CONSTIPATION

Difficulty in passing hard stool is constipation. It is not an emergency if your child has not had a bowel movement for 3-4 days. Each child has their own bowel pattern. Some have a stool with every meal, while others have a stool once every week. The important thing is that the stool is soft in its consistency when it does come out. All children strain to have bowel movements whether they are soft or hard. If you see blood in the stool, contact
our office. Also contact us if the stool becomes hard or bowel movements are less frequent than once per week. Decreased appetite is also an important sign with infrequent stools.

To try to soften the stool, add extra fruits and vegetables to your child’s diet. Make sure that he is not taking excessive amounts of milk. Allow your child to eat all that he wants. Notify the office if you ever feel that your child’s abdomen is becoming bloated in
association with constipation. Glycerin suppositories are not harmful or addictive, but please do not use them unless advised to do so by us. Most of the time they are unnecessary. Please do not use laxatives or enemas unless under our advice. Let us help you before you start trying all of these remedies.