Digestive and Bowel Disorders Forum - 3 Year Old Problem....

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What causes constipation? And how is constipation medically defined? Get the basics on this common gastrointestinal complaint here....

Q: 3 Year Old Problem....

asked by: ladylee70 on April 5th, 2007

Extremely eHealthy

My three year old has a major problem. It takes him forever to get out a poop and he has had a few enemas at the doctors office due to being backed up. We have tried two prescription medications and they didn't really work. My son is not going to get into a good preschool next year if he can't get this under control. He does not poop in the toilet because it just takes him forever. When I give him some prune juice, even a little, it makes him have diarrehea. I can't seem to find a good happy medium for him. At least the prune juice does something. The other day, my son had a poop so big that it clogged our toilet...seriously. It was bigger than my big ones (sorry TMI). I am worry that his colon will get hurt because he is such a little guy.

We are moving this week to a different state and I am hoping to get a better doctor and will probably be searching for a specialist. Our little guy is in pain a lot and holds his stomach because he is hurting so bad. I am frustrated that his doctor hasn't even taken blood work from him. He is a very skinny guy - approximately at the 7th percentile of weight for his age. His dad is 6'6 so if he starts to take off in height then it will get even worse.

HELP. Does anyone have good food advice or other advice to help regulate my little one. We know about the "avoid cheese" thing but any other advice would be so helpful!!

Thanks

Replies(3)

happycamper

replied on May 2nd, 2007

New User

Regularity

two words oxy powder, follow the directions on the bottle and then keep to a maintenance program. this stuff works wonders and is safe to use. also besides staying away from cheese I would avoid peanut butter, white bread and white flour products, up the water intake, and a few more fresh fruits and veggies can't hurt. good luck!

sillyakchick

replied on May 7th, 2007

Extremely eHealthy

Have the doctors tested him for anything? Is he underweight? Is the cramping down low in his abdomen? Does he have diarrhea that is sort of explosive? Is it terribly foul smelling? Does he have lots of gas? These are symptoms of celiac disease or gluten intolerance. It is a lot more common than what was once thought. If any of these things sound familiar, you can request a test from his pediatrician or family doctor. The other thing you could try is eliminating all wheat, rye, oats and barley from his diet for about 3-4 weeks and see if he improves. If he gets ill again after re-introducing these, then it sounds likely. If he is lactose intolerant, he should try this. Celiac disease results in flattening of the villi in the small intestine, which makes it nearly impossible to break down lactose. I hope you find an answer that makes him feel better soon, poor little guy!

mnvfamily

replied on July 23rd, 2009

New User

My daughter just turned 3 and we have been struggling for at least 6 months with constipation issues and painful bowel movements. Her normal pediatrician, a urologist, and a Gastroenterologist all said constipation is just something that happens to children and to add more fiber to her diet. A recent trip to the Mayo Clinic in MN gave us the answers we were wondering..turns out she has an anatomic abnormality we didn't know about..(her anus is located in the wrong spot) causing two things. 1st she would tear every time she had a bowel movement and secondly it explains why she struggles with chronic constipation....Adding more fiber to her diet actually made her problem worse. Check with your doctors first, if you are still not satisfied with their answers, go somewhere else until you are satisfied with their diagnosis...your child's health is priceless.

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