my 3 yr old needs more fiber..??

[tabbys4]

ok 3 yr old hasent had a "movement" in a week doc yesturday said to give him more fiber foods..like fiber 1 ceral strawberries, but wondering what else..like for lunch and dinner.. i need idea's. i have tried everything to make him poop and nothing so far..swear i have done everything xcept an enama..he is also taken miralax once a day.. hes still running and palying laughing sleeping but is backed up..doc said it could take 3 months to get him back to narmal again..anyone have idea's?? please. im worried about my lil guy..

[BabeeOnBoard]

Sep. 1, 2009 at 12:06 PM

Fiber comes in many ways..... lots of apple juice could do it, all kinds of vegtables are rich in fiber as well.... I swear you should try sweet potatoes... high in fiber.....

The following is Dr. Sears' ten-step plan for treating constipation:

1. Drink to go. Not drinking enough fluids is also a subtle contributor to problems with constipation, especially in the very young and very old. The colon is your body's fluid regulator. If you're not drinking enough, your colon steals water from the waste material and gives it to the body, causing the stools to be water deprived or hard. People eating high-fiber diets actually increase their risk of constipation if they don't drink extra water along with fiber-rich foods, since fiber needs water to do its intestinal sweeping job. More fluids in your diet put more fluids in your bowels, lessening constipation.

    

2. Add more fiber foods to child's diet. Fiber softens the stools by drawing water into them, making them bulkier and easier to pass. Fiber foods for older babies are bran cereals, graham crackers, whole-grain breads and crackers, and high-fiber vegetables such as peas, broccoli, and beans. (For a fiber-rich diet, see fiber foods.)

    

3. Get moving. Exercise improves digestion and speeds the passage of food through the intestines. A moving body gets the bowels moving, too.

    

4. Ease the passage of stools. Your infant may need a little outside help with a well-timed suppository. As they are going through a phase of learning how to have a bowel movement, many babies in their early months grunt and draw up their legs to push out a stool. But the straining baby may appreciate a little outside help with a well-timed, well-placed glycerin suppository. Available without prescription at your pharmacy, these look like tiny rocket ships. If your baby is straining, insert one as far into the rectum as you can and hold baby's buttocks together for a few minutes to dissolve the glycerin. These are especially helpful to lubricate the rectum if baby has a rectal tear or bleeding . Don't use for more than a few days without your doctor's advice.

    

5. Wiggle it out. As soon as you insert the glycerin suppository, wiggle it a bit, which stimulates the tense rectal muscles to relax and eases the passage of the hard stools.

    

6. Insert liquid glycerin. Liquid glycerin (Babylax) may be gently inserted by dropping it into baby's rectum, which often stimulates a bowel movement.

    

7. Use natural laxatives. When using a laxative, try the most natural first. Begin with diluted prune juice (with pulp), a tablespoon or two for the six- month-old and as much as eight ounces for the toddler. Try strained prunes or make a prune puree (stew your own or buy commercial), either straight or disguised (mixed with a favorite food), or spread it on a high-fiber cracker. Apricots and the four P's - prunes, pears, plums, and peaches - usually exert a laxative effect. If these seem insufficient, here are other ideas to try:

    

   • Psyllium husks (basically, very fine flakes of psyllium bran, available at nutrition stores) are a natural-fiber stool softener. This bland laxative is served sprinkled on cereal or combined with a fruit-and-yogurt mixture.

     Dosage of psyllium:
     Adults: Begin with one teaspoon and increase to one tablespoon once a day as needed.
     Toddlers and children: Begin with one teaspoon a day and increase to two teaspoons a day as needed.

     Be sure to take psyllium with an eight-ounce glass of water. For this concentrated fiber to work the intestines need lots of fluid; otherwise, psyllium can "gum up" in the intestines and actually increase the constipation. You can also mix psyllium powder in a smoothie. Psyllium is also available over-the-counter as Metamucil.

    

8. Nonprescription laxatives, such as Malt-supex (a malt-barley extract) or Metamucil (psyllium powder), may soften your child's stools.

    

   • Flax oil is a favorite. A healthy alternative to mineral oil is flax oil, which not only has laxative properties, but is a valuable source of omega 3 fats as well. (Although you may hear that mineral oil is a good oil to relieve constipation, because it is a mixture of hydrocarbons dried from petroleum products, I have never been convinced of its safety. And, unlike flax oil, it certainly has no nutritional benefits.) Unlike mineral oil, which slides through the intestines, possibly taking vitamins with it, flax oil is a nutrient that facilitates absorption of the vitamins.

      

     Dosage of flax oil:
     Infants: one teaspoon a day
     Toddlers: two teaspoons a day
     Children and adults: one tablespoon a day

      

   • Flax seed meal (ground flax seeds) is an even a better laxative than flax oil since it contains fiber. They look similar to finely ground bran flakes and mix well with soupy cereal, or even better, added to a high-fiber smoothie .

      

     Dosage of flax seed meal:
     Toddlers: one tablespoon a day
     Older children and adults: two tablespoons a day

      

   • Stool-Ade - Make a smoothie. See Dr. Sears' School-Ade recipe which also doubles as Stool-Ade. An easy way to get lots of fiber and laxative foods into your child is by making a stool-softening smoothie

    

    

9. Over-the-counter suppositories. Besides glycerin suppositories, try glycerin suppositories that also include a laxative ingredient. These may be used periodically if the constipation is severe and resistant to the above simpler measures.

    

    

10. Use an enema as a last resort. Baby Fleet may be tried if your toddler is miserably constipated and nothing else is working. It is available without prescription, and directions are on the package insert.