Holistically addressing Chronic Constipation in a Child
Except for any noted source material, content copyright, Neva. J. Howell, all rights reserved
Health Question:
My nephew has had a problem with going to the bathroom
for over 3 years now. Is there a safe colon cleanse that
can be given to him?
Healing Facilitation Response:
You didn’t say how old the child is but I’m assuming that,
since you are writing on his behalf, he is still fairly young.
A child still young enough to be called a child should not
need a colon cleanse. Although they might have parasites
and experience symptoms like anal itching at night, restless
sleep and alternating constipation with diahrrhea, parasites
will not typically (by themselves at least with no other
factors) cause the type of chronic constipation you are
describing.
There are safe options for restoring intestinal regularity and
normal bowel movement but, before I go into that, let’s talk
about some other considerations.
I am not a doctor or psychiatrist, but I do know that
children can develop a resistance to going to the bathroom
which can cause them to hold stool until it becomes a chronic
problem to be constipated. There are any number or reasons
why this could be so, ranging from embarassment about going
in public places like school to some type of subconscious or
conscious fear of going.
I have no idea if you are open to modalities like reiki, but even
counseling with a mental health therapist might rule out this
consideration. I would strongly advise exploring psychological
factors. If a doctor did not find any medical reason for there
to be backed-up stool, then the constipation may not be due
to physical problems.
Diet can be a huge factor in constipation so I’d also look
carefully at the child’s food intake. If he doesn’t eat fruits
and vegetables, and eats a lot of fast food, processed food,
sugary foods, or white flour products, that can definitely
cause chronic constipation.
If he were my child, I’d do my best to get him off sugar and
white flour, and get him eating more fiber-rich foods. In my
experience, giving someone with chronic constipation fiber
to take only makes it worse if they are not also drinking a lot
more water and cutting back on the foods that hold waste
in the colon (refined sugar is probably the worst culprit).
Things have to be moving already for fiber to be a good idea,
in my opinion.
Again, I am not a doctor and I don’t know if fiber is the thing
with them. It is a good thing, but I just don’t experience that it’s
when there is a chronic constipation problem until the backed up
waste has been eliminated and especially if the person isn’t
drinking enough water. Not drinking enough water is very big
factor in many cases of chronic constipation and children are
notorious for choosing cokes, juice drinks or other beverages
instead of water if left to their own devices.
If he were my son, I’d try making sure he drinks water at
breakfast and dinner, instead of other drinks for a while.
If there is no problem with bedwetting, I would even try a
little water before bed as well and you also might want to
put him on a good multi-vitamin for children if he isn’t taking
one already.
Finally, if changing his diet, increasing his water, and ruling
out emotional factors don’t eliminate the problem, I would
get another opinion. Another doctor might find something
that this one is missing.
One resource I visited suggested setting specific
bathroom times for the child, to get them used to the
idea of going and sitting to see if they need to move
their bowels. Over time, the body may get the idea. You
can also try adding laxative-type foods such as prunes,
pears, plums, and peaches. Also, some doctors recommend
flax oil and I would definitely use flax oil or flax seed before
trying more harsh laxatives. Using flax seed oil
regularly may help a great deal to correct the constipation,
provided any emotional factors in holding off going to the
bathroom are also addressed.
Suppositories can also be used, but since they may be a
bit embarrassing for the child, I’d try all the other avenues
first. As a last resort, enemas can relieve the constipation
if it gets too bad.
In lieu of considering an actual colon cleanse which, again,
I think would be too harsh for a child, I’d suggest trying the
dietary changes, dealing with any stress or fears that might
be causing the child to avoid going to the bathroom and
using a natural children’s laxative only when needed, and
rely more on diet to take care of the situation.
One of the very best and safest options for relieving
constipation that I know about is foot reflexology. Most
children love it. Most adults too, as a matter
of fact.
Foot reflexology is very easy to learn or you can find a
reflexologist in your area and get an appointment for your
nephew.
Here’s an article that covers
some questions about reflexology and reiki,
so that you can consider these options more fully.
Vaxa Nutraceuticals makes a vitamin formula specifically for children, called
Vaxa Buddies
Additional colon-related information: Symptoms and help for celiac sprue
Addressing Severe Constipation in an Adult
