Longwood Pediatrics encourages our patient families to take an active part in their health through education and consultation. We provide the below information for your reference but it is not meant to replace a visit with your medical provider. Please contact us if you feel your child needs to be seen in the office.

Please always dial 911 in the case of a medical emergency.

Constipation

 
Constipation means passing infrequent hard stools. Some children (especially infants) may only have a bowel movement every few days but as long as the bowel movements are soft, there’s no need to worry or do anything. If bowel movements are hard, the following are things you can do to try to help:

Under 1 month old

Please call the office for appointment

1-3 Months Old

Buy dark Karo syrup in any supermarket

Stir 1 tablespoon of Karo syrup into 2 ounces of water, breastmilk, or formula; give to the baby daily or every other day as needed

Older Infants

Mix prune juice and water 1:1; start with 2 ounces a day and increase gradually as needed (rapid increases may cause excessive gas)

AVOID rice cereal (use barley or oatmeal cereal instead), bananas, potatoes/sweet potatoes

ENCOURAGE prunes, peaches, pears, squash, green beans, peas, cereals with fiber (e.g. Cheerios)

Toddlers/Young Children

AVOID too much milk (no more than 12-24 ounces per day), cheese, rice, bananas, potatoes

ENCOURAGE high-fiber cereals (e.g., Multi-Bran Chex, Cracklin’ Oat Bran, Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Raisin Bran, Weetabix, Kashi Go Lean), whole grain breads, fruits (except bananas), vegetables, high-fiber cereal bars (e.g., Kashi TLC bars).

When To Call The Office

Please call the office IMMEDIATELY for:

Constipation associated with severe abdominal pain

Please call during REGULAR HOURS for:

Constipation that doesn’t respond to the above measures