They work by raising how much water is absorbed in the stool. Bulking agentsīulking agents are fiber supplements. Lactulose is safe for all ages, and it can be used in infants younger than 6 months of age. Although it’s less effective than Miralax, it can be used as an alternative treatment if Miralax is unavailable. Lactulose is another type of osmotic laxative. It usually takes about 1 to 2 days to see results and can be used in children older than 6 months of age. Miralax must be taken daily to be effective. It’s considered a first-choice laxative because it’s tasteless and children tolerate it well. Polyethylene glycol 3350 ( Miralax) is the most commonly used osmotic laxative. Osmotic laxatives draw water into the stool to help it move through the colon quicker. Let’s review the most common types of laxatives and their side effects in a bit more detail below. But many providers still recommend the use of OTC laxatives in kids because they’re well tolerated. So laxatives are only FDA approved for adults. There’s not enough data from large studies on the safety of laxatives in children. Aim for them to have that number in grams of fiber per day. Whole-grain foods (like bread and cereal)Ī quick way to estimate a child’s daily fiber needs is to add 5 to their age in years. Vegetables (like leafy greens, broccoli, beets, and asparagus)įruits or fruit purees (like apples, apricots, melons, and prunes) For example, this would be about ½ cup peas, 1 cup of carrots, or 1 large pear. Your child should eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day to get the recommended daily amount of fiber.Įxcellent sources of fiber have 5 grams or more in each serving. Fiber intakeĪdding fiber to a child’s diet can also relieve constipation by helping to create larger and softer stools. Be sure to talk with your child’s provider before you make any dietary substitutions. You can do this one to three times a day. For younger infants, you may be able to substitute ½ oz of water with juice. For infants over 3 months, you can try 1 oz of juice. Here’s the suggested daily water intake for children by age:įor infants, you can replace water with small amounts of juice. How much water your child needs will vary by age. If your child is not drinking enough water, it can make their stools harder and more difficult to pass. ![]() These changes include adding more water and fiber to their diet. If your child is constipated, you may want to try making lifestyle changes first before starting with a laxative. What are the best natural laxatives for kids? This way you may be able to use simple natural remedies before it gets worse. Or encourage them to keep an eye out for these changes. So pay attention to changes in what their poop looks like and how often they poop. Since bathroom habits differ among children and by age, it can be difficult to say when they're constipated. Around 4 years old, they may average about one poop per day and remain fairly constant after that. It’s not unusual for breastfed babies to poop several times a day or after each feeding, especially in the first few weeks of life.Īs your child gets older, they may start to poop less often. Some children can poop as often as three times a day or as few as three times a week.īreastfeeding infants tend to have softer and more frequent poop than infants who are fed formula (they tend to have firmer poop, and less often). What does constipation look like in kids?Ĭonstipation is when your child has hard, painful poops or is pooping less often than “normal.” What’s considered normal depends on the age of your child and differs from child to child. We’ll take a closer look at over-the-counter (OTC) laxatives that are safe to use in kids. With all the different types of laxatives out there, it can be hard to know which one to choose for your child. They work by either softening the stool or stimulating a bowel movement. Laxatives are medications that can help treat and prevent constipation. But when adding more water and fiber to their diet isn’t enough, your child may need a laxative to help them poop. Fortunately, most cases are not due to any serious medical cause, and simple changes in the diet can help. In fact, it’s the reason for up to 5% of office visits and 1 in 4 visits to a specialist. But it can still be worrisome for parents. ![]() ![]() We may receive compensation when a user decides to leverage these services, but making them available does not influence the medical content our editorial staff provides.Ĭonstipation is common in children. We also provide access to services offered by GoodRx and our partners when we think these services might be useful to our visitors. See our editorial policy for more detail. *See full terms at /support I GoodRx Health information and resources are reviewed by our editorial staff with medical and healthcare policy and pricing experience.
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