresh, as a veggetable, work well

dont give cooked carrots and applesauce or ground fresh apples as these 'bind'...(pectin)

also bananas and rice bind and so do potatoes

so does all the baby forumulas with added plus iron, as do iron vitamins in any form

try bio yogurts insstead of milk this gets the flora/fauna going in the stomach; try non cow milk products like goat milk if available and pastuerized

increase amount of water drinking, skip orange juice this can upset stomach and flora/fauna

if she's pooping in a diaper, change right away, maybe she doesnt like to poop if it stays too long in the diaper so she 'withholds' and this can also lead to constipation (its not like she thinks about it, just some babies do this)

write down what she eats at which meals and when she has trouble; lots of foods have opposite affects on babies (some people, bananas are good, some people, bananas are a no no).... cant remember if we were allowed to use bran in the yougurt for our babies or not, but could be (oat bran not wheat bran if u are in the group that suscribes to not giving babies wheat at early age)

honey and warm water if your doctor permits (in israel not allowed as their is some danger of botulism in children with undeveloped stomachs at early infancy)

speak with pediatrician, check for other things that go along with the constipation (gluten problems or whatever)... dont panic just check

I would swap prune juice for prunes or any other dried fruit. Roughage, that's the key.

Hand-squeezed orange juice with plenty of particles (celuloze) helped our baby in same situations. No medicines.

Thanx all for the advice. We have increased the amount of Prune Juice to 250 ml per day whether constipated or not. In addition we have introduced prunes, although she does not fancy them. It seems to work although she still agonises when doing her poop and the worrying thing is, it is no longer hard at all.

Soon will substitute cow milk for Soya milk.

I'm not a doctor, and if you want, would recommend DR. VORAVEE KITTIVACHARA ( http://www.bnhhospital.com/doctor_profile1...111&branch= ) from the BNH Hospital, who takes care of my almost four years old daughter.

Other than this, would recommend you to change the milk, there are several brands of the formula for varying ages.

Also, as bina suggested, write down what she eats (or does not) every day/meal to see what is the cause of the problem.

My son had the same problem for a while. The main thing was that he was drinking too much milk. I wouldn't cut out all cows milk unless she is allergic though.