Constipation is when your child has infrequent hard stools that are painful to pass.  Newborns generally have stools 4 to 8 times a day.  By the time they are 2 months old breastfed infants may pass stools as frequently as 4-6 times a day or as infrequently as once every 4-5 days; formula fed infants have stools 2-3 times a day to every other day.  When your child is on solid food, stools usually pass 2-3 times a day to every other day.  Occasionally with viral illnesses, when your child has a decreased appetite, stools may pass less frequently than normal.

If your child is constipated, we recommend the following treatments:

Infants under 1 year

• Give 4 ounces of water mixed with 1 teaspoon of brown sugar once a day.
• Give older infants strained apricots, prunes, or peaches twice a day.

Children over 1 year

• Give fruits and vegetables (good examples include celery, lettuce, beans, raisins, peaches, pears, prunes), bran cereal, graham crackers, or oatmeal.
• Make sure your child drinks plenty of water.
• Give your child prune juice.  If you mix prune juice with 7-UP, it tastes like Dr. Pepper.
• Decrease constipating foods like milk, bananas, rice, apple sauce, and cooked carrots.

Call us if your child:

• has blood in the bowel movement
• goes 3 days without a bowel movement despite trying the above treatments
• has severe cramps
• has any deep tears in the rectum that won't heal
• has any symptoms that concern you