7 home remedies for constipation in children

Before reaching for medications try these home remedies to tackle your child's constipation.

Debjani Arora | Updated: December 28, 2014 2:40 pm

Constipation is very common among children. It is a condition that is recognised by hard bowel movements or absence of it completely. There can be several reasons for constipation among young children. Sometimes ignoring nature’s call or withholding could be a probable cause; this is common among school children. Apart from that, a diet low in fibre and obesity could also make a child become constipated easily. Whatever the cause, it is distressing for parents to deal with child’s constipation. Severe constipation might need medical intervention such as oral medication and glycerine suppositories. However, you can start with some home remedies to try and free your child from the symptoms of constipation. Here are a few of them:

#1 Water: Make sure that your child is drinking enough water throughout the day to avoid symptoms of constipation. Most of the time dehydration can be a prime cause of constipation. If your child finds it difficult to pass stool or have missed passing stool in a day encourage your child to drink at least one and half litre of water throughout the day, to ensure smooth stool passage. You can also try warm water and lemon which is an excellent home remedy to aid digestion. Sipping glassful of warm water will also help in the same way. Here are 10 reasons why having warm water and honey is good for you.

#2 Whole fruits: One of the best ways to deal with constipation in children is to offer whole fruits that are rich in fibre content. Some fruits that can help beat constipation in younger children are:

Bananas: They are packed with fibre and pectin that helps to beat constipation. Having just two bananas a day can help soften the stool and initiate easy passage. The pectin present in banana helps in easy mobility of bowels helping the stomach to get rid of the wastes. (Read: Eat bananas to beat constipation)
Prunes: Prunes are a classic cure for constipation and their sweetness and texture makes it a favourite among children. They are high on fibre and sorbitol which helps to soften the stool and add bulk to it for easy passage. Too much prunes can however make the stool too soft and lead to lose motions. (Read: 8 health benefits of prunes or dried plums)
Apples: An apple a day keeps constipation at bay. The crunchy, sweet, juicy fruit helps to relieve your child from symptoms of constipation due to its high fibre content. (Read: 10 reasons to eat an apple every day! (Gallery))
Guavas: Guavas have soluble fibre in the pulp and insoluble fibre in the seeds that help in mucus production in the anus helping the hard bowel to slide easily out of the system and clear the stomach. (Read: 10 reasons why guavas are good for your health)
Oranges: Apart from being a rich source of Vitamin C they also provide with adequate amount of fibre that can act as a natural laxative. (Read: 10 health benefits of oranges (Gallery))

Apart from these fruits, other fruits can also help aid digestion and fight constipation. Always make it a point to offer your child whole fruits over fruit pulp and juices so that the fibre content of the fruit remains intact.

#3 Fibre rich foods: Try and incorporate fibre rich foods like cereals and pulses, whole grains and beans in your child’s diet plan in one way or the other. A diet with enough fibre helps the body to form soft bulky stool. (Read: 10 reasons you should eat fibre-rich foods)

#4 Molasses: High in sugar content molasses also helps to fight constipation and indigestion. Blackstrap molasses has rich source of magnesium that specifically helps to tackle constipation.

#5 Olive oil: One teaspoon of olive oil when taken with one teaspoon of lemon juice first thing in the morning on empty stomach helps in passage of the stool and gives relief from constipation.

#6 Aloe vera: Aloe vera is known for its many beauty benefits but it is also an excellent ingredient to fight constipation in children. Two spoonful of aloe vera gel mixed with one glass of warm water works as an excellent laxative.

#7 Yoghurt: Yoghurt can do wonders and one way it helps to treat constipation is to keep the good bacteria flourishing in the gut. This will help prevent constipation and allow passage of the bowels easily. (Read: Can yogurt help improve immunity?)

Image source: Getty Images

Published: December 28, 2014 1:15 pm | Updated:December 28, 2014 2:40 pm

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