For a long time having a daily bowel movement was associated with being healthy. Now we know that some people are completely healthy even if they regularly have a bowel movement only once a week! The important thing is not quantity but regularity.

Is your child’s poop hard and rocklike? Does it hurt for her to have a bowel movement? Does your child have to strain? If you answered yes, then she is probably constipated. The most common causes of constipation in childhood are too little fiber in the diet, not drinking enough liquids, and stool withholding. Some kids delay having a bowel movement because they do not want to use the toilets at school. Others ignore the urge because of stressful toilet training or because they do not want to interrupt their play. Kids who ignore the urge to have a bowel movement may eventually stop feeling the urge, which can lead to constipation. Children can also become constipated from changing their exercise routine.

If withholding a bowel movement isn’t an issue for your child, you can prevent constipation by ensuring that she is eating fruits and vegetables daily and getting enough water. Drinking plenty of water adds fluid to the colon and bulk to stools, facilitating the passage of stool through the bowels. Serve a salad with dinner or a fruit salad for dessert and be sure to have water available at meals and while traveling. Beware of beverages that contain caffeine such as sodas and coffee, yes, more kids than ever are drinking coffee these days. These have a dehydrating effect within the colon and can result in constipation.

Regardless of the reason for your child’s constipation, don’t give her laxatives or an enema unless you have your pediatrician’s okay. These methods are potentially dangerous: they can lead to irreversible damage to your child’s colon, permanently impairing its ability to coordinate contraction.

Bottom line: teach your kids to poop when they feel the urge, feed them a diet high in fiber, and give them enough water or sugar-free, caffeine-free beverages.

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